Recipes by Arlene

• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• ½ cup coconut
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 1 can condensed milk

Melt butter in a cookie sheet (15” x 10”). Layer each ingredient in order. Pour condensed milk last on top evenly. Bake 30-35 minutes in 350° oven. Cut into squares.

• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ⅛ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup glazed chocolate chips (can substitute fudge chips)

Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. Add sugar to melted butter and mix well. Add egg, vanilla, flour mixture and nuts a small amount at a time, mixing well after each addition. Spoon into greased 9” x 9” x 2” pan. Sprinkle chips over top of dough and bake in 350° oven for 20 minutes. Cool in pan and then cut into bars or squares.

• 4 cups cut rhubarb
• ½ cup sugar (or more to taste)
• Cinnamon, optional
• ¾ cup oatmeal
• 1 cup brown sugar
• a stick margarine
• 1 cup flour

Put the rhubarb in a 9” x 12” pan and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (if desired). Mix the oatmeal, brown sugar, margarine and flour together until crumbly. Sprinkle over rhubarb abd bake 35-40 minutes in a 375° oven

This can also be made with apples instead of rhubarb.

• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup sweet vermouth
• 1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup bourbon whiskey
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 3 eggs, separated

In a small bowl, pour vermouth over cherries to rehydrate. Macerate for 30 minutes or until cherries are plump. Meanwhile, using a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate together. Remove melted chocolate from heat and stir in whiskey. In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks, then slowly add in thirds to the melted chocolate. In a large bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Whisk one-third of the whites into the chocolate, then gently fold in the remainder. Pour into 4 individual serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove dishes from the refrigerator, top with macerated cherries and serve.

• 36 ounces vanilla wafers
• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 cups bourbon or to taste
• 4 tsp. cocoa
• 1 cup superfine sugar

In food processor or blender combine wafers and walnuts. Process until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients except sugar. Blend well. Roll into small balls and roll in sugar, coating well. Cover and refrigerate until served. Yields 3-4 pounds.

From Wikipedia: Kolache (also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky, from the Czech and Slovak plural koláče) is a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits (including poppy seed, raspberry, and apricot) to cheeses inside a bread roll. Originally only a sweet dessert from Central Europe, they have become popular in parts of the United States.

Note: This recipe comes from “The Psota Collection,” a compilation of recipes from the Psota family in Ravenna, Nebraska. My aunt, Albie Kostal Psota, was an excellent cook and made kolaches for us all the time.

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 packages dry yeast
• flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup mile (scald, cool to warm)
• 1 cup lard
• 5-6 cups flour

Mix first four ingredients using enough flour to make thin batter, like pancakes. Let stand 15 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients. Mix well and let rise until double in size. Push down. Take ¼ of dough, pat down and cut into 3- to 4-inch squares. Pull corners up so it looks like an ‘H.’ Put filling in center — apple, prune, apricot, cherry, cottage cheese or poppy seed – and bring corners up and tie, like a shoe. Let rise until double in size. Bake in 350° oven until brown, about 30 minutes.

• 1 lb. white chocolate (sometimes called “almond bark”)
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 3 cups Rice Krispies
• ½ cup salted Spanish peanuts (optional)

Melt white chocolate and peanut butter in double boiler over gently boiling water. Pour over Rice Krispies (add peanuts, if desired), stirring carefully. Drop by spoon on waxed paper. Note: The amount of peanut butter or Rice Krispies can be varied. Serves 10 – 12.

This is one of my mother’s favorite and recipes and is at least 50 years old!

• 2¾ cups sifted flour
• 2½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ⅔ cup shortening
• 2¼ cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup nut meats
• 1 6-oz. package chocolate chips

Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Melt shortening. Stir in brown sugar and cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time; add flour mixture, nuts and chocolate chips. Blend well. Pour into greased pan (10½” x 15½” x ¾”). Bake at 350 degrees from 25 to 30 minutes. When almost cool, cut into 2” x 2” squares. [Note: dates can be substituted for chocolate chips.]

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 cup flour
• 6 oz. chocolate chips

Beat sugar, eggs, melted butter and melted chocolate together. Mix in 1 cup flour. Pour into 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!!

This recipe is from my niece, Lori Perlinger, and appears in the “Favorite Recipes from Zion Lutheran Church of Grant, NE” cookbook.

• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup margarine, softened
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup oats
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugars, margarine, peanut butter, vanilla and egg in medium bowl until creamy. Mix in flour, oats, soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light brown. Cool one minute before removing from cookie sheet. Recipe can be doubled.