Wheat Germ Griddle Cakes

Better than pancakes, these are light and fluffy. We serve them with applesauce, fruit compote, or the traditional maple syrup. We often have these for dinner when we find the fridge is empty. (Serves 4 - 6 for a light lunch. We usually double this for a dinner meal.)

1 ½ cup wheat germ
1 ¼ cup white flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
1/8 tsp mace

2 ¼ cups milk
3 eggs
6 Tbsp oil (90 ml)
½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Optional:
1 cup blueberries or
2 apples, peeled and chopped

Combine and beat wet ingredients.
Add to blended dry ingredients and mix.
Bake on a hot griddle, turning once.

Bruce’s Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream together:
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

In a small bowl, mix:
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted & cooled

In a large bowl, sift together:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 cups rolled oats

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.
Add 1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 13 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Bruce created this recipe by merging two recipes from the 1983 Tenth Anniversary Cookbook of Unit 6 United Church Women.

St. George's Fondant-Filled Easter Eggs

This is the recipe for the chocolate-coated Easter Eggs which were made and sold each year as a fund-raiser by the women of St. George's Anglican Church in Lennoxville. Each egg flavor was decorated with a different frosting design to tell the flavors apart. In the eighties, the women made in excess of 500 eggs each year and they sold out quickly.

Mix together and knead:
3 lbs icing sugar
2/3 can condensed milk
½ lb butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
½ tsp salt

plus your choice of any one of the following flavourings:

Chocolate: 1 ½ tsp vanilla + ½ Tbsp cocoa powder

Cherry: ½ cup chopped drained cherries + ½ cup milk

Maple walnut: 1 ½ tsp maple flavour + ½ cup chopped walnuts

Coconut: 1 ½ tsp coconut flavour + ½ cup coconut

Peanut butter: 1 cup peanut butter + 2 Tbsp corn syrup

Form into half-eggs (flat one side, about 4" x 2" x 1.5"), dip into melted semi-sweet chocolate, let cool on baking paper. Decorate with icing if desired.

Maple Nut Apple Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup grated apple (2 medium)
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup plain yoghurt
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp oil
1 ¼ cup flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In bowl, combine oats, apple, syrup, yoghurt, egg and oil.

In another bowl, combine balance of dry ingredients. Stir liquid ingredients into flour mixture until just combined. Spoon batter into 12 large paper-lined muffin cups.

Bake 400° for about 20 minutes. Makes 12-15 muffins.

Morning Glory Muffins

Into a large bowl, mix:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ cups white sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt

Stir in:
2 cups grated carrot
½ cup raisins
½ cup nuts
½ cup coconut
1 apple, peeled, cored and grated

In bowl, beat:
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla

Stir into flour mixture until batter is just combined. Spoon into well-greased muffin cups, filling to the top.

Bake 350° for 20 minutes. Makes about 14 large muffins.

Banana-Oatmeal Muffins

combine and set aside:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk

In a large bowl, combine:
2 cups flour
½ cup white sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

To soaked oats mixture, add:
½ cup margarine, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups mashed bananas (4-5 medium)

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix only until the flour is moistened. Fill greased muffin cups and bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

Basic Muffin Batter

To this batter, you can add anything you have on hand: chocolate chips, fruit, berries, nuts, etc.

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup milk
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
1 egg

Stir together dry ingredients.

Mix melted butter, beaten egg and milk. Add liquid ingredients to dry, stirring only to moisten.

Bake 375° for 15-20 minutes.
Yields 8 medium muffins.

(Most of Mom’s more recent muffin recipes came from Muffin Mania, (c) 1982 by Cathy Prange and Joan Pauli.)

Date Squares

3 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 lb dates

Dice dates and add water. Cook until tender. Add brown sugar and cook until thick.

Mix together first 6 ingredients. Put one-half of oat mixture in greased 12x8 inch pan. Press down. Spread with date filling. Top with remaining oat mixture and press down. Bake 30-40 minutes at 325°. Cut in squares while warm. Cool in pan.

Apple Sauce Raisin Squares

1 egg, beaten
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup plain yogurt
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon rind

Mix above ingredients. In another bowl, stir together:
½ cup raisins
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup natural bran
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg

Add to wet ingredients and mix only until combined. Turn into lightly greased 8” or 2 litre square cake pan.

Lightly press: 1/3 cup sliced almonds into top of batter. Bake in 350° oven for 45 minutes. Let cool, then cut into 25 squares.

Bruce’s Rum Balls

1 box (275 g) Girl Guide Cookies (the traditional cream-filled biscuits of vanilla and chocolate. You can substitute the same volume of similar cookies if you wish.)
¼ cup cocoa
1 cup icing sugar (because they are not sweet enough on their own)
½ cup corn syrup (as above)
2 Tbsp rum (Mom puts in less than this; Bruce triples it. This recipe is very flexible)

Crush cookies and mix with cocoa and icing sugar. Add syrup and rum. Form into balls. Roll in additional icing sugar if desired.

Store in an airtight container in the cold room in the basement until Christmas.

Lemon Glacés

Base:
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup margarine

Mix and pack into 8” x 8” pan. Bake at 350° for 15 – 20 minutes (not until browned).

Topping:
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup coconut
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
pinch salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract

Mix and place on top of base. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Frosting:
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup icing sugar

Mix frosting ingredients. Frost when hot from oven. Cool, and cut into about 36 small squares.

Chocodiles

Base:
1 ¼ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
1/3 cup peanut butter; crunchy
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 ¼ cups flour; all purpose
½ teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 cup chocolate chips; semisweet
½ cup peanut butter; crunchy
1 ½ cups corn flakes, crushed (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, combine all cookie ingredients except flour and salt; blend well. Stir in flour and salt; mix well.

Press dough into ungreased square cake pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes till lightly golden brown. Cool slightly.

For Topping: In medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips over low heat. Stir in peanut butter and corn flakes. Spread over slightly cooled base. Cool slightly and cut into bars.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup soft margarine
½ cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup sour milk or cream
2 cups shredded zucchini, seeded
1 ½ cup flour
4 Tbsp cocoa
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Chocolate chips

Cream margarine, add oil & sugar. Add beaten eggs, vanilla & sour milk / cream. Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Put into 9” x 13” pan. Top with chocolate chips. Bake at 325° for 40 – 50 minutes.

Moist and light, this recipe is especially good for using up those unfortunate torpedo-sized zucchini which kind of get away on you.

Snicker Doodles

2 ¾ white flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup shortening
1 ½ + ¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients. Form into balls and roll balls in:

¼ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon.

Place on ungreased baking sheet about two inches apart. Bake 12-15 minutes at 375°

Store in decorative tins in the cold room until Christmas.

Secrets

½ cup shortening
½ cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (well beaten)
2 pkg. crushed graham cookies/crackers
24 cut up marshmallows
4 Tbsp coconut
4 Tbsp nuts
1 tsp vanilla

Stir all ingredients together and pack in dish. Keep cool.

Apple Crisp

5-10 medium apples, cut up in medium slices or pieces. Sprinkle with topping:

¼ cup flour
¼ cup oatmeal
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup margarine

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°. For a crisper top, broil for a few minutes once cooked through.

Julie Steadman's Welsh Cakes

3 cups white flour
1 cup sugar
5 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
2 eggs (well beaten)

Sift dry ingredients, cut in shortening. Add raisins and eggs. Knead together. Roll out (about 1 cm thick) and cut with round cookie cutter. Cook on hot griddle or electric frying pan (350°). Sprinkle with icing sugar if desired)

This recipe was originally from Julie Steadman.

Orange Scones

2 2/3 cups white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
½ cup margarine
1 Tbsp orange rind
½ cup raisins/currants
3 Tbsp vinegar
¾ cup orange juice or part water
1 egg

Combine all dry ingredients, cut and mix in margarine. Add all wet ingredients. Roll out and cut in rectangles or small circles. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in 425° oven for 15 minutes. Best served warm.

Nancy Foerstal’s Hot Cross Buns

It was such a treat having Nancy live across the street from us when I was growing up! She did catering from her house and was well known locally for her delicious treats. Each Easter, a tray of these wonderful hot cross buns would arrive at our back door, her gift to us. They are obviously quite a bit of work, but they're worth it. Thanks for the memories, Nancy!

1 ½ cups milk
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 tsp salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 to 5 ½ cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ cup currants
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk

Scald 1 ½ cups milk; stir in ½ cup brown sugar, butter and salt. Cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle the yeast into warm water in a large warm bowl. Stir until dissolved. Add 1 Tbsp each of brown and white sugars. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add lukewarm milk mixture and the two beaten eggs.

Sift 3 cups flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add to the mixing bowl and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes. Toss the currants with ½ cup flour and stir into the dough. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a large greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board. Divide in half; cut each half into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth round ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet about two inches apart. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush tops of buns with 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp of milk. Bake 20 minutes or until done. After 10 minutes of baking, cover the buns with aluminium foil if they are browning too fast. Decorate each bun with a cross of sugar frosting, below. Makes 24 buns.

Nancy’s Sugar Frosting

1 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 to 2 Tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla

Combine the sugar, butter, vanilla and add the milk until frosting reaches the desired spreading consistency.

Zucchini Pickles

1 gallon zucchini
8 small onion
2 green pepper
2 red pepper
½ cup salt
1 quart crushed ice

Chop and combine. Let sit for 3 hours or more. Drain.

5 cups sugar
1 ½ tsp turmeric
½ ground clove
2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed
5 cups white vinegar
1 tsp pickling spice

Combine and boil. Add drained vegetables, boil until tender. Seal.

Bread & Onion Stuffing

1 ½ cup butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tsp poultry seasoning
3 quarts day-old bread, cubed
1 ½ cup hot water or bouillon

Melt ¼ cup butter in skillet, add onion, sauté until yellow, not brown. Add remaining butter and seasonings.

Add half of bread, cook 4 minutes stirring constantly. Combine with rest of bread cubes in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle water/bullion over mixture, tossing until well blended. Pile lightly into poultry.

(Shape remaining into balls, bake 20 minutes.) Makes enough to fill a 12 lb turkey and 10 balls.

Everyday Meat Loaf

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup milk
1 ½ lbs hamburger
2 beaten eggs
¼ cup grated onion
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sage
dash pepper

Soak bread crumbs in milk; add meat, eggs, etc. Mix well. Form in loaf pan. Cover with piquant sauce, below. Bake 350° for 45-60 minutes.

Piquant Sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dry mustard

Tourtière

Ground beef and/or ground pork and/or ground turkey, about 1 to 1½ lbs in total
1 onion, chopped
½ cup cooked rice or bread crumbs
salt and pepper
chopped celery leaves
allspice, sage, savoury, parsley and marjoram

Cook ground beef, pork or turkey (1 or all 3) with onion until done. Drain. Add up to ¾ cup boiling water. Add spices. Cover and cook for ½ hour. Stir in cooked rice or breadcrumbs (or both). Place all in uncooked pie crust and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°.

Cranberry Juice

8 cups cranberries (washed, picked over)
18 cups water (less if you wish)
¼ cup lemon juice
3 cups sugar

Cook, mash and strain first three ingredients. Add sugar to juice. Bring to boil. Put in sterilized jars and seal.

Onion Soup

3 Tbsp butter
5 onions (sliced or chopped)
2 Tbsp cognac or brandy
8 cups water
6 Tbsp beef Bovril
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Sauté onions in butter. Add remaining ingredients and heat to boiling. Let simmer until tender. Garnish bowls with bread crumbs and cheddar cheese and broil immediately prior to serving.

Bulgur Wheat Chilli

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup onions
2/3 cup bulgur wheat

Sauté onions in oil then add bulgur wheat. Sauté until slightly toasted.
Add 1½ cup water, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add:

1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups kidney beans
1 Tbsp chilli powder
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
salt & pepper to taste

Heat to serving temperature and add grated cheddar and parmesan to garnish.

Cabbage Stir-fry

When Mom first got a microwave, she took a course in how to cook with it. She received many mimeographed recipes as part of the course, including this one.

1 small or ½ large cabbage
2 or 3 carrots
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/3 – ½ cup margarine

Chop cabbage and grate carrots or prepare in food processor. Put in microwavable dish, add poppy seeds and margarine. Cover and cook on high for 7 minutes. Stir well and microwave for 6 more minutes. Serve hot. (Original recipe calls for cubed ham)

Tomato Aspic

When this recipe was published by Mom in the United Church Unit 6 Cook Book in 1983, it was titled “Jellied Tomato-Vegetable Ring.”

3 ½ cups tomato juice
1 pkg. tomato-vegetable soup mix
2 pkg. lemon Jell-o (small)
1 Tbsp vinegar
ground pepper
1 ½ cup chopped celery and/or cucumber and/or green peas

Heat tomato juice and then add soup mix. Simmer 5-7 minutes. Add lemon Jell-o and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and add vinegar and ground pepper to taste. Let partially set and then add chopped celery or cucumber or green peas or a combination of the above. Put in mould and let set in refrigerator. Turn onto a serving plate to serve.

Green Tomato Relish

We make this recipe about once every two years - its great on hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc.

24 green tomatoes
6 large onions
1/3 cup salt

Chop (smaller is better) and combine for 12 hours. Rinse with cold water and drain.

18 apples
4 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients with tomatoes, etc. Cook 1 hour until tender.

Put in scalded jars and seal. Makes about 6 litres.

Doris Eryou’s Excellent Squares

Benjamin fell in love with these squares at the Green Ridge Baptist Church Christmas dinner earlier this month and asked Doris for the recipe:

½ cup water
1 cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp ginger
2 tsp cloves
¼ cup margarine (softened)
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

Combine sugar, spices, syrup and water in pan bring to a boil; pour over margarine in mixing bowl, stir until cool.

Mix flour, baking soda , and gradually mix into syrup mixture. Wrap airtight in bag, put in fridge overnight. Divide dough into six pieces and roll and cut into shapes.

Bake at 375° for 6 to 7 minutes.