Category Archives: Recipes

Recipes

Shared Recipes: Oatmeal Raisin with Molasses Cookies

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Our  Neighborhood Party Chair of MN HD 66B Republicans, Tom Polachek, is a US Army Veteran. Last year he did a temporary job at the VA Hospital in Bloomington, Minnesota. He tells the joy of working alongside fellow Veterans.

When he first started working there he didn’t know it at the time he would eventually fall into the habit of making homemade-from-scratch Cookies nearly every week. The ones posted here with the exception of the “Energy Bites,” he would make.

It was a morale booster and I was planting in the minds of my fellow workers to recommend me for permanent employment there.—Tom Polachek

His boss, Brett, had a favorite cookie usually supplied by one of the salesmen,  Best Maid Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. At first break Brett would share a cookie with Tom, and his workmate Pat K (see Healthified Chocolate Chip Cookies–Pat’s Favorite).

So on one of Brett’s weekly days off–Fridays, Tom took a look at the ingredients on the Best Maid bag. It had a bunch of ingredients one couldn’t buy at the store like Barley Flour (in some stores you might find it, not his) and one he could: Molasses. He had never used Molasses in a recipe before.

So he looked up Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on his Better Crocker App and I found a recipe that had molasses in it, and he made it.

At the store he noticed one thing: there are two choices in Molasses either strong or mild. He took the mild. Later when he was making the cookies the aroma of the mild molasses took his breath away. “I can’t imagine what the Strong smells like,” he said.

The batter with the molasses in is not something to sample a lot of, as it has a pungent flavor. Below is the recipe for Brett’s favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Ingredients

A. 1 1/4 cups sugar

B. 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

C. 1/3 cup molasses*

D. 2 eggs

E. 1 2/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour (regular brand is fine)

F. 1 teaspoon baking soda

G. 1/4 teaspoon salt

H. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

J. 2 cups quick-cooking oats

K. 1 cup raisins

* I suggest mild flavor molasses. Your store might only have one type, so you don’t have a choice, but if there is a Mild then I suggest to go with it.

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together A-D.

2. Stir in E through H. (blending the flour in first and oats last after the other ingredients is wise. I like to put these F-H ingredients in with the flour so it’s not isolated in one spot as the oatmeal will make the batter thick)

3. Stir in J with mixing spoon. (The blender will have problems with the batter)

4. Stir in K (raisins).

5. Preheat Oven to 375 F.

6. Prepare your ungreased cookie sheets (I like to use SILPAT Baking Mats on my Airbake cookie sheets). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart.

7. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

 

Directions with Photos

1. In a large bowl, stir together A-D.

Start with the Sugar (A) and add the softened Butter (B)

Cream the A & B together

Add the molasses (C)

Add 2 eggs (D) and blend it

(I realize I’m not taking my own advice about adding the oatmeal last as the photos show…oh well take my advice)

2. Add E thru H

1 2/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour (regular brand is fine) (E)

Add 1 teaspoon baking soda (F)

Add salt (G)

Add Cinnamon (H)

3. Stir in J with mixing spoon. (The blender will have problems with the batter)

4. Stir in K (raisins).

5. Preheat Oven to 375 F.

6. Prepare your ungreased cookie sheets (I like to use Silpat baking mats on my Airbake cookie sheets). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart.

The SILPAT Baking Mat is excellent. It allows for even baking, cooling, and a non-stick surface.

7. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

ENJOY!

HD66B, Recipes

Sharing Recipes: Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

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When the MNGOP HQ was in St Paul our Chair Tom Polachek used to volunteer upon the request of the office manager Barb Linert. Whether it was for phone-banking for candidates, or doing Precinct Caucus Data Entry after a Caucus Tom said the party didn’t always provide something to snack on so he would make cookies and bring them to share with others who were volunteering.

At the 2018 State Convention in Duluth Minnesota, Tom brought cookies for each Delegate & Alternate attending the convention.

Since we’re “Social Distancing,” and doing  remote conventions, Tom can’t bring cookies to those who attend.  Instead he is providing the recipe for you to make and share at home.

This is a recipe called Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies by Debby from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

A. 1 1/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) softened

B. 2 cups sugar

C. 2 eggs

D. 2 tsp vanilla

E. 2 cups flour

F. 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa

G. 1 tsp baking soda

H. 1/2 tsp salt

J. 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl cream A & B together.

2. Add into A&B mixture C & D.

3. Sift E, F, G, and H together into into ABCD mixture blend using low speed on mixer.

4. Stir into mixture J with wooden spoon.

5. Preheat oven 350 F

6. Drop by teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets.

7. Bake 6-9 minutes (do not overbake cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooking).

8. Cool slightly on cookie sheet remove from sheet to cool completely on wire rack.

Directions with Photos

1. In large mixing bowl cream A & B together.

Normally I like to add a little bit of the sugar at a time but the butter was super soft.

2. Add into A&B mixture C & D.

Add Vanilla.

Add two large eggs

Blend well.

3. Sift E, F, G, and H together into into ABCD mixture blend using low speed on mixer.

It is wise to have a catch bowl when adding the dry ingredients to the sifter.

Although out of order Baking soda and salt it’s not a big deal as you’re sifting them together

Add Salt

Add cocoa. All dry ingredients in the sifter. Start to add a little bit at a time while blending.

4. Stir into mixture Mini Chocolate Chips with wooden spoon.

5. Preheat oven 350 F

6. Drop by teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets.

(I went with smaller sized cookies as chewy cookies are easier to handle)

I like the Silpat baking mat as the cookies do not stick, cool faster and clean up is a snap.

7. Bake 6-9 minutes (do not overbake cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooking).

With the bake mat and Airbake cookie sheets I set the timer for 8 minutes.

8. Cool slightly on cookie sheet remove from sheet to cool completely on wire rack.

While the cookies were baking I did some clean up. It’s too bad I didn’t have a helper due to social distancing. I had to clean off both of these.

Enjoy!

HD66B, Recipes

Sharing Recipes: Healthified Chocolate Chip Cookies

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In the days when the Republican Party of Minnesota Headquarters was located within walking distance of the MN State Capitol in St Paul, I, Tom Polachek, used to volunteer frequently there.  One thing about volunteering at the HQ, was they rarely had snacks for volunteers.  So I had to brown bag it when I did Precinct Caucus Data Entry and do phone-banking there.  Occasionally there was Pizza but that was rare.  So I started to bring made-from-scratch cookies to share with some of the staff and the other volunteers.

When the HQ was moved out of St Paul to the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis I stopped volunteering at the HQ.

At the 2018 Republican Party of Minnesota State Convention in Duluth as the Chair I brought two kinds of cookies to share with the Delegates and the Alternates.  I brought out Chewy Double Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I didn’t have enough time to make another batch of cookies which I’m sharing here, Healthified Chocolate Chip aka Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So being that we won’t be able to be together in person at the CD4 Republican Convention nor the State Convention, I thought I’d share the recipes so you can make them yourself to share with your family.

The Betty Crocker App I have on my ancient 3rd Generation iPod Touch lists these cookies having “21% fewer calories • 42% less sat fat • 14% less fat than the original recipe. Simple changes help ease the guilt without losing an ounce of deliciousness!”

It is a simple recipe though when I first made it I thought I did something wrong as it was so soupy prior adding the dry ingredients. I made small cookies as I was unsure if a large cookie would stay together. The cookie sheets and silicone mats I was using I set the oven for 8 minutes.

Ingredients

A. 3/4 cup granulated sugar

B. 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (If your brown sugar has turned hard, you can soften it up by heating it in 10-15 second bursts in the microwave on high. Check it each time until soft).

C. 1/2 cup butter, softened

D. 1/2 cup canola oil

E. 1 teaspoon vanilla

F. 1 egg

G. 2 cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour

H. 1 teaspoon baking soda

J. 1/4 teaspoon salt

K. 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

*There is no letter “I” as it might confuse the reader.

**I used the North Dakota Mill “Dakota Maid” Brand Whole Wheat Flour. Believe me, you won’t know it is a whole wheat cookie.

Directions

It goes without saying your kitchen needs to be super clean before starting. Wash your hands, and keep your hair in place with a bandana or baseball hat (I started to collect baseball hats because of my single guy cooking-baking). You might have to handle the dough when you put it on the cookie sheets, so wash your hands again.

1. In a large bowl, beat A thru F with an electric mixer on low speed until blended.

2. Beat in G thru J until well blended.

3. Stir in K with a mixing spoon. (I like to use mini chips as there is a more even distribution of chips per bite).

4. Heat oven to 375°F (I like to not rush the mixing as the oven preheats. I like to prepare my cookies on the sheets while it preheats).

5. On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart. (I use a silicon baking mat on a metal cookie sheet on either an air bake or a one ply raised sided metal sheet)

6. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until very light golden brown (centers will be soft).

7. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

ENJOY

 

Directions with Photos

1. Mix A-F

Sugars

Add Canola Oil

Add a Large Egg

2. Add Whole Wheat Flour, baking soda and salt (G thru J)

 

3. Add mini chips and mix with mixing spoon or rubber mixing spatula

 

4. Preheat oven to 375 F

5. Prepare your baking sheets.

The silicone mat on the right SILPAT made in France is my favorite baking mat. To determine what is a good silicone baking tool pinch some of the material together. If a white line appears between your fingers it is a poor quality baking tool.

The Best oven mitt I’ve ever used is the “Ove Glove.” It’s reversible and worth whatever you or your gift giver paid for it.

Use upside down spatula to get the cookie off the sheet.

 

Cool cookies on a wire rack. Then transfer to a plate to put in the fridge.

ENJOY 

Nutrition Facts Calories 110, Calories from Fat 50, Total Fat 6g (9% DV), Saturated Fat 2g (11% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 10mg (4% DV), Sodium 65mg (3% DV), Total Carbohydrate 13g (4% DV), Dietary Fiber 1g (4% DV), Sugars 9g, Protein 1g, Calcium 0%. Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

 

HD66B, Recipes

Sharing Recipes with Our Neighbors

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There is a “Shelter in Place,” order by the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz. While the Virus Scare has seemed to be more fear than bite we Republicans like always, it seems, have to bend to the will of another Liberal Democrat who wants to dictate to us how we can live. The Virus has been much like the regular Flu where it claims the lives of the frail, and vulnerable.

The best way we can cope is to support each other, pray for each other and our leaders, and to help others when we can. Keep your wits about yourself and to try to live the best you can under the restraints we are placed under.

Sharing Recipes

To help comfort you during this trying time, and to do a little neighborhood outreach, as Chair of HD 66B Republicans I would like to share some recipes you might want to try at home.

In 2018 at the Republican Party of Minnesota State Convention in Duluth MN I brought some cookies I made to share during the long hours of sitting at the convention. I gave each of our delegates a bag of cookies of each kind. In upcoming Shared Recipe Articles I will give those “Convention Cookie,” Recipes out. First in the series will be an economical snack cake.

Double Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

This is from my Betty Crocker Cookbook, soft cover Page 68.

This is a cake I like to make on a weekend for something to eat with coffee. The prep time is about 10-15 minutes and bake time is 35-40 minutes. If you want to add a glaze or frosting that will add another 10 minutes to make it. It is economical as there are few ingredients out of the regular ones I always have in my kitchen (oil, flour, sugar, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, salt, etc.). This cake doesn’t require eggs so it might be a good recipe to make after you’ve exhausted your Easter Egg supply. A few ingredients you might not have on hand are chocolate chips, or vinegar.

To avoid too much writing on my 3×5 Recipe Cards, I like to list the ingredient list by letters and then use those letters in the directions.

Ingredients

A. 1 and 2/3 cups Flour (do not use self rising flour)

B. 1 Cup Sugar

C. 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa (1/4 cup = 4 Tablespoons)

D. 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

E. 1/2 teaspoon Salt

F. 1 Cup Water

G. 1/3 Cup Oil (I like to use extra light tasting olive oil, though vegetable oil works fine)

H. 1 teaspoon Vinegar (I use white vinegar)

J. 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

K. 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (I like to use mini-chips)

Directions

    1. Mix Ingredients A thru E together thoroughly with whisk or mixing spoon.
    2. Stir in remaining ingredients except K.
    3. Sprinkle in K into batter.
    4. Preheat oven to 350 F
    5. Pour mixture into an ungreased 8x8x2 pan.
    6. Bake on middle rack position in oven 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick comes out cleanly in the center. Do not overbake.
    7. Cool completely on wire rack
    8. Add topping. It is good without a topping or just a dusting of powdered sugar.

Optional: add flavorings to the mix or if you are a “nut-in-brownies” kind of person you can add cut up pecans or walnuts.Before bakingAfter baking on wire rack to coolWith icing on the cake.

Normally I do a quick glaze which is like frosting except it lacks either the right amount of powdered sugar, or butter, or too much liquid to be considered frosting.

Directions for a Vanilla Frosting

This recipe is for a 13×9 inch pan so you can cut the recipe in half or make two snack cakes and use the second half of the frosting for the second cake.

(For 13×9 inch pan)

Ingredients

A. 3 Cups powdered Sugar

B. 1/3 Cup softened butter–5 and a 1/3 Tablespoons see scale on side of package (you can use a microwave to soften a hard stick of butter but you should avoid completely melted butter, it is hard to judge, it is easier to let the butter stand in your mixing bowl for the time the cake is cooling)

C. 1 1/2 teaspoons of Vanilla

D. About 2 Tablespoons of milk (stir in the first Tablespoon to see how much more is needed. Water can be substituted here if out of milk)

Directions

    1. Mix A & B together.
    2. Stir in C & D
    3. Beat with hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
    4. Frost with large Table knife or mixing spatula until even.

Optional add flavorings to frosting or food coloring.

**For chocolate frosting add 2 ounces of melted unsweetened baking chocolate (if halfing the recipe it would be 1 ounce). Or a 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 of the recipe would be 2 Tablespoons)

***For Mocha Frosting stir in the chocolate or cocoa powder for chocolate frosting and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant coffee

Calories per serving (1piece of the 9 total pieces is 300 calories unfrosted. With frosting per piece is 365 calories)

–From the kitchen of Tom Polachek, HD 66B Republicans Chair

Enjoy!