Williams College Bar Brownie

Recipe From: Williams College Dining Services  (note to other college/university dining services: if you want really good food, you have to do it yourself and not outsource it.  Williams College Dining Services is proof.  Because I had no experience with other college dining services while at Williams, I did not realize how good they were until I visited other colleges and went to graduate school.)

Story:  I came by this recipe as a result of staring at a knife in my cutlery drawer and thinking, "I'm pretty sure this is a Greylock Dining Hall knife."  I had a couple of spoons and forks of the same pattern and I felt some guilt over this.  It was a thoughtless theft as I hadn't intended to leave college with dining hall cutlery and I'm not even sure how I ended up with as I don't recall taking it having bought my own bowls and cups and such.  So I wrote to dining services, explaining I'd graduated over 10 years ago, I was pretty sure I had some of their cutlery and where should I send it back to?  Oh, and by the way, was there any chance of getting the Williams College brownie recipe?  Dining Services wrote me back and very kindly said I could keep the forks and spoons and also mailed me the recipes for brownies with helpful instructions on how I might go about reducing the quantity for home use.  Williams brownies tend to generate strong feelings from people.  They either love them or can't see how you could eat one, but few people are neutral.  I loved them.  They were almost fudge-like, they were so dense and chocolatey.  Just great!

Preheat Oven to: 370 degrees

Ingredients (original recipe)

1 pound, 6 1/2 oz granulated sugar
12 1/2 oz Shortening (Sweetex)
2 7/8 tsp spice salt
2 1/2 oz Numoline (invert sugar syrup used on commercial baking)
8 oz liquid eggs plus 1 1/2 oz for egg wash
4 oz cocoa powder
7 1/2 oz corn syrup
15 oz cake flour
2 oz water
1 Tbl vanilla extract
4 oz chopped nuts (opt)

Instructions
Cream sugar, shortening, salt and numoline. Add eggs and beat.  Blend in cocoa and corn syrup.  Add flour, water and vanilla.  Scale 9 lbs batter into greased full sheet pan and wash with egg wash.  Scale 4-8 lbs per half sheet.  Sprinkle 1/2 sheet with nuts; leave some plain.  Bake at 370 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Makes 1 1/2 13x18" sheet pans, or about 90 brownies.

Notes
I have to confess I have no idea what "scale 9 lbs batter" means, since I don't think the ingredients add up to 9 pounds. However, I haven't tried it to see.  I assume this instruction would make sense to a commercial baker.

Ingredients (scaled recipe for home use)
Note: this is still under development.  I haven't perfected the Williams College brownie at home yet, so this post may change over time!

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup + 2tsp butter or shortening
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
7 Tbl corn syrup (1 Tbl shy of 1/2 cup)
1 cup + 1 Tbl cake flour
3 Tbl water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions
Cream sugar, shortening and salt.  Add eggs and beat.  Blend in cocoa powder and corn syrup.  Add flour, water and vanilla.  Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.  Bake at 370 for 35-40 minutes.  Makes 16 brownies.

Topping for Salmon

Recipe From: Michelle and Erik Blake (Erik is Kirsten's cousin)

Preheat to: 400 degrees

Ingredients

minced garlic
dijon mustard
brown sugar
salmon fillets or steaks

Instructions

Mix some minced garlic, dijon mustard and brown sugar to make a paste.  Smoosh all over salmon and bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.

Grandma Hullinger's Sugar Cookies

Recipe From: I'm not sure.  It's a variant on the Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies from Great-Grandma Hullinger I published yesterday, similar to but not the same as.  I clearly got it from someone in the family as it has a note at the bottom, but all I have is a typed version so I can't even use handwriting as a clue!  If you wrote this down, let me know so I can credit you!

Preheat Oven to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

4 cups flour

1 cup butter, or shortening

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract, lemon or almond

1 cup milk

1 tsp baking soda

Original Instructions:  Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.  Beat the eggs and set aside.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar; add the beaten eggs and continue to beat until mixed.  Add vanilla and flour mixture and stir until well mixed.  Chill.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 ".  Cut into rounds or shapes with cookie cutters.  Sprinkle with sugar if desired.  Bake until edges are lightly brown, 15-17 minutes.  Decorate with colored icing, sprinkles, etc. if desired.

Notes
I remember that Grandma Hullinger (your Great-Grandmother) made great sugar cookies. I found this recipe in a box of recipes from their house. Grandma wrote that Ruthanne called these Grandpa's cookies. Dough must chill.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Recipe From: Agnes Hullinger (Kirsten's great-grandmother.  Agne's daughter was Ruth.  Ruth's daughter is Ruthanne and Ruthanne's daughter is me.) San Jose, IL

Preheat to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon rind, opt.

Original Instructions 

"Sift measure add bp. and salt
cream butter add sugar and eggs
beat
add vanilla and flour.  Chill and roll. Sprinkle sugar.  Bake."

Instructions for bakers not as experienced as Great-Grandma Hullinger

Sift flour with the baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the butter.  Add the sugar and eggs, beating between each addition.  Add the vanilla and optional lemon rind.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  Chill for a few hours in the refrigerator.  Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out cookies.  Sprinkle with sugar or decorations if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees until slightly gold at edges (4-8 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie).

Notes:  Keep covered in a tin with a cut apple or orange slice to keep soft.  I've also made these with orange rind and once with grapefruit rind.  All very good!  I bet lime rind would also be good.  I think my mother first added the lemon rind.  She would cut them out with a large glass to make big round cookies and would sometimes put a raisin in the center before baking.

These cookies are intended to be thick and soft, not thin and crunchy.

Play dough

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbl cream of tartar
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 Tbl vegetable oil
food coloring

Instructions

Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar.  Mix well.  Stir in boiling water and oil.  Let dough cool.  Knead dough on countertop until smooth.  Make a ball with the dough and make an indentation in the center.  Add a few drops of food coloring.  Mix well by smooshing it around (kids love doing this part) until color is spread throughout dough.

Store in airtight container.

Marinated Salmon

Recipe From: Sue Berres' cousin Ann Maushammer (Sue is Kirsten's friend)

Ingredients

3 cups soy suace or tamari
2 cups water
2 cups brown sugar
2 Tbs fresh ginger, chopped
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs black pepper
10 salmon fillets

Instructions

Combine all ingredients.  Marinate fillets for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Grill or broil fillets about 6-8 minutes each side or until flakey.  Baste liberally with marinade.

Sue's Notes:  I prefer to use a zip-lock bag to marinate the fillets.  This technique requires much less liquid, say 4-6 cups total.

Beet/Cabbage/Rutabaga/Carrot and Apple Salad

Recipe From:  Ruthanne Hassing (Kirsten's mom)

Ingredients

Apple

Any of:
Beets
Cabbage
Rutabaga
Carrot

Optional
Raisins
Pine Nuts

Dressing Options
Lemon Juice and Sugar
Honey
Light Cream mixed with honey

Instructions

Peel and grate an equal amount of apple plus any of the listed vegetables.  Can add raisins or pine nuts if desired.  Toss with any of the 3 dressings.

Kirsten's Notes:  The light cream w/honey dressing is esp good when the main vegetable is cabbage.

Colin's Fruit Salad

Recipe From:  Colin Howard

Notes: Created by Colin when he was around 6 years old

Ingredients

2 handfuls of grapes
1 sliced banana
1 sliced full apple
2 handfuls of blueberries

Instructions

Stir it up.
Eat it up.

Quote

...let wonder seem familiar

-Friar Francis
From Act 5, Scene 4 of Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare

Interesting idea, wonder being familiar.  It seems counter-intuitive that you might want that, but we wouldn't be able to live in a state of constant wonder.  We wouldn't get done any of the mundane things required to survive.

Emma just bought the download of the Wyndham Theatre's stage production of Much Ado About Nothing that they put on last summer and we watched it yesterday and today.  She got it mostly because David Tennant and Catherine Tate were in it, but that's okay, she's watching Shakespeare and it was a very good show.  Some things were a little odd with the modern setting but other things were absolutely hilarious.  Well worth the money!

Taco Casserole

Recipe From: Karen Schroeder (Kirsten's friend and Aunt Karen to Emma and Colin)

Preheat Oven to:  350 degrees

Ingredients

10 taco shells, coarsely broken (or 1 bag corn chips)

1.5 lb. ground beef (or 1 lb ground beef and one can black beans)

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

2 tbs. dried minced onion

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups (1/2 lb.) grated Monterey jack cheese  (low fat pre-shredded cheeses work well)

1 large tomato in wedges

6 sliced stuffed green olives

Salsa (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange 1/2 of the taco shells in a fully greased 2 quart casserole dish. 

In a 10 inch skillet, brown the beef until crumbly.  Drain.  Add taco mix and water.  Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.  Stir in onion and tomato sauce. 

Spoon over taco shells. Sprinkle with 1.5 cups cheese.  Cover with the rest of the taco shells, and top with the remaining cheese, the tomato wedges, and the olives.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot.  May be served with salsa.

Serves 6

Meatloaf

Recipe From: Barbara Clarke (one of Kirsten's mother's-in-law)

Christmas 2008

Preheat Oven to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

 

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 package Knorr vegetable soup (dry) and recipe mix

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and shape into a loaf.  Place in loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Recipe From:  Karen Howard - one of Kirsten's mother's-in-law

Karen's Notes: Here is a recipe for sour cream coffee cake which we always have Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings, other special occasions too

Preheat Oven to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

1 C less 2 Tblsp oleo                

1 C sour cream                        

3 eggs                               

1 tsp vanilla                        

3 C sifted flour

1 C sugar   

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

Sugar filling

1/2 C sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C chopped walnuts

Instructions

Mix together wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients. Put 1/2 mix in angel food cake pan (greased). Sprinkle 1/2 sugar filling, then carefully spread rest of mix. Sprinkle rest of sugar filling on top.

Bake 350 deg. about 1 hour- check with toothpick. Cool before removing from pan. When room temp, wrap in alum. foil until ready to start eating.