Sugar, Sugar

Every Recipe Has a Story

by Kimberly “Momma” Reiner, Jenna Sanz-Agero

Price: $29.99
ISBN-13: 9781449403584
ISBN-10: 1449403581
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 x 9 in.
Page Count: 312 pages

“Fear not sugar lovers! The “Sugar Mommas” are on a mission to make sure sugar recipes stay available to everyone, all the time, in their new cookbook, Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story. Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero (the Sugar Mommas) have added an interesting twist to their cookbook which makes it unique. As the title mentions, every recipe has a story and these stories breathe life into each instruction. Many stories tell of past generations making the same sugary creations that cooks make today. The Sugar Mommas have captured the magic behind the recipes included in the cookbook.” ––Portland Book Review http://bit.ly/AzE7DL

“The mission of the ‘Sugar Mommas’…is to bring readers vintage treats and the stories behind them. The result is a book filled with tempting cakes, pies, cookies, and candies. These ladies don’t always follow the rules, and it’s refreshing to see that their approach to baking comes with a sense of humor.” –The Philadelphia Inquirer

“We all have stories about food and family. Cookbook authors Kimberly “Momma” Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero understand that. They understand that while a good story won’t turn a bad recipe into a good one, it will make a good recipe live on. They also understand that food connects us because of the stories connected to it. What is tradition but a story handed down – like a recipe – from one generation to another? Reiner and Sanz-Agero have collected a pile of sweet recipes – and even sweeter stories – in their new cookbook, “Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story” ” ––The Rocky Mountain Telegram http://bit.ly/nkCZs2

Submitted by Tiffany Lemons From her mother Bonnie Smith’s recipe, Tucson, Arizona

Tiffany Lemons’s three little girls stand in matching holiday dresses in front of their open closet preparing for the big event. Red, pink, and purple shoes sparkle at them from the shelves, but they carefully select the black patent leather shoes, along with pearl necklaces. Tiffany frantically completes the final preparations for the annual mother-daughter cookie exchange.

Tiffany’s mother, Bonnie, started this tradition in Arizona, where Bonnie hosted the annual event. Tiffany helped her mother make the Cakies, then dressed in her black patent shoes and pearls. Bonnie invited her girlfriends and their daughters. Each invitee brought three dozen cookies, which were arranged on the dining room table. Guests took platters around the room, collecting samples from every tray. There was the usual assortment of snickerdoodles, snowballs, peppermint bark, toffee, and chocolate chip cookies, but the Cakies were the most sought after. After enjoying some tea, coffee, or lemonade, and conversation, each mother-daughter set went home with three dozen cookies to enjoy during the holidays.

Tiffany moved to California and started the Cakies ritual when her eldest daughter turned two years old. Rules are rules, and according to tradition, this is a girls-only event. No boys allowed. She hopes that, in 20+ years, her daughters will carry on the Cakies tradition. She looks forward to the day her girls call her at midnight asking those familiar questions, comparing techniques, frosting the final batch, and anxiously arranging last-minute party preparations.

Makes about 6 dozen cakies

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (we suggest Crisco Butter Flavor)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 batch Cakies Frosting
Sprinkles or other decorations
Black patent leather shoes

Day 1: Place the shortening and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy. Reduce the speed to low and blend in the eggs, one at a time. Add the sour cream, blending until just combined. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Return the shortening and sugar mixture bowl from the refrigerator to the mixing stand. With the mixer on low speed, blend in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until just incorporated. The cookie dough will look like thick and sticky tapioca pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or use nonstick baking spray). When the cookie dough is cold, drop it by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Place the remaining dough in the refrigerator between batches to keep it chilled. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies begin to turn golden. Remove from the oven and cool for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.

Spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies. Add colored sugar crystals or other decorations while the frosting is warm.

Cakies Frosting

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 4 tablespoons hot water

Place the confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Slowly add the butter and vanilla and mix on medium low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons water and mix until blended. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed, to achieve the desired consistency (thick enough to spread).

Sugar Mommas Tips

sugar mommas notes: There are rules for a successful cookie exchange. Follow Wilton’s book, Wilton Cookie Exchange, or go online to the Martha Stewart Cookie-Swap Party Planner. Use these guidelines or create traditions of your own.

Drop by your local discount store once in a while to pick up festive platters, boxes, or tins, and colored cellophane wrap, and ribbons so guests can transport their loot home in pretty packages.

sass it up: Be the sassiest gal at the party by bringing the best hostess gift. If you want to outshine the other moms, bring decorative, food-safe parchment paper to line the trays or package the cookies. Wilton sells holiday-themed sheets. What a find!

Submitted by Debbie Carpenter From her grandmother Vina Marie Post’s recipe, Madison, Wisconsin

Grandma and Grandpa Post traveled in their trailer each winter in search of warm weather and a golf course. During the summer, they settled the RV in a park near Lake Mendota. When the grandkids came to visit Madison in the 1960s, Grandma Post let Debbie and her sisters sleep in the motor home. Nothing could be neater to a kid!

In his spare time, Grandpa Post built bicycles, and the kids were always riding around the trailer park on funky-looking bikes he’d pieced together. Debbie’s favorite was the tandem bike he made with her older sister Kathy. Nothing quite matched the freedom the freckle-faced girls enjoyed while cruising around on bikes in the summer months without a care in the world.

In between adventures, Grandma Post and the girls would stroll over to the Piggly Wiggly to buy the ingredients necessary to make Oatmeal Carmelitas. Oozing caramel, chocolate, and pecans between layers of crunchy oatmeal, they instantly became Debbie’s favorite, and Grandma Post always had the cookie jar filled with them for the girls to enjoy.

Grandma Post was also skilled at knitting and crocheting. When Debbie was a teenager, she found a picture in a magazine of a knit halter top with a watermelon on the front. Grandma Post knitted the top and surprised Debbie on her next summer visit. Debbie wore that shirt to shreds. We can easily imagine Debbie riding a handcrafted bike in the spiffy yellow halter with a big watermelon on the front eating Oatmeal Carmelitas.

Grandma Post lived to be 99 years old. She passed away one month before her 100th birthday. Her Carmelitas are so good, we expect the recipe to survive well beyond another 100 years.

Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch square bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 (14-ounce) bag Kraft soft caramel candies, unwrapped (about 50)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Tiger Beat magazine

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish (or use nonstick baking spray). Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy. Slowly add the flour mixture and blend until incorporated. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the oats. The mixture will be crumbly. Transfer half (about 3 cups) of the mixture to the baking dish. Use your fingers to gently press and spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes to set.

While the first layer is baking, place the caramels and milk in a small saucepan (or see Carpool Crunch). Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Remove the crust from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and pecans (if desired) evenly over the top. Carefully pour the caramel mixture on top of the chocolate chips and nuts, and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the bars are set. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Sugar Mommas Tips

sugar mommas notes: If you are a true caramel lover, forego the chocolate chips and nuts to have a pure caramel encounter.

When you remove the baking dish from the oven, don’t put it in the fridge. Run to the freezer, grab some vanilla ice cream, and drop chunks of the warm, gooey Carmelitas over the ice cream. Whatever you do, take a moment to enjoy the gooey phase before the (refrigerated) solid phase.

carpool crunch: Use Kraft Premium Caramel Bits—already unwrapped for easy melting.

Place the caramels and evaporated milk in a glass or other microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power for 2 minutes. Stir and repeat in 30-second increments until the caramel is melted and has a smooth consistency.

Sugar, Sugar contains recipes from across the country, each with its unique story. From cakes sent as a symbol of love to pies perfect for parties, the tales behind these recipes are as enticing as the concoctions themselves. Each recipe includes a nostalgic “ingredient” to convey the personalities and warmth of the friends or family behind it.

Sugar, Sugar offers a medley of cookies, cakes, crisps, cobblers, bars, pies, and tarts, including Buffalo Chip Cookies, Seaside Toffee, Pecan Pick-Ups, Molasses Construction Crumples, and Cape Cod Blueberry Pie. Scattered throughout are the Sugar Mommas’ helpful hints as well as bold, beautiful photographs of the decadent confections.

Sugar, Sugar preserves the recipes and customs of the past for today’s bakers and treat makers in a contemporary-meets-traditional format. Whether you love sugar or stories, Sugar, Sugar is sure to provide sweet satisfaction.