Recipes in honor of grandmother

My grandmother, Connie Hoyt Kinsey was born on this date in 1891. I have so many memories of her and her house, but most of my memories involve food. She made these out-of-this-world noodles which were a favorite of all the grandchildren. She used the egg yolks in the noodles, so with the egg whites, there was always a tall, fresh-baked angel food cake with maraschino cherry icing. It was absolutely wonderful.

Another treat was her butterscotch cookies, like refrigerator cookies, and had them frozen in plastic ice cream buckets in the deep freezer on the back porch area. We would go out there and take cookies from the containers and eat them frozen; they were so good. She also made the best potatoes with cream of mushroom soup she purchased at the A & P store in town. I remember the mushrooms being cut in perfect small squares and the potato dish was so wonderful. She always made popcorn balls for her trick-or-treaters and kept an accurate total of how many children she had from year to year.

Grandma is long gone, but I do have a few of her recipes in her handwriting that I cherish very much. Unfortunately, the noodle and potato recipe are not among the recipes any of us got, and we all regret that very much.

I would like to share a few of her recipes with you today from her small metal yellow recipe tin.

Butterscotch cookies

1 package brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

6 cups flour

4 eggs

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cream of tarter

1 tablespoon vanilla

Pinch salt

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt. Add to first mixture. Mix well together and mold into 2 loaves 2 1/2-inches wide and 1 1/20inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Let stand overnight in the refrigerator. Slice thin. Bake in moderate oven.

Angel Food cake

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

Sift flour once then measure. Add 1/2 cup sugar; sift four times. Beat egg whites and salt till foamy, add cream of tarter and continue beating until eggs are stiff enough to hold peaks, but not dry. Add remaining 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating with a beater after each addition, until sugar is just blended. Add flavoring. Sift in about 1/2 cup flour over mixture and fold in lightly. Repeat until all is used. Bake in tube pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Beef casserole

2 pounds veal or round steak

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon paprika

Pound this flour mixture into the steak. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Brown meat thoroughly in 1/4 cup of oil. Transfer to a 9x13-inch pan or skillet. Add 1 3/4 cups small cooked onion.

Combine 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 can water. Bring to a boil and pour over meat. Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees about 45 minutes until meat is tender. Top with 15 dumplings (recipe follows). Increase heat to 425 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sauce made of 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 cup sour cream. Cook until just starting to boil.

Butter Crumb Dumplings

Sift together into a mixing bowl:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Add:

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon dry onion flakes

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup salad oil

1 cup milk

Stir all until just moistened. Drop rounded tablespoons into 1/4 cup melted butter and 1 cup bread crumbs, roll to coat well. Drop on beef steak in baking dish.

Apple Crunch Cake

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup nuts, chopped

4 cups apples

Mix all together and spread in a large oblong dish.

Topping:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup canned milk (evaporated, not sweetened condensed)

1/3 cup butter

Spread over apples. Sprinkle brown sugar over all. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until apples are done.

Bran Applesauce Cookies

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

Sift together 3 times.

1 cup bran

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

Mix well and add:

1 egg

1 cup sweetened applesauce

1 cup raisins

Drop by teaspoons on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Lizzie's Salad

1 package lemon gelatin

2 cups boiling water

16 marshmallows, cut into eighths

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup chopped apples

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine gelatin and boiling water. Stir until well dissolved. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into bowl, shallow dish or round mold. Chill until set.

I hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.