Stir butter and sliced Milky Way bars in medium saucepan over low heat until smooth; using a wire whisk if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each. Stir in flour blended with baking powder and salt. Spread into greased square dish, bake at 350˚ degrees for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares, dust with powdered sugar if desired.
This recipe is shared by Jeannie Barker. Pastor Hinson gobbled down 6 of these in one day. They are AMAZING!
Gingerbread Cookies & Hardening Icing
1/3 C shortening1 ½ tsp allspice
1 C dark brown sugar2 tsp. cinnamon
1 and 1/3 C dark molasses1 ½ tsp cloves
7 C sifted all purpose flour2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda7 ounces of a lemon-lime carbonated soft drink
1 ½ tsp. nutmeg
Cream shortening & sugar (I use a food processor). Add molasses. Beat until well-blended. Sift together flour, soda, & all spices. Add flour mixture to molasses mixture alternating w/soft drink until stiff dough is formed. (I use a food processor). May add more flour or soft drink very sparingly as needed. Divide dough into two halves, roll up in long loaves, cover in plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill. Roll out about ¼ inch thick. Cut with cutters.Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes. Do NOT overbake.Centers should spring back when very lightly touched. Cool on wire rack.
The hardening icing is a "royal icing" that does not use raw egg whites. Instead meringue powder is substituted. (You can buy meringue powder in the baking section at stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael's. It comes in a can like powdered baby formula and works very well.)
To make the icing:
4 C powdered sugar + 3 Tbs. meringue powder + 1 tsp. flavoring + 1/2 to 3/4 cup warm water
Mix the sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Add warm water and flavoring and stir with a spoon until blended. Then beat with electric beater until stiff peaks form and the icing is glossy. You may sparingly add more water or sugar to get the right consistency. Use immediately in an icing bag or spread with a knife. Keep all the icing you are not using immediately covered tightly as it dries out very quickly. The icing will harden on the cookies. If you add "sprinkles" or red-hots, those will draw moisture and become sticky. They will eventually reharden but it will take a day. Without the sprinkles, the icing will harden in an hour or so and you can stack the cookies without any smearing or sticking.
Thanks to Mary Adams of St. Paul UMC for this really good recipe. She found it in a Parent's Magazine cookbook from the early 1960's.
