Grandma Duench's Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies (Decorations by Liam)

These cookies were always a lot of fun to make, decorate and eat at Christmastime when I was a kid.

2 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup Crisco shortening
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together, chill dough in refrigerator, roll out and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 F for 8 - 10 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

Icing:
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk

Divide up icing and add food coloring in your favorite festive colors.  Ice cookies and add all sorts of decorative combinations (sprinkles, candied cherries, Smarties or M&M's etc.).

Great Aunt Marie's Christmas Pudding

Christmas Pudding

Carrot pudding is kind of like fruitcake, you either hate it or can't get enough of it. I fall squarely on the side of can't get enough of it. If you do as well this recipe handed down from my wonderful Great Aunt Marie Ainsworth is the best that I've had. It takes a while to prepare but it most definitely worth it.

PUDDING
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Crisco (or beef suet)
2 cups raisins
1/2 to 1 cup chopped green or red candied cherries (or a mix of the two)
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated potatoes
1 cup grated apple
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves (powder or ground)

Mix Crisco and dry ingredients together (including baking soda and spices). Mix in vegetables and fruit.

Put in jars or greased bowl.  Cover twice with wax paper, tie it in place, then cover with this with aluminum foil.

Place a wash cloth in the bottom of a large pot and place the jars or bowl on top. Add water to almost the top of the jars or bowl and boil for 3 1/2 hours - adding water as needed.  DO NOT LET IT BOIL DRY!

SAUCE
Mix 1 cup brown sugar with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine (melted). Add in 2 cups boiling water. Mix in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a small amount of water, add into sugar mixture and stir to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla or rum extract to flavor.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooled brewed coffee (or water)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons vinegar

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk in coffee, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Pour into 2 - 9 inch round cake pans (lined with baking paper) - bake for 25 to 30 minutes; or 3 x 9 inch cake pan (lined with baking paper) - bake for 30-35 minutes; or 24 lined muffin cups - bake for 18 - 20 minutes.

Cool in refrigerator for about an hour, then apply frosting/icing.

Shiny Chocolate Icing

3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup hot water

Mix sugar, cocoa and cornstarch in saucepan. Add hot water and bring to a boil on medium heat.  Remove from heat and add margarine and vanilla.  Cool completely before frosting.  (Double this recipe for a two layer cake).

Buttery Chocolate Icing

A nice creamy chocolate icing...

1 cup soft butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
4 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (cooled yet still liquid)

Beat butter until fluffy and light, beat in icing sugar then the cream and vanilla, then chocolate.

Cranberry Chocolate/Cinnamon Nut Bars

Mix up the taste by changing the type of chips you use (dark chocolate, semi sweet chocolate or cinnamon baking chips). 

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup softened butter or margarine

Combine all ingredients until crumbly. Press in greased 13” x 9” pan. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

Topping

4 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

1 cup chocolate chips or cinnamon baking chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup chipped pecans or walnuts

Beat eggs, sugar, corn syrup and butter (margarine). Stir in chips, cranberries and nuts.  Pour over crust and bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes until set. Cool and cut into bars.

Fruit Oatmeal Crisp

Blueberry and strawberry oatmeal crisp

An oatmeal crisp recipe that works well with a variety of fruit. 

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted margarine or butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/3-1/2 cup white sugar
3 cups of fruit of your choice including: apples, blueberries, strawberries etc. 

(if fruit is frozen, drain juice, add a small amount of cornstarch and/or flour to thicken)

Combine brown sugar, oats, flour and melted margarine or butter into a crumble. Place half of crumble mixture into a buttered pan. Spread the fruit evenly over crumb mixture.  In a separate bowl mix the cinnamon and white sugar. Sprinkle with most of the white sugar/cinnamon mixture and then top with the remaining crumb mixture. Sprinkle the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture on the top. 

Bake at 350 F for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Blueberry Crumble Pie

A nice twist on classic blueberry pie.

Blueberry Crumble Pie

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cups blueberries (if frozen add a bit of flour or more cornstarch to the mix to thicken the juice, if there is a lot of juice with the berries, drain before mixing in the ingredients).  You can mix up the fruit in this to whatever works for you, for example 4 cups strawberries with 2 cups sliced apple works beautifully (see image below).
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Mix and place in pie shell (see pastry recipe)

Crumble:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine
Mix into a crumble and add to the top of the filling:
Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes than reduce to 350 F for approximately 50 minutes or until done.

Strawberry Apple Crumble Pie

Cherry Pie

Cherry Pie

I'll never use a can of store-bought cherry pie filling again....

Crust: Make enough pie crust for top and bottom crusts (you can also make a lattice top crust if desired).

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup Crisco Shortening
2 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp vinegar (mix together with the water)
1 egg

Combine flour, salt Crisco. Mix until small pea size balls form. Add liquid mixture - combine and shape into two balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Remove and roll out for crust.  Remember to grease pan or spray it with Pam so it doesn't stick.

Filling:

1 cup white sugar
4 cups red sour cherries (If using frozen cherries, thaw and drain off most of the juice - you want enough juice to dissolve everything but not so much that the pie is runny when cooked - it helps to squeeze the cherries with a wooden spoon as a lot of juice will be trapped within the cherries. If it is still runny after mixing adding in a bit of white flour and/or more cornstarch helps.)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp almond extract flavoring

Mix together, put in pie shell, add top.  Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake 450 F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 F for 25 minutes. Check filling for doneness with a toothpick, may have to continue baking for up to 45 minutes depending on amount of water in the cherries.

Chocolate Applesauce Raisin Cake

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like a chocolate cake made from scratch... 
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves (powder)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup of applesauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup raisins (or a bit more if you like)

Cream shortening, add suger and eggs. Beat well.  Sift flour and spices together.  Add alternately with apple sauce and water, beating well after each addition. Stir in raisins. Put into 13x9 inch pan and bake at 325 F for 50 minutes.

Stir-Me-Nots (Squares)

1/2 cup butter or margarine melted into a 13x9 inch pan
Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs over butter
Sprinkle 1 cup shredded coconut over crumbs
Sprinkle 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips over coconut
Pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk over all of this
Top with 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Do not stir!  Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 F.

Shortbread Meltaways

1 cup unsalted butter - softened
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Chipits Skor Toffee Bits

Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla until creamy. Combine flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt. Stir 1/2 into butter mixture. Stir in toffee bits and remaining flour mixture.  Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls.  Space about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes until golden.

Aunt Yvonne's Almond Banana Cranberry Cake or Loaf

Almond Banana Cranberry Cake

A newer recipe from my aunt, very good!

1 egg
1 cup white sugar (I generally use less (1/2 to 3/4 cup) as the fruit makes this sweet enough)
1/4 cup of melted butter or margarine
3 large bananas mashed
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/2 cup dried craisins (i.e. dried cranberries, regular raisins will also work, you can also add some frozen blueberries or other berries if you like)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Beat egg till frothy.  Add sugar, butter, bananas and almond extract. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into banana mixture and stir to combine.  Fold in nuts and craisins.  Pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan or 9x5 loaf pan.  Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes (use a toothpick to check for doneness).  If baking a loaf, bake for 1 hour.  Let cool and eat.

Great Gramma Regina's Apple Pie

Old fashioned apple pie, you can't get any better than this...

9' inch pie crust (in a new twist I've been using Tenderflake puff pastry dough for my pie crusts, it fluffs up very nicely).

1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk

Mix ingredients to make a moist crumble

4-5 medium to large apples, peeled or unpeeled, cut into chucks or wedges (peoples preferences for baking apples are varied, I've made this pie with good results with a variety of types). Add to pie.

Pour crumble over apples and bake  425 F for 15 minutes, lower to 350 F or 375 F till apples and crust are done (25-35 minutes)

Christmas Cookies

1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup apple juice

Soak raisins in juice for 1 hour and then drain.

2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 egg
2 cups nuts (I prefer pecans and almonds, walnuts are good too)
1 cup cut up red and green candied cherries

Measure flour and spices
Cream butter, sugar and egg
Add dry ingredients, then nuts, cherries and raisins

Drop about 1 tablespoon portions on a greased pan and bake a 325 F for 12 minutes.