Angela's Strawberry Cake And Melanie's Sugar Cookies

My friend and former neighbor Angela made the most delicious strawberry cake for her daughter's birthday one year and gave me a piece. I'd never had cake with actual strawberries in it, and it was amazing! She was kind enough to give me the recipe. Enjoy!

Angela's Strawberry Cake And Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 small box strawberry Jell-o
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 pkg frozen strawberries thawed (other 1/2 goes in icing)
• 1/2 cup cold water.

Directions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together. 
2. Add 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup cold water. 
3. Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. 
4. Add frozen strawberries. 
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Strawberry Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 cube soft butter
• 1 package powdered sugar
• 1/2 pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed

Directions:

1. Mix all together, adding the juice from the strawberries a little at a time until you reach the right consistency for icing.

Angela also gave me her sister's sugar cookie recipe. I remember this part of the story less clearly because it was years ago, but I must have tried one and loved them. So here is this recipe too!

Melanie's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour

Directions:

1. Cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
2. Whip sour cream and almond extract.
3. Mix all dry ingredients together.
4. Add whipped sour cream and dry ingredients to egg mixture alternately (dough should be thick).
5. Roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden

Marsha's Notes:

My personal experience with sugar cookies would also probably add that if you chill the dough, it makes it easier to cut, and sugar cookies tend to be done when they are VERY LIGHTLY golden brown, sometimes even just around the edges.