No Bake Cookies a.k.a. DooDoo Cookies

I just got a text asking for this recipe. Why isn't it on the blog yet? Well, that's an easy one! I don't like them.  Growing up I heard them called many names: No Bake Cookies, DooDoo Cookies, DooDoo Yummies, Cow Plops, Poop Balls, etc........

I've had them at church events rolled in coconut, chopped nuts, various cold sugar cereals, and other things I don't even want to guess what they are.

I guess you could use the recipe but basically it might be about the same to take a spoonful of peanut butter and smash on some toppings.  Oh well, here's the scan of the recipe from the old recipe card file. The ingredient on the fold of the middle of the paper says 1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter.

Oh great! One of my children just saw me doing this and said, "I want Cow Plops."

Lemon Bar Recipe

There are many recipes for lemon bars but this one is lemony and tangy and sweet and just the right amount of each part of a lemon bar.  Some people kind of make them that taste like they were dusted with flour, not powdered sugar.  Some people make them with a dry crust that has a really tiny amount of any flavor on top.  Some people make them so that they look nice but the lemon pie type filling on top tastes like rice paste.  This recipe doesn't make those mistakes and is perfect for our family.

Swedish Orange Gingersnaps Recipe

Its a whole lot easier to buy the great assorted types of Swedish gingersnap cookies at Ikea and even some grocery stores now, especially because they are usually soy free being imported from non soy subsidy countries. 

But, Ikea has been known to run out and grocery stores have at times had ones way past expiration and ransid.

So, here's a way to have them when you can't find them to buy.  Ok they do taste better when homemade if done right.

Mom's Sugar Cookies Recipe

Suzanne makes awesome sugar cookies.  They take time and have to be done correctly.  This is one of those recipes where doing it right matters and one of those recipes where I fail when I follow the recipe.  I don't do it right somehow so mine can be reminiscent of playdough dried in the sun but when Suzanne makes these with the same recipe, they are the best and softest.  They freeze well and ship well in care packages to Utah and Hawaii.  Making these in the Utah altitude and Hawaii humidity might cause some need for modification though.  So here is the recipe and good luck to both of my college children.

 For frosting, call mom because that's another one of those things I just don't do right.

Also a note when letting your younger siblings help.  Have them wash their hands and blow their noses first and put theirs on a separate "special" pan to cook if they are coming in from a hard days play to "help".  The "special" pan is for them.  Ones that are "not special" and fine for anyone that they make don't need to be on the "special" pan. hahaha.... was just thinking of having them make a "special" set to send to college after an afternoon touching starfish and sweating from playing with friends at Sealife at Legoland.  Extra salt and misc. "flavoring" and textures are easily hid with frosting.

Emily's Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

I can't find the old recipe card that the recipe started from but this is the recipe that I think was printed for a 5th grade demonstration presentation years ago.  That would definitely explain the font.  This is the same as Aunt Sheila's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Cooking them just underdone enough to stay soft was always Emily's key to making them right for her preference and that of her friends.  There was a better copy of this that Emily used to pass out to a few friends but this is what is in our binder cookbook and the plastic sleeve needs to be wiped off from lots of use.

Marasche Cherry with Almond Paste Cookies

The Recipe posted here is from a recipe book listed in it but just use it as a guide and please change it if you need to.  There are many recipes out on the internet and many are pretty bad so work with what you have available and adjust it to your areas humidity and you own oven.

To make the cookie, you basically take a good almond paste or make your own, then mix it with egg white until it is the thick cookie mix consistency you want, like playdough.  Next take the best bottled sour or sweet cherry that you can find or afford (cheap maraschino ones work but pale in comparison to a really amazing cherry) and put it inside of a ball of the almond mixture.  Close the ball around the cherry, kind of like hiding something inside a wad of playdough as a kid.  Then if you want, and I do, roll the ball in almond slices or shreds or crumbs for an additional outside texture and bake at about 350 depending on your oven until done enough to be firm but not hard like a stale rock.

Costco and Sams Club are usually the best places to find slivered almonds at the best price but Smart and Final sometimes has them for a reasonable price too.  To find Almond Paste, head for the Kosher section and hope they have Solo brand Almond Paste in a can.  It has been the easiest for me to work with and is usually much more economical than the toothpaste tube other couple brands that can be runny and even a little too grainy.  Solo brand Almond filling is ok for fillings in pastrys but doesn't work as a replacement to almond paste so depending on your options available at the stores, make your own if you need to.


There are two of my favorite cookies made of Almonds.  The Marasche from Il Fornaio Restaurant in Del Mar, California that is usually available around Christmas and the Almond Crescent Cookie dipped half way in chocolate from a French bakery just off the Carlsbad Village Drive exit on the 5 as you get off driving southbound.  I think its right next to the old quirky Ace Hardware that's been there forever.  The Almond Cookie from the French bakery will have to wait for another day since I haven't attempted to replicate that recipe yet and the size of that one is probably the same cost or more to make than to just buy with all the almond paste it must use.  I forgot to mention there is also an almond brownie recipe that I love and that may get posted soon too.

7th Day of Christmas, Molasses Crinkle Cookies

This recipe has 2 versions in my binder.  One is the one with adjustments made on the actual recipe to change it to how we like it and the other is one printed for others a couple years ago.  I think the major difference was to have both white and brown sugar and up the spices, but I'm not up to thinking that much right now.

3rd Day of Christmas, Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

Why Texas Sheet Cake on the 3rd day you may ask?  Because Wednesday, December 8, 2010 is National Brownie Day.  That's why.

This is the recipe Emily made in 4th or 5th grade and typed up for a "How To" presentation she gave and then served it to the class.

There are so many versions of Texas Sheet Cake so whichever you use, here are some tips. 

1.  Read the recipe first, then follow all the instructions.

2.  Shortcuts make it turn out wrong.

3.  If your powdered sugar is lumpy, sift it first so the fudge frosting won't be lumpy, but do this when you are getting ingredients out before cooking so you don't mess up the timing when the cake comes out of the oven.

4.  Don't leave the heat on after the butter, coco, and milk are boiling for the frosting.  It will overcook and not work.

5.  Pour the frosting on hot and while the cake is barely out of the oven.  Waiting too long just makes a mess.

6.  Pour on the frosting and spread quickly but try to only pass over it once or twice.  If you keep trying to smooth it out, it will look terrible and start tearing the top of the cake up.  This is because it cools to the fudge state quickly.

7.  If you don't have buttermilk, it is OK to add about a teaspoon of vinegar to the 1/3 cup milk and let is sit for a minute before adding to the cake batter.

SORRY, THIS RECIPE WAS FROM BEFORE WE KNEW OF SOY ALLERGIES SO TO MAKE IT SOY-FREE, REPLACE THE MARGARINE WITH BUTTER, AND THE SHORTENING WITH COCONUT SHORTENING OR WITH MORE BUTTER.  Pretty easy to make soy-free and we actually did today for the batch being taken in tomorrow for the 3rd day of Christmas.

2nd Day of Christmas, Rice Krispies Treats Recipe

Why do so many people make Rice Krispies Treats that just don't work out any more?  They still do the recipe from the box.  Have the Rice Krispies changed or have marshmallows changed?  What's up?  Well, thanks to Suzanne cutting out the side of a box years ago before all the nutrition label "healthy for you" comparisons, she still uses the recipe from the box, BUT the recipe from the box from years ago.  YES, it has more fat but that's what makes them work!

Another secret to making them just right is to use miniature marshmallows and not the generic brands.  Some brands have different amounts of gelatin and other ingredients that just don't work.  Saving 25 cents on a bag isn't worth it for these.  Why miniature marshmallows?  Well, it must be something to do with the time it takes to melt them that changes the heating temperature or cooks them too long.  Suzanne just found this out a month or so ago when trying to figure out why one or two batches didn't work out as perfectly.  Sure enough, the ones that didn't work were the ones with large marshmallows.  Maybe cutting up large ones to miniature size might work but I'm not going to go through that effort.

Anyway, Here's the recipe!  Please remember to only use butter and not margarine or cooking spray if you want to have them Soy-free.

12 Days of Christmas Cooking

Soon to come.... Mom's 12 Days of Christmas Cooking.  I will be posting the 12 days of Christmas things that mom takes to work this year with their recipes. 

So far the possibilities on the list includes:
glogg or spiced cider                                                  orange rolls             
crackers and raspberry chipotle on cream cheese        molasses cookies
lemon pound cake                                                      almond pound cake
pumpkin ginger bread (with the candied ginger in it)     gumdrop cookies
caramel popcorn                                                         holiday rice crispy treats
coconut chex mix                                                        Swedish Tea Rings
divinity (weather permitting since it doesn't work right when it rains)
clementines, pistachios, and peppermint balls are on the list but don't have recipes. Duhhhhh....

Besides those listed above, I will try to add some other Christmas recipes we use each year like:
Vanilla and/or Cinnamon Milk                                     Pfefferneus

If there are others that I'm missing, let me know.

I already posted Mormor's Huge Christmas Eve Gingerbread Cookies recipe in October if anyone is looking for it.

Mormor's Christmas Eve Huge Gingerbread Cookies

Oh Mom, this has been a fun Christmas tradition since the 70's and I think we started doing this in the San Bruno house on the top of the mountain.  I think that was when things like the mistake with me using baking soda instead of flour for a cake happened.  We used to take bed sheets and have two of us holding 2 corners each and have the strong gusts of wind pull us up the iceplant hill behind our house up to the school fence when we would jump at the same time.  This was also the beginning of "Vanilla Cinnamon Milk" on those cold days we would be bundled up and frozen from playing outside.

For those who don't know Swedish, Mumu should be spelled Mormor even though Mormor is Farmor to most of the 40 - 50 grandkids.  Thanks for this recipe a couple years ago.

If anyone has a really clear shot or two of yours on the full cookie pan, please send it so I can post it with this recipe.