Molasses Ginger Cookies

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon hot water
• 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• Extra sugar for sprinkling

1. Let the butter slightly soften. (Cut the butter stick in 8 pieces and wait about 10 minutes.)
2. Cream the sugar with the butter.
3. Stir in the molasses and egg.
4. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Add to the mixture and stir.
5. Add vinegar and stir.
6. Add vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir.
7. Stir in the flour gradually until completely mixed, but be careful not to overstir. (Overstirring can ruin the chewy texture of the of the cookie.)
8. Cover the bowl and chill, preferably overnight, but at least 4 hours.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degree.
10. Line cookie sheet with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.
11. Make nickel marble sized balls of dough and place on the sheet. These cookies are small, but spread considerably, so I only baked 15 (3 x 5) at a time.
12. Return the dough to the refrigerator.
13. Slightly flatten the balls and sprinkle with some extra sugar.
14. Bake on the oven center rack for 12 minutes.
15. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.
16. Transfer to racks to continue to cool.
17. Let the cookie sheet completely cool between batches.
18. Repeat the baking process until all cookies have been baked.

Serve and enjoy.

Key Lime Pie

• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cans Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• ½ cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice
• 1 prepared graham cracker crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk slightly the six egg yolks.
3. Add 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk and whisk.
4. Whisk in gradually ½ cup of the Key West lime juice. It will not be green. If your juice is green, it is not real key limes.
5. Pour into the prepared graham cracker crust.
6. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.
7. After 20 minutes, shut oven off and open the door and let it cool gradually for 30 minutes. If it cools too suddenly, it will crack.
8. Transfer to a baking rack outside the oven to continue cooling for another 20 minutes.
9. Refrigerate several hours before serving
10. Slice, serve on plates, and enjoy.

Delta Hot Tamales

For years, I have wanted to learn to make tamales. My first attempt tasted more like a flat tire and from what I understand, I was making Mexican tamales. I heard there was a version of the tamale that was made in the Delta, so I decided to give them a try and I am so glad that I did. There are as many recipes as there are cooks perhaps, but these ingredients make it a Delta Hot Tamale. They are made with yellow corn meal instead of masa. They are also simmered instead of steamed. And they typically are a bit more spicy than the Mexican version. They are a little time consuming, but definitely worth it. Notice, this recipe uses butter instead of lard and I think it also adds flavor to the tamales.

24 husks, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

1 ½ tablespoons of chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sugar

¾ teaspoon pepper (I reduced the black pepper to ½ teaspoon because I knew my family would not tolerate it hotter.)

¾ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (I cut this back to ½ teaspoon also.)

Blend spice mixture with a fork.

2 ½ cups of yellow corn meal (not masa)

1 tablespoon baking powder

Mix in the food processor.

12 tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoon of spice mixture

Cut into mixture. Pulse several times.

1 ¼ cup of water. Process about 30 seconds.

Reserve ½ cup of mixture.

1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to make rounds for each tamale. 24 of them

Meat mixture:

1 lb. 85% ground beef

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons water

and the ½ cup of the corn meal mixture

2 cloves minced garlic

1 ½ tablespoon of spice mixture.

Wipe off corn husks to dry them.

Spread a 3 ½ inch square in one corner of the husk. It can be on the edge on the side edge, but ¼” from top edge. Roll one portion of the meat into a log. Place on the mixture. 

Roll the tamale in the husk and fold the bottom of the husk upward. Lay to the side. Repeat 23 times.

Put in bunches of six and tie with a string.

Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture in the bottom of a pan that is at 5” high. Place tamale bunches around the sides. Place 6 cups of water poured into the center of the bunches (or until it is 1 inch below the top of the pan, but not covering the tamales completely or it will wash the filling out. Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer for about 30 minutes. The corn meal should start to separate from the husks. Use tongs to transfer to a platter.

Crank the heat up on the sauce.

Snip twine and spread the tamales out on a platter. This recipe made more than we would eat for one meal, so I unwrapped the ones that we were eating immediately.

Add a 4 ounce can of tomato paste and stir until well blended. Add ½ teaspoon salt and stir.

If the sauce is too thin, add a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch and two tablespoons cold water. Whisk it into the sauce and let it thicken about a minute. Pour over tamales and serve. (Reserve enough sauce for leftovers.)

Apple Spice Dessert

This dessert is so easy and delicious!

• 2 cans apple pie filling
• 1 boxed spice cake mix
• 2 sticks butter

1. Spray the bottom of a large slow cooker with non-stick spray. 
2. Spread 2 cans of apple pie filling across the bottom. 
3. Sprinkle the dry spice cake mix across the apple pie filling. 
4. Put two sticks of butter on top. Cook in slow cooker on high for 2 ½ hours. It will be a soft dessert, rather than a crisp or cake texture.

Serve and enjoy. 

Rhubarb Pinwheels

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 ½ cups water

Boil sugar and water until dissolved. Set this syrup aside to cool.

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and mix with milk. Let cool.

Add dry ingredients. Mix and knead lightly.

Roll 1/3 inch thick into a 6 x 12 inch rectangle.

• 3 cups rhubarb, cut into ½ pieces
• ½ cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter

Spread rhubarb over the dough and sprinkle with a crumb mixture of confectioner's sugar and butter.

Roll up and cut into 1 ½ inch slices.

Place in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Pour the syrup over the pinwheels.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Enjoy.

Hamburger Pie

Meat layer

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1 160 oz. can French style green beans, drained
• 1 can tomato soup

Mashed Potato Layer (or your favorite recipe of making homemade mashed potatoes for 8)

• 3 1/3 cups water
• 5 tablespoons butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup milk
• 3 1/3 cups mashed potato flakes

Topping

• ½ pound shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Layer in this order in a 13 x 9” greased baking dish:

1. Meat layer
2. Mashed Potato Layer
3. Topping

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting and serving with a spatula. Enjoy.

Apple Crisp

• 4 cup honey crisp applies,  sliced (6 apples)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup water

In another bowl mix up:

• ¾ cups sifted flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup butter

1. In a 9 x 13 " baking dish, poor over top of applies.
2. Add extra sugar (1/2 cup). Dust with more cinnamon.
3. Baket 350 degrees for 60 minutes.