Brownies Americana

Brownies were a mainstay from childhood because they are reliably delicious and so easy to make. This recipe calls for the classic dusting of powdered sugar, which is what Mom most often used. You could frost the brownies, if you want. But for me, a simple dusting of powdered sugar is just right. If you like brownies, you should give this recipe a try.

These brownies are classic cake brownies. This recipe makes an 8x8 pan, but the recipe could easily be doubled to fill a 9x13 pan, if you need more brownies. Mom's recipe calls for the addition of walnuts, but I left them out. I don't know why this recipe is called Brownies Americana. It could be the use of baker's chocolate. Or, maybe it is the walnuts. Maybe, it is just that these brownies are what I think of when I think of brownies. Whatever the reason for the name, the result is delicious.

Brownies Americana 

• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat; cool slightly. Beat eggs and gradually blend in sugar. Add cooled chocolate; blend well. Add flour, vanilla and salt; stir until blended. Mix in nuts. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool in pan. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Enjoy!

Sesame Potato Twist Loaf

Here is another great bread recipe from Mom's extensive recipe collection. Homemade bread was a big part of my childhood memories because Mom made bread frequently. Although I do not specifically remember this recipe, the bread is delicious, especially fresh out of the oven. And this bread is even good leftover when made into sandwiches or toasted.

This recipe requires the use of mashed potatoes. Do not be intimidated by this unusual bread ingredient. You can use instant mashed potatoes or just peel and dice a potato to mash for the recipe. I prefer fresh potatoes to instant potato flakes, so I used one large potato for this recipe. The potato gives the bread a nice flavor, but is not overwhelming. When I made this bread, I let it sit for a long time during the second rise. Although the extra time did not hurt the bread, it rose so much that it lost its "twist" appearance. But it looked and tasted delicious all the same.

Sesame Potato Twist Loaf 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup mashed hot cooked potatoes
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup scalded milk
• 2 pkg. dry yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water (about 120 degrees)
• 5 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg white, slightly beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
• Sesame seeds

In a large bowl, add butter to the potatoes; stir until melted. Add sugar, salt and milk; stir until mixture is smooth then cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in warm water, with a dash of sugar. Add yeast to potato mixture. Stir in 3 cups flour, beating until smooth. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a moderately-firm dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, working in only as much flour as necessary to prevent dough from becoming sticky. Place dough into a buttered bowl, turning the dough to coat the dough ball with butter. 

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch dough down; divide into four parts. Roll each part between palms to form a strand 15 inches long. Spiral wrap 2 strands together to form a twist loaf, tucking ends under. Place dough into a buttered 9X5 loaf pan; repeat with 2 remaining parts. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes. Gently brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400 for ten minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for 35 minutes more or until golden brown. Cool on rack. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Date Cookies

This recipe is another great find from the recipes that Aunt Paula had from Grandma Holmes. Like some of the others, this recipe likely was passed to her from a friend. It was actually typed onto an index card rather than handwritten. Because these cookies require rolling dough and assembly, they require a little more labor than most cookies, but they are worth it.

This old-fashioned recipe appealed to me because it results in a cookie that cannot be found in stores. The cookies themselves are delicious. They are a brown sugar cookie filled with a tasty date and nut filling. When I read the recipe, I was worried that the filling would not stay in the cookie as they baked. But, there was no need to worry, all the cookies came out perfect with no escaped filling.

Refrigerator Date Cookies 

• 2 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs, well-beaten
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Make the cookie dough by creaming the butter with the brown sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and blend well. Refrigerate the dough thoroughly. 

Make the date filling by combining the dates, sugar and water in a saucepan and heat on low until thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add the nuts and blend well. Allow the filling to cool.

Roll out the dough in parts into an approximately 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a round cookie cutter. To assemble the filled cookies, place one cookie circle onto an ungreased pan, place a teaspoon of filling in the center and then top with another circle. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Potato Chip Cookies

This recipe is another one that has an interesting blend of ingredients (see, for example, Sauerkraut Cake) that causes a double-take when you hear it. You might think that potato chips have no business being mixed into cookies, but you would be wrong. So keep an open mind and give these cookies a try. The cookies are a nice blend of sweet and salt with a nice crunch from the chips.

I found potato chip cookie recipes in both Mom's recipe box and Grandma's recipe box. This recipe is a basic butter cookie recipe with potato chips mixed into the batter. In researching the recipe, I found some versions that also added nuts. I needed to research the recipe because Mom's recipe calls for the use of a "25¢ bag of potato chips." This reminded me of the recipe calling for a 5¢ Hershey bar. Nowadays, if there is a 25¢ bag of potato chips, it would not be enough for this recipe. In researching recipes, I determined that about a cup or two of crushed potato chips work for the recipe, so it is more like a two dollar bag of chips.

Potato Chip Cookies 

• 1 pound butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-2 cups crushed potato chips
• powdered sugar for dusting

Whip the butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Add in flour and vanilla and beat into a dough. Add in the crushed potato chips. Set the oven to 350. Bake cookies on an ungreased pan for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Chinese Fried Rice with Bacon and Mushrooms

Mom has always loved Chinese food. It seems that any attempt to replicate favorite Chinese restaurant meals at home fails. So when it comes to making Chinese food at home, why try to recreate restaurant meals when you can improve upon them with bacon? The addition of bacon improves many meals. This recipe also calls for bacon drippings, which are delicious, but if you are using leftover bacon and do not have drippings, just use olive oil.

This recipe got me thinking that fried rice can be made with many potential add-ins. While beef fried rice might be a standard, any sort of meat and vegetable could be added to fried rice. I may try this recipe another time with other vegetables, such as carrots and zucchini, along with bacon. I used some leftover white rice from a recent Saturday night at Mom's when we had a delicious dinner from Golden Wok. The next time that I make fried rice, I might use brown rice for a different taste. The good thing about fried rice is that it can handle just about any variation.

Chinese Fried Rice with Bacon and Mushrooms 

• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 3 Tbsp. bacon drippings
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp

Saute the celery and onions in drippings. Stir in rice, mushrooms and soy sauce. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in egg; cook about 2 minutes longer. Mix in bacon. Enjoy!

Best-Ever Brownies

Mom has a lot of brownie recipes in her recipe box. I look forward to trying them all. Mom often made brownies or bar cookies because they are easy and can feed a crowd. The recipe can easily be increased and baked in a larger pan to make more.

The name of this recipe caught my attention. "Best-Ever" is a bold statement. If you prefer cake-style brownies to fudge-style brownies, these brownies might live up to their name. These brownies are more like cake than like fudge, but not quite as light as cake. And they have just the right balance of chocolate and sweetness. Mom's recipe calls for the addition of walnuts, but I left them out. These brownies are delicious as is and do not need frosting. When I brought the brownies to Mom's on Saturday night, they were eaten up by my nieces and nephews. These just might be the best-ever brownies.

Best-Ever Brownies 

• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• optional: 3/4 cup nuts

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Allow to cool. Beat eggs in a small bowl with a mixer; gradually beat in sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. Fold in flour and salt until well blended. Stir in nuts. Spread into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. Enjoy!

Chef's Dressing

Lately, I have been making my own salad dressing, particularly vinaigrettes, which are so simple--just oil and vinegar, along with seasonings of your choice. I like adding rosemary to my dressings and trying out different nut oils. The great thing about vinaigrettes is that they can be made with just about any seasonings.

Mom has a number of salad dressing recipes in her recipe box. Of course, Mom's French Village Inn Salad Dressing is her best and most popular salad dressing. For the past few years, MDS and I have hosted Easter dinner, and I decided to give this Chef's Dressing recipe a try this year. It was delicious on the spinach and kale salad. I used olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but you could use other oils or vinegars. I made this dressing a day ahead and stored it in the refrigerated so that the flavors could blend.

Chef's Dressing

• 1/3 cup tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. mustard
• 1/4 tsp. soy sauce

Combine all ingredients into a jar and shake well. Yields one cup. Pour over salad. Enjoy!