Clutjens

Pronounced "klijens", these appear to be similar to anise drop cookies, and are a tradition in the Kieffer household.  No one can make them quite like Grandma Helen Meier, however, and her recipe does not appear to be recorded anywhere with absolute precision.  Keith developed the version below after many conversations and several trials.

Clutjens

Makes a zillion cookies, so a half recipe is recommended.

3 cups sugar
1 cup crisco (or: 1 cup lard; or: 1 cup Promise brand margarine) (note: if using lard, must eat all cookies within 1 month)
2 eggs
1 tsp soda dissolved in 1 cup cold coffee (or: 1 cup hot water)
4 tsp anise seed (or: 1 Tbsp anise oil; or: 2 tsp anise seed and 1/2 Tbsp anise extract)
1 cup molasses (or: 1 cup dark Karo syrup)
1 tsp cinnamon
3-6 cups flour

Combine sugar and shortening, mix well.  Mix in eggs; add the soda and coffee, anise flavoring, molasses, and cinnamon, mixing well.  Add flour until batter reaches an almost-dough-like consistency.  Using more flour, roll into many thin snakes, about a nickel in diameter.

Set the snakes to chill/freeze overnight in a floured pan.  Cut the snakes into pieces about two nickels thick.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 13 minutes at 350 F.

The center four small ones are the ideal.  The outside corners are what we get when we try.

 

Alternatives:
- Use butter instead of crisco.  If lard is used, as was typical for Grandma Meier, cookies were only good for a week-month.  Crisco can last more than a month.
- Add enough flour so it rolls out easily.
- The more flour that is added, the harder the cookies end up - jawbreakers.  Could also use less flour and, while runny, drop by spoon-fulls or with a pastry bag onto a greased cookie sheet.  Should still chill overnight (drying out is desired) and then bake.  Frozen cuts easier, uses less flour. 
- In 2014, we used 6 cups flour and then used spoons to form the long snakes on cookie sheets.  The rows were wider than a nickel but were formed quickly.
- Instead of baking all at once, can freeze half for later.
- Cookies and dough freeze nicely. 

Molasses Cookies

Delicious and nutritious - lots of iron.  Dmitri likes to make them, too.

Spicy Molasses Cookies 

(from Pioneer Woman)

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup molasses (blackstrap preferred)
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (heaping)
1 tsp ginger (heaping)
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp salt (pinch)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sugar, butter, molasses and eggs.  Add dry ingredients.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, roll each in sugar.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, baking for about a minute after the cookies begin to crack (I baked them until slightly browner).

Can also add some mace or allspice for even more flavor.

Grandma's Monday Night Meal

Grandma used to serve this to us nearly every Monday night when we were there for orchestra.

Italian Noodle Casserole

(for lack of a better name)

1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
1 can mushrooms (stems and pieces)
2 cans tomato sauce (12 oz?)
1/3 large pack of wide egg noodles
1/2 brick of sharp cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef (can also saute onions or garlic to taste), drain the grease.  For more flavor use Italian sausage.  Add red pepper flakes, if desired.  Add mushrooms, then tomato sauce.  Add egg noodles (additional water may be needed to cook the noodles) about 15 minutes before serving.  Shred and mix in the cheese just before serving.

Korean Beef and Rice (modified)

An alternative way to use beef:

Korean Beef and Rice

1 lb ground beef
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic (or dash of garlic powder)
1-2 cups stir-fry vegetables (sliced carrots, peapods, mushrooms, etc.)
cilantro to taste

Brown the beef, draining the grease.  Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper, and garlic.  Add the vegetables (Cub sells frozen packages of stir fry vegetables), with more sugar and soy sauce as needed.  Serve on rice, top with plenty of cilantro.

Serves 2, with a little left over.  Reminds me of banh mi.

Zucchini Soup

Delicious!

Zucchini Soup

3-4 zucchini
1-2 shallots
1 tsp curry
1 1/2 T butter
1 1/2 T oil
1 1/4 c chicken broth
1/2 c half and half

Saute' the shallots in the butter and oil.  Peel and slice the zucchini (core, too, if you do not like seeds) and saute'.  Add the curry and 1/2 c of chicken broth.  Blend until smooth.  Add the remaining chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste.  Blend until smooth.  Just before serving, add the half and half and blend again.  Serve with big chunks of homemade bread fresh out of the oven.