Dessert

Aunt Bess' English Toffee

1 lb sugar (2 1/2 cups)
1 lb butter
2 6 oz packages of chocolate chips
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 cup walnuts, chopped fine

Cook butter and sugar in a heavy saucepan stirring constantly. Use moderate heat and never leave it during cooking. Cook until it stops foaming up and settles a bit. It should look satiny and a caramel color (300 degrees on a candy thermometer.)
Remove from heat; stir in ground almonds and spread over a 12" x 18" cookie sheet. Cool.
Melt 6 oz of chocolate chips in a double boiler. Spread on one side of cooled candy.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the walnuts on top. Cool until chocolate is thoroughly set.
Turn the candy over. Melt the other 6 oz of chocolate chips. Spread on candy and sprinkle on walnuts.

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake*

2 large eggs
2/3 cup salad oil
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp soda
1 cup grated carrots (finely grated carrots blend better; coarsely grated provide a bit more texture)

Stir together the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and carrots.
Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir just until blended.
Pour into a greased 8"x 8" square baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan.
When it's cool frost it with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 oz cream cheese (1/2 of a 3 oz bar)
1/4 cup butter or oleo, softened
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together the cream cheese and butter (don't use oleo!)
Add in the orange peel and vanilla; stir thoroughly.
Add in the powdered sugar, a 1/2 cup at a time. You may need a little more or a little less as you approach the 2 cup mark. Check the consistency often. If you add too much, dribble in some milk.
Frost your cake!
Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts, or a bit of grated orange peel.

Popcorn Balls

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
extra butter for hands
1 package popcorn. Use a type that doesn't have butter or flavorings added.

To store the popcorn balls, you'll need the following:
10-15 pieces of saran wrap torn into 12" squares. If you use this approach it's best to do it one or two squares at a time, or they stick together and drive you crazy. You'll also need some string or ribbon to tie the wrap as you go.
OR for a faster though not as pretty approach, use sandwich bags that seal and hold them open as the "popcorn crew" drops the balls in the bags.

Pop the popcorn. Pour into a large bowl, or two. Remove any unpopped kernals.
Prepare the sauce: Combine the butter, corn syrup and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Cook about 7 minutes at a medium low heat.
Let sauce mixture cool for 10 minutes.
Pour sauce over popcorn, stirring to try to cover most of the kernals.
Allow the mixture to cool. Check it at the bottom of the bowl. Stir it up to make sure there is consistent cooling.
Assign someone (in our household, kids formed the popcorn balls, adults handled logistics) to wrap the balls as they're prepared by the popcorn ball crew.
Popcorn ball crew: Grab a couple teaspoons worth of soft butter and spread it on the palms of your hands. You will probably need to recoat your hands during this process. Form the popcorn into a nice size ball, pressing it together gently, but firmly. Hand off to the wrapping crew.

Grandma Jean's Pie Crust

3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cold water
1 egg, beaten

Mix flour and salt.
Cut butter into flour mixture.
Add lemon juice, water and egg. Continue to cut into mixture. Knead mixture to finish mixing. If too dry add a tsp of water at a time until it feels right.
Roll out on a floured board. Makes 3 pie crusts.
For recipes that require a pre-baked pie crust, bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes.

I stopped using shortening and switched to butter several years ago. Unless you have access to bear lard, butter is my preference. I also did a no-salt in anything stint for a while. It really isn't the best way to bake, as salt makes things happen in the baking process, besides making things taste good.

Chewy Fudge Bars

15 graham crackers
1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
1 7 oz package chocolate chips
1/2 c walnuts

Crush graham crackers very fine. (See note below.)
Add everything together and mix .
Backe in a 8x8 greased baking disch at 350 degrees about 30 minutes.
Let cool about 5 minutes, then cut and remove from the pan.

This is an old recipe. I have found that the graham crackers we buy now are smaller than they used to be, so I always end up adding a 2 more.

Walnut Pie

4 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

Combine butter, sugars, and salt.
Beat eggs in separate bowl and add; mix well
Stir in milk, corn syrup, vanilla and nuts.
Pour into pastry shell.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or til knife inserted off-center comes out clean.

Cocoa Fudge Frosting

1/ cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 lb powdered sugar (3 2/3 cups)
1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add cocoa; stir until blended and no lumps. Remove from heat.
Add alternately powdered sugar and milk. May need a bit more milk (if seems too dry) or more sugar if too wet)
Blend in vanilla.
Spread while warm.

Little Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour

Add in one of the following:
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar.
Stir in egg yolk, lemon peel, and vanilla.
Add flour a cup at a time and blend after each addition. You may need to work all the flour in with your hands.
Add in walnuts or chocolate chips, or use your imagination.
Separate dough into thirds. With your hands, roll each portion into 1 1/4 inch rolls, about 8 inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
When you are ready for a batch of cookies, remove from freezer and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees, about 12 minutes.

Apple Oatmeal Bars

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter

2 1/2 cups sliced apples, about 4 apples
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar

Combine flour, salt, soda, and brown sugar in a bowl.
Cut in butter, until mixture is pebbly.
Spread 1/2 of this mixture in the bottom of a 7x11 inch greased baking dish. Pack down gently.
Combine sliced apples, butter and sugar together.
Spread apple mixture on flour mixture in baking dish.
Spread remaining flour mixture on top of apple mixture. Press down gently to ensure solid contact.

The Best Cheesecake Ever

Cheesecake Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup softened butter (that's 1/2 a cube)

Cheesecake Filling:
5 packages of cream cheese (8 oz size) softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 tsp vanilla
5 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Crust:

Combine flour, sugar, lemon peel, and vanilla.
Make a well in flour mixture. Place yolk and butter in center. Blend all together with fork. You may need to use your hands to mix it thoroughly.
Remove sides and grease the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. (Needs to be a springform pan with at least 3 inch sides.)
Roll dough into a ball. Place in center of pan bottom. Place a piece of wax paper on top of the dough and roll out to cover the bottom of the pan.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Attach sides to bottom.

Cheesecake Filling:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Blend cream cheese until creamy.
Blend in sugar, flour, lemon and orange peel, and vanilla.
Blend at high speed to make sure there are no lumps.
Add eggs and yolks one at a time, blending after each addition.
Beat in cream.
Pour into springform pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 250 degrees.
Continue baking for 1 more hour.

I found this recipe in a magazine in 1975. I make this cheesecake at least once a year with a few modifications every year. It is important to use the right kind of cream cheese. I've tried the low fat kind; the inexpensive kind; and the low-fat, inexpensive kind. I always come back to Philadelphia cream cheese as the brand that blends the best.