"Excellent! Fast & Easy!"

"And the frosting tastes like fudge!"

When my kids were little and I was home with them, I baked up a storm.  I'd try out a Yankee Kitchen recipe, write down my notations, and make it again.  I always loved baking for my family and friends.

Tonight, my 18 year-old son Jeremy asked me if I'd make something that he likes: Snap Doodle.  And, of course, I did.  I like it when my kids ask me to make something for them.

Happy Boys in the Berkshires
Summer of 2008

I had the day off work today and I really enjoyed just being home. Other than getting my tax stuff together, I didn't do a darned thing.  I didn't even go out of the house.

I did spend some time looking through cookbooks, though. We're going to our friends Anita and Andre's house for dinner tomorrow night and I wanted to bring a dessert.  Actually, Anita is the same friend that gave me the Snap Doodle recipe. This is a snap doodle to whip up for breakfast!  And the cinnamon wafting through the house in the morning makes it easier for people to get out of bed.

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Snap Doodle

2 eggs

1 c. sugar

1 c. milk

2 c. flour

3 tsp. baking powder

Mix all ingredients together.  Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Cover thickly with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.  Pour about 1/2 cup of melted butter over top.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  (Sometimes I add some chopped apples over the batter before adding the cinnamon sugar and butter.)

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Today, I read this charming little pamphlet cookbook that was published in 1969.  

It was edited by the Culinary Arts Institute and published by Consolidated Book Publishers.

Look at this!

Now that's what I call

a nice presentation!

And now for this sweet introduction.

I love this!

  

I didn't try anything from this cookbook tonight, but decided to make a YK favorite instead: Down East Buttermilk Chocolate Cake, an old standby that I got years ago.  "Excellent! Fast and Easy! And the frosting tastes like fudge!"  I don't remember who originally gave this recipe on the program.

My 16 year-old son Justin and I made the cake together tonight.  

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Downeast Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

Note: Buttermilk substitute: combine 1 TB. vinegar with 1 c. milk.  Let rest 5 minutes.

In saucepan, bring to boil 1 stick margarine, 1/4 c. cocoa, and 1 c. water. Set aside.  

In large bowl, mix together 2 c. flour, 2 c. sugar, 2 eggs, 2 ts. baking soda, 1/2 c. buttermilk, 1 ts. vanilla. Pour in cocoa mixture and mix well. Pour in a greased 13 x 9 pan.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.  

While baking, make frosting.  In same saucepan, bring to boil 1 stick margarine, 1/4 c. cocoa, 1/3 buttermilk.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 lb. confectioner's sugar. Beat well.  Add 1-2 c. walnuts.  Frost cake while hot (1-2 minutes after cake is out of the oven).

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You know, I never used to give a second thought to the ingredients that went into these delicious desserts.  Now I feel the need to make this notation:

WARNING!

This cake calls for 2 sticks of margarine!  

Actually, instead of margarine, I used butter.  Land O Lakes butter, to be exact.

Not to put a downer on this fun-with-food thing, but, I just want to say that my father died when I was only 17 months old.  So, while the other girls had memories of good times with their fathers, I only had the stories that my mother told me about him.

She told me that my father had a hand in the kitchen.

He liked to fold the Land O Lakes package.

You know what's coming, don't you?

A happy memory from my childhood!

Three ways to satisfy a sweet tooth

Longtime Yankee Kitchen contributor Stacia is still busy baking these days.  I was so happy to connect with her!  I’ve been making this banana bread for years. She said that she found this banana bread recipe in a newspaper in Shinnston, West Virginia while visiting her sister in 1974.  I know you’ll love it!   

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Stacia’s Banana Bread

½ c. shortening

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 c. flour

1 ts. baking soda

1 ts. salt

3 medium bananas, ripe and mashed

¼ c. chopped nuts

½ c. drained, chopped maraschino cherries

¼ c. mini chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs & beat well.  Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with bananas.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bake in a greased 9x5 or 2 8x4 loaf pans at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

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The well-used Banana Bread recipe and a Yankee Kitchen cookbook from 1978 where I found the following recipe for Apricot Squares

I hope this is the one Leslie was asking for.

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Apricot Squares

1 c. sugar                                                             

2 c. plus 1 TB. flour, sifted 

¾ c. shortening

1 1/3 c. shredded coconut

½ c. chopped nuts

                  

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. salt

1 pound jar of apricot jam

Mix all ingredients except jam until dry and crumbly.  Mix well using spoon and hands.  In a well-greased 9x9 square pan, spread one half of the mixture, patting down firmly.  Spread jam over mixture.  Then spread remaining mixture and press down.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Cool and cut.

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My dear sister Marcia, my number one fan, sent me this today in response to a long-standing request for Oatmeal Cookies.  I guess she thinks she can one-up me on the recipe I posted!  HA! HA!

Hi Anita...I read your recent entry on your blog and am glad to see that you have inspired some to contact you (and Gus would be proud too!) I have always loved this recipe for oatmeal cookies and am forwarding it to you so that you may share it with the YK followers. The use of whole wheat flour gives these cookies a nice flavor and texture, Give them a try! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

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Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 c. shortening

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 jumbo egg, or 2 small

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups oatmeal (regular or quick oats)

1 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

Beat together the first five ingredients with a wooden spoon.  (I have used an electric mixer.) Add combined remaining ingredients, mixing well with the spoon.  Drop by rounded teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.

For variety, you can add raisins or craisins, chopped nuts or apples.  I like them plain or sometimes with chocolate chips.  My friend Charlene who first gave the recipe suggested to try making them using a teaspoon of cinnamon.  I prefer not to use cinnamon because I love tasting the oatmeal without added spice.

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If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake

Pardon my absence from the kitchen.

Once again, my mother was right!

"Mama, when I grow up, I'm going to make fudge all the time!" 

"Well," Mama said, "You might THINK you will, but you won't."

Yes, I've been busy with many things and NONE of them have involved testing for the soft-ball stage!  :)

Those mothers.  Right once again!

I received some very nice correspondence from a few Yankee Kitchen listeners.  THANK YOU!

- Terry - who was so kind to share some of her mother's precious YK memorabilia with me.

- Gen - who reminded me of the get-togethers Gus's gals had.  I certainly remember them calling in to Gus laughing and saying who was at their "coffee klatches".  

- Stacia - yes, Stacia, of Stacia's Banana Bread fame!  I can't tell you how many times I've made that one!  A great recipe that was shared time and time again on the Yankee Kitchen and one I will post as soon as I dig it out of my files.  I know exactly what it looks like - It's on yellow lined paper, has stains on it, and the words "THE BEST!" written across the top!  It was so nice of her son to connect with me and reminisce about the tape recorder days.

I want to put a shout out for a couple of recipes that were requested by Leslie.  Does anyone have these two favorites?  I'll see if I can find them myself.

1.  Apricot Crumble type of cookie bar.

2.  Cornbread made using a "secret" ingredient-allspice?.  The cornbread also had sugar in it.  

If you've got either of these, please contact me and I'll post them. I'll make sure that Leslie sees them.

Keep those virtual cards and letters coming!