Saffron bread is one of my favorite holiday breads. I think it is best warm with Thimbleberry jam, but raspberry is a good second choice.
This recipe calls for mixing the dough then letting it rise before kneading. We were not sure why, so we did an experiment. We made both dough “exactly” the same (used weights and did at same time) and we kneaded before rising on the one, and after kneading on the other. There is a difference in taste, but it was minimal. However, most everyone voted that kneading after the dough rose tasted better.
This bread drys out quickly. Be sure to cool it and wrap in an airtight bag or tin foil. It freezes well and tastes great toasted.
Thimbleberries are a raspberry like berry that Dad introduced us to many years ago in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I will happily eat as many as I can find.
But, since we are rarely in the UP when they are ripe, Daddy often buys jars of jam for us to enjoy at home. We have only made jam once, but it was the best jam ever (memories make things a lot better don’t they?)
We went on vacation with my parents and they were showing us around where Daddy spent summers and fun places we used to visit when my siblings and I were younger. One day Mom and Dad took the kids up Brockway Mountain and while they were gone, Allan and I surprised my parents with fresh jam with berries we had picked.
Mom really likes Red River Cereal and wanted me to try it. I agree. It is very good! However, it takes awhile to cook, so we decided to look for muffin recipes that use it. After cooling the muffins, we freeze them for an easy breakfast. Just remember to pull early so they can thaw out.
This is Grandma Mable’s recipe that she sent to Uncle Tim with some modifications and comments that he and Oma made. While the recipe calls for an angel food cake pan, Uncle Tim only remembers Grandma making in loaf pans. So, that is the way I will make it too 🙂
Instead of using candy fruitcake mix, mix and match your favorite combination of dried fruits; such as apricots, cranberries, currants, golden raisins, candied ginger, orange peel and a few candied cherries.
I have no idea where Mom found this recipe years ago. I am pretty sure it was in a “how to Mom” type book. We rarely made chocolate chip cookies growing up, but we made these often. Usually we made them drop cookies, but bar style gets them done a lot faster! They are a dryer, crispier cookie, so add a little extra water if desired.
While you can use any type of cereal, corn flakes or rice cereal is the best. One day I made them for the family I was babysitting and used Cheerios. Dom informed me that I could put most anything I wanted into the cookies I made for them, but NEVER use Cheerios again 🙂
Use 1 cup of your favorite “fillings”. Growing up we usually used half unsweetened coconut flakes and chocolate chips. But mix and match with walnuts, pecans or other favorite nuts, raisins, craisins or dried cherries (or other dried fruit sliced in small pieces) and your favorite chocolate chips.
At a Christmas party this year, one of my children tried store bought egg nog. He was so disappointed that it was nothing like this recipe that Allan has been making us for years. He was sure to request that Daddy make some “real” egg nog soon.
I know that some people prefer alcohol in egg nog, but I think it is non essential! Using freshly grated nutmeg is the best, but use powder if that is what you have.
If you are concerned about eating raw eggs, either buy pasteurized eggs, or look online on how to make them yourself.
When we first started learning to make desserts, this is one of the first, and easiest truffles we learned. Have fun experimenting with your own variations!
I grew up on canned cranberry sauce. I was never fond of it even though I enjoy the tart taste of cranberries. Then one day, I discovered homemade cranberry sauce!
After much experimenting with different recipes, Andrea and I settled on this one as an easy favorite. Feel free to make it a few days early and store tightly covered until needed. We almost always double the recipe and rarely have leftovers.
Aunt Bonnie made us these cookies for the first time nine years ago. She told us that “if you break them into three pieces without talking, your wish comes true”. It has never been proven, since my kids can’t stop talking long enough to break a cookie into three pieces 🙂
This last weekend, we were able to buy a bunch of eggs on sale. Once I returned home, I realized that I already had a few dozen in the refrigerator. Not wanting to waste eggs, I asked Andrea to please make this recipe, twice.
When I was first given this recipe, by another para I worked with, I did not make it. I had been told that angel food cake was hard to make and finicky. A few years ago, Andrea and I started making it together. It is not a super hard recipe to make, but works best on dry days and when you have a little extra time to let it cool properly. Be sure not to get any yolk in with the egg whites and the pan you use is not greasy.
We almost always use an angel food pan for this recipe. If your pan does not have a removable bottom, line your pan’s bottom with parchment paper. We have also made this with a small lined bread pan with success.
This cake is good plain, for strawberry shortcake, with custard and with ice cream. It also freezes well if you have extra.
