TODAY's CASES:

• Turkey Rice Stew
• Cream Cheese Pretzel Cookies
• Latimer Jr High Cookies

Turkey Rice Stew -----Original Message----- From: Julie Sent: Monday, February 23, 2015 7:44 PM To: Phaedrus Subject: Ask Phaedrus: Lost Recipe for Turkey Rice Stew I have lost a favorite recipe. I think it may have been from Cooking Light or Sunset magazine but I have been unable to find it online. Turkey Rice Stew: Ground turkey meatballs with breadcrumbs & thyme, cooked in chicken broth with onions, carrots & celery, and long-grain rice. Frozen peas are added at the end. If you could find this for me/my family, it would be terrific! I know I have the basic ingredients, but I am such a recipe follower! =) Thank you! Julie Hi Julie, That recipe from Sunset Magazine is here: Turkey Rice Stew Phaed Thank you so much for finding this! I wonder why my recipe search didn't work. Well, except for measurements, I almost had this one memorized!! That's how good it is, and how easy & quick to make. Thanks again for your efforts & success!!!! ~Julie Cream Cheese Pretzel Cookies with Walnuts From: Kristen Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 1:59 AM To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com Subject: Recipe Good Evening Mr. Phaedrus, My name is Kristen and I have been looking a recipe for what seems like an eternity to no avail, and then I stumbled on your wonderful site. If anyone can get to the bottom of this endless search, I believe it will be you. This is a cookie recipe that I've had and even made until about ten years ago when the recipe just disappeared from my recipe box. When they were first made for me, I was about 9 years old and my Mom's best friend made them. She is Puerto Rican (I bring this up because I thought it was a recipe that may also be from Puerto Rico) she called them "Pretzel cookies" but they do not have pretzels in them, they are shaped like pretzels. As I said before I used to make them so I can remember some of the ingredients but not the measurements. The recipe calls for the following: Cream cheese Flour Sugar Finely chopped walnuts Egg? After they are mixed you take a medium sized amount and roll it with your hands until it's about 10 inches long and about the thickness of a pencil and then you shape then into pretzels, bake them till they are set, let them cool about five minutes and then dip the tops in a powdered sugar glaze, then sprinkle them with chopped, toasted walnuts. This is such a good cookie and I just can't find anything that matches. They are not a crunchy cookie but more tender. I have looked many places and just can't find it. Please please help me. I'll even bake you some if you can find the recipe. Thank you, Kristen Hello Kristen, I found recipes called “pretzel cookies” and that were shaped into a pretzel shape before baking, but I could not find one that fit your description exactly. I found only one that had cream cheese, the first one below, but it has no walnuts. The other two below have neither walnuts nor cream cheese. These are all that I could find. I’ll post this on my site in case a reader can help. Phaed Cream Cheese Pretzel Cookies Makes 24 Pretzel Cookies Ingredients 1/2 lb butter (room temperature) 4 ounces cream cheese 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt coarse sugar or candy sprinkles parchment paper, for lining baking sheet (optional) Directions Mix butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a mixing bowl with electric mixer. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix. Slowly add flour, salt, and baking powder and fold into mixture with a spoon. Dough should be slightly sticky. Divide dough into 4 equal parts and roll into a ball and place into a large mixing bowl. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. May be chilled overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Work with one section of chilled dough at a time. Place dough on a floured surface and sprinkle course sugar on surface. Break off a piece of dough about the size of a large meatball and roll it into a rope about 12 inches long, roll dough in coarse sugar to coat dough. Shape into a pretzel shape and transfer to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes or until golden and lightly brown. May melt chocolate morsels to dip cookie in after cookie is baked and cooled. ------------------------------------------------------- Pretzel Cookies 1 c. sour cream 1 c. sugar 2 eggs, well beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 3 1/2 to 4 c. flour 1 tsp. soda Pinch of salt Combine ingredients in order listed. Chill dough overnight or at least 2 hours. With your hand, roll into approximately 8 inch strips. Twist strips into large pretzel shapes. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Do not brown. --------------------------------------------------------- Pretzel Cookies 1 c. sugar 1 c. butter, soft 1/2 c. milk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. almond extract 1 egg 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt Colored sugar Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, almond and egg. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate 4 or more hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Divide one part into 12 equal pieces. (Keep all remaining dough cold.) Sprinkle 1 teaspoon colored sugar on board. Roll each piece of dough on sugar into pencil like strip, about 10 long. Twist into pretzel shape, place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. 4 dozen cookies. 90 calories per cookie. Latimer Jr High School Peanut Butter Cookies -----Original Message----- From: Cheryl Sent: Monday, February 23, 2015 12:46 AM To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com Subject: Peanut butter cookies from my junior high school Hello Phaedrus, I have recently found your site during a search for a recipe. I have since explored and enjoyed your efforts, and I thank you so very much, since I now see LOTS of new things I want to try. I didn't think I could possibly think of any recipe that I cannot find on my own, then a memory burst into my brain. The peanut butter cookie served at my junior high school. That one! The name of the school that I reference is Latimer Junior High School, James and Tripoli Streets, on the North Side of Pittsburgh, PA, 15233. It is not longer a school, but an historical site, converted to an apartment building. The ladies in our cafeteria served the best tasting, softest, huge peanut butter cookies ever! I have yet to find a recipe that comes close, or a commercial brand, either. I did a search but came up zero. I hope you have better luck than I! Thank you in advance for your efforts. Cheryl Hi Cheryl, Sorry, I had no success with this. While it's possible to find a school cafeteria recipe for peanut butter cookies, finding such a recipe from one particular school is extremely problematic. Your best bet is to find a forum, message board, or Facebook page that is frequented by former students and employees of Latimer Junior High and post a request for the recipe there. I have two school cafeteria peanut butter cookies recipes if you want to try them: 08-20-03 09-15-04 I'll post this on my site for assistance from other readers. Phaed Phaed