Pioneer Sheet Cake

Cook 1 cup raisins in 1 1/2 c water. Bring to a boil.
Drain and save 3/4 cup liquid, let mixture cool.

Combine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 egg
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda dissolved in raisin liquid
2 cups flour
(Add this last and mix as little as possible.)
Add cooled raisins (or chocolate chips if you don't care for raisins.)
Spread in greased and floured 9x13 pan and cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Frosting:
2 Tablespoons soft butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk
Enough powdered sugar to make a glaze, or a thicker frosting if you like.

This is one of those old fashioned desserts. Couldn't even tell you where the original came from. I know my version is written on a paper sack! Double this to make cookie sheet size.

My kids won't eat raisins in a cake, so I hold them back and sprinkle 1/2 with raisins and 1/2 with chocolate chips. You could go straight chocolate chips if you wanted and skip the first two steps. This just reminds me of something the pioneer's would make, although I have no proof. But, they did make lots of things with raisins.

Modified Neiman Marcus Cookies

Cream in a standing mixer 3 minutes with wisps:
2 cups soft butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1/8 cup peanut butter


Add 4 beaten eggs and cream for
another minute.
Add:
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
Cream for another 30 seconds and change to
dough hooks.


Add:
5 cups blended oatmeal. (This turns out to be 3 and 1/2 cups once you've run it through the blender.)
1 cup old fashioned oats (I add the 3 and 1/2 cups of blended oatmeal and then 1 cup old fashioned oats.)
4 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 giant grated Symphony or Hershey's chocolate bar
1 bag chocolate chips


Mix until just blended.

Bake for 375 degrees for 8 minutes.
Let cool for several minutes on the cookie sheet.

Yield: 100 cookies

We all know that this story about the woman being charged $250.00 is an urban legend right? But, what an ingenious way to get your recipe spread around the world. I even saw a South African version. Gives new meaning to the term, "smart cookies!" After years of being truly unhappy with these dry cookies, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I've come up with modified version that is much moister and I think better all around. These are the cookies to make when you have a sick neighbor, a bake sale and a dessert needed for school, as they make so many.

I recently added a handful of Heath chips to jazz it up even more.  It turned out just a bit dry, so if you do go with these try 5 eggs for moisture.