Apple Crisp, Applesauce Cake, Butter Tarts, Cabbage Soup, Chicken & Dumplings, Country Pot Roast, Glazed Ham, Honey Spice Cake, Iced Tea, Oatmeal Cookies, Perfect Bread, Potato Salad, Pumpkin Pie, Scallop Potatoes, Shortbread Cookies, Sugar & Spice Cookies, Tea Biscuits, Turkey Stuffing


Apple Crisp

5 medium apples
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup oats
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

Heat oven to 375°F. In a bowl cream softened butter and brown sugar, add flour, oats and cinnamon. After mixing all together put half of the mixture on the bottom of a greased 8x8x2 inch pan. Arrange sliced apples into the pan, and sprinkle the remaining half of the mixture on. Bake until top is a golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with cream or ice cream. Serves about six people.


Applesauce Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove
1 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs then applesauce. Put mixture aside. Sift flour, salt, baking soda and spices in bowl. Add dry ingredients to cream mixture, then fold in raisins. Pour batter into a well greased 9x13x2 inch cake pan and bake for one hour. Cool for ten minutes. Serves about ten people.


Butter Tarts

1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup butter
1/2 brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare pastry; roll out half and cut with a floured cookie cutter and line 18 medium-sized muffin cups. Pour boiling water over the raisins and let soak for 5 minutes. While raisins are soaking cream butter and brown sugar, blend in corn syrup and beaten eggs, then vanilla. Drain raisins and line each tart shell with the raisins. Then fill each tart shell 2/3 full with mixture. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes eighteen tarts.


Cabbage Soup

1 head of cabbage
2 pounds stewing beef
12 cups water
2 medium onions
2 cups sliced carrots
4 potatoes
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut beef up into bit size pieces and place into pot with water. Let boil for 20 minutes. Add carrots, onions, cabbage, salt and pepper to pot, let cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add cut up potatoes, cover the pot and let simmer on low heat for one hour. This recipe makes about six quarts of soup. It's a great soup for a cold day.


Chicken & Dumplings

1 chicken, about 5 pounds
3 cups water
1 cup celery tops
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon salt
4 potatoes, peeled and halved
4 medium onions
4 carrots, sliced
1 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken, water, celery tops, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir in the potatoes, onions and sliced carrots. Continue cooking until chicken and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. Remove chicken and discard bones and skin. Skim off excess fat. Stir chicken into broth and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, blend flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, stir in milk. Drop by spoonfuls over the simmering broth. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes without lifting lid. This recipe makes 4 servings.


Country Pot Roast

1 boneless chuck roast, about 4 pounds
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup water
8 small potatoes
4 medium carrots
3 onions
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water

Dredge roast in a mixture of flour, salt, thyme and pepper. In a large saucepan melt shortening. Add meat and cook until browned on all sides. Stir in one cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours or until meat is almost tender. Stir in potatoes, carrots and onions. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Remove meat to platter and surround with vegetables. To make gravy mix three tablespoons of flour to 1/4 cup of water to make a smooth paste. Gradually stir into hot liquid in pan and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Serve with roast. Serves 6 to 8 people.


Glazed Ham

1 precooked bone-in half ham, about 6 pounds
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon corn syrup

Preheat oven to 325°F. Score in diamonds pattern. Bake in a shallow pan for 1 hour. Mix brown sugar, flour and dry mustard. Stir in vinegar and corn syrup. Spread over ham. Bake in preheated 425°F oven, basting occasionally for 30 minutes or until glaze threads from a spoon. Remove from oven. Continue basting as it cools until glaze hardens. Serves 12.


Honey Spice Cake

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cream shortening, then beat brown sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs and vanilla. Combine buttermilk and honey. Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Turn into prepared pans. Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake springs back.


Iced Tea

4 cups boiling water
8 tea bags
2 medium lemons
3/4 cup sugar
Ice cubes

Pour boiling water onto tea bags; let stand for about five minutes. Cool to room temperature. Squeeze lemons and add juice, sugar and ice cubes in a 2-quart pitcher; stir in tea. Serve in ice-filled glasses with a slice of lemon as garnish. Makes about eight servings.


Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; then beat in the eggs. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in rolled oats, coconut and raisins. Drop by teaspoon about 2" apart onto cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Cool cookies on racks. Makes about seven dozen cookies.


Perfect Bread

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl combine 3 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat milk, sugar, shortening and salt just til warm and shortening is melted. Add to dry mixture and beat for 3 minutes. By hand, stir in the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Shape into a ball, place dough into a greased bowl, grease surface. Cover and let rise in warm place until double. Punch dough down, divide into 2 portions. Shape each into loaves; place in two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise till double. Bake at 375°F oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from pans; cool. Makes two loaves.


Potato Salad

8 cups cubed cooked potatoes
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, dry mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper; set aside. In a large bowl, combine cubed potatoes, onion, radishes and chopped hard cooked eggs. Pour dressing over potato mixture and toss gently. Sprinkle a bit of paprika on top and garish with a few celery leaves and sliced eggs. Chill at least three hours. Makes about 10 to 12 servings.


Pumpkin Pie

2 cups pumpkin
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in order as given. Pour into an 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Bake in a 425°F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F until firm, about 35 to 45 minutes.


Pastry

5 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound lard
1 egg
1 teaspoon vinegar
water

Blend together flour and salt, with a pastry blender or two knives, cut in lard until consistency of coarse meal. In a cup beat egg, add vinegar and then water to make one cup of liquid. Add liquid to flour mixture, stirring with a fork. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for one hour. Roll out pastry as needed. This recipe makes pastry for 3 two-crust pies or 6 single pie shells.


Scallop Potatoes

6 medium potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1 medium chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel and cut raw potatoes in slices 1/4 inch thick. Heat the butter in a saucepan until melted. Blend in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Arrange sliced potatoes in a buttered baking dish, followed with some of the chopped onion and a bit of the white sauce. Repeat until the dish is three quarters full. Cover dish and bake in oven for one hour or until the potatoes are soft. This recipe serves about six people.


Shortbread Cookies

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups butter
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter, icing sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll out 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with floured cookie cutters. Bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.


Sugar & Spice Cookies

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375°F. Blend flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Cream butter, sugar and egg. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients. Cover and chill for about 1 hour. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of granulated. You could press a walnut half into each ball. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.


Tea Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in with a pastry blender the shortening. Pour in the milk and stir with a fork to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll out to desired thickness. Cut with a floured cookie cutter. Place onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. This recipe makes about 20 biscuits.


Turkey or Chicken Stuffing

15 potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 medium onions
5 slices dry white bread
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon summer savory

I am not really sure what the history of this recipe is from, but it was one that my Grandmother used in Nova Scotia and one that my Mother used at Christmas time. My Mother would also add crackers to the recipe. This recipe makes about 8 cups of stuffing, enough for a 12 lbs turkey.





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