Several years ago, Family Circle Magazine had a First Lady Bake-Off from 1992-2016. The bake-off was a competition between the spouses of the presidential candidates.

Michelle Obama submitted a recipe in 2008 for her Shortbread Cookies vs. Cindy McCain’s Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies.

The readers of Family Circle Magazine voted in favor of Mrs. Obama’s Shortbread Cookies. This recipe has been slightly adapted from the original but is very similar to the original recipe that was submitted to the contest in 2008.

The cookies are quite delicious and I’m loving the citrus and almond flavors. For extra almond flavor – add chopped or slivered almonds to the top after baking!

Michelle Obama’s Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon orange zest

3 cups cake flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg white, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease a regular sized baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, use an electric handheld mixer to cream the butter and 1½ cups of sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is fluffy. Add the amaretto liqueur, lemon and orange zest and beat until combined.

Slowly add the flour and salt. Mix until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Spread the dough evenly on the prepared baking sheet – make sure the top is as smooth as possible. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg white onto the top. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn off the oven and allow the cookies to remain inside of the oven for 15 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and cut into squares while the cookies are warm.

For dinner last night my husband and I made Laura Bush’s Carrot-Ginger Soup. It was quite delicious! It’s something that will be a personal favorite of ours in the years to come.

One of President Ulysses S. Grant’s favorite comfort foods was rice pudding.  He was also fond of good bourbon and a big breakfast (not in that order, of course!)  

Even after hosting large scale dinner events at The White House (some were 29 courses!) he was known to enjoy a simple bowl of rice pudding at the end of these meals or after a long day at the office.  

Rice Pudding

Ingredients

1 egg  

¼ cup granulated sugar  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract   

2 cups whole milk 

½ cup heavy whipping cream  

1/3 cup short grain rice  

A pinch of salt 

A pinch of cinnamon  

Directions 

In a small bowl, add the egg, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon.  Whisk until blended. Set the bowl aside.  

In a medium sized saucepan, add the heavy whipping cream, rice and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender after 20-25 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  

After the rice has simmered and is tender, add about half of a cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture.  Whisk quickly to temper the egg mixture.  

Add the egg mixture to the saucepan that has the remaining rice mixture. Stir and continue to cook on a low heat for at least 5-10 minutes or until the pudding has thickened. Do not allow the pudding to come to a boil. Remove from the heat immediately.  The pudding will thicken even more after a few minutes.  

If desired, sprinkle with additional cinnamon and serve immediately.  

In honor of Presidents Day I’ve made a delicious cake which, of course, has special significant history.

The White Cake with Raspberry Buttercream filling was served at the wedding reception of President and Mrs. Kennedy on September 12, 1953.

The cake was also served at President Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961 and for his 100th birthday celebration at The Kennedy Library.

It became such a beloved and popular cake and was later served at the inauguration celebrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Presidents Cake

Cake Ingredients

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

⅔ cup olive oil

2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon almond extract

2 ⅔ cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk, room temperature

6 large egg whites, room temperature

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 Tablespoons Whole Milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and generously greasing.

In a large bowl, use a handheld electric mixer to beat the butter on medium-low speed until light and creamy.

Add sugar and olive oil and beat until all of the ingredients are well-combined and creamy.

Add in the almond extract and stir.

In separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk. Mix together really well.

Add the flour ingredients to the butter mixture and use an electric handheld mixer to mix together really well until all is well blended.

In separate bowl add the egg whites and using a hand-mixer on high-speed to beat until stiff peaks form.

Use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Mix well but do not over-mix.

Evenly divide the cake batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool the cakes completely on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting Directions

In a large bowl, use an electric handheld mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy – 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the confectioners sugar and continue to mix. Add milk, vanilla, salt and continue mixing. If the buttercream is too thick, add more milk if needed.

Divide the buttercream in half into two separate bowls. Add a teaspoon of raspberry jam into one bowl and mix together to use for the layer of buttercream raspberry frosting.

For the bottom layer of the cake, add a layer of raspberry jam.

Pipe raspberry buttercream frosting directly into the top of the jam.

Add the second cake layer.

Frost the top and sides of the cake with the white buttercream frosting. Use a frosting piping bag to add dollops to the top of the cake with the remaining raspberry buttercream frosting.

There is nothing as comforting as the smooth and warm classic Virginia Peanut Soup. Born and raised in Virginia, I wanted to add a recipe that paid homage to my home. The soup can be found at many historic restaurants throughout Colonial Williamsburg and is a favorite of mine at The Wayside Inn in Middletown, Virginia.  The Wayside Inn is the oldest and longest continuously operating inn of the United States – since 1797.  

Virginia Peanut Soup

Ingredients

1 cup diced carrots 1 cup heavy cream 

1 cup diced celery ½ cup creamy peanut butter 

1/2 cup diced onion 1 ½ teaspoon garlic salt  

4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth, unsalted

Optional for Garnish: Chopped Peanuts

Directions

In a medium saucepan, add three tablespoons butter and cook over medium heat until the butter is completely melted. Add in the vegetables and sauté for 7-10 minutes until the onions are translucent. Stirring occasionally. Add the last tablespoon of butter and stir until melted. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, one tablespoon at a time, and stir continuously to prevent the mixture from being lumpy. Continue cooking the vegetables for at least 5 more minutes or until the flour is a light golden brown. Stir in the chicken stock and bring a full boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the mixture is thickened. 

Add the peanut butter and spices. Use an immersion blender or pour the liquid into a blender and blend the vegetables into a smooth and creamy mixture.  

If any lumps occur, pass the soup through a fine mesh strainer to remove. 

Pour the creamy mixture into the saucepan and simmer an additional 10 minutes. 

Optional: Garnish with chopped peanuts before serving. 

I recently made Rosalynn Carter’s Chicken and Rice Casserole for dinner. It is a wonderful comfort food for dinner on a cold winter evening.

Mrs. Carter’s recipe was published in The Atlanta Journal on 20 January 20, 1977. 

Rosalynn Carter’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

1 chicken – cut up and seasoned 

½ stick butter 

1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms, drained (save liquid) 

4 large onions  

2 chicken bouillon cubes 

1 cup uncooked rice (do not use Minute Rice) 

Directions

Melt butter in casserole. Place chicken in layers with onions and mushrooms. Cook. Covered, for 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees. Remove chicken, add enough boiling water to mushroom liquid to make 4 ½ cups of broth in casserole. Dissolve bouillon cubes in broth. Add rice, replace chicken and cook for 1 hour.  

Cherry Pie is as “All American” as much as Apple Pie. It’s often made to celebrate the 4th of July. Serve the pie with a side of vanilla ice cream to make it extra-delicious!

Cherry Pie

Ingredients

Refrigerated pie crusts for a 2-crust pie

2 cans (21 ounce each) cherry pie filling

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Optional: 1 egg, mixed, for an egg wash plus granulated sugar for sprinkling over the top.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the pie crusts as directed on the box instructions for a two-crust pie. Use a 9-inch pie plate.

In a medium bowl, combine the pie filling, vanilla and almond extracts, lemon juice and mix until all is thoroughly combined. Spoon the pie filling into the bottom layer of the pie crust. Add the cubed butter over the pie mixture evenly. Place the additional pie crust over the filling and seal the edges and flute.

If doing an egg wash over the top layer, brush the top crust with the mixed egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Use a small paring knife to cut slits in several places onto the top of the crust.

Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. After the pie has been baking for 15-20 minutes, cover the crust edges with strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool the pie at room temperature for at least 2 hours (or more).

Make sure the pie is completely cooled before slicing and serving.

President Kennedy was a big fan of chowder. His favorites were Fish Chowder and Clam Chowder. According to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, President Kennedy often enjoyed a sandwich, soup and fruit for lunch.

Clam Chowder

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 celery stalks, trimmed and quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 (10 ounce) cans of chopped clams (reserve the juice into a small bowl)

1 cup heavy cream

2 bay leaves

1 pound potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sliced celery stalks and sauté until softened – mix often.

Add in the flour and stir to mix evenly. Add the stock and the reserved juice from the clams. Add the heavy cream, bay leaves and the cubed potatoes and stir constantly. The mixture will thicken as you stir.

Reduce the mixture to medium-low heat and cook for at least twenty minutes. Make sure to stir often until the potatoes are tender.

Add the clams and season with salt and ground pepper.

Cook for another 2 minutes until the flakes are nice and firm.

Remove the bay leaves.

Serve with fresh baked bread or oyster crackers.