Rather than trying to beat the competitors – especially

if they have an exceptional product – Mrs. Fields Famous

Brands waves the cash at ‘em. With the acquisition of

Great American Cookies in 1998 by the company that made

chewy mall cookies big business — Mrs. Fields is now

peddling her baked wares in more than 90 percent of the

premier shopping malls in the United States. That’s how

you make the dough! One of the all-time favorites you can

snag at any of the 364 Great American Cookies outlets is

this clone of the classic snickerdoodle. Rolled in cinnamon

and sugar, it’s soft and chewy like the other cookies, and

will seem to be undercooked when you take it out of the oven.

When it cools it should be gooey, yet firm in the middle.

And a couple bites will make you wonder: “Got milk?!”

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Topping

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with

an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and

beat until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and

cream of tartar.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for

30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the

topping.

6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a

ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it

onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more. The cookies

may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are

removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be

soft and chewy in the middle.

Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

GrandMa’s Peanut Butter Big Cookies

When these cookies are cool, be sure to seal them up

real super duper tight in something like Tupperware or

a Ziploc bag. That’s the way to keep these puppies moist

and chewy like the original GrandMa’s Big Cookies. In fact,

the real product claims to be the only national cookie brand

that guarantees the freshness of the product or double your

money back. That’s very big of the current manufacturer,

Frito-Lay, which purchased the GrandMa’s Cookies brand from

General Mills back in 1980.

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup Peter Pan peanut butter

1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla,

and salt together in large bowl until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking soda. Slowly

add the dry mixture to the wet mixture while beating.

4. Roll 3 tablespoon-size portions of the dough into a ball in

your hands and press to 1/2-inch flat on an ungreased baking

sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook,

or the cookies will not be chewy and you may negatively impact

the full enjoyment potential of the product.

Makes 14 to 16 cookies.

GrandMa’s Oatmeal Raisin Big Cookies

GrandMa’s Cookie Company was founded back in 1914 by Foster

Wheeler, but it wasn’t until 1977 that the company introduced

the popular Big Cookie. This large, soft cookie comes two to

a pack and is offered in several varieties, including oatmeal

raisin. Now you can bake up a couple batches all your own with

this spiffy kitchen clone. Just be sure not to overdo it in the

oven. You want these cookies soft and chewy when cool – just

like a happy grandma would make ‘em — so take them out when

they are just beginning to turn light brown around the edges.

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 egg

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups oats (not instant)

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Combine 1/2 cup raisins with water in a food processor and

blend on high speed for about 1 minute or until very smooth.

3. Combine this raisin puree with the vegetable shortening, egg,

brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well with electric

mixer until smooth.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with the oats, baking

soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pour this dry mixture into the wet

mixture and mix well until ingredients are incorporated. Mix in

1/2 cup raisins.

5. Roll 3 tablespoon-size portions of the dough into a ball in

your hands and press to 1/2-inch flat on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, or the

cookies will not be chewy. Store in a sealed container.

Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

Here’s a clone for the instant dressing mix you buy in the

little .7-ounce packets. When added to vinegar, water, and

oil, you get one of the best-tasting instant salad dressings

around. But what if you can’t find the stuff, or it is no

longer sold in your area, as I’ve heard from so many? Or maybe

you want to save some money and make a bunch of your own?

Just use the recipe below to make as much dry mix as you want,

and save it for when you need instant salad satisfaction.

I’ve used McCormick lemon pepper in the recipe here because

it contains lemon juice solids that help duplicate the taste

of the sodium citrate and citric acid in the real thing.

The dry pectin, which can be found near the canning supplies

in your supermarket, is used as a thickener, much like the

xanthan gum in the original product.

1 teaspoon carrot, grated and finely chopped

1 teaspoon red bell pepper, finely minced

3/4 teaspoon McCormick lemon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons dry pectin

pinch ground oregano

1. Place the carrot and bell pepper on a baking pan in an oven

set on 250 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until all of the

small pieces are completely dry, but not browned.

2. Combine the dried carrot and bell pepper with the other

ingredients in a small bowl. Mix can be stored in a sealed

container indefinitely until needed.

3. When ready to use, pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into a cruet or

jar. Add 3 tablespoons of water, then the dressing mix. Seal

and shake vigorously. Add 1/2 cup of oil and shake until well

blended.

Serves 8 to10.

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Dressings Copycat

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method

——– ———— ——————————–

1 Tbls Garlic Salt

1 Tbls Onion Powder

1 Tbls Sugar

2 Tbls Oregano

1 Tsp Pepper

1/4 Tsp Thyme

1 Tsp Basil

1 Tbls Parsley

1/4 tsp Celery Salt

2 Tbls Salt

1 Env. Cup Of Soup Cream Of Chicken Mix

1/4 C Cider Vinegar

2 Tbls Water

2/3 c Oil

Combine all dry ingr. Store covered at room temp. For dressing: Mix vinegar, water, oil and 2 oz of the dry mix. Shake well. From: GLORIA PITZER “EATING OUT AT HOME” (CB018) *Also good as a italian spice blend

– - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

NOTES : Yield One Serving

If those cute little cookie peddlers aren’t posted outside

the market, it may be tough to get your hands on these –

the most popular cookies sold by the Girl Scouts each year.

One out of every four boxes of cookies sold by the girls is

Thin Mints. This recipe uses an improved version of the

chocolate wafers created for the Oreo cookie clone in the

second TSR book “More Top Secret Recipes.” That recipe creates

108 cookie wafers, so when you’re done dipping, you’ll have

the equivalent of three boxes of the Girl Scout Cookies favorite.

(See? That’s why you bought those extra cookie sheets.)

You could, of course, reduce the recipe by baking only 1/3

of the cookie dough for the wafers and then reducing the

coating ingredients by 1/3, giving you a total of 36 cookies.

But that may not be enough to last you until next spring.

Chocolate Cookie Wafers

1 18.25-ounce package Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix

3 tablespoons shortening, melted

1/2 cup cake flour, measured then sifted

1 egg

3 tablespoons water

Non-stick cooking spray

Coating

3 12-ounce bags semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

6 tablespoons shortening

1. Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the

water a little bit at a time until the dough forms. Cover

and chill for 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough

to just under 1/16 of an inch thick. To cut, use a lid from a

spice container with a 1 1/2-inch diameter (Schilling brand is good.)

Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with

a light coating on non-stick spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove

the wafers from the oven and cool completely.

4. Combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening

in a large microwave – safe glass or ceramic bow. Heat on 50

percent power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an addition

minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth

consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30-second intervals

until smooth.

5. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on

the edge of the bowl so that the excell chocolate runs off, and

then place the cookies side-by-side on a wax paper – lined baking

sheet. Refrigerate until firm.

Makes 108 cookies.

Girl Scout Cookies Shortbread

Since they only sell these once a year, right around

springtime, you’re bound to get a craving sometime around fall.

And if you’re still holding onto a box, they may have begun

to taste a bit like used air-hockey pucks. Now you can toss out

those relics and fill the box with a fresh batch, made from

this clone recipe for the first variety of cookies sold by the

Girl Scouts back in 1917.

1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons beaten egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus an extra 1/4 cup reserved for

rolling)

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar,

vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer.

2. Add the egg and beat mixture until it’s fluffy. Add the baking

soda and mix for about 20 seconds, then add the buttermilk and mix

for an additional 30 seconds.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.

4. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well with an

electric mixer until flour is incorporated.

5. Roll the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill

it for 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

7. Roll dough out on a well-floured surface to 1/8-inch thick and

punch out cookies with a 1 1/2 to 2-inch cutter (a medium-size spice

bottle lid works well). Arrange cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 60 cookies.

I know the most popular candy corn out there is Cracker Jack,

but my favorite has always been Screaming Yellow Zonkers and

Fiddle Fiddle from Lincoln Snacks Company. Fiddle Faddle is

butter toffee-coated popcorn with almonds thrown in. Screaming

Yellow Zonkers (you gotta love the name) is similar, but without

the almonds. The secret to the yellow coloring of the Zonkers:

buttered popcorn.

Fiddle Faddle (butter toffee with almonds)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 bags plain or natural-flavored microwave popcorn

1/2 cup roasted almonds

Zonkers

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 bags butter-flavored microwave popcorn

1. For either recipe, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, water

and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. You’re going to

bring the candy to 265-275 degrees, or what is known as the hard

ball stage. For this it’s best to use a candy thermometer. If you

don’t have one, don’t worry. Drip the candy into a small glass of

cold water. If the candy forms a very hard, yet slightly pliable

ball, bingo, you’re there. Watch your mixture closely so that it

doesn’t boil over.

2. While candy cooks, pop both bags of popcorn and spread about 2

quarts or 1 1/3 bags of popcorn (plus almonds for Fiddle Faddle)

on one large or two small cookie sheets. Put the popcorn in your

oven set on its lowest temperature. This will keep the popcorn hot

so that the candy will coat better.

3. When your candy has reached the hard ball stage, add the vanilla.

4. Pull the popcorn from the oven and, working quickly, pour the

candy over the popcorn in thin streams. Mix the popcorn so that

each kernel is coated with candy, put the popcorn back into the oven

for five more minutes, then stir once again. This will help to coat

each kernel. You can repeat this step once more if necessary to get

all of the popcorn coated. Pour popcorn onto a large sheet of wax

paper to cool. Spread the popcorn out, but be careful…it’s hot.

5. When popcorn is cool, break it up and immediately put it into a

tightly sealed container, such as Tupperware. This will ensure that

it stays fresh. This stuff gets stale very quickly in moist climates

if left out.

Makes about 4 quarts.

Southern California – the birthplace of famous hamburgers from

McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr., and In-n-Out Burger – is home to another

thriving burger chain that opened its first outlet in 1952. Lovie

Yancey thought of the perfect name for the 1/3-pound burgers she

sold at her Los Angeles burger joint: Fatburger. Now with over 41

units in California, Nevada, and moving into Washington and

Arizona, Fatburger has become the food critics’ favorite, winning

“best burger in town” honors with regularity. The secret is the

seasoned salt used on a big ‘ol lean beef patty. And there’s no

ketchup on the stock version, just mayo, mustard, and relish.

Replace the ground beef with ground turkey and you’ve got Fatburger’s

Turkeyburger all up and cloned.

1/3 pound lean ground beef

seasoned salt

ground black pepper

1 plain hamburger bun

1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped iceberg lettuce

1 tomato slice

1/2 tablespoon mustard

1/2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

1 tablespoon chopped onion

3 dill pickle slices (hamburger slices)

Optional

1 slice American cheese

Grill the unsuspecting beef patty in a hot frying pan.

Slap the hot side and the cold side together.

1. Form the ground beef into a patty that is about 1 inch wider

than the circumference of the hamburger bun.

2. Preheat a non-stick frying pan to medium/high heat. Fry the

patty in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done. Season

both sides of the beef with seasoned salt and ground black pepper.

3. As the meat cooks prepare the bun by spreading approximately 1/2

tablespoon of mayonnaise on the face of the top bun.

4. Place the lettuce on the mayonnaise, followed by the tomato slice.

5. When the beef is done place the patty on the bottom bun.

6. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of mustard over the top of the beef

patty.

7. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of relish over the mustard.

8. Sprinkle the chopped onion onto the relish.

9. Arrange the pickles on the chopped onion.

10. Bring the two halves of the burger together and serve with

gumption.

Makes 1 burger.

Tidbits

If you want cheese on your burger, put a slice of American cheese

on the face of the bottom bun before adding the beef patty. The

heat from the meat will melt the cheese.

Categories: Cookies

Yield: 72 servings

2 c Margarine; softened

3/4 c Packed light brown sugar

3/4 c Granulated sugar

1 ts Vanilla

2 md Eggs

2 1/2 c All-purpose flour; sifted

1 ts Baking soda

1/2 ts Salt

2 c Raisins

12 oz Semisweet chocolate chips

Recipe by: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11/27/95

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat margarine, brown and white sugars,

vanilla, 1 teaspoon water and eggs with electric mixer in large bowl until

creamy and thoroughly blended.

By hand, stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well mixed. Stir in

raisins and chocolate chips.

Spoon dough by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Leave 1 to 1 1/2 inches

between cookies. Bake 8 minutes or until cookies are browned to your

liking. Yield: About 6 dozen.