Teaching Cooking

I have taught basic cooking to my seven children and to classes of elementary children. When my youngest daughter wanted to learn, I found that taking the recipes and making them into a step-by-step format made it easier for her, so here is a blog to hopefully make cooking easier for the beginner.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Oatmeal Macaroons

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar (1/2 brown or all brown if you want)
2 eggs
2 Tbsps Molasses
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla

Combine and beat well.

Add:

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
2 cups oatmeal

If you wish you can add:
2/3 cups raisins
2/3 cups nuts

Roll into balls and then roll in sugar.  Press down with a glass.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Kay Cox's Easy Caramels

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups cream
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cups chopped nuts

Mix together all the ingredients and cook slowly to hard ball stage (240-245 degrees), stirring constantly.

Pour into a well buttered 8 x 8 pan and cool.  Cut into squares and wrap in plastic wrap or dip in chocolate.

Kay Cox's Basic Cream Fondant

This will be posted in two different sizes.  First the small batch, then the large batch numbers in parenthesis.

4 Cups white sugar                (10 lbs white sugar)
1 cup milk                              (4 cups whole milk)
1/2 cups whipping cream        (2 cups whipping cream)
2 Tbsp white corn syrup         (1/2 cup white corn syrup)
2 Tbsp butter                         (1/4 lb of butter aka 1/2 cup butter)
Pinch of salt                           (1/4 tsp salt)

Combine all ingredients in a large pan, place over heat and stir constantly until mixture begins to boil.  Keep boiling rapidly until fondant reaches desired temperature, soft ball stage (230-232 degrees).  If a firm fondant is desired, cook two or three degrees higher.  Cool as rapidly as possible and beat.

When making the fondant, the amount of cream, milk and butter can vary to make as rich a fondant as you like.  You may use more milk and less cream, but increase the butter, etc.  Ten pounds of sugar when dipped makes twenty pounds of chocolates.


Thelda Evan's Raisin Cookies

2 cups raisins
1/2 cup water

Boil together for 5 minutes.  Let cool.

1 cup shortening
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together and then slowly add the cooled raisin mixture.

4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/3 tsp allspice

Blend together and add to the other mixture.

Drop on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.