Baked Sweet Potato Latkes

Makes 12 Latkes

2 pounds grated sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray or use a silpat.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Drop by 1/3-cupfuls onto cookie sheet. Flatten with spatula.

Bake for 25 minutes; flip and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve with light sour cream and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Brown Sugar Shortbread

I never knew shortbread was this easy!

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough into a ball and roll out on a lightly floured counter. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies onto a well greased baking sheet or silpat.

Bake until just slightly golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes.

Note: Do not overcook or you’ll have mini shortbread hockey pucks. Let the shortbread cool and decorate as desired with your favorite icing and sugar sprinkles.

Mr. Min's Banana Bread

This is, by far, the best banana bread I've ever had. Thanks to Congress.man McCarthy's Chie.f of Staff for passing it along, after I hounded him for it for weeks.

dry stuff
baking soda - 1 tsp
flour - 2 cups
brown sugar - 1 cup
salt - 1/4 tsp

wet stuff
very ripe bananas - 3
eggs - 2
butter - 1/2 cup

optional
chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix all the dry stuff together
3. mix in beaten eggs, butter, and mashed up bananas one by one into the dry mix, probably in that order. i usually mix in 3/4 of the walnuts into the mix.
4. pour mix in greased loaf pan (i usually put remaining 1/4 of the walnuts on top) and then bake for at least 45 minutes... it took me 75 minutes the last time. you know it's done when the toothpick comes out clean