Swedish Judebrod

These cookies are a special treat because of the use of cardamom. I do not specifically recall these cookies from childhood, but they will make it into my holiday rotation. When searching online, I saw a few similar recipes but could not find out the origin of these cookies. Cardamom is a unique spice that does frequently appear in Nordic sweets, but is not as common in the U.S. But I love cardamom, adding it to coffee or oatmeal, so I love these cookies. 

This cookie requires that the dough gets rolled out and cut into shapes, making it an excellent Christmas cookie. I was skeptical when the recipe said to mix the dough with hands, but this dough does require some hand kneading to come together.

Swedish Judebrod 

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 6 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 egg for brushing
• sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Mix butter, flour, 2 eggs, 2 cups sugar, baking soda, and cardamom with hands. Roll out very thin. Cut into various shapes with cookie cutter. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes or until light and delicate. Cook on wire rack. Enjoy!

Mexican Mocha Balls

December is prime time for making cookies. Mom's recipe box has an extensive cookie collection, so there are many options. This recipe caught my eye because it has many flavors that I love--coffee, chocolate, and cherries. These cookies did not disappoint; they are delicious.

When I made this recipe, I made some without nuts and some with almonds. Both versions were good. In fact, MDS (who usually prefers no nuts in cookies) liked both versions equally. When I made these cookies, I thought I might freeze some to include in the Christmas cookie gift bags, but I think they might all get eaten before then. When the cookies are still warm from the oven, they are quite delicate and need to be handled with care. Once cooled, they are sturdier and have a slight crunch.

Mexican Mocha Balls 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
• fine granulated sugar for dusting

In a bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Thoroughly stir together flour, cocoa, coffee, and salt. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and cherries. Chill dough for one hour. Shape into one-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Cool. While warm but not hot, dust with granulated sugar. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie

Every now and then, instead of making regular cookies, Mom would make a pan cookie. Pan cookies require less oven time, so they are great when you don't have too much time or have too much stuff in the oven already. Many cookie doughs could be used for pan cookies. This recipe is a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that is just delicious.

Recently, I made these cookies for a Saturday night at Mom's house. In addition to the cookie, I made some vanilla buttercream frosting that could be spread on top of the individual cookie bars. The combination was delicious.

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie 

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• optional: 1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, and vanilla; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour, soda, and salt; mix well. Add chips and nuts. Spread into a greased 15x10x1 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

French Apple Slices

Every fall, I enjoy apple-based desserts. Apple pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but these French Apple Slices could be an excellent substitute. This recipe from Mom's recipe box is similar to the Chicago-area bakery specialty that could be filled with any fruit including apple. This dessert can travel well, possibly better than apple pie. So if you need a dessert to take to a pot luck, this one is worth trying.

When I made this recipe, I ended up using a 9x9 pan, instead of the 13x9 pan, so I adjusted the amounts a bit. The dough puffed up a bit more than I expected and the slices were thicker overall, but the result was delicious. I especially liked the cinnamon seasoning in this recipe.

French Apple Slices 

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, divided
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 6 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• cinnamon
• confectioner sugar

Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter. Beat eggs with lemon juice and vanilla. Stir into flour mix, blending well. Divide dough in half. Roll one half on floured board to fit bottom of 13x9 pan. Arrange apple slices on dough; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon to  taste. Dot with remaining butter. Roll out remaining dough and fit over apples; seal edges against pan and prick top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350; bake for 45 minutes. Dust with confectioner sugar. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Squares

This dessert is easy to make, but a little messy to eat. When I made this recipe, they came out a bit gooey and did not hold their shape well. Nevertheless, these Brown Sugar Squares are quite delicious and worth trying. 

The recipe calls for using an eight-inch square pan. I did not have that size pan handy, so I used a slightly smaller pan, resulting in taller bars. The change in pan might have caused the gooey outcome. While baking, it seemed as if the batter remained liquid, but right at the end of the time, the batter seemed to solidify a bit more and a toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean. It is possible that I should have left the pan in the oven for a few more minutes to have a less gooey outcome, so I guess I will have to try this recipe again to find out.

Brown Sugar Squares 

• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Grease an eight-inch square pan. Stir together the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Quickly stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add walnuts. Spread in pan and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Cool in the pan. Enjoy!

Texas Chili

When the temperatures start to drop and you are looking for comfort food, give this chili recipe a try. There are many variations of chili, and this recipe is just one version. But it is a classic version that makes a large pot to feed a crowd or give you leftovers for days. Chili is a flexible dish that can be a side or a main. It goes well with pasta, bread, on hot dogs, or even on its own.

Chili is easy to make. This recipe comes together fast and sits on the stovetop on simmer for awhile. By using canned beans, this recipe is even quicker. But, if you want, you could use dried beans with a little more effort. This time, I made beer bread to go with the chili. It was a delicious combination.

Texas Chili 

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 (15 1/2 oz.) cans small red beans, undrained
• 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbsp. chili powder

In a large skillet or pot, brown beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Drain fat. Stir in rest of ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Recently we had family over for Saturday dinner. We enjoyed some family classics, including this blog's namesake, Spaghetti and Gravy. For dessert, I looked for a recipe that might be one that does not travel easily. I found this pie recipe, and it was perfect. The apple with nutmeg and cinnamon was perfect for Fall. And the sour cream lent the pie a tangy and creamy flavor. 

This pie is a great make-ahead pie because it is best served cold. When I made this pie, the pie pan was filled and some pie filling spilled out causing smoke and setting off the smoke detectors. Next time, I will bake the pie with a pan underneath to catch any drippings.

Sour Cream Apple Pie 

• 9-inch pie crust
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 cups diced apples
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Have pie crust prepared and placed in pie pan. Sift together 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and 3/4 cup sugar into a bowl. Add egg, sour cream, vanilla, and nutmeg. Beat to a smooth and thin batter. Blend in apples and pour into crust. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 30 minutes. Prepare topping by blending 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Remove pie from oven. Sprinkle pie with topping. Brown for 10 minutes in 400 degree oven. Allow to thoroughly cool, then refrigerate. Enjoy!