Drommar (Dreams)

 Sources: Nancy Ramberg, Harold Johanson, Naemi Johanson

½ cup butter (1 stick)

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp. ammonium carbonate

½ tsp. vanilla*

¾ tsp. almond flavoring*

*flavoring can be altered to your own taste  

Directions:

Beat butter, oil and sugar until light and "fluffy".  Mix flour with ammonium carbonate in a separate bowl.  Then gradually add this to butter mix and beat until smooth.  Lastly add flavorings.

Form dough into small balls (size of a marble) and bake at 350º for 8 - 10 minutes, but  keep watching as they bake quickly.

Soft Ginger Cookies

Source: Johannah Banham
Cream together:

• 1 cup butter and 2 1/2 cups sugar
• Add & beat:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup molasses

Sift & mix in:

• 6 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. cloves
• 1 Tbsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. salt

Roll into 1" balls, then roll balls in sugar.

Bake on ungreased sheet @ 375º for 10 minutes or less.

Take them out when they are soft and puffy looking and barely browned.  They fall and crack as they cool.

Broccoli Casserole

• 1 cup rice, cooked
• 1 pkg. frozen broccoli cuts
• 1 cup cream of celery soup
• 8 oz. Velveeta
• 4 Tbsp. butter

Mix all together, place in greased casserole dish.

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Mormor's Swedish Coffee Bread (Original Recipe)

Source: Naemi Johanson

Start first:

• 2 cakes yeast
• 1/8 cup lukewarm water 
• large pinch sugar.

Combine:

• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 5 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 15 - 20 cardamom seeds, crushed (or 1 1/4 tsp. pre-ground)

Combine and heat just past lukewarm:

• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil

Add liquid to dry mixture and blend thoroughly.

Add yeast, blend thoroughly.

Beat dough by hand (or heavy duty mixer). The longer the better.

(Optional: Add one beaten egg after beating is completed and blend thoroughly.)

Cover with a cloth and let rise until double in bulk.

Knead on floured surface, adding additional flour (as much as necessary to handle dough comfortably - but try to keep it loose as bread will be lighter if not too much flour is added at this point).

Form into braided loaves and/or cinnamon buns (bullar) and place on greased pans.  Cover with a cloth and let rise until double in bulk once again.

Brush surfaces with beaten whole egg and sprinkle with Swedish pearl sugar (Parl Socker).

Bake at 400º about 1/2 hour (check after 20 minutes).

Enjoy!

Pistachio Stuff

Source: Kathy Stockey

• 50 Ritz crackers
• 1 stick butter
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 2 boxes instant pistachio pudding
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 12 oz Cool Whip

1. Crush crackers, melt butter, combine, press into a 13"x9" pan.
2. Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.  Cool completely.
3. Mix milk, pudding, ice cream; then spread on cooled crust.
4. Chill 1 hour, then cover with Cool Whip.

Cranberry Bread

Source: 5Kidsin5Years/Sonlight

Put in a large bowl and whisk together:

• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda

Juice, and put into a 2 cup measuring cup:

• 2 oranges

Add:

• 2 tsp. zest from the orange peel
• 4 tbsp. melted butter

The juice, zest & butter should measure about 3/4 cup.  Add enough water to make it 1 1/2 cups.

Add:

• 2 beaten eggs

Stir together until just combined:

• wet & dry mixtures

Stir in:

• 2 - 3 cups cranberries (washed, dried, chopped)  
• 1 cup chopped nuts (opt.)

Bake in 2 greased loaf pans @ 350º for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Orzo

Source: Nancy Ramberg

• 16 oz. Orzo, cooked according to package directions
• 1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup butter, cut into pats
• 1 cup roasted red peppers, diced (optional) 
• 2/3 cup green chiles, diced (optional)

Mix orzo and cheese (and peppers, if desired), put in a buttered casserole dish.

Layer on, in order:

• sour cream
• Parmesan cheese
• butter pats

Bake at 350º until top is browned and bubbly.  

Mini Blinis

Yield: 3 dozen

• 1 loaf white bread
• 1 egg yolk
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Trim crust from bread.  Flatten with a rolling pin.
2. Combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and egg yolk.
3. Spread mixture on bread slices and roll up.
4. Dip each roll in butter, then cinnamon/sugar mixture.
5. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours, then transfer to an airtight container.  
6. When ready to use, bake at 400º for 10-12 minutes.  

Candied Orange Peel

• 8 navel oranges (about 4.5 lbs.) OR 14 lemons, same weight
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup water

Using a paring knife, quarter the fruit lengthwise, cutting through the peel only.  Remove each quarter of peel from the fruit.  (Use fruit for another purpose.)

Place the peels into a 4 to 6 quart pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, uncovered, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain and allow to cool.  

Using a tablespoon, carefully dig out most of the white pith on the peels and discard.  Julienne the peels lengthwise into 1/4" strips and set aside.  

Return the pot to the burner an add 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water.  Heat to dissolve the sugar.  Add the julienned peel and simmer gently, covered, 45 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Remove the peel to drain on a fine mesh cooling rack with a pan underneath.  Spread the peel out so it will drain evenly.  Allow to cool and dry out 1 hour.  

Place the drained dried peel in a large bowl and toss with remaining 2 cups sugar until evenly coated.  Sift the excess sugar through your hands.  Place the sugar-coated peel on a baking sheet and allow to dry overnight.  Store in canning jars up to 2 weeks.  

Coconut Joys

Source: Ann Young
Yield: 3 dozen

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted

1. Melt butter, remove from heat, add sugar and coconut.  Mix well.
2. Shape into balls.  Make indentations in the center of each one and place on a cookie sheet.  
3. Fill centers with melted chocolate. 
4. Chill until firm and store in the refrigerator.  

Peanut Butter Cups

Source: Ann Young

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Combine butter and peanut butter with a mixer, add sugar until the consistency of soft playdough.  Roll into balls or press into molds, then dip into chocolate.

Mock Heath Bars

• 1 package graham crackers
• 2 sticks of butter (1/2 lb.)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 12 oz. chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil and spread crackers to cover the entire pan.  
3. Melt butter and sugar, boil for 3 minutes.
4. Pour over crackers and bake for 7 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Let sit until they melt, then spread out and sprinkle with nuts.
6. Cool, break into pieces and keep in an air tight container.  

Santa's Whiskers

Source: Wendy Wetzel
Yield: about 80 cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 T. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup finely chopped red and green candied cherries
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup flaked coconut

Beat butter until softened.  Add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add milk and vanilla and beat well.  Add flour and beat until well mixed.  Stir in cherries and pecans.  Shape into three 7" rolls.  Roll in coconut to coat.  Wrap and chill several hours or overnight.  

Cut into 1/4" slices.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375º about 12 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.  Remove and cool. 

Caramel Corn

Source: Jean Brandt

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 T. Karo light corn syrup
• 16 cups popped popcorn

Microwave butter and sugar for 1 minute, stir.

Repeat.

Add corn syrup, stir.

Microwave for 3 minutes, pour over popped popcorn in a large bowl.  Mix it all up until the popcorn is coated with caramel.

Spread out on nonstick cookie sheets, separating it as you spread it out.  

Notes:  

You can make any amount of the syrup, just use equal parts butter and sugar, with 1 tablespoon corn syrup per 1/4 cup of those ingredients.

You can add nuts if you wish!

Use air popped corn with no oil for best results.

Mormor's Brown Pepparkakor Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp. dark Karo syrup
• 3/4 tsp. cloves
• 3/4 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 scant tbsp. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 4 cups flour

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Mix in the spices.  Add syrup and egg.  Dissolve soda in a little water and add flour.

Let stand in the refrigerator overnight.  Roll out very thin and cut out.  Bake at 350º for 8 to 10 minutes until brown.