NORTHWOODS COOKS: Friends of the Library share recipes

The Friends of the Library meet at 9:30 a.m. the first Thursday of every month at the Park Rapids Area Library. They host fundraisers throughout the year, including book sales. The next book sale is Thursday, Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The first three recipes are favorites of members of Friends of the Library.

Ginger Cream Scones

This recipe freezes well and is a quick breakfast treat for your family or company.

2 cups all purpose flour

6 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder (yes, a tablespoon)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/3 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease baking sheet (or line with parchment paper). In medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In small bowl beat whipping cream until it holds a peak. Fold ginger into whipped cream. Fold cream/ginger mix into dry ingredients and mix well. Shape dough into eight 3.5-by-half-inch rounds on prepared baking sheet or use an ice cream scoop. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. (After this step you can bake or freeze.) Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown around edges.

This recipe was submitted by Darlene Polo-Kramer.

Southern Squash

This recipe is from an old Homestead, Florida Woman's Club cookbook. It is often served at their luncheons. It does not freeze well.

1-1/2 to 2 pounds squash (zucchini, yellow, green or mix)

1-1/2 cups herbed stuffing mix

1/4 cup butter

1 carrot, grated or use food processor

1 onion, chopped

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

Melt butter in skillet, add dressing mix and brown. Mix 3/4 of dressing into squash, add soup, sour cream, carrot and onion. Pour into greased 1 quart casserole. Sprinkle rest of dressing on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Suggestion: Wait to sprinkle dressing on top until almost done to avoid it getting too brown.

This recipe was submitted by Darlene Polo-Kramer.

Marshmallow Chocolate Bars

1 bag mini marshmallows

1 large package of chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

Spread most of marshmallows in a 9 x 13" pan in a single layer In a double boiler, melt remaining ingredients. Stir occasionally until smooth. Carefully spread chocolate mixture over marshmallows.Chill and store in fridge.

This recipe was submitted by Jan Herbert.

In the recipe for apple cake with caramel sauce in the Sept. 22 recipe column there should be one cup of white sugar and one cup of brown sugar in the cake. The recipe previously published only listed one cup of sugar. The corrected version is printed below.

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut or diced

1-1/4 cups chopped pecans

2-1/4 teaspoons vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees and flour 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture. The batter should be very thick. Stir in apples, pecans and vanilla. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Caramel glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add sugars and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cream and bring to a boil. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Poke holes all over the surface of the cake and pour on the warm sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.