Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Dear Heloise: I'm tired of baking the same old cookies and was wondering if you have a cookie recipe for something a little different. Thanks so much. Dorothy in Texas
Here's a delicious recipe for toffee cookies that was printed in my mother's column in the late 1950s. We made these in my office, and they didn't last very long. You will need:
2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup bacon fat (we used 1/2 cup vegetable oil)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
Sift flour and measure. Add cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, and sift again. Measure brown sugar and pack it into the cup lightly. Mix bacon fat and sugar by creaming together. Add beaten egg and vanilla. Mix well. Blend in dry ingredients gradually, adding nuts last. (We added 1/2 cup water because the batter seemed very thick.) Shape into a roll. Wrap in wax paper and chill, then cut into thin slices. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
This recipe and other fun ones, like carrot cake, pumpkin bread and even a recipe for modeling clay, are found in my six-page Heloise's Baking Soda Hints and Recipes pamphlet. You can have one by sending $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (63 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. And did you know that you can test to see if your baking soda is still fresh by mixing a spoonful with a small amount of vinegar? If it fizzes, it's still active. Heloise
Dear Heloise: When opening plastic bags of food that I know I won't be finishing right away, like frozen veggies, I cut the top off and use that strip to tie the bag closed.
No searching for bread ties or chip clips. They stay secure and are easy to remove. Jenny in Maryland
Dear Readers: What tropical fruit is known as "King of Fruit & quot;? The answer is mango. Did you know that you can ripen a mango by placing it in a brown paper sack (at room temperature)? Keep an eye on it, because it can ripen quickly. Ripe mangoes can be kept in the refrigerator for about five days. You can tell when a mango is ripe by gently squeezing it to see if it gives just a little (similar to an avocado), and it should also smell delicious. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I just read with interest the hint from a reader who mixes meatloaf in a plastic bag to keep her hands clean. I have slight arthritis in my hands and have never liked mixing meatloaf. I recently tried using regular household rubber gloves. My hands stayed clean and didn't hurt as much while mixing the meatloaf. It worked great! Martha Hafer, Reading, Pa.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate