Basic Bread Pudding

The recent January streak of single-digit temperature days has left us craving something warm and cozy.
This recipe is the basic bread pudding recipe, but you can add raisins, fruits, chocolate chips, etc., if you wish to make it more interesting.

Bread  Pudding

1 quart milk
2 cups bread cubes
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 ts salt
1 ts vanilla
dash of nutmeg

-Scald milk in sauce pan, and add bread cubes and butter.
-Beat together eggs, sugar and salt.
-Add milk mixture and vanilla to eggs mixture.
-Pour into baking dish.
-Sprinkle with nutmeg.
-Place baking dish in pan of hot water, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr 15 min.

Happy Hannukah!

Mazel Tov, dummies!
(30 Rock reference, has nothing to do with this blog, or the holiday. Just sounds funny.)

Tonight is the first night of Hannukah. Though this recipe isn't exactly traditional Jewish cooking, it's as close as we're gonna get.

A quick Google search on Jewish Apple Cake turned up that it has its own Wikipedia page. Kinda interesting, if you're into food history.

Jewish Apple Cake
 4 apples, pared and sliced
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
3 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice

-Pare and slice the apples. Mix with the cinnamon and 4 TB of the sugar. Set aside.
-Beat together remaining ingredients until smooth.
-Grease a 10" tube pan. Alternate layers of batter and apples 3 times.
-Bake 1hr 15 min at 350 degrees.

James Date Nut Cake

And, we're back!
I have a vague memory of eating this cake as a child. Cream cheese frosting... right?

James Date Nut Cake

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 TB milk
2/3 cup flour
2 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
2 cups dates, chopped
2 cups nuts, chopped

-Dredge nuts and dates in milk
-Mix with other ingredients, mix well
-Pour into buttered pans (two layer cake pans)
-Bake at 325 for 30 to 40 minutes

Rice Pudding

Grammy likes, at the very least, collecting rice pudding recipes.
I arranged all 5 of these rice pudding recipes on my floor, unsure of which one to use. Below is the one in her handwriting:

RICE PUDDING

1 cup minute rice
6 TB sugar
3 eggs
1/4 ts vanilla
1/4 ts nutmeg
4 cups milk
salt to taste

-Boil rice in 1/2 of the milk, then reduce to simmer. Cook until tender.
-Take remaining milk, and stir together sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.
-Stir egg mixture into boiled rice, and simmer until thick and creamy.

Concord Grape Pie, updated per request

Due to reports of a recently undercooked pie, we are updating the cooking instructions for the Concord Grape Pie. Our apologies - the previous posting of the recipe was missing the instructions on the back of the card.

(Originally posted August 25, 2011)

Concord Grape Pie

Grammy Gertie told me recently that she and her friends in Pittsfield will be making Concord Grape Pie as a cooking demonstration. They're waiting for the Concord Grapes to come into season, which should be soon.

Here's the recipe so that the rest of us can cook along:

Concord Grape Pie

4 cups concord grapes
1 cup sugar
3 TB flour
1/8 tsp salt
pie crust

-Slip the skins off of grapes.
-Heat grape pulp to boiling, then press through a sieve/strainer to remove the seeds.
-Add grape skins back along with sugar, flour and salt.

-Top with upper crust.
-Pour mixture into pie crust, top, and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees

Peach and Blackberry Pie

It's that perfect part of the summer when all the peaches are ripe and ready to become desserts. 

This recipe doesn't call for any butter, other than what is in the pie crust. Keep in mind, however, that this is a WWII era book with rationing in mind.  A little extra butter might be nice.



Peach and Blackberry Pie

Pie crust (pre-made is fine)
1 1/2 TB tapioca
2/3 cup sugar
dash of salt
1 ts orange zest
2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups blackberries

-Lay bottom crust into greased pie plate
-Mix sugar, salt and orange zest (dry mix)
-Layer fruit, dry mix, (extra butter if desired)
-Top with 2nd pie crust.
-Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then drop temperature to 350 for 35 minutes. Cool before serving.

Blueberry Pie

We're approaching that time of year again... summer pies! These go great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, especially if eaten outdoors at a picnic table.

Blueberry Pie

pie crust dough
1 quart blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 TB flour
dash of salt
1 ts lemon juice
2 TB butter

-Pour pie crust dough into plate.
-Wash berries, pour into pastry shell.
-Mix sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice, and sprinkle over berries.
-Cover with top pastry shell.
-Bake at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

It's Sunday afternoon, and I could go for something simple and sweet.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening (or butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ts lemon extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
Milk
Sugar

-Cream together shortening and 1/2 cup sugar.
-Beat egg and add to mixture.
-Add lemon extract to mixture.
-Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to mixture.
-Shape dough into 2 rolls, 2" in diameter; wrap in waxed paper and chill.
-When firm, slice 1/8" thick disks.
-Place on greased baking sheet, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
-Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. Yield 60.

Excellent

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMMY GERTIE!!

It's that magical time of year again! Today, we're gonna post a memory told by Grammy a few years ago, and then follow it with a cheesecake recipe. As it says on the side, "Excellent"!

"The 4^th of July was always a big day for the Burkey family. They were all farmers and they all had farms around the same area. Everybody would meet at the Hensroth’s and there they had a big long picnic table spread out on the lawn. Everybody would sit down and eat a big meal. Everybody who came brought a dish. All those farm women were very good cooks. We all sat went together and ate – and there were probably about sixty to seventy-five people at each picnic. And that was the 4^th of July, a nice time of year. I always liked those picnics."

Anna's Cheesecake

1 lb cream cheese
1 pint sour cream
1 lb ricotta cheese
5 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 TB flour
3 TB corn starch
1/4 lb melted butter

-Cream the cream cheese and ricotta.
-Add eggs, sugar vanilla, and lemon juice, then blend in corn starch, flour, butter and sour cream.
-Pour into spring pan.
-Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hr and 15 min, until the cake is light in color.
-Shut off oven, and leave cake inside for 1 more hour.
-Allow to cool for an additional hour outside the oven.
-Remove from spring pan and serve.

Indian Pudding

It's so cold tonight, that this recipe sounds delicious!

Indian Pudding
4 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
2 TB butter, melted
1/2 cup molasses
1 ts salt
1 ts cinnamon
1/4 ts ginger
2 eggs

-Scald milk, then pour slowly over corn meal, stirring.
-Cook over hot water for 20 minutes.
-Combine the butter, molasses, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
-Beat eggs well, add to molasses mix, then combine with corn meal.
-Pour into greased baking dish, place in pan of hot water, and bake at 350 for 1 hour.
-Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Shoo-Fly Pie

This oddly named molasses crumb pie has its own Wikipedia page.

Shoo-Fly Pie

Liquid:
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 TB baking soda dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water

Crumbs:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TB shortening (or butter)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1 unbaked pie crust

-Combine the dry ingredients, working in the shortening/butter.
-Put the pie crust into the pie plate.
-Top with alternating layers of crumbs and liquid. Top with crumbs.
-Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
-Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 20+ minutes until firm.

Suet Pudding

There was quite a bit of discussion of this dessert last weekend, when a few of us went out to visit Grammy. Some people defended the suet as a alternative to butter; others (myself included) continue to insist it's bird food.





Suet Pudding
1 cup ground suet
1 cup molasses
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
2 ts baking powder
1 ts salt
1 ts cinnamon
1/2 ts nutmeg
1/4 ts cloves
1 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

-Combine suet, molasses and milk.
-Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
-Combine dry and wet mixtures; add raisins and walnuts.
-Fill greased pudding mold 3/4 full and cover tightly.
-Steam 3 to 3.5 hours. Serve with lemon sauce.

James' Date Nut Cake

I remember having this cake served with cream cheese as a kid... it's been a while. Makes a good snack for the holidays!

James Date Nut Cake

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 TB milk
2/3 cup flour
2 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
2 cups dates, chopped
2 cups nuts, chopped

-Dredge nuts and dates in milk then mix all ingredients well.
-Pour into buttered pan.
-Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Countdown to Thanksgiving

We're beginning the Thanksgiving season with a well-worn page from Grammy's cookbook.

Two tips that Grammy would like to pass along, to make your pie even better:
1) Use 2 different varieties of apples for better flavor.
2) There is no shame in using the premade pie crust.


APPLE PIE
Pie crust
6 tart apples, cored and sliced
2 ts flour
1 cup sugar
1 ts lemon juice
1/2 ts cinnamon
1/4 ts nutmeg
2 TB butter

-Sprinkle flour over bottom of pie plate, place crust over and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
-Arrange apples on pie crust and sprinkle with lemon juice.
-Mix remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over apples.
-Dot with butter; cover with top pie crust.
-Bake at 425 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread and Autumn Gold Cake

2 for 1 today! These two recipes are brought to us by the Del Monte Kitchens (in much the same way tuna casseroles are brought to us by Campbells soup).

Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 16 oz can (Del Monte) Pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

-Cream sugar and oil together. Add eggs and pumpkin, and mix well.
-Sift together dry ingredients, and mix in with water and wet ingredients.
-Pour into well greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 60 to 90 min.

Autumn Gold Cake
1 pkg orange flavored cake mix
1 16 oz can (Del Monte) Pumpkin
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup whipped cream
dash of nutmeg

-Combine cake mix, pumpkin, sugar, water, eggs and pumpkin pie spice, and beat for 4 minutes.
-Pour into greased cake pan, bake at 350 for 45 min.
-Serve topped with whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg.

Baked Squash Pudding

This recipe calls for a Hubbard squash... and I didn't know what that was. After a quick Google search, I've attached a photo of one below.
It also calls for "top milk"... but I'll let you Google that one yourself.


Baked Squash Pudding

1 1/4 cups cooked Hubbard squash
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 ts salt
1/4 ts cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 cup top milk

- Strain squash, then mix with sugar, molasses, salt and cinnamon.
- Beat in eggs, add milk and mix.
- Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 90 minutes.

Quick Peanut Cookies

Ah, the days before everybody had peanut allergies. If you're still able serve nuts to company, here's a cookie recipe:

Quick Peanut Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 ts vanilla
2 cups flour
1 ts baking powder
3/4 ts salt
2 TB milk
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

-Cream together shortening and sugar. Beat egg with vanilla extract and mix in.
-Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet mix.
-Shape into 2 rolls in 2" diameter, and wrap in waxed paper.
-Chill until firm.
-Slice into rounds, place on greased baking sheet, brush with milk and sprinkle with nuts.
-Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

Peach Pie

Summertime at Grammy's always included pies. We're a little late in the season for peaches, perhaps, but still delicious.


Peach Pie

2 pie crusts, pre-made
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 TB quick-cooking tapioca
1 ts lemon juice
4 cups sliced peaches
2 TB butter or margarine
1/4 ts nutmeg

-Mix peach slices with lemon juice
-Mix dry ingredients
-Butter pie plate, lay bottom crust in
-Arrange peaches over bottom crust
-Cover with dry mixture
-Add chunks of butter, top with tapioca
-Place top pie crust over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes

Ice Box Cookies

It was well into the 90s in Massachusetts today, and this recipe was selected entirely because it contains the phrase "ice box".
I feel cooler already.

Ice Box Cookies

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup oleo/butter
3 eggs
1/2 ts salt
1/2 ts cream of tarter
1/2 ts baking soda
1 ts vanilla
1 cup nuts
3 1/2 cup flour

- Mix wet ingredients; mix dry ingredients; mix everything together.
- Form dough into a log shape.
- Refrigerate or freeze dough log until needed.
- Slice cookie rounds from log and place on greased cookie sheet.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 5-8 minutes.

Banana Chiffon Cake

Let's take a moment to discuss technique.

This recipe, along with recipes for muffins and many other baked goods, requires making a "well" with the dry ingredients. You literally make a donut hole in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the wet mixture in.

Then, and this is essential, do not over-mix the batter! It's actually better to mix it until lumpy, then walk away and let it sit for 5 minutes.
(There should be a Treat cooking show on Food Network, right?)
On to the recipe!

Banana Chiffon Cake

Dry ingredients:
1 cup plus 2TB flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts salt

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup oil
2 egg yolks
3 TB cold water
1/2 cup mashed (very ripe bananas)
1/2 tsp vanilla or grated lemon rind

4 egg whites
1/4 ts cream of tarter

-Mix together dry ingredients and make a well in the center.
-Add wet ingredients in order, but hold on the egg whites and cream of tarter. Beat until smooth.
-Mix egg whites and cream of tarter until stiff.
-Fold other mixture into egg whites.
-Pour into ungreased 9" tube pan.
-Bake at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes, until it springs back when touched.
-Turn upside down and let cool.
-Serve covered with whipped cream.