Sweet n' Sour sauce

1/2 c sugar 1/3 c. vinegar

2/3 c water 1 1/2 T cornstarch

.......cook over med. heat until thickened.

stirring constandly. Remove from heat and add 4 T. catsup.
(perfect on fried rice - chicken - etc)

Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. molasses

1 egg yolk

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Chill for at least an hour. It's a fairly sticky dough so you might need to chill it a little longer.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough to 1/4" thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2" apart on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. If you bake them on the short end they will stay soft and chewy and if you bake them on the longer end they will be nice and crispy. They're great either way!


Allow to cool about 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Once they're cooled you can decorate your heart out.
 

Glacé Icing

1lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 C)

6T C whole milk (low-fat actually works, but use whole if you can)

6T light Corn Syrup (6T is equal to 1/4 C plus another 2 T)

1 t extract

With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!) Then stir in corn syrup and extract.

You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. The way it is right now is the consistency you want for glazing you can just make it thicker with more powdered sugar

Homemade Bisquick Mix

7 cups

6 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening

1.Sift flour, baking powder and salt three times into a large bowl.

2.Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

3.Store mixture in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 months.

4.Use whenever your recipe calls for "Bisquick mix".

Butterscotch Apple Crisp

6 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 5 large)


3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1 package (3-1/2 ounces) cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

Vanilla ice cream, optional

Directions

Place apples in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, pudding mix and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples.

Cover and cook on low for 5 to 5-1/2 hours or until apples are tender. Serve with ice cream if desired. Yield: 6 servings.
(from taste of home)