Merry Christmas

Here's hoping that you and yours have a very merry Christmas. I look forward to continuing putting up my grandmother's recipes after the holiday. Enjoy!

Nut Squares

2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup nutmeats

Beat eggs light, to which add sugar and beat 2 minutes. Sift flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder together and add together with nutmeats. Place dough in greased and flour-dusted pan. Bake in moderate oven and when done remove from oven and cut in squares.

Apple Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. lard
1/2 cup water

Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar together. Cut in lard. Add water and stir briskly. Roll dough out on floured board to thickness of pie crust and line a large shallow pan. Slice tart apples and spread all over the bottom of lined pan. Over the apples sprinkle sugar, and either cinnamon or nutmeg to taste. Over the top of this place butter in small dots at regular spaces. Bake until apples are tender.

Sweet Potato Pie

2 eggs
1/3 cup syrup
1 cup sweet milk
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Beat eggs light, to which add syrup, milk and well mashed sweet potatoes. Blend sugar, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and salt together and add to first mixture. Have pie pan lined with flaky pastry and pour this mixture in pan. Bake until the pie is firm and done, a long baking period in moderate oven being necessary. The first 8 or 10 minutes the oven should be hot then decrease the heat to moderate for remainder of baking period.

Indian Pudding

2 cups sweet milk
1 cup water
6 Tbsp. cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sorghum molasses
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Place sweet milk in double boiler and allow it to come to scalding point. Mix cornmeal with the cup of cold water and add. Stir until mixture thickens. Remove from fire, add sugar and sorghum and cool until lukewarm. When lukewarm add well-beaten eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix all ingredients well together and pour into greased baking dish. Steam for 3 hours, keeping covered during full steaming process.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/4 cup peanut butter
3 Tbsp. shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sour milk

Cream peanut butter, shortening, and sugar together, to which add well beaten egg and re-cream. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt together and add to creamed mixture together with sour milk. Mix all well. Roll dough on floured board as thin as can be handled, always rolling sugar in on top of dough to give the cookies a sugar crusted top. Cut in fancy shapes and bake in quick oven. If sweet milk is to be used in this recipe, use 2 tsp. baking powder and leave out soda.

Buckwheat Griddle Cakes

I remember many a morning being awakened to the aroma of buckwheat pancakes and sausage frying on the griddle. I've tried to duplicate the pancakes but they never seem to be a tasty as I remember - I guess it's missing that secret ingredient - a dose of grandma's love.

1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
2/3 cup flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
sweet milk to make thin batter
1 egg

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add enough sweet milk to make smooth thin batter. Add the well-beaten egg last. Bake on griddle that is greased very sparingly.

Nut Bread

1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
pinch salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 lb. English walnuts
2 tsp. baking powder

Beat well the sugar, milk, egg, salt, and 3 cups of the flour. Sift together remaining 1/2 cup flour and baking powder; mix with nuts and then add to first mixture. Let stand in warm place until it rises, then bake in a moderate oven about 40 minutes.

Boiled Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 lb. butter
4 Tbsp. cocoa
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup chopped nuts
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter

Cook sugar, milk, butter and cocoa for 1 1/2 minutes at full boil. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Blend well. Spoon on waxed paper or pour into a greased square pan and cut into squares.

Sugar Cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
6 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly beat into butter mixture. Chill dough for several hours, then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough with cutters and bake on cookie sheets in 325 degree oven for about 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies should be just lightly browned on edges. Let cool completely and decorate.

Sour Cream Spice Cookies

3 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup thick sour cream

Sift flour, soda, spices and salt together 3 times. Cream shortening with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in small amounts. Mix well. Drop from teaspoon onto greased baking sheet and bake in moderate oven - 350 degrees - for 12 minutes. Makes about 40 cookies.

Peach Marmalade

4 1/2 cups prepared fruit (1 orange, 1 lemon, and about 2 pounds ripe peaches)
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 box (1 3/4 oz) powdered fruit pectin

First, prepare the fruit. Cut 1 orange and 1 lemon in quarters. Remove seeds. Grind or chop fine. Add 1 cup water and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Peel and pit about 2 pounds fully ripe peaches. Chop very fine or grind. Combine fruits and measure 4 1/2 cups into a very large saucepan.

Then make the marmalade. Measure sugar and set aside. Add powdered fruit pectin to fruit in saucepan and mix well. Place over high heat and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Cook gently 1 minute. At once stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Then stir and skim by turns for 5 minutes to cool slightly, to prevent floating fruit. Ladle quickly into glasses. Cover at once with 1/8-inch hot paraffin. Yields about 10 medium 8 ounce glasses.

Black Walnut Icebox Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
4 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
6 cups flour, sifted before measuring
1 cup chopped black walnuts

Cream shortening, butter, and sugar, add eggs and beat well. Add salt, soda and spices. Add flour, 1 cup at a time. Add nuts. Divide dough into 4 equal portions and wrap in waxed paper. Chill dough for several hours, preferably overnight. Slice thin and bake in 375 degrees oven until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Shortcake Cookies

1 lb. shortening
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks and whites, separated
4 cups flour
pinch baking powder
coconut
any flavor jam

Cream shortening, add sugar, then egg yolks. Add flour with baking powder. Form into balls, dip in egg white, and roll in coconut. Flatten slightly. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and make a dent in center of each cookie, and put in a dab of your favorite jam. Finish baking for about 10 more minutes.

Chili Ground Beef

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 can (1 lb.) tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
4 cups cooked spaghetti
1/4 lb. cheddar cheese, grated

Brown ground beef. Add onions, tomatoes, green pepper, and seasoning. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Alternate layers of cooked spaghetti in a large greased casserole so the top layer is meat. Sprinkle grated cheese over mixture and bake to 350 degrees oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Butterscotch Brownies

1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar (packed tightly)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts

Cook butter and sugar over low heat until bubbly. Cool. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla, then sifted dry ingredients and nuts; mix thoroughly. Spread in shallow pan and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 25 minutes.

Veal Pot Roast

4 to 5 pounds veal rump or leg roast
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. lard
1 medium onion
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/3 cup water

Comvine all seasonings and rub well into the roast. Heat the lard and thoroughly brown the meat on all sides. Add the vinegar, onion, and water. Cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn the roast once or twice during cooking.

Applesauce Nut Bread

At this time of year when the weather's getting cold and snowy outside, I remember days at grandma's house watching her bake all her wonderful holiday cookies, fudge, and other such treats. One job I often got was to crack walnuts for the nutmeats. It was, and still is in my humble opinion, too expensive buy the walnuts already shelled, so you bought a big bag of walnuts and used the nut cracker and picking tools to get at the nutmeats. And that was a good job for us grandkids. I thought of those wonderful times last night when I went to the grocery store and there was a big bin of walnuts. Grandma's tools for breaking them open sits in the back of my drawer in the kitchen for baking tools. Needless to say, I bought a big bag of nuts came home and brought out one of her recipes. I hope you enjoy it.

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg beaten
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp. shortening, melted

Place all dry ingredients in sifter and sift together into bowl. Add egg, applesauce, and shortening and stir just until blended. Add coarsely broken nutmeats. Place in greased loaf pan, and bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Cool on rack.

Spiced Jelly

1 peck wild grapes
1 pint vinegar
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup stick cinnamon
6 pounds sugar

Remove stems from grapes. Put grapes in kettle with vinegar and spices; cook until soft. Strain through double cheese cloth or jelly bag and boil liquid 20 minutes. Measure and add one cup sugar for each cup of juice, boil rapidly to jelly stage. Pour into sterilized jelly glasses or jars.

Turkey and Ranch Pot Pie

1 1/2 cups cut-up cooked turkey
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese
1/2 cup baking mix
1 (1 ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Grease a 9-inch pie plate. Place turkey and mixed vegetables in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese. In a mixing bowl, stir together baking mix, ranch dressing mix, milk and eggs until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

2 cups cubed bread
4 cups scalded milk
2 squares chocolate
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat sugar, chocolate and milk in saucepan until scalded and chocolate is melted. Pour over bread cubes. Combine eggs, salt and vanilla. Pour into buttered casserole and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool. Serve with cream and sugar.

Dutch Honey Cake

3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup undiluted evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk

Sift flour with soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir in brown sugar. Combine honey with both milks; stir to blend. Add liquid mixture all at once and blend with flour mixture. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

Stuffed Peppers

6 green peppers
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 cup condensed tomato soup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup water
4 cups sliced carrots

Cut a thin slice from stem ends of peppers. Remove seeds and ribs. Combine all ingredients except carrots and water. Stuff peppers, place in 10-inch glass-ceramic cook-and-serve skillet. Add water and fill center of skillet with carrots, season with salt and pepper. Cover, turn up heat until steaming, then simmer for 45 minutes, or until done.

Peach Sauce for Ham

10 oz. jar peach chunks with juice
Dash Brandy extract
Dash cloves
1 cup honey
1 tsp. dry mustard
Dash cayenne pepper

Heast sauce ingredients on stove and boil to 3/4 of the original liquid to thicken sauce.

Lemon Marmalade

6 lemons
7 cups water
sugar

Slice unpeeled lemons into half carwheels - about 4 cups. Combine with water in glass bowl and let set for 24 hours, covered. In heavy saucepan bring to full boil and boil rapidly uncovered for 25 minutes. Measure quantity - should be about 5 1/2 cups - and return to saucepan and add equal amount of sugar. Return to heat and stir until sugar dissolved. Boil rapidly until mixture sheets from a spoon when tested, about 25 minutes. Skim as needed, stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir, skim if necessary. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal with paraffin. Make 5 to 6 half-pint jars.