Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I'm at my parent's house this week and we've been sifting through old recipes. How can you tell a recipe is good? Answer: When it looks like the one above! This is in my mother's handwriting but came from my Nana which came from her mother, Gram. I'm not even going to try to date this recipe but my mom has had it in her possesion for over 25 years. Love it! This is the Raisin cookies I grew up with. I can remember coming home from school to the smell of these in the house. My mom swears they are the best because you soak the raisins in hot water.

Enjoy.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder

4 cups oatmeal
1 cup hot water
1 box raisins
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a sauce pan over med heat, cook water and raisins until the raisins are full and plump. Do not drain. Cream the sugar, butter, and eggs. Add the raisins to the creamed butter mixture. My mom's recipe says, add the rest of the ingredients. :-) Cook at 350 degrees. Check after 6 min.

Zucchini Brownies with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

NOTE: These brownies are cake like.....I even thought maybe I shouldn't call them brownies....however it uses no eggs and no baking powder....so, I'm calling it a brownie.



The cream cheese frosting is really good, but it does overpower the cake a little, I mean brownie. I'm waiting for a recipe for a frosting that I believe will go perfect. Ok, confession time. I tried to make the "perfect frosting" last night....and it was disasterous. By the end of the night, it was re-named marshmallow chocolate soup. Anywho, this is a good recipe and a good way to use up some zucchini.



Zucchini Brownies

1/2 cup veg oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup walnuts (opt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside. Cream together the vegtable oil, sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. The mixture will look grainy. Stir in zucchini and walnuts. Let mixture sit for 5 min. The zucchini will add quite a bit more moisture. Bake for 25-30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool brownies before frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package (8oz) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk (or heavy cream)
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a mixture. Melt chocolate chips and milk in a double broiler or slowly in the microwave. Add the melted chocolate to the cream cheese slowly.
Frost the brownies.

Enjoy!

Zucchini 2010

We are visiting my family in Missouri right now and my parents garden is in full swing! We now have 10 cucumbers, 9 zucchini, and a bucket full of beans on the counter.
We have high hopes and plans for these lovely veggies. Today, zucchini brownies.....tomorrow refrigerator pickled veggies! Can't wait!

I posted a huge list of zucchini recipes last summer. Here is the link. Enjoy!

Zucchini Recipes