Grandma O’s Coffee Cake

Back in the days before women worked outside the home, there was almost a daily coffee get-together culture. This is one of my favorite recipes.

I’ll bring a few of Grandma’s out of the archives. It was such a different time back then. I can’t remember the last time I baked a coffee cake. Unfortunately, I made a few mistakes with this one. I got a little cocky making this. I thought I remembered the recipe a little better than I thought I did, but it has been awhile.

Next time I’ll make sure I adequately prep.

Cake:

Bake 25 to 35 minutes in an 8 or 9 inch square pan at 375 degrees.

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup soft shortening

1 egg

Mix together thoroughly

Stir in 1/2 cup milk

Sift together and stir in 1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Spread half the batter in the pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel mixture. Add the remaining batter and sprinkle remaining streusel over top.

*****from the Recipe Box:

I kind of blew it. I really prefer it with walnuts or pecans. I eat it for the crispy streusel bits.

I also didn’t divide the batter and streusel mix correctly. It’s been too long.

It looks like a yellow cake, but it has much more body than that.

It still tasted good and it’s totally gone.

and remember: I like when I don’t have to be careful with what I say. That’s when I know I’m with the right people. Big kiss, Lynn

Norwegian Rarebit

nsert from URL

My Grandma used to make Welsh Rarebit all the time. Of course, that’s not what she called it. I made it for a friend one day and he said, “I didn’t know you were Welsh”. Feeling perplexed, I asked why he thought so. He said that’s what his family made and they were Welsh.

Who knew. Grandma would make a big pan of toasted bread and serve it as hungry people came in. The toast would be ready in the oven and it became an easy meal or hearty snack. She was pretty smart for someone who stood all of 4 foot 10 inches tall.

4 cups sliced American cheese (1 pound) melted

Gradually stir in: 3/4 cup cream

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

Serve over croutons or toast. I always had it over toast with celery leaf salad.

*****From the Recipe Box

If I’m only making this for G and I, croutons are the way to go then you don’t have to cut it.

and remember: I always mean what I say. I may not mean to say it out loud, but I always mean it. Big kiss, Lynn

Baked Apple

It must be autumn. The variety of apples is amazing. My neighbor brought me some King Apples yesterday. I’ve not seen those since I lived in Portland. It’s funny how some apples can’t be shipped and are only passed on with a secret coded hand shake. I will be making Apple Crisp with part of the box, but I decided to try making Baked Apples with some.

Unfortunately, they did not photograph as well as I would have liked. The problem is, they photographed as they looked. What is it with me and brown food? This is a recipe from Grandma O’s recipe box. If she finagled the recipe just right, she could eat one, even with her diabetes. Of course, she needed to use Saccharin. This was the 50’s before cancer was a big deal.

Ingredients

4 large baking apples, such as Honeycrisp

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oatmeal

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash and core apples, leaving enough of the core at the base of the apple to contain the filling.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and in a small bowl. Roll log shapes of the mixture and press enough into each apple to fill the core.
Fill a 2-quart baking dish with enough to cover the bottom. Place the apples upright in the dish. Bake until the apples are soft and the filling is browned, 1 hour.

* From the Recipe Box:

It’s just G and I living at the cabin, so I only baked 2 apples in a bread pan. I ordered an apple corer, but I wasn’t impressed with the end result. I guess I don’t have the hand strength to control the depth of the core.

Grrrr, more brown food. G put so much whip cream on it, you couldn’t see the apple. I’m not a major whip cream fan so mine ended up naked and brown. The flavor was good, but I’ve got to say, it’s a wee bit on the ugly side.

If you’re trying to identify everything in the picture, good luck.

and remember: Teddy Roosevelt said it best: Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining. Big kiss, Lynn

Butterscotch Pie

My dad didn’t have much of a sweet tooth. He liked Cashew Brittle from See’s Candies, Idaho Spud Candy Bars, Black Cherry Floats and Butterscotch Pie. I don’t remember him ever asking for any of these except maybe a quick run to the store for black cherry float ingredients, but he seemed to enjoy them when they were around. So, in honor of dad’s birthday, let’s make Butterscotch Pie.

He was never silly, but I do remember when he and my Uncle Jimmy battled for the last bite in the pie pan one Easter of this very pie, so let’s assume this is a pretty good recipe. This is from my Grandma O’s WWII Betty Crocker Cookbook and it hasn’t failed me yet. It’s the one my mom used, so it must be good.

Melt in a skillet over low heat 6 tablespoon of butter.

When the butter is golden brown, add 1 cup of dark brown sugar.

Boil until foamy (2 to 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup boiling water. Remove from heat.

Mix in a sauce pan 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Stir in gradually until smooth 1 2/3 cup milk.

Stir in the brown sugar mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir a little into 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten. Then blend into hot mixture. Boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and blend in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Cool, stirring occasionally. Pour into a cooled baked pie shell. Chill. Top with whipped cream.

* From the Recipe Box:

Dad preferred a graham cracker crust, so graham cracker it was. I remembered it being better than this, but happy birthday anyway papa. If and when I make this again, I will cut down on the flour. It tasted a little gummy to me. I think I’ll blame it on my sous chef.

More pictures of brown food. What’s the deal? As you can tell, I used whip cream from a can. Yes, I am embarrassed, but it’s what I had.

and remember: Stop overthinking. Be loud about the things that are important to you. Big kiss, Lynn

Waldorf Salad

My favorite GKid (you know the one) came to visit today. It was the perfect day weather wise and we had the best visit. I hadn’t gotten to see him since before quarantine, so it was especially wonderful to have him over. He brought his girlfriend. I don’t remember giving the GKids permission to be old enough to have girl or boy friends, but what’s a GMa to do.

The girlfriend has some eating issues that made planning a menu interesting. I was all excited about a seafood boil, but no. Also, no gluten. My very favorite things were off the table. Le sigh. It all worked out, as it always does. I made SJ’s favorite, chicken Parmesan, with corn and Waldorf salad. And for dessert, Rice Krispie treats and the 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies. Who knew they were gluten free.

And that’s what I wanted to talk about, Waldorf salad. When was the last time you had a Waldorf? When I was a kid, we had it all the time. It was a light and refreshing summer salad. There’s a lot of variations. I happen to like the apple, celery and pecan version. If I have some really good grapes, they will get tossed in as well.

OK, here comes the totally easy part. The dressing is mayonnaise and sugar. Yep, you heard me right. It’s basically the same dressing I use for cole slaw. I don’t even use a separate bowl. This was 2 apples. Before I cut them up, I put about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise in one side of a pasta bowl and sprinkled it with about 3 tablespoons sugar. Give it a good stir. Your taste buds will guide you. Cut up 2 apples, don’t you dare peel them, a handful of chopped pecans and a stalk or 2 of celery. Give it another good stir. The GKid loved it, the GFriend loved it as well as Mr. Suspicious, who has gotten so good about trying new things. This is totally nummy on a chicken sandwich. Let me know what you think.

* From the Recipe Box:

By the way, the girlfriend loved the 3-ingredient peanut butter gluten-free cookie recipe the d-i-l introduced me to. You all need to try it.

and remember: An apple a day will keep the doctor away, or so they say. Big kiss, Lynn

Lemon Tart 2.0

Yes, I know. You’ve had it up to the gills with lemon tarts. I don’t care; it was my birthday and that’s what I wanted for my birthday cake. My able bodied sous chef was here on the Island with me so we decided to get fancy with Grandma O’s meringue recipe. There was even a bit of a styling competition between my sous chef and the big G.

Normally, the meringue would be much taller, but I wanted to put a thin layer on each. We made the meringue and scooped it onto each tart. I think it ended up being about 1/2 inch deep. Meringue isn’t my drug of choice, so I was quite happy with that amount.

My sous chef made the swirls and twirls. I like the way the points get extra dark. G got all fancy and and made the long swirls. You choose; I think they both look good. Don’t let anyone tell you meringue is tricky; it couldn’t be easier. I read now where you have to have special equipment and super greaseless bowls. Grandma O made hers with a hand beater. You can do it!

For a 9 inch pie:

3 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tarter until frothy. Gradually beat in the sugar a little at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Pile the meringue onto the pie filling, being careful to seal the meringue onto the edge of the crust to prevent shrinking. If the filling is exposed to the heat, (not entirely covered) it may “weep”. Swirl or pull up points to decorate the top. Bake until delicately browned, usually 8 to 10 minutes works. Cool gradually in a slightly warm place, away from drafts. A chill may make the meringue fall.

* From the Recipe Box:

I like a graham cracker crust. Use any recipe you like best, or refer to the one I included a while back.

and remember what MLK Jr said: History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the “good” people. Big kiss, Lynn

Strawberry Muffins

Why yes, it is strawberry season in the great Pacific NW. We are lucky enough to grow the most beautiful strawberries. When I was a kid you could be hired to pick them. Your mom or dad would drop you off up at Safeway and the buses would pick you up and take you out near Monroe to pick berries. The pay was horrible, but the camaraderie was excellent.

The biggest difference in the strawberries now versus then is the size. I really don’t like the huge berries. I know they look cool and they ship ever so well, but they’ve gotten woody.

This is a new recipe for me. I find strawberries bland even though they can be quite acidic. If I had to give you a quick fix for these muffins, up the salt to 1 teaspoon and don’t forget the lemon juice. Yes, I was disappointed.

2/3 cup chopped strawberries

3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Make the muffins: Toss the strawberries in a small bowl with 2 tablespoon granulated sugar; set aside. Whisk the flour, remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add the eggs to the well and gently whisk. Stir in the milk, melted butter and lemon juice until just combined with small bits of flour remaining. Stir in the strawberry mixture.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them most of the way. I keep about a teaspoon or 2 of diced strawberries to put on top. Bake until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

* From the Recipe Box:

Next time I’m making cheddar and jalapeno muffins. I need more oomph in my muffins.

and remember: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Big kiss, Lynn

Tapioca Pudding

I’m a pudding girl. Oh-oh, we’re back to white food as well. Both Grandma O and my mom were big pudding makers and tapioca was an all time favorite. They would make 2 kinds of Tapioca: minute and bubble. The best part about the minute is squishing it through your teeth. You can’t do that with the bubble, but it’s fun to try,

The recipe they used was originally in Betty Crocker’s cookbook. There’s a recipe on the side of the Minute Tapioca box, but we just never used it. I’m sure it’s wonderful, but I can’t mess with tradition. This was not a company dessert; this was just for the family. In retrospect, I realize mom would whip these desserts up in mere moments and they were my favorites. It’s what farmer’s wives and daughters did; they fed people, no questions asked.

This pudding is light and fluffy. It says it serves 6, but that is such a lie. I eat 2 servings just checking to see if it’s cool enough to eat. What’s wrong with these people? You will so enjoy this. Sometimes we don’t need fancy. We need comforting, especially now. I just like a bowl of it. G loves his with whipped cream; but then what doesn’t he like whipped cream on? I didn’t get that whipped cream gene. Give this a try and let me know what you think.

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Cool. Stir In:

1 teaspoon vanilla

Fold in a meringue made with :

2 egg whites

4 tablespoons sugar

Spoon into serving glasses. Serve with whipped cream. If desired, fold in fresh or drained canned fruit; or pour over fruit in serving glass.

* From the Recipe Box:

Tapioca is the thickening agent mom and Grandma used in Cherry Pie as well.

I made both Grandma’s and the tapioca box recipes today so we could have a side-by-side comparison. The clear winner was Grandma’s. G didn’t think he was a tapioca fan, but he was totally impressed.

The fluffy pudding on the left is Grandma’s.

I don’t use fruit in my tapioca. I want to taste the purity of the pudding. And, I’ve got to keep it white. May 17th is Norwegian Constitution Day and I must be ready.

and remember: This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass. Big kiss, Lynn

Raspberry Muffins

I do love a good muffin. C the MP was up yesterday with a “Care” package that included raspberries, blueberries and rhubarb. He knows how much I love my fruit. After eating almost all of the raspberries plain, I thought it would be nice if I shared a few with G via a muffin. I’m so good about sharing.

I remember this recipe from when I was a kid. My mom’s mom and my dad’s mom lived together in this big old house in Portland. I had many a grand adventure going to stay with them. They would make wonderful delicacies for “us girls”. I had cantaloupe filled with ice cream, ribbon candy, baked cheese and more. Things that have forever stayed in my memory.

The bread basket was my favorite. There would be Flat Bread, different muffins, Rye bread (still my favorite), lefse, krumkake. The woman knew how to bake. She had a tiny little kitchen and still managed to bake everyday and everybody stopped by to share in the bounty.

1 1/2 cups flour (2 cups)

1/2 sup sugar (1/4 cup)

2 teaspoons baking powder (3 teaspoons)

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg

1/2 cup milk (1 cup)

Mix together the dry ingredients with a blending fork or a pastry blender. Then stir in the wet ingredients just until the ingredients are blended. At the last, blend in 1 cup raspberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Bake until golden brown.

This is Grandma’s sweet version. In the parentheses are the changes she would make for “plain”. A plain muffin would have Wheaties or whole wheat in it. I always loved the pop of color the raspberries provided. She rarely added a streusel topping. Occasionally there would be a sprinkle of sugar, but she was a firm believer in the beauty of the raspberry. I may have gotten my love of raspberries from her.

* From the Recipe Box:

Grandma also had this wooden handled pastry cutter that I was lucky enough to grab. I don’t care how bent and disfigured it gets. Closing it in the drawer simply adds to the cutting ability.

and remember: If you boil a funny bone, does it become a laughing stock? Big kiss, Lynn

Custard Pie

It must be pie week. When I was a kid, my mom’s favorite dessert was custard pie. I thought she was such a maroon. What I’ve since discovered is the joy of simplicity. It will never be my favorite dessert, but when I want something smooth, something refreshing, something light, I often turn to Custard Pie. The old broad was pretty smart after all.

Of course, I think it helps to really love eggs. Basically, this is an egg pudding. And as I told you, Norwegians love white food and it doesn’t get much whiter than custard.

Beat slightly with a rotary beater ….. 4 eggs

Then beat in ………………………………………. 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 2/3 cup milk (with part cream if you want it really rich)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour into a pastry-lined pie pan.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake pie for 15 minutes. Then turn oven down to 350 degrees to finish baking.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes total. It can be baked at 425 degrees for the same amount of time.

Bake just until a silver knife inserted into side of filling comes out clean. The center may still look a bit soft but it will set later.

The crust on this pie can stay almost raw. One way around that is to bake the crust and the filling separately. Pour the filling directly into a well greased pie pan the same size as the one in which the crust is baked. Set the pan in a shallow pan of hot water. Bake just like the other pie instructions. When lukewarm, slip the baked filling into the cooled baked pie shell. Allow to settle a few minutes before serving. It will look like it was baked in the shell only the bottom will be well cooked.

* From the Recipe Box:

I actually like baking it in a pie pan without the crust. I do that with pumpkin pie filling as well. I don’t need a crust; it’s not my favorite.

I’ll bake it in custard cups or ramekins as well.

I also think the filling needs a strain before baking.

Too long baking makes the custard “watery”.

Thinking of you this Mother’s Day mom. Until I was 12, I had strep throats at least monthly and custard saved my life. Thank god for mom’s custard and pear baby food. It’s a long story for another day.

Sorry about the picture quality, but the pie was gone before retakes were possible.

and remember: Yes, you are the fairest of them all. Big kiss, Lynn