This recipe reminds me that I don't have a copy of my mother's brown sugar cookies.  My mother's cookies are soft and sweet with a faint taste of nutmeg, the tops sprinkled with a bit of sugar.  I haven't had a brown sugar cookie in probably 10 years.

My mother would make a large batch and store them in a big tupperware bowl on our kitchen counter.  Opening the lid, I remember the rush of nutmeg scent hitting me as I peered in to see a mound of delicious cookies.  If the weather was particularly humid, as it often can be during Michigan summers, the cookies would get slightly sticky and adhere to one another.  Sometimes you had two eat two cookies at once because they were hopelessly conjoined.

While I am partial to the brown sugar cookie recipe on which I was raised, I'm sure Etta's recipe is good too.  I wonder if her family remembered to write down a copy of their family recipe or if I am now the custodian to their brown sugar cookie memories.

Brown Sugar Cookies
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup shortening (=10 2/3 tablespoons)
3 cups flour, rounding
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the eggs, sugar and shortening.  Add flour, cream of tartar, soda, salt and vanilla. 

Lightly dust a smooth surface with flour on which to roll the dough.  The recipe notes to 'roll thin', likely 1/4" or so.  Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.  Makes 4 dozen.

If you try this recipe, let me know.  I'm curious what the consistency and texture is like.

I don't normally think of candy when I think of potatoes but here are two recipes which show it can be done. The origin of the candy is unclear to me but I immediately think it must be Irish. I've read that some people it is German or possibly even Canadian but I haven't yet seen a definitive answer.

Regardless of who thought this one up, it seems like it would taste good. I imagine the potato lending a soft starchy texture which is bland enough not to compete with any added flavorings and other ingredients.

Potato Candy
1 medium cooked potato, hot
a little butter
flavor
1 lb. confectioners sugar
coconut
nuts, chopped finely
chocolate, melted

Mash the potato and add in a little butter. Add flavoring. Work in 1 lb. of confectioners sugar. Add coconut and nuts. Press into a greased pan and spread chocolate on top. Since there aren't any proportions, you'll just have to go by guess on what looks right. The next recipe has measurements and is quite similar.

Potato Coconut Candy
1 medium-sized potato
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 cups shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
melted chocolate

Boil and mash potato. It should make about one-quarter cup. Add sugar, corn syrup, coconut and vanilla. Mix or knead until well-blended and smooth. Press into one-inch thick layer in a buttered pan. Spread top with thin coating of melted chocolate or cut into squares and dip in chocolate or roll in chopped nuts.

I'm sure the flavorings could be adjusted as well, a bit of maple flavoring or even rum might be fun in these candies. I'm placing it on my list of things to try and will post a photo once I do.

Straight from the kitchen of Betty Crocker comes this recipe for meatball pancakes. Somehow, the thought of combining meatballs and pancakes seems odd and quite wrong. But after reading through the recipe, it doesn't sound as unappetizing as first thought.

In reality, the pancake sounds more like a fluffy omelet as the meat is mixed with a beaten egg mixture and a bit of baking powder.  Flour isn't used which I figured would be a primary ingredient.

Meat Ball Pancakes
3 egg yolks, beaten until light
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 tablespoon onion, grated
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Mix together the egg yolks, ground beef, baking powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley and onion.  Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.  Drop by spoonfuls onto hot greased griddle.  When puffed and brown, turn and brown on the  other side.  Serve immediately ... with mushroom sauce or a creamed vegetable.

I'll admit, I am intrigued by it.  I would like to think that it's some crazy concoction dreamed up in the 1950s that no one really cared to make or eat.  And due to this, I shouldn't have any urges to make it but instead to make fun of it and dismiss it as something which should remain in the past. 

But ... if for no other reason than to tell friends that I made meatball pancakes, I think I'll end up making it.  I'll substitute ground turkey for the beef to make it a little bit healthier and serve with steamed veggies instead of creamed ones. 

Whenever I see the word 'mock' in the title of a recipe, I start to feel uneasy.  I am never quite sure of what substitution is going to be made or why.  My mother used to make a mock crushed pineapple from grated zuchinni or sweet pickles from watermelon rind.  I'll admit that both things actually tasted good and were respectable knock-offs.  In these instances, the mock version allowed us to use either excess produce or parts of produce that would otherwise go to waste.

The 'mock' in this recipe is cranberries, a tart little berry that is found in great abundance around the Winter holidays in America.  Because of their popularity, you can often buy them cheaply.  I sometimes have a hard time using them beyond a traditional cranberry sauce.  Many people use them in other baked goods but I haven't seen them used in a pie before.  I assume their tartness is akin to a sour cherry and given their size/color, the cranberries are a good stand-in for cherries.

Try this pie this Thanksgiving to surprise your family and see if they know it's not actually cherries!

Mock Cherry Pie
1 1/2 cups cranberries cut in half
1 cup seeded raisins
1 scant cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pieces of pie pastry

Combine the cranberries, raisins, sugar, water, and flour in a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Place 1 piece of pie pastry in a pie pan. Add pie filling then top with second crust.  Crimp the edges of the pie and trim any excess pastry dough.  Cut two 2" vents in the top of the pie crust.

Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until the pie filling begins to bubble through the vents.  Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting.

This might be good with a bit of lemon zest added to the pie pilling while cooking, just for an added bit of tang.