The "Amish Baked Goods" sign kept catching my eye...
Peggy's produce sells a variety of goods from its spot on the Great Miami River...
Peggy's Produce in West Middletown, Ohio
By Kevin Williams
A small produce stand sits across the Great Miami River from my Rust Belt midwestern hometown. Â The place is called Peggy Produce which sells seasonal produce, baked goods, and other stuff for the "city folk" across the river. Â Whenever I pass the place I've been intrigued by their sign outside which advertises "Amish Baked Goods." Â Eventually curiosity got the best of me and I stopped in to check them out.
Most of the baked goods are made by a place in New Lebanon, Ohio called "Touch of Amish Too" by a woman named Lydia Duane.  New Lebanon, Ohio has a large Brethren population, but no Amish.   I am not sure whether Lydia has an Amish background, Brethren roots or whether she just likes Amish-style cooking and baking.  I am not being critical in the least, just pointing out that I don't know her background  (there is a larger philosophical question of when something is "Amish" or not, or for that matter anything else....If I decide to open a Chinese restaurant, can I call it "Chinese food" even though my last name is Williams and I have no connection to the culture? Probably still can.  Not sure, what do you think?  Again, not being critical of Lydia at all, I don't know anything about her)
Anyway, you can check out her website here.  Here is her Facebook page.
I picked up some pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting at the produce stand and these were made by Lydia. Â I have to say that these were delicious...full of flavor, pumpkin and spices all topped with a thick cream cheese frosting. Â Yum. Yum. Yum.
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese frosting
I went into my archives and I do have a recipe for pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting that comes from an Amish woman in Parke County, Indiana. Â Here is the recipe. Â And if anyone knows anything about Lydia, let me know, otherwise I'll try
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup butter
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Lightly grease baking sheets.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and ginger together in a bowl.
- Beat 1 cup butter, white sugar, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and egg in a separate large bowl, beating until mixture is smooth.
- Beat in pumpkin puree.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.
- Spoon batter by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- Beat cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl until soft and creamy. Beat in confectioners' sugar, about ½ cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Frost cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting.
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