Chocolate and Fresh Mint Cookies

Although this recipe is not actually a family recipe, it is made with lots of fresh mint from Mom's garden. Currently, the mint is growing out of control. Every time I visit Mom, I take home lots of mint and there is still so much mint growing. I've used the mint to flavor water and tea. I've made tabbouleh and added mint to various salads. Then, after reviewing recipes, I decided to try adding fresh mint to baked goods. This recipe is the delicious result.

With fresh mint, you can extract the mint flavoring by simmering the mint in another ingredient to be used, such as milk or butter. But, for this recipe, just add the mint leaves into the dough for a serious mint flavor. I was worried that the mint leaves would disrupt the texture of the cookie, but the leaves blend right in. It was hard to stop eating these delicious minty and chocolaty cookies. I bet that adding fresh mint to brownies or the standard chocolate chip cookie recipe would also be irresistible.

Chocolate and Fresh Mint Cookies 

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking sodas
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups chopped fresh mint

Preheat oven to 350. cream together the butter and both types of sugar. Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat until fluffy. Blend in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Roughly chop the mint leaves. Add the mint and chocolate chips. Spoon dough onto a cookie pan. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Homemade Ricotta

Years ago, Aunt Paula told me that making ricotta is easy. I finally got around to trying it. I don't know what I was waiting for. Homemade ricotta is easy to make and so much more delicious than store-bought ricotta. This ricotta was creamy and rich. It is excellent spread on crackers with or without other flavorings. I enjoyed this batch with some peach jam, but it would also be great with pesto and nuts, or any other topping.

This recipe yields about two cups of ricotta. The nice thing about making it is that you can control how thick or thin the ricotta will be. The longer you drain the ricotta, the thicker it will be. Also, the ricotta will firm up somewhat in the refrigerator. The liquid that drains out is whey and can be used or saved for later. The whey can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a few months. The whey can be used instead of milk or water in a number of recipes, such as bread or oatmeal.

Homemade Ricotta 

• 4 cups whole milk 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 3 tbsp white vinegar 

Set large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen two layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with cheesecloth.  Pour the milk and cream into a heavy saucepan. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for one minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts and milky parts. Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20-25 minutes (or 10-20 minutes longer for firmer ricotta) occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl discarding the cheesecloth. The ricotta may be refrigerated for up to five days. Enjoy!

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

Mom has always loved salads, so it is not surprising to see salad dressing recipes in her recipe box. Mom told me that her favorite is the French Village Inn Salad Dressing, which is delicious, but this dressing is good and worth trying too.

The ingredients for this salad dressing are simple and common to any vinaigrette dressing. The dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for some time, but the ingredients will separate, so you will need to allow it to sit out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before using it. I like to use a wide-mouth jar so I can either shake it or stir it with a spoon. If you have never tried making homemade salad dressing, this easy dressing is an easy way to start.

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing  

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

Combine all ingredients. Beat until thoroughly blended. Enjoy on your salad!

Chocolate Velvet Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

For MDS's recent birthday (still 39!), I made this delicious cake. I found both recipes in Mom's recipe box. The Chocolate Velvet Cake recipe calls for Chocolate Velvet Frosting, but I could not find that recipe, so I used the Coffee Buttercream frosting instead. The cake and frosting combination was meant to be. I made this cake as a layer cake, but it could easily be a pan cake. The extra effort to make the layer cake was worth it.

Chocolate Velvet Cake 

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water

Combine chips and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan ad stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Combine sugar, butter, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the melted chocolate. Stir in flour mixture alternating with the 1 cup water. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting 

• 1/2 cup scalded milk
• 4 tsp. instant coffee
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Dissolve coffee in milk, let cool to lukewarm. Cream butter and vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar alternating with cooled milk  mixture.

Grandma's Tuna Mac & Cheese

I found this recipe in Grandma's handwriting on an index card. She titled it Charlie's Tuna Mac & Cheese. I assume she copied it from a Starkist tuna can or ad. But, this is just the type of easy casserole type meal that I am not surprised to find among Grandma's recipe. I especially liked the Italian seasoning and garlic powder in the recipe, which dressed up a fairly standard casserole with delicious flavor.

When I made this recipe, I used two no drain packets of tuna instead of canned tuna needing to be drained. I used the very basic boxed mac and cheese, but there are now many variations of mac & cheese, including different noodles and different cheese options. I stuck to the basic here.

Grandma's Tuna Mac & Cheese 

• 1 box macaroni and cheese dinner
• 1 (12 1/2 oz) can tuna, drained
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare macaroni according to the package. Mix in the remaining ingredients except the Parmesan cheese. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart microwaveable service dish. Microwave on high for two minutes. Stir casserole and continue heating for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Lemon Cheesecake

On a a hot summer day, this cool and lemony dessert is a tasty treat. I found this recipe among MDS's Grandma Holmes's recipes. The recipe card has notes and changes, so I think that she made this recipe and enjoyed it. The recipe card seems to call for making two pies, but as Grandma Holmes's notes indicate, I found that the recipe make one good-sized pie.

This no-bake cheesecake is perfect for summer when you don't want to turn on the oven. The notes say to bake the unfilled crust for five minutes, but I think it is better to refrigerate the crust to get it to set. Because this cheesecake needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, it is a great make-ahead dessert. The cheesecake had a subtle and not overwhelming lemon flavor. Because the recipe used jello and sweetened condensed milk, it had more of a gelatinous texture instead of a cake-like texture that baked cheesecakes can have. Nevertheless, it is a perfect summer dessert.

Grandma Holmes's Lemon Cheesecake 

• Graham Cracker crust
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 package lemon jello
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Line a pie pan with the graham cracker crust. Put the crust in the refrigerator to cool while preparing the filling. Dissolve the jello in 1 cup hot water; allow to cool until shaky, but not set. In a bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Whip the condensed milk until soft peaks form. Blend in the cream cheese and jello until well blended. Pour filling into the pie crust. Refrigerate at least six hours. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

This recipe is another version of the classic sugar cookie. These simple and tasty cookies are great for any occasion. I made this batch for Tim's high school graduation party hosted by John and Laura. Despite the summer heat, the party was a great success. Tim leaves Riverside Brookfield High School behind and heads off to Illinois State University in August.

This recipe is a rolled-out and cut-out cookie. You can use any shape of cookie cutter. This time, I used a basic round shape by using a glass as my cookie cutter. The cookies are delicious plain, but also popular with frosting and sprinkles.

Sugar Cookies 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• Optional: sugar frosting and sprinkles

Sift the first four ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar, then blend in the egg, milk, and flavorings. Blend in the dry ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost, if desired. Enjoy!