Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter or margerine, softened
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 4 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream sugar and butter together.
2. Add oil, water, vanilla, flour, baking soda and salt. Beat.
3. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

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One of the “bake from scratch” recipes is the Jam Easy Fruit bars. I made them and they sure are yummy and easy to make – although I did not cut my bars as neatly as they are shown in the magazine!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter or margerine, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup any flavor jam or preserves.
• May sprinkle powdered sugar on bars if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Grease bottom and sides or 13X9 inch pan with shortening.
2. In medium bowl, mix butter granulated sugar, vanilla and egg with a spoon.
3. Stir in flour and baking powder until dough forms.
4. Pat dough evenly in pan.
5. Beginning 3/4 inch from short side of pan, press 1/2 an inch wide and 1/4 inch deep groove (I used my finger). Fill each groove with a tablespoon of jam.
6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour (these are really hot after they come out the oven!).
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want.
8. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

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Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup butter shortening
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except for oats flour and raisins, in a large bowl.
2. Stir in oats, flour, and raisins.
3. On an ungreased cookie sheet drop dough by rounded tablespoons. Have each round of cookie dough approximately 2 inches apart from each other.
4. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until light brown in a 375 degree F oven.
5. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack.

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Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sifted flour.
• 1/4 cup castor (superfine) sugar. 
• Dash of salt.
• 1/2 cup of room temperature unsalted butter (it needs to be real butter).

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Ferinheit.
2. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives (like you are making biscuits) until crumbly. 
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it’s smooth. Refrigerate the dough for a couple of hours or overnight.
4. Divide the dough into 4-8 equal (depending on how big you want your cookie to be) portions. Mold into balls.
5. Place each ball of dough on a wax paper lined baking sheet and flatten them to 1/4 inch thickness. Prick edges with a fork.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes or until slightly browned.
7. Cool and cut each round cookie into triangular pieces.

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• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
4. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
   Or on a lightly floured surface roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using floured cutters.
5. Add colored sugar for decoration.
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden.
7. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Recipe and Picture Submitted by: Jennifer O’Leary

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