Sugar Cookies

You might think all sugar cookie recipes are the same, but I promise-- these are phenomenal! Honestly, they're so perfect you'll wonder what the secret ingredient is. I can brag about them because it's not my recipe, I got it from a phenomenal cook.

1 cup butter (soft)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
6 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Add in dry ingredients, about one cup at a time, and beat well. Refrigerate for about an hour and then roll out 1/3 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. When cookies are cooled, decorate as desired.
Yield 6 dozen.

Frosting

6 tablespoons butter (soft)
1 (1 pound) package powdered sugar
1/2-1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
food coloring

Cream butter; gradually add about half the sugar, blending well. Beat in 1/4 cup cream and vanilla. Gradually blend in remaining sugar. Add remaining cream to make desired spreading consistency.

Leslie-- but the credit goes to my former roommate's mom, RaeJean
Madison, WI

Sweet Potato Layer Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings: Makes 10 to 12 servings.

ingredients

Cake
2 pounds tan-skinned sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)

3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
31/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sliced candied orange peel
3 tablespoons sugar

From my ward night too from a woman named Gabriel Casella-Nicosia. It looked too good not to share. Enjoy!
April White

Cranberry Salad

1 bag whole cranberries
1 regular sized bag mini marshmallows
1/2 cup sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 apple
4 cups grapes (I slice them in half to make them easier to eat)
1/2 cup pecans

Grind up the cranberries in a food processor or blender. Mix in sugar
(can use less or more if you want) and marshmallows. Refrigerate
overnight. Mix in grapes, one apple chopped into bite-sized pieces,
and pecans. Whip up the whipping cream and mix it in (do not need to
sweeten the cream, the marshmallows and sugar sweeten the salad).

From my ward Thanksgiving preview night (Camlia Hales). I use the same recipe but without the grapes, apples, and pecans, but in place I put pineapple. It is delicious so I am sure it is great with those things too.

April White

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups mashed cooked sweet potato (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chilled reduced-calorie stick margarine
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Preparation
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, and stir well. Spoon sweet potato
mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and flour in a bowl, and cut in 2 tablespoons
chilled margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture
resembles coarse meal. Stir in the chopped pecans, and sprinkle over sweet
potato mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 273(24% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 0.9g,mono 3.5g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN
3.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 56mg; SODIUM 242mg; FIBER 3.3g; IRON 1.3mg;
CARBOHYDRATE 49.8g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1995
April White