Hermit Cookies

The original hand-writing was so faded I could barely read it. The type of food prepared from the recipe was particularly hard to read. I googled "hermit cookies" and, lo and behold, I hit pay dirt.

Ingredients

Cane sugar, 2 cups
Butter, 3/4 cup
Eggs, 3 ea
Cinnammon, 1 teaspoon
Cloves, 1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon
Nuts, chopped (pecan) or raisins, 1/2 cup
Flour, 2-1/2 cups
Buttermilk, near 1 cup
Soda, 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add beaten eggs and milk and mix well. Mix and sift flour, spices and baking powder. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add chopped nuts or raisins and mix thoroughly. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on greased pan. Bake in moderate oven (325ºF) 15 to 20 minutes.

Coconut Cookies

This recipe was recorded by Margaret Warren while living in Kalvesta, Kansas. Her husband was a U.S. Army officer stationed at Camp Kinney, Garden City, Kansas, with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It was written on stationary that was printed with the CCC logo. The stationary's logo shows that it was for Company 753, which I believe was busy building shelter belts along western Kansas highways. I hope some of the CCC members got to enjoy the cookies.

Ingredients:
Sugar, 2 cups
Eggs, 3
Shortening, 1 cup
Flavoring (Presumably vanilla)
Flour, 4 cups
Baking powder, 2 tsp
Buttermilk, 1 cup
Baking soda, 1 tsp
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Coconut (Enough for texture)

Instructions:
Beat very vigorously when stirring up. Drop by spoonful to bake on greased sheet in 350 degree oven.

Grandmother's Salve Recipe

My mother wrote on the back of the recipe: "This is the recipe for a salve that my mother used for infections." I am not sure of the medicinal value. I'm not sure you could find all of the ingredients. My grandmother more than likely got it from her mother who brought it over to Kansas from England.

1 oz spirits of turpentine
2 oz beeswax
1 oz oil of spike
2 oz rosin
1/2 oz gum of camphor
1 oz lard
1 oz tallow

Mix all together and melt slow on back of stove.

Comment: I don't know what germ could live through this pungent goo. I can understand why you would want to prepare it on the back of the stove where it would be less likely to spill. If it tipped over, you have a mess to clean off the floor.
Let me know if you try it. The beeswax, resin, lard and oil of spike are ingredients for an Indian salve recipe. The indians probably got it from settlers and would have included the other ingredients if they were available. At least it can be said that it is an authentic home remedy of which there were probably numerous variations depending on the availability of ingredients.

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Recipes from my grandmother's and mother's recipe file boxes, written in their hands, are a family treasure that I am sharing with all who are interested in baking goodies:

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses (Brer Rabbit brand recommended)
1 egg
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt shortening in a 3 or 4 quart saucepan over low heat.
Add sugar, molasses and egg- beat well.
Sift together flour, soda, spices and salt and add to first mixture.
Mix well and chill.
Form into 1-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar and place on greased cookie sheet 2-inches apart.
Bake in moderate hot oven (375 degrees) 8 - 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Fresh Apple Cake

Ingredients
2 medium apples
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Chop apples, measure 1-3/4 cup into large bowl, add sugar and let stand for 10 minutes.
Sift flour with baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and sift again.
Blend melted butter and egg into apple mixture.
Add flour to apple mixture, stirring until blended.
Fold in raisins and nuts.
Pour into greased and floured 8-inch square pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Cool cake for 10 minutes before removing from pan and cool thoroughly.
Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy.

English Date Pudding

Dissolve 1-1/2 cups brown sugar in 1-1/2 cups cold water, put in a baking dish and add it to a batter made of the following:
1 scant cup white sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1/2 cup chopped dates (The recipe writer say she uses more dates and so may you.)
1 scant cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
A pinch of salt
The recipe writer admonishes the preparer, "By all means, do not stir the sugar and water and batter together. Pour batter carefully in the sugar and water.
Bake in a deep pan in an oven of 350 degrees until pudding is done or about an hour.
The brown sugar makes puddings own sauce, but it can be served with whipped cream.
Half of this recipe makes enough for 4 servings. (From this ingredient saving hint for a smaller table of diners, one can surmise that the full recipe serves 8. Of course, you may double the recipe for enough servings for 16.)

Please contact me if you need more instructions.

Favorite Butter Pound Cake

1 cup butter
2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks, unbeaten
3 cups sifted cake flower
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 cup almond
4 egg whites

Cream butter, add sugar, mix well.
Add egg yolks one at a time, beat well after each.
Sift flower with baking soda and salt.
Add flour alternately with milk.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in.
Pour into 2 buttered loaf pans
(7-1/2 in. long, 3-1/2 in. wide, 2-1/2 in. deep).
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tea spoon baking powder
• 1 tea spoon salt
• 1 table spoon milk
• 1/2 tea spoon vanilla
• 1/2 tea spoon lemon extract

Roll dough and cut.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Lemon flavored icing optional.

Note: The above recipe is from Grandma in her hand-writing. I added the bit about the icing.