German Saffron Buns
(also known as St. Lucia's Buns)
 Submitted by: Barbiel
1 1/2 cups milk
1 g saffron
50 g fresh baker's yeast
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine 		5 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 cup raisins
a pinch of salt
IMelt butter or margarine in a pan and add the milk and the saffron. Warm the mixture to the body temperature. Use a thermometer, the correct temperature 36,6°C (100°F) is important! Pour the mixture over the finely divided yeast, then add the remaining ingredients (except for the egg and the raisins), which should have a temperature of 21-23°C (72-75°F). Mix into a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a piece of cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes. Knead the dough, divide it into 25-30 pieces and form each piece into a round bun. Let the buns rest for a few minutes, covered by a piece of cloth. Form each bun into a string, 15-20 cm long, then arrange the string in a suitable shape, e.g. like an S or a double S. Regardless of the shape, the ends of the string should meet. Press a few raisins into the dough. Cover the buns with a piece of cloth and let them rise for 40 minutes. Whip the egg together with a few grains of salt and paint the buns with the mixture. Bake them for 5-10 minutes in the oven at 250°C (475°F) until golden brownish yellow.

Hazelnut Cookies I
 Submitted by: Barbiel
1 cup plus 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ground hazelnuts (or almonds, coconut or any other nuts) 		2 egg whites
3 inches round baking wafers (See Note*)
Mix together all ingredients. Use a teaspoon to drop small scoops of dough onto the baking wafers (the wafers make it easy to remove the cookies from the cookie sheet). Place on a cookie sheet on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven. Bake until golden brown at 350-375°F for 20 minutes.
*Note: These crisp, flat wafers are widely used in European baking and are available in specialty food stores in the U.S.

Bourbon Balls
 Submitted by: BettyG
1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder		 1/4 cup Bourbon
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration
Combine wafer crumbs, finely chopped pecans, 1 cup confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Blend the bourbon and the corn syrup together. Add the crumb mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Note: A no-bake cookie recipe !!!

To submit your favorite recipes to be included in the Garden of Friendship Recipe Book, please email them to Barbiel

Background graphics made especially for the Recipes Committee of the Garden of Friendship by Valatine