Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking Part 11

CHRISTMAS b.u.t.tER COOKIES

1 cup soft b.u.t.ter cup brown sugar, packed 2 cups flour, sifted

Cream b.u.t.ter until it resembles whipped cream and slowly add the sugar, beating well. Add flour gradually and blend thoroughly. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for several hours. Knead dough slightly on floured board, form into a smooth ball. Roll to about ? inch thick and cut to desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in moderate oven (350-f) about 12 minutes. When cold decorate with b.u.t.ter icing, candied fruit, etc.

ALMOND MACAROONS

1 cup almond paste cup sugar 3 egg whites salt

Rub paste until smooth, gradually work in the sugar until well mixed.

Add a pinch of salt and beat in one egg white at a time, mixing thoroughly. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drop teaspoonfuls on lightly b.u.t.tered baking sheet. Bake in slow oven (300-f) for 25 or 30 minutes until surface is dry. Keep in cool place overnight.

SUGAR CAKES

3 cups sugar cup b.u.t.ter 2 eggs 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup thick milk

Mix eggs and b.u.t.ter well. Then add milk and soda. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough, just so you can roll it. Cut into any shapes you wish. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, bake in a moderately heated oven.

HICKORY NUT KISSES

2 cups sugar 2 cups hickory nuts, chopped fine 6 egg whites 3 tablespoons flour

Beat egg whites lightly, add sugar, then nut kernels, lastly the flour.

Drop on greased tins and bake in moderate oven. 350 degrees.

"BELSNICKEL" CHRISTMAS CAKES

1 cup sugar cup melted b.u.t.ter 2 eggs 1 cups flour tsp. baking soda pinch of salt

Pour melted b.u.t.ter over sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, beating one at a time, into the mixture. Sift the baking soda thru the flour add the salt and add to the cake mixture.

Stand the dough in a cold place for an hour. Roll out on floured board, quite thin. Cut into small rounds or other shapes. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in hot oven (400-f) for 10 minutes.

GINGER COOKIES-GINGERBREAD MEN

? cup shortening cup brown sugar 2 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. cinnamon tsp. cloves or allspice 1 tsp. salt 1 egg cup mola.s.ses 3 cups flour, sifted 1 tsp. soda tsp. baking powder

Cream together shortening, brown sugar, spices and salt. Add the egg, mix thoroughly. Add mola.s.ses and blend. Sift together twice the flour, soda, baking powder and add to the mola.s.ses mixture. Stir well and chill. Roll out a fourth of the dough at a time, on floured board to a little more than ? inch thick. Cut with gingerbread man cutters or other shapes. Bake on greased cookie sheets in moderately hot (375-f) oven, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool before decorating.

PFEFFERNUSSE

3 eggs lb. powdered sugar 2 cups flour tsp. cinnamon tsp. cloves tsp. nutmeg tsp. soda tsp. salt 1 lemon, juice and rind

Beat eggs well, gradually add powdered sugar, lemon juice and grated rind. Sift flour and add salt, soda and spices. Sift again and add to egg and sugar mixture. Beat to form smooth, medium-soft dough. Chill in refrigerator for several hours. Roll out on floured board, into long finger-shaped sticks. Cut into small marble sized pieces and bake on greased baking sheets in hot oven (425-f) until they turn a light, golden brown.

MORAVIAN DARK COOKIES

lb. b.u.t.ter 1 cup sugar 1 tblsp. cream 2 cups dark mola.s.ses 1 tblsp. cinnamon tblsp. ginger tsp. cloves, ground 8 cups flour

Cream the b.u.t.ter and sugar together until smooth. Add the cream, mola.s.ses, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and blend smooth. Work in the flour gradually. Roll out as thin as possible on floured board. Cut into various shapes with cookie cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheets in moderate oven (350-f) for about 12 minutes. Decorate using a pastry tube and icing made from egg-white and confectioners sugar.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

[Ill.u.s.tration: "A plump wife and a big barn never did any man harm"]

Pies

PUMPKIN PIE

1 cups mashed cooked pumpkin 1 cups rich milk cup brown sugar 2 eggs pastry for 9" sh.e.l.l 1 tsp. cinnamon tsp. ginger tsp. cloves, powdered tsp. salt 2 tblsp. b.u.t.ter, melted

Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat well with a rotary egg beater.

Chill and pour into an unbaked pie sh.e.l.l. Bake in hot oven (450-f) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately slow oven (325-f). When surface of pie filling turns light brown, test by inserting a silver knife. If it comes out clean the pie is finished baking.

LEMON CUSTARD PIE

2 tablespoons flour cup sugar 2 eggs, separated pinch of salt 1 lemon 1 cups milk 1 pie sh.e.l.l

Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat 2 egg yolks. Add the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon. Then add flour and sugar continuing to beat. Stir in 1 cups milk and lastly fold in 2 egg whites beaten stiff, but not dry. Pour into unbaked pie sh.e.l.l.

Bake in hot oven, 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SOUR CHERRY PIE

1 qt. fresh sour cherries 1 cups sugar cup flour pie crust

Mix flour and sugar and pitted cherries in a bowl. Fill unbaked pie crust with the cherries. Put on a top pie crust, vented and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Reduce to moderate and bake for 20 minutes more.

RIVEL (CRUMB) PIE

1 cup flour cup sugar cup b.u.t.ter and shortening mixed

Mix or "crumb" the above ingredients together with the hands to form small lumps or rivels. Stew the rivels into a prepared pastry sh.e.l.l and bake in a hot oven (400-f) for 30 minutes. Some spread 2 tblsps. of mola.s.ses over it before baking.

SOUR CREAM RAISIN PIE