Reitha's Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

3 3/4 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c peanut butter

Directions:

Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

Mix butter, white sugar, brown sugar and eggs in bowl.

Add 1 c flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture. Mix well.

Add remaining flour and peanut butter.

Stir or mix until flour is well blended.

Make balls of dough and make criss crosses on top of each cookie with a fork. This helps flatten the cookies a bit.

Bake at 350* for 12 or so minutes.

Walt and Reitha's Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar,

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa

Melt 1/2 lb butter with 1 c peanut butter and 1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and press into pan

Refrigerate

Maryann's Brown Sugar Cookies

Notes:

The most efficient way to bake these cookies is to portion and bake half of the dough. While the first batch is in the oven, the remaining dough can be prepared for baking. Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter. The dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is sufficiently browned. Use fresh brown sugar, as older (read: harder and drier) brown sugar will make the cookies too dry.

Makes 2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)
2 cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2
Tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo below), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Pam's Zucchini Bread

Original recipe yield 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Mimi’s Peanut Butter Bon-Bons

Ingredients:

3 c. Rice Krispies

1 stick melted butter

1 box (16 oz.) powdered sugar

2 c. peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans or no nuts at all)

1 large package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Hershey chocolate bar - 4 oz.

1/8 stick of parafin (wax), cut into shavings {This is the unpopular step that I don’t tell people about because they go- ooooohhh, yuck, wax! And you don’t have to put it in- but the chocolate sets up so much better.

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt the peanut butter and butter. In a large bowl combine powdered sugar and Rice Krispies; pour peanut butter mixture over the dry mix. Add the chopped nuts. Blend together with your hands. (At this point it probably should go into the fridge for a bit if the peanut butter mixture is too fluid/sticky) If you can work with the mixture at this point without putting the stuff in the fridge- go ahead and form into half inch balls. Chill the balls well.

Melt parafin shavings in a double boiler and add all the chocolate. Melt. Dip cookies in the chocolate, coating and swirling with the back of a spoon. Place on waxed lined paper on a cookie sheet until they set up. These freeze really well.

Yummy!

Andy's Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

Makes about 3 ½ pounds.

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar
2 cups water
¾ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup dark corn syrup
4 cups coarsely chopped, salted, roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoons baking soda
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation:

Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy, large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 260 F., about 40 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Mix in peanuts and butter and cook until thermometer registers 295 F., stirring constantly, about 15 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla and stir briskly (mixture will foam up). Immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheets, dividing evenly. Spread out brittle as thinly as possible. Let stand until cold and hard.

Break brittle into pieces. Store in airtight containers at room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 month ahead.)

Andrew Revak prepared this for Revak Christmas Cookie Exchange 2007/2008
From epicurious.com BonAppetit magazine/ November 1992 By Lisa Mayfield: Raleigh, North Carolina

Kathy's Candied Citrus Peels

(Makes 2 ½ cups)

“To make candied citrus peel for baking, skip the final sugaring in step 5. To make candied citrus peel for garnishes, slice the whole citrus fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds, and proceed with step 2, skipping the final sugaring.”

Ingredients:

2 grapefruits, 3 oranges, or 4 lemons (I used 5 oranges & 4 lemons.)
4 cups of sugar
4 cups of water


Directions:

Using a pairing knife, make six slits along curve from top to bottom of each citrus fruit, cutting through peel but not into fruit. Using your fingers, gently remove peel. Reserve fruit for another use. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into 1/4 –inch-wide strips. Using a paring knife, remove excess pith from each strip, and discard.

Place strips in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat twice.

Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add strips to boiling syrup, reduce heat to medium-law, and simmer gently until strips are translucent, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, and let strips cool in syrup. (Strips in syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.)

Using a slotted spoon, transfer strips (that you want to sugar) to a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe off excess syrup with paper towels, then roll strips in sugar you’ve placed in a bowl. Arrange in a single layer on a wire rack, and let dry for at least 30 minutes. Sugared peels will keep, covered at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.”

You could dip the end of the peel in melted chocolate chips syrup and let dry, or use as garnish on cakes, pastries, etc. As noted above you could use the peel as garnish without the finally sugaring on meats, breads, sauces, as a flavor enhancement.

Copied and embellished from the magazine article in MARTHA STEWART Living, December 2008, Number 181, page 230.

Kathy's Vanishing Oatmeal-Raisin-Walnut Cookies*

Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
½ tsp. salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 cup of raisins (softened)
1 cup chopped walnuts,etc

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together butter & sugars until creamy.

Add eggs & vanilla; beat well

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt; mix well. (For High Altitude, increase flour to 1 ¾ cups)

Stir in oats and raisins (prepare raisins by adding a little boiling water to them to soften, then drain the water before adding to mixture).

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Bar cookies: Bake 30 to 35 minutes in ungreased 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan.

*Copied & embellished from the Quaker Oats Company @2005 box recipe. Kathleen Revak

Kathy's Baklava

(Greece)

Ingredients:

Layered Pastry with Walnuts & Honey Syrup
To make one 9- by 13-inch pastry (approximately 80, 1 ½”diamond shaped bars)
It’s best to have everything prepared in advance because the phyllo leaves dry out fast.
¾ pound, unsalted butter (3, quarter pound sticks), cut into ¼” bits
½ cup vegetable oil

40 sheets (filo pastry, each about 16 “ long & 12” wide (Athens Fillo (Phyllo) Dough, 1 box) defrosted in refrigerator for 2 days. Do not take filo leaves out of container and at room temperature until ready to place in 9”x13” baking dish. When placing the leaves in the dish, keep rest of leaves covered with a towel to keep them from drying out and disintegrating.

4 cups shelled walnuts pulverized in food processor with 2 oz. granulated sugar per cup plus a total of ½ tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp. ground cloves to the (The sugar allows the walnuts to pulverize without turning to walnut butter in the Cuisinart). Keep covered until ready to spoon on every second pastry leaf in the below process.

Directions:

Clarify the butter in a heavy saucepan by melting the butter slowly over low heat without letting it brown, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface. Remove the pan from the heat, let it rest for 3minutes, then spoon off the clear butter and discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and stir the vegetable oil into the clarified butter. Using a pastry brush coat the bottom and sides of a 13”x9”x2 ½” baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture.

Fold a sheet of filo in half crosswise, lift it up gently and unfold it into the prepared dish. Press the pastry flat, fold down the excess around the sides and flatten it against the bottom. Brush the entire surface of the pastry lightly with the butter and oil mixture, and lay another sheet of filo on top, folding it down and buttering it in similar fashion. Sprinkle the pastry evenly with about 3 Tablespoons of the walnut mixture.

Repeat the same procedure using two sheets of buttered filo and 3 Tablespoons of the pulverized walnut mixture each time to make 19 layers in all. Spread the 2 remaining sheets of filo on top and brush the baklava with all of the remaining butter and oil mixture.

With a small, sharp knife score the top of the pastry with parallel diagonal lines about ½” deep and one and one half to two inches apart, then cross them diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup of honey, 2 cups of water, a lemon peel. Bring all ingredients to a boil (watching carefully that it doesn’t boil over). Immediately turn down to the heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Strain lemon peel out and cool slightly. Pour warm syrup over baked baklava. Cool completely, cut and serve on cupcake papers. Makes about 88 pieces.

Syrup Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 lemon peel

Note: You do not need to use all the syrup if you like your Baklava less moist.

Recipes combined from Athens Foods Award Winning Fillo Dough Recipes Apollo, 13600 Snow Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44142 @1992 & RECIPES:MIDDLE EASTERN COOKING,FOODS OF THE WORLD, TIME-LIFE BOOKS, NEW YORK, @1969 TIMES, Inc. copied by Kathleen Revak

Reitha's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C softened butter

1 1/2 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

With mixer, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs together until fluffy.

Add 1 C of flour mixture to wet ingredients. Either stir by hand or use mixer. Continue adding one cup at a time until all is combined.

Roll dough into balls and flatten on cookie sheet with dampened glass.

Sprinkle with sugar and/or sprinkles.

Bake 8 to 13 minutes, depending on how big the cookies are and how your oven works.

Nancy's Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups rolled oats
1 2/3 cups butterscotch chips (one bag)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl beat the butter or margarine, white sugar and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until blended.

Stir in the oats and the butterscotch chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown.

Sherry's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks) or shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp real vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups oatmeal
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans [optional]

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°

2. Blend oatmeal into a fine powder with a food processor or blender. Set aside.

3. Melt sticks of butter into liquid on medium heat.

4. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar together in a separate bowl.

5. After creaming sugar and butter together, add eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.

6. Mix together flour, ground-up oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

7. Add the creamed mixture to the dry mixture. Add Milk. Mix all ingredients well. Use an electronic mixer if desired.

8. Mix in the Chocolate Chips and nuts (if desired) to the dough.

9. Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.

10. Drop 1-2” balls on un-greased cookie sheets, two inches apart, and bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes.


Tips for success:

*Keep the ingredients cold. Don’t let the eggs sit on the counter while you mix the dry ingredients. Use them straight from the refrigerator. Keep the chocolate chips in the freezer so that they are extremely cold when it is time to bake the cookies. Put the dough back in the fridge until you are ready to load the next sheet.

Sherry's Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

2 bags (12 oz) White Chocolate Chips
(Can also use blocks of White Chocolate – about 2 lbs)
2 tsp Peppermint Oil/Extract
1 box of 10 Peppermint Candy Canes
(Equal to about 1 cup crushed – can also use Starlight mints)

Utensils needed:

Mixing Spoon (heat safe)
Parchment Paper
Cookie Sheet
Spatula (heat safe)

Preparation:

1. Crush up Candy Canes in a gallon Ziploc bag with a rolling pin or mallet. These should be about ¼ inch pieces or smaller. Set aside.

2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Set aside.

3. Melt the Chocolate in a Double Boiler. (This will take 5-10 minutes.)

4. Add Peppermint Oil/Extract to the melted chocolate. Stir.

5. Add crushed Candy Canes to the chocolate. Stir until mixture is fairly even.

6. Pour mixture onto the covered cookie sheet.

7. Spread out mixture evenly on the cookie sheet with a spatula.

8. Place in the fridge to harden for 30 minutes.

9. Break apart and enjoy!! (Hint: It helps to score the places where you want it to break first.)

Welcome!

Welcome to Revak Recipes! The online home for recipes from the California Revak family and beyond. I really hope this can grow and be shared by everyone. This should be fun.