Recipes from Josi Kilpack's 'Lemon Tart'

a.  Cinnamon-Ginger Cookies


1 cup butter
11⁄2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 eggs
3 cups all- purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream butter and sugar. Add corn syrup and eggs. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix well. Roll into teaspoon- sized balls (refrigerate if dough is too soft) and bake at 350 degrees for about 6 minutes  or until bottom edges are barely browned. 

Remove cookies from oven and press flat with a glass dipped in sugar. (Spray bottom of glass with cooking spray for first “press” and then dip back into sugar between each cookie thereafter.) Let cookies cool 1 minute on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack.

To make sandwich cookies, spread a layer of cream cheese frosting between cookies.

Cream- Cheese Frosting

1⁄4 cup butter or margarine
8 oz. cream cheese (Neufchatel or fat- free works fine)
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached; you want a thick frosting to hold the cookies together. If frosting is too thick, thin with evaporated milk.   If frosting is too thin, thicken by adding more powdered sugar. Spread between cookies when cookies are cool.  Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies (or 4 dozen single cookies).

b.  Sadie’s Better Brownies

24 oz. (11⁄2 bags) semi- sweet chocolate chips (using 1⁄2 mint chocolate chips is delicious!)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1⁄2 cups all- purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts (pecans are better than walnuts though Shawn hates both)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and melt chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler. (Or melt in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each heating until smooth.) Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar. Mix in the melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour into a 9 x 13 greased pan and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Makes 24 brownies.

c.  Carrot Cookies

1 cup butter
3⁄4 cup sugar
1 egg
1⁄4 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup cooked and mashed carrots (Steam carrots in microwave until soft— don’t use baby food— bleck!)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
21⁄2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Icing

2–3 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
Powdered sugar to consistency

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, extract, carrots, and orange zest. Mix well.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Roll into walnut- sized balls and press flat with fingers or a fork on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes.

For icing, mix zest and juice, then stir in powdered sugar until icing is slightly thicker than a glaze. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto warm cookies so icing melts into cookies.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen.

d.  Granny’s Gingerbread

1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses (mild)
1/4 cup applesauce
21⁄2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2⁄3 cup hot water

Whipped cream (optional)

Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter, add egg and mix well. Add molasses and applesauce— mix well. Add dry ingredients and spices— mix well. Add hot water— mix well. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan (don’t cheat with cooking spray!). Bake 45 minutes, cool in pan before turning out onto a plate. Serve with whipped cream, applesauce, or sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Tastes better on the second or third day as flavors mingle.