A few recipes worth sharing

I have had a few recipes tucked back for several weeks just waiting for a week when I could use all of them at once and pass them on. This is the week. There is no theme to the recipes; they are just ones that sound really good and worth sharing. I hope you enjoy them all.

Marilyn Sedgwick and I serve on a mutual advisory board and every time we meet, she always brings something wonderful as a treat for us while we conduct business. This time she brought these tasty doughnutlike pastries that just hit the spot.

Golden Puffs

This recipe doubles well and freezes nicely.

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mace

Mix all together and add the following ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

Mix all together. Drop by mounded teaspoonfuls into hot oil. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown all around. Drain on paper towels and dip in powdered sugar glaze or in granulated sugar.

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all and use as a glaze for hot Golden Puffs.

Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen Golden Puffs.

Chewy Maple Oat Clusters

With school letting out for the summer, this would be a great snack to have on hand for hungry appetites between meals.

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup crisp rice cereal

1 cup bran flakes

1/2 cup pecan halves, cut in half

1/2 cup sunflower nuts

1/2 cup raisins

1 (8-ounce) package diced dried fruit mix

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, spread rolled oats. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Stir in crisp rice cereal, bran flakes, pecans and sunflower nuts. Continue baking for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven; stir in raisins and dried fruit. In a small bowl, stir together butter and maple syrup; pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat well. Continue baking, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 50 minutes or until mixture clumps together and is golden brown. Spread on waxed paper. Cool completely; break into pieces.

Raspberry Bars

These bars are rich and moist and, of course, delicious. You can use other flavors of preserves, but raspberry is my favorite.

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 (10-ounce) jar raspberry preserves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, combine all ingredients except raspberry preserves. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 1/2 cups mixture; set aside. Press remaining mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking pan; spread preserves to within 1/2-inch from edge. Crumble reserved 1 1/2 cups mixture over preserves. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely; cut into bars.

Lemon Raspberry Ice Squares

This is a light, refreshing dessert for a warm summer day.

1 cup (about 18) crushed lemon-flavored sugar cookies

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 cup raspberry flavored yogurt

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups frozen raspberries

Sweetened whipped cream

In a small bowl, stir together crushed cookies, 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Press on bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside. In medium bowl stir together remaining ingredients except raspberries ad whipped cream. Fold in raspberries. Pour yogurt mixture over cookie crust. Cover; freeze until firm, 3 to 4 hours. To serve, let stand at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into squares; garnish with sweetened whipped cream.

Summer Fruits With Lime Cooler

To change flavors of this dessert, change the yogurt and berries to strawberry or blueberry.

For the dressing:

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

1 tablespoon lime juice

For the fruit:

4 plums, sliced

2 peaches, sliced

1 pint strawberries, hulled an halved

1/2 pint raspberries

In a small bowl stir together all dressing ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl or individual fruit bowls toss together fruit. Serve dressing over fruit.

Orchard Salad With Almond Cream

2 medium ripe pears, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium tart apples, cored, sliced 1/4-inch

16 ounces canned apricot halves, drained, reserve juice

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup reserved apricot juice

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

In a large bowl, place pears, apples and apricots. In chilled small mixer bowl, beat chilled whipping cream at high speed, scraping bowl often, until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. By hand, fold in remaining ingredients. Fold whipped cream into fruit mixture or spoon on top and garnish.

Have a great week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.