Carmel

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Microwave on high 5 minutes. Stir. Slowly pour sweetend condensed milk. Microwave on med high for 17 minutes stirring every three minutes using a wooden spoon that is clean until soft ball test. (put a little drop into cold water, if it is easily molded into a ball, and is soft, it's ready). Stir in vinilla. Pour into a well buttered 8 x 8 pan and pie tin. Let set. Cut up and enjoy!

Mints

My Mom used to make these every Christmas. I'm spending Christmas with her this year and we made these mints. I really like them so I thought I would share the recipe.

4 Tbls butter or margarine
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well

Add and knead like bread dough until smooth while adding 1 lb powdered sugar.
Divide into 3 parts and add about 1 drop of food coloring to each portion. Knead to distribute the color evenly. Roll into ropes and cut into small pieces. Layout on was paper to dry slightly before storing.

Grandma Oram's Famous Pumpkin Cookies

Grandma Oram always makes them around the holidays, and all her grand kids can't get enough of these. A little different then the ones that I grew up with, but really good!Bake time: 10-13 mins.
Oven Temperature: 375

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
a touch of water (Grandmas said about 1/2 tsp.)
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream shortening, sugar, and pumpkin. Add egg and mix. Add "a touch of water" and mix.
In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients (cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and salt). Mix dry ingredients and pumpkin mix. Soon into small balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake.

Frosting

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. margarine
4 tsp. milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Heat margarine, milk, and brown sugar over a burner until the brown sugar is dissolved (about 2 minutes). Cool slightly. Add powdered sugar, and vanilla. Spread on cooled cookies. (you may need more powdered sugar to get the right thickness).

Enjoy! :D

Pumpkin Cookies

One of Steph and my favorite treats around the holidays is making pumpkin cookies. Our mother used to always make them around Thanksgiving.

Cookies:

1 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Cream shortening and sugar together. Beat in the eggs pumpkin and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients together add the mixture and mix well. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoon full onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for ten minute or until lightly brown. Frost when cool.

Frosting:

1 package 3 oz. cream cheese softened
1 half cup margarine softened
1 lbs. powdered sugar

Mix all the ingredients together until creamy then frost the pumpkin cookies.