Recipes from My Family to Yours

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I love this time of year when we can all reflect on our blessings and be with our families. I feel particularly blessed this year to be moving closer to my family. We have been far apart for many, many years and I will be so happy to be a Texan again! (even though I've always been Texan at heart)

Instead of a normal blog post, I thought we'd explore previously uncharted territory...Recipes! (and a few vintage holiday pictures) Thanksgiving and Christmas are quite food-centric, and my family loves traditional recipes handed down through the generations. Maybe some of these recipes will make it to your recipe book to be passed down too.

We have made these sugar cookies almost every year since I was born and every time I taste them to this day, I am immediately taken back to my childhood. It doesn't feel like Christmas without them.

 

Sugar Cookies

3/4 c. shortening (part butter or margarine, softened)

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp, baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Mix thoroughly: shortening, sugar, eggs and flavoring. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour. After dough has chilled, heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until very light brown

Makes about 4 dozen 3 inch cookies

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Another family favorite is this intensely sweet apple cake. It's a heavy hitter, and I promise if you make this at the next family gathering, they will make you bring it every time.

Apple Pudding Cake

Cake:

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. margarine/butter

1 egg

1 c. flour

2 c. apples, shredded

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. nuts

Cream margarine/butter, sugar and egg. Then combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Stir in apples and nuts. Pour into a greased 9 inch square pan. (It's easier to double this and make a 9x13 full)

Sauce:

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. light cream or canned milk

1 1/2 ts. vanilla

Heat ingredients in heavy pan over low heat until well blended and heated through. Stir until thickened. Add a dash of nutmeg, if desired. DO NOT BOIL! Pour over baked dessert. (Make sure to serve this warm)

This is my little brother playing Santa for my little nephew, and our Christmas tree.

This next one is my favorite Christmas morning breakfast. This recipe came from a cookbook for kids my mom had in the sixties.

Jolly Breakfast Ring

4 Tbs. butter-melted

2 Tbs. brown sugar

12 cherries (canned/maraschino)

1/4 nuts, chopped

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. nuts, chopped

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. milk

Pour 1/2 of melted butter into bottom of 9 inch bundt pan. Then sprinkle in brown sugar, cherries and 1/4 c. nuts. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and 3 Tbs. nuts. In a scond small bowl, combine Bisquick and milk. Beat until stiff. Shape dough into 12 balls. Roll each ball in rest of melted butter, then cinnamon mixture. Place balls into ring mold. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. Turn upside down onto a plate while warm.

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My adorable Grandpa Otte makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies. He bakes them in big batches, then freezes them. There's something magical that happens when you blow through a frozen chocolate chip cookie-it just tastes better. I remember sitting around the kitchen table late at night playing card games, passing around the huge baggie of cookies. Every time our family gets together, we still pass around that huge baggie of cookies while we play Mexican Train dominoes until the wee hours of the morning. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. shortening

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 t. maple flavoring

5 eggs

6 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. nuts

Bake at 375 for 12 minutes

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Happy Holidays from my family to yours.