Dessert

Tapioca Pudding

A decent amount of hands-on work, but delightful warm or cold. The milk can be replaced with dairy-free alternatives (up to ⅔ coconut milk). Makes 3½ cups.

Ingredients Step
⅓ c. small pearl tapioca
¾ c. water
Soak in a saucepan for 30 minutes. Do not drain if there is remaining water.
2¼ c. milk
¼ c. sugar
2 egg yolks
¼ t. salt
Add to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until boiling, then simmer uncovered for 10-15, stirring often.
2 egg whites
¼ c. sugar
Beat together until soft peaks form, maybe 5 minutes. (The egg whites should quickly curl and fall into themselves, not holding their shape.)
OPTIONAL ADD-INS
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder PLUS 2 T. sugar
1 oz. dark chocolate pieces
⅔ c. finely chopped fruit (dry or fresh)
Stir in to hot tapioca mixture. Let cook ~1 minute.
Temper the egg whites with the hot tapioca (transfer at least ¾ c. tapioca). Then gently fold the warmed egg whites into the hot tapioca mixture in the saucepan.
Stir and cook pudding over low heat for another ~3 minutes.
½ t. vanilla Cool 15 minutes, then add vanilla.

Source: Bob's Red Mill

Hamentaschen

A nice hamentaschen dough recipe. Each batch makes 36 circles.

Ingredients Step
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
½ c. butter
1 c. sugar
Cream together. Beat until fluffy.
1 t. milk
1 t. vanilla
Add. Beat well.
1 egg Add. Beat well.
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
pinch salt
Sift together. Stir to make a soft dough. Chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
⅓ c. filling (e.g., cherry, apricot, prune, poppy seed, mini chocolate chips, raspberry) Roll out dough on a lightly floured board to ⅛" thick. Cut out circles. Add jelly to center and then pinch or fold three corners.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Source: Barb

Chocolate Crinkles

This recipe must chill overnight, so plan ahead. It makes roughly 4 dozen small cookies.

If you substitute butter for shortening, use ¼ c. milk instead of ⅓ c.

Ingredients Step
½ c. shortening
1⅔ c. sugar
Cream together.
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
2 oz. unsweetened Baker's chocolate, melted
Add & beat.
2 c. flour, sifted
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
Sift together.
⅓ c. milk (or ¼ c. if using butter) Add to the mixer alternately with dry ingredients.
½ c. walnuts, chopped Stir in.
Scrape down bowl, cover, and chill overnight.
powdered sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in confectioner's sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Source: my grandma

Toto Cookies

Made for Sarah's birthday in 2023. Makes 3½ dozen.

Ingredients Step
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
3¼ c. flour
1½ c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
¼ c. cocoa powder
1¼ t. black pepper, fresh ground
1½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. clove
½ t. salt
Sift together.
¾ c. shortening Work in the shortening (aim for coarse cornmeal texture).
½+ c. milk
⅔ c. walnuts, chopped
Add milk and nuts. Mix by hand until well-blended. If necessary, add a bit more milk so the dough holds together.
Pinch off 1-inch pieces of dough and roll them into balls. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until firm.
1½ c. powdered sugar, sifted
3 T. milk
1 t. rum extract
Beat until smooth for a thin frosting (while the cookies bake). Add a wee bit more milk if necessary.
sprinkles Let cookies cool on racks only until warm. Dip tops into icing, then sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Let the frosting dry completely, then layer the cookies between wax paper to store.

Source: ciaoitalia.com (Mrs. Tigani's Chocolate and Black Pepper Cookies)

Pumpkin Pie

Classic. Makes 2 pies, so you'll need 2 crusts.

Ingredients Step
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
4 eggs, beaten slightly
3½ c. pumpkin (the big can)
1⅓ c. sugar
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. salt
Mix well.
4 T. butter, melted
1¾ c. milk, scalded
Heat together until butter is melted, either stovetop or in microwave. Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir together thoroughly.
2 pie shells, uncooked Pour into uncooked pie shells. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake up to another 35 minutes. Remove from oven when there is a roughly 4"-diameter ring of seemingly-uncooked filling in the center. Cool completely before cutting or serving.

Source: my great grandma