Anisette Cookies

By Laurie McGuigan

¼ lb. butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 cups flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon anise flavoring

Cream butter & sugar until very creamy.  Add well beaten eggs and anise.  Sift flour & baking powder into creamed mixture & mix well. 

Lay into strips of 1½” wide on baking sheet.

Bake at 375° F for 10 mins.  Slice and toast 5 minutes on one side.  Turn cookie over and toast on second side for an additional 4 or 5 mins.

Irish Soda Bread

Recipe provided by Cathy Boening in December 2008

2 2/3 cups seedless raisins                   12 tbsp. sugar

8 cups flour                                         6 tbsp. caraway seeds (optional)

6 tsp. baking powder                          12 tbsp. Crisco

3 tsp. baking soda                               1 qt. buttermilk

4 tsp. salt                                            Melted butter and sugar for top

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Add caraway seeds; cut in shortening with pastry blender.  Add raisins and make sure they are distributed evenly throughout the dry mixture.  Add buttermilk.  Batter should be very sticky.  If too dry, add a little more liquid (regular or skim milk is fine).  Spread in greased 8 inch pan.  Pour melted butter over top and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in a 350°F oven for 1 hour or more until light brown.

NOTE:  You can mix all ingredients with the exception of the buttermilk the night before.  Cover with plastic wrap.  When ready, add buttermilk and bake as above.

YIELD:  This recipe makes three 8 inch round breads.  Eat one and freeze the other two.  They fit nicely into a Ziploc bag. 

Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

¼ cup ricotta (does not have to be a level cup, a little more is fine)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sugar (does not have to be a level cup, a little more is fine)

1 egg

2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Soften butter.  Blend with ricotta cheese until creamy.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Add sugar gradually, beating until well blended.  Add egg and mix well.  Slowly stir in dry ingredients and blend well. 

For bite-sized cookies, roll into very small balls (about ¾-inch) and press slightly in the middle after placing them on cookie sheet.  (If you don’t press down the middle, they spread out very thin.)  Cook 6-7 minutes or until golden brown on bottom.  (For larger cookies, extend cooking time to 8-9 minutes.)

Cool on rack.  Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Makes about 75 bite-sized cookies.