By Katie Scarvey
kscarvey@salisburypost.com
un, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man.”
It’s an impromptu singalong on a November Saturday morning in the kitchen of Lynn Mills, which is being filled with the heavenly aromas of baked goods.
It’s just Rowan-Salisbury Symphony Guild members having a little fun as they get together to make the goodies that will be sold at the group’s Very Merry Bake Sale, which will be held during the Christmas Tour of Southern Classics this weekend. Money raised goes to support the symphony and its educational programs.
The group assembled also included Dotty Clement, Pat Epting, Judy Ann Deal, Betsy Edgeworth, Rebecca Hyde and Kate Davis — and probably a few others who came later.
“We have kitchen envy going on her,” said Carolyn Peterson, as she worked diligently to roll out gingerbread. And indeed, Lynn’s kitchen is a cook’s dream, spacious and well-equipped.
Carolyn joked about some of her gingerbread men, which might have had limbs that weren’t perfectly symmetrical. “I’m making disabled gingerbreads over here,” she said.
Before the gingerbread was ready to pop into the oven, Ann Meredith — getting the jump on holiday cheer in a festive Christmas sweater — popped on their raisin eyes and buttons.
She noted that when stored in airtight containers, the gingerbread would keep for a very long time.
As other guild members were still rolling out gingerbread, Lynn was pulling some of her earlier efforts out of the oven, including a pan of butter cookies — her mother’s recipe.
“It’s sweet shortbread with pecans” she explained.
She also made a tray of cookies called Jan Hagels (pronounce it “yon hahgels”), a Dutch cookie with almonds that sometimes comes in windmill shapes, she says.
Ann noted that the guild was trying to choose recipes that could be established as signature items — things people could look forward to buying year after year on the guild’s annual Christmas tour.
Butter Cookies
This butter cookie recipe is from a recipe in Lynn Mills’ family.
2 sticks butter, room
temperature
1 C. sugar
1 egg, separated
2 C. flour, sifted
1 C. chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, yolk, flour and vanilla. Spread by hand on ungreased 10-inch by 15-inch edged cookie sheet. Beat egg white. Spread lightly on top. Sprinkle with pecans. pat down. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons. sugar over top. Bake at 300 degrees for about 50-60 minutes or until brown. Cool 2-3 minutes only. Cut into squares.
Gingerbread Boys
— Keep in tight tins and these will keep for months!
41/2 C. flour
1/4tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. soft butter
1/2 C. lard
12 ounces or 11/2 C. light
molasses
1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
Raisins or currants
Confectioner’s sugar and egg
whites
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together first six ingredients and add brown sugar, cut in butter and lard, gradually add molasses and cider vinegar. Mix and chill.
Grease and flour baking sheets and roll out dough on baking sheets to 1/8 inch. Cut with cookie cutter, remove excess dough with table knife. Use raisins to decorate front of cookies, press in firmly. Make a hole in top of head to insert ribbon for hanging in tree.
Mix confectioner’s sugar and egg whites for squeezing through pastry tube and decorate.
Jan Hagels
— from cooks.com
1 C butter
1 C. sugar
2 C. flour, sifted
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
Slivered or sliced almonds
Cream butter and sugar together. Add flour, cinnamon and egg yolk. Press mixture into buttered 21-inch by 15-inch cookie sheet. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 2-3 minutes only before cutting into bars.
Cranberry Nut Bread
2 Tbs. butter, melted
3/4 C. orange juice
1 egg, well beaten
2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
11/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. cranberries, cut in half
1/2 C. chopped nuts
Mix melted butter with orange juice and egg. Mix dry ingredients. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in cranberries and nuts. pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.