I've been baking cookies lately to give to the dirt equipment drivers working on my road, take to the post office for their opening party, and for volunteers who came to help with clean up of flood debris.

This is based on a Fannie Farmer Baking Book recipe for Billy Goats:

Cranberry Billy Goats

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)
2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease some cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Cream the shortening and sugar together for a long time until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each in well, and then add the vanilla. When smooth and blended, beat in the sour cream. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, stirring well. Add to the first mixture and beat until completely smooth. Add the nuts and cranberries and mix well.

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of the dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes until delicately browned around the edges. Transfer to racks to cool completely.

This brownie recipe is from my friend Fran's mother's best friend, Neat B. Her name was Wanetta, but the kids called her Neat because her house was always so tidy. I left the nuts out to give the no-nut people an option, but I generally prefer nuts in brownies. They are still good without them. I added a little sour cream because I had some on hand, but I've made this recipe without it, and came out fine. Some people put frosting on brownies, but I don't believe in it.

Neat's Brownies

2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
(2 tbsp sour cream)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
(1/2 cup chopped nuts)

Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oil and sugar, beating well. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream if used and the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, stirring to distribute them. Stir into the oil sugar mixture until just combined, and then stir in the chopped nuts. Turn into the prepared baking dish and bake 30 minutes. Don't bake too long or they will be dry.

Here is an interesting recipe from Mr. Food. The sour cream, catsup, and relish resembles Thousand Island Dressing. It says to rinse the chicken, but recent studies have said it's germier to wash chicken before cooking it. Do whatever you want.

Russian Chicken

3 boneless chicken breasts, each split in half
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sweet relish
1/2 cup (about 2 stalks) sliced celery
1 cup canned French-fried onions (or homemade onion strings)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels; place in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine sour cream, ketchup, relish, and celery. Pour mixture over chicken and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes or until juices run clear, basting occasionally. Remove from oven and top with onions before serving.

Onion Strings

1 very thinly sliced onion
(buttermilk or sour milk)
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cup of oil

Optional: soak the sliced onion in the buttermilk for an hour or two, stirring once in awhile to make sure they are all submerged. Remove them, shaking off a lot of the moisture, and toss in the seasoned flour. Deep fry in the oil, stirring to separate them as much as possible, and drain on paper towels. Add additional salt or seasoning salt if desired.

Yesterday I invited some strangers to call and set a time to come for dinner. I'll have to make something nice for them since they have been living in a motel room ever since the flood six months ago.