A Culinary Genealogy

1 2/3 cups seeded raisins 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs, well beaten 2 cups sifted flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda Put raisins in a saucepan with the water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Drain the raisins, reserving 1/2 liquid. Cool the raisins and liquid. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and beat until light. Sift dry ingredients to the first mixture alternately with the raisin liquid, mixing until smooth. Stir in raisins. Pour into a greased 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan, lined on the bottom with waxed paper, and bake in a slow oven, 325 degrees, for about 1 hour. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004 Both Grandma and Grandpa Sproul loved this cake and it was a pleasure for Grandma to make it for them. They enjoyed it so much that a raisin cake was often available for nibbling. When Grandma lived in her little house in Crestwood, the Crestwood Clubhouse Board asked her to bake a cake for a Cake Sale. Unsurprisingly, ...

Combine and sift together in a bowl: 2 cups sifted flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 cup cocoa Add and blend well: 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup cold water 1 tsp. vanilla Makes two 8" layers. Bake about 30 minutes at 350F. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004 This is a very simple, dark, and chocolate-y cake. Grandma Sproul baked this frequently. But instead of making two layers, Grandma would use one rectangular pan. This cake is so rich that once iced, a single layer is all that you need.

1/2 cup scalded milk 3 tbsp. shortening 3 tbsp. sugar or honey 2 tsp. salt 1 cake or 1 pkg. yeast 1 egg 3 cups flour 2 tbsp. butter 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 cup nuts Blend together: 1/2 cup scalded milk 3 tbsp. shortening 3 tbsp. sugar or honey 2 tsp. salt Cool to lukewarm by adding 1/2 cup of water. Add 1 cake or 1 pkg. yeast; mix well. Add gradually 3 cups of flour. Mix until dough is well blended. This dough will be softer than a kneaded dough. Roll out on well-floured board to 18x12" rectangle. Spread with 2 tbsp. melted butter and 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 cup of nuts. Roll as for jelly roll and cut into 1 inch slices. Place cut side down in greased 12x8x2" pan or in greased muffin cups. (You can also put brown sugar or honey in the bottom of pan and invert when you take out of oven). Let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees) until light, about 1 hour. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 25 to 30 minutes. -- Florence Jessie Meredit...

from the Betty Crocker Cookbook copyright 1942-25c 3/4 cup shortening 1 1/2 cup sugar 3 eggs 2 1/2 cups sifted Gold Medal Flour 3/4 tsp. salt 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 cup thin milk 1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla) Grease two round 9" layers or an 8x12" oblong pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until very fluffy. Break eggs into a separate bowl and mix. Add eggs to shortening and sugar and beat them in well. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Add the flavoring. Beat batter just a few strokes to be sure it is smooth. Pour into prepared pans. Bake layers for 30-35 minutes and oblong pan for 40-45 minutes. --When we lived in Orange, NJ, my mother would always keep two cakes on the counter in the butler's pantry. There was one that was currently being eaten and one in reserve. We lived one block from Orange High School and our house was the first ...

Hermits 1 cup shortening 2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs 3 1/2 cups flour sifted 1 tsp. baking soda 1 1/4 cups chopped nuts 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 cup cold coffee 2 1/2 cups seeded raisins Dates may be used in place of the raisins. Cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs. Combine dry ingredients, flour, soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Save about 1/4 of a cup of the dry ingredients. To the creamed mixture, add the dry ingredients alternately with the coffee. Dredge the raisins and nuts in the 1/3 cup of reserved dry ingredients and add last. Drop by the teaspoonful on a greased or lined cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Temp. 400F. Makes 7 to 8 dozen. Mincemeat Cookies Same as Hermits but use mincemeat juice with coffee for liquid. Use 2 cups of well drained mincemeat in place of the raisins and omit the spices. Bake about 15 minutes. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004 Grandma Sproul loved to make either of these cookies at Christmas.

To the juice and rind of 2 lemons and 1 orange--about 1 cup, add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and 2 tbsp. of cornstarch. Bring to a boil and simmer until clear and thickened. Cool slightly and spread between layers. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul , "Grandma Sproul ," 1914-2004 from her mother --Florence Augusta Siddons Meredith, "Grandma Meredith," 1887-1959

1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs, separated 3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt 1 cup milk Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Blend in egg yolks, one at a time. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add alternately with milk, mixing well after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into grease and floured 10" bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees, 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out of pan and glaze. Glaze: 1 1/3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar 1/4 tsp. vanilla 2 tbsp. milk Dash of salt Combine ingredients; mix until well blended; drizzle over cake. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, "Grandma Sproul," 1914-2004 Grandma Sproul would make this cake before we would go camping in California. She kept it in a BIG brown tin. It would taste so good after a day in the woods.

3 egg whites dash salt 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup fine chocolate wafer crumbs 1/2 cups chopped walnuts 1/2 tsp. vanilla sweetened whipped cream Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form; gradually add sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Fold in crumbs, nuts, and vanilla; spread evenly in lightly buttered 9-inch pie plate. Bake in slow oven (325 F) about 35 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Spread top with sweetened whipped cream; chill well, 3 to 4 hours. Trim with curls of shaved unsweetened chocolate. Meredith would ask her Mom, Grandma Sproul, to make this recipe for her. It turns out that this was originally Aunt Lollie's recipe.

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers 1 cup chopped pecans 2 tbsp. cocoa 1 cup confectioners sugar 2 tbsp. Karo syrup (dark) 2 jiggers bourbon (if too moist, add more wafers) Put in refrigerator to cool Roll into balls in confectioners sugar -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul , "Grandma Sproul ," 1914-2004

2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk 1 cup pastry flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. baking powder Beat eggs until very light. Add salt, sugar, vanilla while beating. Heat milk to boiling point and add shortening. Beat into egg mixture. Add sifted flour and baking powder to milk mixture, beating quickly but thoroughly. Pour into greased floured pan. Bake immediately in moderate oven 350 F 24-30 minutes or until cake shrinks from sides of pan. Serve with fresh crushed berries and whipped cream. Makes an 8 by 8 cake. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul , "Grandma Sproul ," 1914-2004

2 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 cup shortening 1/2 tsp. salt 1 egg 1 cup milk bag of apples Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure and melt shortening and let it cool. Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl. Break the egg into a small bowl and beat until very light. Add milk to beaten egg; stir egg and milk into the dry ingredients. Before completely blended add melted shortening and stir just enough to mix ingredients. Pour into the bottom of 2 greased round baking pans. Place pealed and sliced apples on top (place them close together making a pattern and covering the whole surface) bake until done, about 40 minutes. This recipe is also very good with peaches or plums. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004 This was one of Grandma Sproul's favorites, and could often be found in her kitchen. She liked to make it with apples but seemed to prefer plums--the big, dark, oval plums called Italian Prunes.

Take a 2-3 lb. round steak and place in the center of a piece of aluminum foil large enough in which to wrap the steak. Cover the top of the steak with ketchup or prepared barbecue sauce. Sprinkle dry onion soup on top of the ketchup. Close the foil securely. Place the foil packages in a baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, "Grandma Sproul," 1914-2004

1 cup white flour 1 cup corn meal 4 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 cup milk 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. butter (again) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put 2 tbsp. of butter in a cast iron skillet or 8" or 9" square pan. Place in oven until hot and the butter melts. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients. Combine milk and egg, lightly beat together. Add egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Add 2 tbsp. of melted butter to the batter. Pour batter into the pre-heated skillet or pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. You can use muffin pans or corn stick pans. Put 1/2 tsp. of butter in each muffin cup or corn stick slot, add batter. Bake 15-20 minutes. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004 Grandma Sproul made this in the winter. She refined the ingredients over the years until it was just the way she liked it. Meredith continues to use this regularly. Jennifer's Japanese college roommate, Nahoko, loved this cornbread. For so...

2 cakes or 2 dry pkgs. of yeast 1/4 cup warm water 3/4 cup lukewarm milk 1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix together milk and salt. Add yeast mixture. Stir in shortening and eggs. Add about half of flour and beat well. Add enough remaining flour to handle easily. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover with damp cloth, but leave a small space for air to reach dough (you can also cover with Saran wrap, but be sure to allow some air to reach dough). Let rise in warm place (85 degrees) until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes. Roll into one rectangle 8x14 or two rectangles 6x10 each. Place on greased cookie sheet. Spread filling down center of dough, about 2 to 3 inches long. Take a strip on each side (opposite each other) and cross them a...

12 oz. wide egg noodles 1 pint cottage cheese, large curd 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup grated sharp cheese 1 bunch green onions--use some of the tops 1 cup chopped parsley 1 pint sour cream dash Tabasco 1/2 tsp. paprika Boil noodles and drain. While hot, mix in all ingredients except sharp cheese. Place in baking dish, preferably shallow. Refrigerate. Before baking, top with grated cheese and paprika. Bake uncovered 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cheese is melted. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004