Cover raisins with hot water. Simmer in microwave 3 minutes. Drain; reserve 1/3 cup raisin liquid. Soften butter in microwave. Gradually add sugar to butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl; cream until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in (with wooden spoon) raisins and reserved raisin liquid. Sift flour, measure and resift with baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. Add sifted dry ingredients oatmeal and chopped pecans. Mix thoroughly, scraping sides of bowl. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden.
Mix sugar, vanilla flavor, eggs, oil and butter. Stir in flour. Roll dough on floured wax paper. Knead dough several times to make a stiff dough. Roll dough out and cut with round cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar or sprinkle with mixed sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 40 3 1/2 inch cookies. Variations: Add any one or combination of two of, the following ingredients, if desired; 1 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped nuts or 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts without raisins.
Melt fat in microwave. Beat in both sugars. Add egg and beat; then add peanut butter and beat. Sift flour; measure and resift with baking soda. Stir in with wooden spoon. Roll into balls not more than 1" in diameter. Place balls on unoiled baking sheet. Flatten with fork. Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes.
Mix sugars and shortening; add eggs and vanilla; cream well. Sift flour with other dry ingredients and add 1/2 at a time. With hands, roll into balls, size desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten with a fork dipped in a bit of oil. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. This dough may be divided, adding raisins, coconut, or nuts.
Bake pecans in butter, using a 9 x 13-inch pan, 15 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring once or twice. Use same pan for candy, but do not wipe butter from pan. While pecans are baking, mix softened cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla until sugar is well blended. Pour pecans from pan into sugar mixture and add coconut. Mix well. Using pan where pecans were baked, spread candy evenly. Keep refrigerated. Maraschino cheeries may be used to garnish candy pieces for a festive look.
Butter jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch. Heat corn syrup, sugar, molasses and margarine to boiling in 2-quart saucepan, stirring constantly. Stir in peanuts; heat to boiling. Boil, stirring frequently, until candy thermometer registers 280 degrees (or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into threads that are hard but not brittle). Watch carefully so mixture does not burn. Immediately remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Quickly spread mixture in pan. Cool; break candy into pieces. About 1 pound candy.
Combine peanuts, sugar, syrup and salt in 2 quart casserole; cook 8 minutes on high. Stir once or twice. Add vanilla and margarine, cook 2 more minutes. Remove from microwave, stir in soda; pour on cookie sheet to cool.
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