Beardy

Category: Grandma’s Recipes

  • Sugar Plum Fruitcake

    Sugar Plum Fruitcake

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    Sugar Plum Fruitcake

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    Grandma made this fruitcake every Christmas. It’s amazing stuff. Not at all like the treacly sweet cakes available in stores.

    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups Oregon brand red tart cherries, well drained and checked for pits
    • 1 cup maraschino liqueur
    • 3 cups pitted dates, halved
    • 1 cup dried apricots, sliced thin
    • 1 cup dried prunes, sliced thin
    • 1 unpeeled medium orange, ground
    • ¼ cup sherry, port, rum, brandy, or sweet wine
    • 5 cups walnuts or pecans, left whole, toasted
    • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
    • 1½ cups sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
    • 6 eggs
    • Cheesecloth
    • Sweet wine

    Instructions

    • Bring the liqueur to a simmer, take off heat, and stir in the cherries
    • Cover and allow to cool overnight
    • The next day drain the cherries well and pat dry with a tea towel before using
    • Put cherries, dates, apricots, prunes, ground orange, and alcohol into a large mixing bowl, stir until combined
    • Cover and let stand overnight, stir occasionally
    • The next day add the nuts and stir until combined
    • In another bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice
    • Pour flour mixture over fruit mixture and stir with a large wooden spoon until combined
    • Beat eggs to ribbon stage, pour over mixture and mix with clean hands or a large wooden spoon
    • Grease 2 9½ by 5½ metal loaf pans
    • Divide the batter between the pans, press lightly into corners
    • Bake at 300 degrees for 1¾ to 2 hours
    • Allow to cool and remove from pans
    • Soak several layers of cheesecloth in wine and wrap each loaf individually
    • Place loaves in a covered container or large zipper bag and store in the refrigerator for at least three days
    • Best if allowed to return to room temperature before eating

    Notes

    Grandma says the loaves freeze well if left wrapped in the cheesecloth and placed in a zipper bag. She also mentions this recipe will fill five smaller loaf pans but doesn’t mention size or baking time.

  • Russian Tea

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    Russian Tea

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    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 1 3 ounce box apricot Jell-O
    • 2 cups orange Tang drink mix
    • 1 cup unsweetened instant Nestea
    • 1/2 cup sweetened lemonade mix
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon dry lemon peel

    Instructions

    • Whisk together ingredients until well combined
    • Store mix in an air-tight container until ready to serve
    • To serve measure 2 to 4 teaspoons into a cup
    • Add 8 ounces hot water and stir to dissolve mix
    • Additional sugar may be added to taste
  • Raisin Water Cake

    Raisin Water Cake

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    Raisin Water Cake with Boiled Frosting

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    Grandma made this cake for snacking and birthdays. For a while it was my cousin T’s favorite birthday cake. This cake is good with or without frosting.

    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 2 cups raisins
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1/2 cup chopped nuts

    Frosting

    • 1 3/4 cups sugar
    • 3/4 cup sour cream
    • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Instructions

    Cake

    • Preheat oven to 325º Fahrenheit
    • Grease and flour a 13 by 9 inch cake pan
    • Put raisins and water in a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes
    • Drain raisins and reserve 1 1/4 cups cooking liquid and allow to cool
    • In a large mixing bowl sift together baking soda, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
    • In another bowl whisk together raisin water, eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla
    • Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix together using a rubber spatula
    • Gently fold in raisins and nuts
    • Pour cake batter into prepared cake pan
    • Bake on center rack for 40 to 60 minutes, remove from oven when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean
    • Allow to cool completely before frosting

    Frosting

    • In saucepan combine sugar, sour cream, and light corn syrup
    • Boil until a candy thermometer reads 234º (soft ball stage)
    • Remove from stove and allow to cool completely
    • Once cool add vanilla and beat with a hand mixer until the frosting is a thick and spreadable consistency
  • Cranberry Fluff

    Cranberry Fluff

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    Cranberry Fluff

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    Grandma would make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups fresh cranberries, ground
    • 4 cups miniature marshmallows
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 3 cups apple, unpeeled and diced
    • 1/2 cup grapes, cut in half lengthwise
    • 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

    Instructions

    • Combine cranberries, marshmallows, and sugar.
    • Stir well, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
    • Add apples, grapes, salt, and the toasted nuts.
    • Gently fold in whipped cream until well combined.
  • Potato Salad without Potatoes

    Potato Salad without Potatoes

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    Potato Salad without Potatoes

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    Having been through the Great Depression and World War II, Grandma was an expert at turning almost anything into a delicious and filling meal. Grandma and Grandpa loved clever and thrifty recipes like this Mock Potato Salad.

    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces saltine crackers (2 sleeves from a 16 ounce box)
    • 1/2 cup celery, small chop
    • 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
    • 1/2 cup sweet pickles, small chop
    • 1/2 cup dill pickles, small chop
    • 1/2 cup black olives, small chop
    • 1/2 cup green olives with pimentos, small chop
    • 6 hard-boiled eggs, small chop
    • Hot sauce to taste (optional)
    • Miracle Whip

    Instructions

    • Crumble crackers and mix with celery, onion, pickles, olives, hard-boiled eggs, and hot sauce
    • Add salad dressing to the desired consistency
    • Cover and chill for 1 hour or overnight
    • If served the next day more salad dressing may be added if needed

  • Cooked Salad Dressing

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    Cooked Salad Dressing

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    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 cup vinegar
    • 1/2 cup water
    • dash salt

    Instructions

    • In a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive saucepan melt butter over low heat
    • Into the melted butter whisk flour, mustard, sugar, egg, vinegar, and water
    • Using a wooden spoon stir constantly and gently until thick and smooth with a consistency like cream, don’t boil
    • Remove from heat and let cool
    • Salt to taste
    • Dressing will thicken as it cools

  • Slow Cooker Sweet And Sour Baked Beans

    Slow Cooker Sweet And Sour Baked Beans

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    Slow Cooker Sweet And Sour Baked Beans

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    Mom made this side dish on special occasions: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July. It is delicious and brings back memories of all those special meals with my family.

    • Author: Marc Williams

    Ingredients

    • 8 slices bacon, fried crisp, crumbled
    • 4 large yellow onions, chopped
    • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
    • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup white vinegar
    • 4 cups canned large lima beans or butter beans, drained
    • 2 cups canned red kidney beans, drained
    • 2 cups canned small baby lima beans, drained
    • 1 28 ounce can New England style baked beans

    Instructions

    • Fry bacon until crisp, allow to cool, crumble
    • In a large skillet add onion, sugar, mustard, garlic powder and salt
    • Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
    • In the slow cooker add bacon, onion mixture, and beans
    • Mix well using a wooden spoon
    • Cover and simmer in slow cooker for 90 minutes to 2 hours

  • Similar To KFC Coleslaw

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    Similar To KFC Coleslaw

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    Every summer I would spend a few weeks with my grandparents. One summer in the mid-80s Grandma came up with this coleslaw recipe. She worked on it until the family agreed it was better than the inspiration. It became a favorite at summer gatherings.

    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 1 head cabbage, 1½ to 2 pounds, finely shredded
    • ¼ cup finely diced carrot
    • 2 tablespoons finely diced white onion
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup Miracle Whip
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 3 tablespoons white vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl toss cabbage, carrot, onion, sugar and salt
    • Set aside
    • In a small bowl whisk together Miracle Whip, sour cream, white vinegar and vegetable oil until well combined
    • Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss until well coated
    • Cover and chill for at least one hour

  • Grandma’s Chocolate Pudding

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    Grandma’s Chocolate Pudding

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    I loved Grandma’s chocolate pudding more than anything. It’s such a simple recipe. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t made it in years. Grandma always served it with a bit of cream poured over the top and sliced banana if she had one in the kitchen.

    She wrote down six tablespoons of sugar but only used four. Grandma usually reduced the sugar in her recipes because she worried it would cause Diabetes (it doesn’t). I use four because it wouldn’t taste the same with six.

    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons cocoa
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 4 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 cups milk
    • pinch salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Instructions

    • Fill bottom of double boiler with water making sure the water won’t touch the top half
    • Over medium heat bring water to simmer, if the water boils turn the heat down
    • Whisk together cocoa, cornstarch and sugar in the top of a double boiler
    • Whisk in milk
    • Set the top over the simmering water
    • Stir constantly with wooden spoon or rubber scraper until thickened
    • Take off heat and stir in salt and vanilla
    • Pour into serving bowl
    • Cover with plastic wrap, press onto surface of pudding to avoid a skin forming (or just cover if you like the skin)
    • Serve warm with cream and sliced bananas

  • Banana Cake

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    Banana Cake

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    • Author: Doris DuPre

    Ingredients

    • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
    • 5 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 4 eggs
    • 1 cup oil
    • 2 cups bananas, mashed
    • 1 cup mincemeat
    • 1/2 cup apple, chopped

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9” round cake pans and line with parchment.
    • Sift together flour, soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl.
    • Whisk eggs and oil in a small bowl. Fold in bananas, mincemeat, and apple with a rubber spatula.
    • Add wet ingredients to dry and fold together until combined.
    • Divide equally into prepared cake pans. Gently tap on the sides of the pan to release air bubbles.
    • Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

    Notes

    A 9 ounce package of None Such® Condensed Mincemeat may be used if homemade is unavailable.