Strawberry Cream Cheese Cookies

Don't these look good?  They tasted good, too!  I found I had a store-load of cream cheese to be used before the date expired and started researching recipes that would use lots of it.  This cookie recipe did not disappoint.  It comes from Julia's Album and proved to be a delicious cookie.  The only challenge in putting it together was chopping up enough strawberries for a recipe that multiplied four times!  If you're making only a single recipe, I promise you, it's worth that effort! I did method 2 from her recipe and honestly thought the cookies looked wonderful.  Using her direction to make small cookies was great for about 2/3 of the huge amount of dough I was working, but I also made some larger cookies because I know some folks want just a taste, but some people want a hand filling COOKIE.  These baked a little longer, but worked just as well.

I did take Julia's advice and make the cookies the day before they had to be delivered, covered them tightly and refrigerated them overnight.  There were a lot of people telling me how much they enjoyed these, so I know it worked. (And I was glad to not be up at 5:00 AM baking a 9:00AM delivery!)

Happy Spring!

Momma's Carrot Cake

My wonderful husband loves carrot cake.  I had never even MADE a carrot cake before I knew him.  We got married in February many, many years ago and I called his mother when I was a newlywed to get her recipe because he thought it was awesome.  Well, all these years later it's still his favorite cake and after several years of not making it for a birthday dinner (because we usually go out to celebrate birthdays these days) I made it for him as a Valentine's Day gift.  It is still delicious.  In fact, I decided to make a triple recipe and bake it in loaves for my baking order a couple of weeks ago and then, I froze a couple so Hubby can have a little bit anytime he likes.  Enjoy!

Now, Miz Evelyn had this recipe written in exactly the terms I used here, because I mix her recipe exactly as she did.  Makes dear hubby happy every time.  BTW, he specifically told me I have to list this as my recipe, but I promise you it isn't one of mine.  I will simply call it "Momma's Carrot Cake" which covers both my mother-in-law and me.

Momma's Carrot Cake

1st Set

1 3/4 sugar

1 1/4 oil

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2nd Set

2 t. cinnamon

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3 c. grated carrots

1 c. pecans chopped

Grease and a flour tube pan.  

Combine 1st set of ingredients

Combine 2nd set 

Mix the two together.  Add the carrots and nuts stir just until combined.

Bake at 350 F 45 mins.

Glaze or Frosting:

1 stick butter

8 oz cream cheese

1 box confectioners sugar (1 lb or 3 3/4 c)

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained (juice reserved)

1 t. vanilla

Depending on whether you want something you can pour or something your can apply with a knife you can add as much juice as you like to the frosting.  Add more juice and get a glaze which is what I used for the loaves.