Spritz

The memories embedded in these little tree-shaped cookies make them so dear to my heart.  My mom used to make these every Christmas and they were such a treat.  I remember sitting down to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (back before it was on DVD) and eating these cookies.  It just didn't feel like Christmas until I popped the first spritz cookie into my mouth.

I took on making these cookies myself probably when I was about sixteen.  I used a cookie press with a twist top to extract the cookies.  A couple years later I got a cookie press with a trigger mechanism that uniformly extracted the cookies with a single click.  My cookie production increased dramatically with that in my arsenal.

I still make these cookies every year for Christmas and Ari has become quite the fan.  He even declared it his favorite cookie this year, much to my delight.  He also is strong enough this year to pull the trigger on the cookie press so he was able to help this year. 

Christmas is the only time of year I make spritz cookies, and I think I have only used one other shape besides the tree in my cookie press.  They just carry such a strong connotation to Christmas for me, I have a hard time making them for anything else.

Spritz

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

5 or 6 drops of green food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat butter and sugar until combines.  Add sugar and baking powder.  Beat in egg, almond extract, vanilla extract.  Add the flour and food coloring and mix until thoroughly integrated.

Place the dough into a cookie press and extract cookies into an ungreased cookie sheet.   Bake for 8 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

Snickerdoodles

I tend to make snickerdoodles during the holidays.  I don't know if they are a traditional holiday cookie, but they are easy to make and one batch of dough makes a lot of cookies.  Since we like to give boxes of cookies to our friends and family, these little beauties are a perfect fit.

Snickerdoodles pack a punch in flavor, too.  They are not too sweet, and the cinnamon adds just the right amount of spice.  They have a chewy texture and have just the right amount of crisp around the edges when baked right.

This is another recipe that may have found it's way into our family through the St. Joan of Arc recipe book.  Complete with annotations, this recipe looks like it has had a lot of use.

There was also a typed recipe card in the recipes I sorted through.  This card doesn't take into account the annotations and calls for the cookies to be bakes in a 400 degree oven for 7 minutes.

I have found the cookies bake best at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  I also use butter instead of shortening and the cookies turn out just fine. 

Snickerdoodles

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter or shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon and sugar to coat

Directions

Mix thoroughly butter or shortening, sugar and eggs.  Sift together and stir in dry ingrdients.  Roll into ball the size of small walnuts.  Roll in mixture of:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake until lightly browned, but still soft.  Cookies puff up, then flatten out.  Bake 8 minutes in 375 degree oven.  Makes about 5 dozen.

Buttermilk Pie

I know here in Hoosier country sugar cream pie reigns supreme, but this buttermilk pie sure gives it a run for its money.  Smooth, rich, creamy, a little tart, and not too sweet, buttermilk pie does not disappoint.  My Grandma Ruth made this pie when I was a child, though I do not remember it.  The recipe has been in the family for years, and I am so glad to have it now.

My grandma gave it too me when I asked her if she had a good sugar cream pie recipe.  When I asked her, she scoffed a little and told me about her buttermilk pie.  Intrigued, I asked her if I could have it.  She gladly wrote it down, and I soon discovered a new favorite pie.

This pie is super easy to make.  I have modified the ingredient amounts a little to to account for one pie.  Other than that, I haven't changed a thing; nor do I need to. 

Buttermilk Pie

Printable Recipe

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 stick melted butter

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix everything above real good with electric mixer.  Pour filling into an unbaked 9.5 inch pie shell.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, them 300 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool completely before serving.

Marbled Squares

Mmm.  Mmm.  Good.  As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it.  Chocolate chip cookies are a favorite in our house, and this variation sounded too good to pass up.  It apparently was an old family favorite, too, since Nonna submitted it to the Saint Joan of Arc recipe book.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find the date the book was published.  I did find a newspaper clipping taped into the book from 1966, and all the advertisers still used "GL" in their phone numbers. 

I found a few different versions of this recipe.  The recipe book submission (above) had a number of annotations and double amounts of the ingredients written in pencil (notice the dash next to the salt - omitted!). 

I also found a typed recipe card with the doubled ingredients and baking in two eight inch and nine inch square pans instead of nine by thirteen.

Seeing these different versions, I began to wonder where this recipe originated.  Flipping through the Saint Joan of Arc recipe book, taped to the very last page was a Nestle chocolate chip package.

As I examined the package, I saw 'Toll House Marble Squares" in the bottom right corner.  The instructions are as follows:

Prepare dough for 1/2 of Original Toll House Cookies but do not add chocolate morsels.  Spread dough in a greased 13" x 9" x 2" pan.  Sprinkle 1/2 a 12-oz. Jumbo pkg. (1 c.) NESTLE'S SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE MORSELS over top.  Place in 375 degree F. oven for 1 min.  Remove from oven and run knife through batter to marbleize.  Return to oven and continue to bake.  BAKE at 375 degrees F. 

TIME:  12 to 14 mins.  Cool.  Cut in 2" squares.

It was fun to track down the origin of this recipe, and they are delicious, indeed.  The middle pieces are much like a whole cookie make out of the gooey chewy middle of a traditional chocolate chip cookie.  Yum!

Marbled Squares

Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon water

1 egg

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sift together flour, baking soda, salt; set aside.  Blend butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and water until creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Add flour mixture; mix well.  Spread dough in a greased 13 x 9. pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over top.  Place in oven for 1 min.  Remove from oven and run knife through batter to marbleize.  Return to oven and continue to bake.  Bake for 12 to 14 mins.  Cool.  Cut into 24 squares.

On the omission of salt...

Thanks to my wonderful family, I have amassed a large number of handwritten recipes passed down from generation to generation.  I requested these recipes so I could scan them into my computer in order to preserve their image and share with any and all who may want them.  Three hundred scans later, my project is now complete (until I get more recipes) and I look forward to trying these recipes and sharing the results with you; along with an image of the recipe card, of course. 

In collecting these recipes, there were, in some instances, many versions of the same recipe.  Be it in card form, book form, newspaper clipping, or direct from a package label, it was fun to see the origin and evolution of a recipe as it was transcribed time and time again.  Some recipes were doubled, some had an ingredient tweaked here and there, some were modified drastically, but there was one constant throughout all recipes that were transcribed by Nonna from the original source.  All were written with the omission of salt or with the annotation of "(optional)" after the ingredient.

This was quite intriguing to me, as I often wondered why salt was not included in the ingredients list in most of the family recipes I already had.  More often than not, I found myself adding a little salt to round out the flavor, since that is how I am used to cooking.  I was curious to know if most sweets did not call for salt back when these recipes were printed or if Nonna made a conscious effort to exclude the ingredient when she copied the recipe to the card.  I now have my answer.

I am now curious to know why she excluded salt.  If anyone has any insights, please post away in the comment section.  Stay tuned for more recipes!

Zucchini Casserole

I remember following Grandpa into the backyard where a lush green vine climbed the fence and sprawled into the grass.  He would rummage through the leaves and pull out a brilliant green zucchini.  It was like magic.  I always hoped he would take it in for Nonna to make some zucchini bread.  More often than not, though, when Grandpa brought in a zucchini, he was going to make zucchini casserole.

As a kid, I didn't care for zucchini casserole.  However, when I saw the recipe as I was perusing through Nonna and Grandpa's recipe cards, I knew I had to try it again.  With an abundant supply of zucchini at the market, it was the perfect time to make this casserole.

The recipe is quite straightforward and easy to prepare.  The only modification I made was to the cream of chicken soup ingredient.  Instead of using the cream of chicken soup, I made a roux with about two tablespoons of butter and three or four tablespoons of flour.  I then added a cup of chicken stock to the roux, added a little salt and pepper brought the mixture to a boil.  I cooked it until thick, and I had a simply made substitute to the store bought variety.

I followed the rest of the recipe as written, and it was ready to bake in no time.  With the herb stuffing and creamy consistency, the casserole reminded me a lot of something I would serve on Thanksgiving or in the fall.  It is very good, though, and the zucchini adds a nice freshness and a vibrant green color to the dish.  I am thinking about serving it on Thanksgiving in lieu of a traditional stuffing dish, as long as I can find good looking zucchini.

I didn't know what I was missing as a kid, but I am glad I have rediscovered this casserole.  I will not hesitate to use my zucchinis for this dish instead of zucchini bread.  I am sure it will become a staple at our table during the abundant summer zucchini season, just as it was at Nonna and Grandpa's.

Zucchini Casserole

Printable Recipe

2 lbs. zucchini, sliced

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded carrot

8 oz. herb stuffing mix

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saucepan, cook zucchini, and chopped onion in boiling water (salted) about 5 minutes.  Drain.  Combine soup and sour cream.  Stir in shredded carrots.  Fold in drained zucchini and onion mix. 

Combine stuffing mix and butter and spread this mixture in the bottom of 12 x 9 baking dish.  Spoon vegetable mixture on top.  Then sprinkle remaining stuffing mixture on that.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until brown.

Print those recipes!

I am pleased to announce that the recipes posted here on Family Tree-Eats are now available in a printer friendly format.  With each recipe posted, there is now a "Printable Recipe" link that will take you to a page formatted specifically for printing.  Now it is that much easier to make Family Tree-Eats recipes part of your own collection.  Happy printing everybody!

Nonna's German Sweet Chocolate Brownies

Taken from latent chestnut:

The brownies were a cinch to prepare and filled the house with the sweet smell of chocolate as they were baking.  Waiting for them to cool was an act of patience I don't soon want to repeat, but I stayed strong.  My patience was rewarded as soon as I tried one.  Still a bit warm from the oven, the brownie was rich, dense, chocolaty, sweet and chewy.  My idea of a darn good brownie.  I have posted the recipe below.  The original recipe calls for margarine, but I substituted butter without any issues.  I also omitted nuts from mine.  We're a nutless brownie kind of group in my house.  I also chose not to put icing on the brownies this time, though I'm sure it would be delicious!

German Sweet Chocolate Brownies
Printable Recipe

Makes 16
1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate
1/4 C (1/2 Stick) margarine
3/4 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
1/2 C Flour
1/2 C coarsely chopped Nuts

Melt chocolate and margarine in a 2-quart saucepan over very low heat; stir constantly until just melted. Remove from heat. Stir sugar into melted chocolate. Stir in eggs and vanilla until completely mixed. Mix in flour until well-blended. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased 8-inch square pan. Bake 350 degrees – 25 min. (DO NOT OVERBAKE) Cool in pan. Cut in squares.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
If you wish icing -
Over low heat melt 4 (1 oz.) squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate with 1/4 C (1/2 Stick) margarine. Stirring constantly until just melted. Spread over Brownies. Chill. Cut into squares.

Amaretti

Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, these amaretti are a real treat.  The almond flavor is wonderful in these macaroons as well.  A delicate and delightful little cookie.

In order to make them, I had to do some deciphering in order to put together the finished product.  On the recipe card, it calls for "1/4 shelled blanched almonds", and I didn't know what measurement to use for the "1/4".  Since it calls for 1/2 pound of sugar, I decided to use 1/4 of almonds.  That measurement made the most sense to me. 

The next hurdle was the oven temperature.  Since the recipe states to bake the amaretti in a moderate oven, I chose to bake them at 350 degrees.  The recipes also says that they will bake in 5 minutes, which was not long enough for this batch.  I ended up baking them for about 15 or 20 minutes until they were light brown.

The amaretti turned out well.  I have never had them before, so I did not have a point of reference as to what they should be like.  I think this is a recipe that I will have to play around with before I find the perfect way to make them.  The flavor was wonderful, so I will revisit these again.  If anyone has any suggestions or knows the correct measurements and baking temperature, I would love to know!

Amaretti   (Macaroons)

Printable Recipe

Makes about 1 doz.

1/2 lb. Sugar

1/4 shelled blanched Almonds

1/4 t Almond extract

2 egg whites

Chop and pulverize almonds; mix thoroughly with half of sugar and extract.

Beat egg whites until very stiff.  Add balance of sugar; beat again.  Add almond mixture; mix thoroughly.  Shape into balls or cookies about 2 inches in diameter.  Place on greased cookie pan about 1 inch apart.  Bake in moderate oven about 5 min. or until light brown.

Funghi Imbottite

I love mushrooms, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make these funghi imbottite.  Although this was in the stack of family recipes Aunt Joan gave me, I do not remember ever eating these.  It's too bad, too, because they are delicious!

This recipe is very simple to prepare and the stuffing comes together very quickly.  I used freshly greated Parmesan for the cheese, and dried parsley because I didn't have any fresh on hand.  I had some stuffing left over, but I guess the amount needed depends on how big the mushrooms are.  I may have filled them a bit too much because I didn't account for the mushrooms shrinking as they cooked.  I baked them at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes.

The stuffed mushrooms were very tasty.  The slight crunch of the golden brown stuffing and the buttery softness the inside matched with the firm yet tender meat of the mushroom was a magical combination.  The flavors of the garlic and onion were subtle but not bland, and the saltiness of the cheese was present as well.  Served with a salad, this makes for a wonderful summertime meal.

Funghi Imbottite (Stuffed Mushrooms)
Printable Recipe
Serves 4 or 6.

1 Lb. lg. mushrooms

3 T grated Cheese

1 clove Garlic, chopped

1 sm onion, chopped

1 C bread crumbs

1 T chopped parsley

2 T melted butter

6 T Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Clean and remove stems from mushrooms.  Mix thoroughly bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, butter, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.  Fill mushroom caps.

Pour 2 T of oil in bottom of baking pan.  Place mushrooms in pan, stuffed side up.  Pour balance of oil equally over all mushrooms.  Bake about 20 min. in medium oven.  When mushrooms are tender and tops brown, remove from oven.  Serve very hot.

Yogurt Cake

This time I used Rapadura sugar and lemon juice in the batter and a lemon glaze.

My favorite cake recipe.  This cake is super moist and the recipe is receptive to experimentation, so you can really get creative.  The cake is not too sweet,  easy to digest, and nourishing.   I use whole milk yogurt (cream top) from Farm Peter.   Recipe is from the book Chocolate & Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier, a gift from my mom.   Clotilde says:
'You can add citrus juice or zest to the batter, fold in berries, chocolate chips, or nuts;  substitute ground nuts or cocoa powder for part of the flour; slice the cake in two and spread raspberry jam, lemon curd or ganache in the middle; or dress the cake with whatever frosting or glaze you like.'
(I can't wait to try an avocado buttercream frosting!)

The recipe:
Printable Recipe
1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus 1 teaspoon to grease the pan.
1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt, preferably whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light or amber rum (optional but recommended)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
a good pinch of fine sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease the sides of a 10 inch round cake pan or springform pan with oil and line the botton with parchment paper if the pan is not springform.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt and sugar.  Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla, oil, and rum, if using, and whisk again.
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and salt.  Pour the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and whisk until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and  bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the pan to loosen.  If you're using a springform pan, unclasp the sides.  Otherwise, flip the cake onto a plate and flip it back on the rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Clotilde has a blog you can visit, also called Chocolate & Zucchini.

Chopped Beef Toasts

A fond food memory from my childhood, I remember eating these chopped beef toasts fresh from the oven and savoring every scrumptious bite.  Nonna or Grandpa didn't make these for me very often, and I don't think my mom ever made them at home, so I was delighted when I saw there was a recipe for them.  Once I found the recipe, it went to the top of my list of new things to try.

The toasts are very easy to make and I had dinner ready for the family in about fifteen minutes.  I used my my own fresh ground beef for the recipe, which is a blend of half sirloin and half chuck.  The recipe also calls for meat condiment, which is an ingredient I have not heard of.  A quick internet search for 'meat condiment' did not yield any answers either.  So, I used homemade mayonnaise.  I thought the mayonnaise would be a nice compliment to the meat and not lend any flavors that would overpower it.

An interesting part of the recipe that I did not realize until I was assembling the toast was that the meat is put on the bread raw; though I think that's what makes them so good.  As the meat cooks, the juices are absorbed into the meat creating a texture almost reminiscent of bread pudding.  Speaking of cooking the meat, the recipe states to grill at moderate heat for five to six minutes.  I wasn't sure how to 'grill' the toasts, so I baked them at 450 degrees for five minutes and put them under the broiler for another minute.  Using this method, they tasted just as I remember them.

The beef toasts were a big hit with the family.  Ari ate his whole piece and asked for more and once we got Emilie to try it, she ate her whole serving as well.  Valerie kept talking about how good they were, too. 

If anyone knows what 'meat condiment' is, or how the toasts were traditionally cooked or 'grilled', I would love to know.

Chopped Beef Toasts

Printable Recipe

(2 servings)

1/4 pound chopped raw beef

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon meat condiment

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

4 slices white bread

1.  Mix the beef, onion salt and condiment.

2.  Spread the bread with half the butter and toast on one side.

3.  Spread the untoasted side from crust to crust with the chopped beef; dot with the remaining butter and grill at moderate heat from 5 to 6 minutes.  Serve very hot.

HFS

Upon waking up from dreaming about berries, Aunt Sue sent me this recipe.  Healthy Fruit Shake!  I decided to make Valerie and I these shakes before our run this morning.  Thick, creamy, cool, and refreshing, the HFS is just what we needed to get in gear. 

I made the shake with frozen blueberries and fresh bananas.  I did not have lecithin granules on hand so I had to do without those.  The shakes were delicious and very filling, and I love the addition of Spiru-tein.  The blueberry banana combination was a winner,and I think strawberries would be a nice addition as well.  This healthy fruit shake is a wonderful way to start the day!

HFS
aka Healthy Fruit Shake
Printable Recipe

1 Cup of orange juice
1 or 2 bananas, fresh or frozen
2 C frozen berries
2 T Vanilla Spiru-tein (optional)
2 T Lecithin Granules (optional)

Blend orange juice and bananas.  Add the berries and more juice if needed as you blend ‘til smooth. This recipe is highly adaptable to whatever juice and/or fruits that you have on hand.  Makes about 4 cups.

Corn Pancakes

It was always an exciting time when Grandpa got out the electric griddle to make corn pancakes.  I don't think there was a time he made them without us gathering around the kitchen table to watch.  He always knew just when to flip them, perfectly golden brown every time followed by two pats of the spatula on the pancake.  They were always delicious and I liked to eat them as they were, without syrup or any other toppings.

I did not find a recipe when I was looking through the box of Nonna and Grandpa's recipe cards, but I know he always used Jiffy Corn Muffin mix.  Lo and behold, there is a corn pancake recipe on the side of the Jiffy box.  I decided to try that recipe feeling confident that is the one Grandpa used.  He always added corn to the batter as well, which was a nice touch.

The pancake batter comes together very quickly and easily.  I fit about six pancakes on my griddle and found that they cooked rather quickly.  Once I got the hang of it, they were ready in no time and I couldn't help but give the pancakes two pats with the spatula after every flip.  They tasted just like I remember them, so delicious.  The pancakes were light, fluffy, and a had wonderful corn flavor.  I still prefer them plain, but I did enjoy one with a little honey on it.  They were quite a treat and brought back a lot of memories. 

Corn Pancakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

1 egg

2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup corn

Directions

Preheat griddle and lightly grease.  Combine all ingredients and stir to combine.  Batter will be slightly lumpy.  Cook on hot griddle and turn when bubbles appear around the edges.

Nonna's Pizza

I am still thrilled that Eva sent me this recipe, even though it has been over a year ago.  The post I did on latent chestnut best describes what this pizza means to me, and there is not much left for me to say.  One thing I didn't do was share the recipe on latent chestnut and I am more than happy to do it here on Family Tree-Eats.  I absolutely love this recipe, and I have made it many times for family and friends over the last 12 months. 

If anyone has any memories or stories they would like to share about Nonna's pizza, I would love to hear them.  Please feel free to leave them in the comments section, or just e-mail me!

Nonna's Pizza

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups lukewarm water

2 1/2 tablespoons baking yeast

1/2 teaspoon onion powder or garlic salt

4 1/2 cups flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast, onion powder/garlic salt, and flour, and stir until combined.  Flour board and knead dough.  Put olive oil in bottom of new bowl, put in kneaded dough.  Seran wrap it and then put a towel on top of that.  Leave until doubled in size.  Then, knead dough again and cut in half.

Spread dough into two 14x2 inch round pizza tins.  Add cheese on top of dough, then sauce.  Put grated parmesan on top.  Put on toppings and bake for 25 minutes.

*Note*

I remember Nonna's pizza had a whole wheat crust and Aunt Mare told me she used a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour.  I do not know what ratio she used, but I find that 3 cups of all purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour makes a delicious crust. 

Liver and Mushroom Kabob

In February, Aunt Sue emailed Eva and I a list of dates in which Nonna had recipes printed in the Kokomo Tribune.  So, I loaded the family into the car and headed to the library to do some research.  We made our way down to the Genealogy department where a librarian showed us to the microfilm machine.  She asked me if I was looking for an obituary; I politely told her no, I was looking for recipes.  She smiled and led us to the machine.

As it turnes out, The Kokomo Tribune held an annual recipe contest in autumn, and there was a section of prize-winning recipes in several categories.  I was able to find five recipes that were submitted by Nonna.  I may have missed some in the first year that I checked because I didn't realize the format, and I didn't want to bother the librarian to get the film out again.

One recipe caught my eye right off the bat, Liver and Mushroom Kabob.  It was the third prize winner in the 'Lazy Daizies' category.  The recipe was published in the September 22, 1968 Kokomo Tribune.  I am a fan of liver, though I had never prepared it, myself.  Valerie was a bit more tentative, so we decided to make it on a Friday night with Ang and Michael and also prepare some kabobs with chicken instead of liver. 

The kabobs were easy to assemble and tasted great!  I preferred them over the chicken kabobs.  The liver and the onions were a perfect combination, as the onions gave off a hint of sweetness.  The mushrooms were firm and juicy which provided a nice contrast in texture.  In the future, I would like to prepare a sauce to accompany them, because they were a bit on the dry side.  Nevertheless, a prize-winning recipe, to be certain. 

Liver and Mushroom Kabob

Printable Recipe

1 pound calves liver

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 sliced onion

1/2 pound mushrooms

1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Have liver sliced 1-inch thick.  Cut into 2-inch squares.  Clean and remove stems from mushrooms.

Alternate a piece of liver, a mushroom cap, and a slice of onion on 8 skewers until all the ingredients are used.

Mix oil, vinegar and mint thoroughly.  Brush over liver and mushrooms on both sides.  Place on broiler rack about 5 inches below flame.  Broil 3 minutes on each side or until light brown.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Brush with remaining liquid.  Broil 1 minute longer and remove from skewers or serve on skewers.  Serve sizzling hot.  Serves 4.

Alphabet Soup

I can still picture Nonna stirring a pot of alphabet soup on the stove as I anxiously waited for it to be ready.  As I watched her ladle the hot soup into a Corelle bowl, I could not wait to dig in.  She took the bowl to the counter, added a pat of butter, and served it to us piping hot.  She always told us to eat from around the edges of the bowl first because it would be cooler.  I never learned, though; as I almost always burnt my tongue.

Alphabet soup is a food memory I wanted to try to recreate for my kids, as well as take me back to my childhood.  I didn't have a recipe, and I don't know if Nonna did either, but I it seemed simple enough to make, and it actually is.  I think Nonna used a chicken bouillon cube to flavor the soup, and I use chicken stock, preferably homemade.  The kids love it as much as I did, but they are smart enough to let it cool before they eat it.  In fact, Ari usually eats more than I do, and still asks for more.  Here is my recipe; I only hope it would make Nonna proud.

Alphabet Soup
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
4 cups good quality chicken stock
2 cups water
Salt to taste
8 oz. alphabet noodles
Butter

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the water and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add salt to taste until the broth reaches your desired flavor.  Add alphabet noodles and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.  Once noodles are ready, immediately ladle into bowls and add a small pat of butter.  The soup can also be served with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

---

Mud Pie Cookies

This is a recipe my mom told me about when she gave me a box of Nonna's old recipes.  She said they were one of her favorite cookies and Nonna used to make them for her when she was young.  She was surprised when I told her I had never had them before.  When I found the recipe card in the box, I knew I had to give them a try.

What makes them unique is the almond extract.  I am a huge fan of almond extract in cookies, namely spritz, but I had never had them in a chocolate cookie before.  The cookies are delicious, and I can see why my mom liked them so much when she was a child.  I can definitely taste the almond extract, but it is not overpowering.  The cookies aren't overly chocolaty either.  They are very light and chewy, which is also an interesting combination.

I am so glad I found these cookies and it is always nice to add a delicious recipe to the cookie arsenal.  This being a family recipe makes it much more special.

Mud Pie Cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

½ cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
4 tablespoon cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup evaporated milk.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350˚. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream sugar and shortening, add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Add milk and dry ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoon on greased baking sheet and bake at 350˚ for 8 to 10 minutes.

Bone Marrow Dumpling Soup

I always love it when my mother-in-law makes bone marrow dumpling soup.  I guess I'm not the only one, my husband and his sister told me they used to fight over who was served the most dumplings after counting them floating in the broth when they were younger.  I had to learn how to make these.  Here's the secret family recipe, you'll see the hand's of Francine and Madame Sutter. 

You'll need:

The marrow of 5 beef bones

3 shallots

tiny bit of nutmeg

pinch of salt

lil' pepper

one egg

4-5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour 

3-4 tablespoons of dried, fine breadcrumbs

Tablespoon or so of chopped fresh parsley (we didn't have any)

Here's what to do:

Remove the marrow from the bones

Incorporate three shallots, minced finely (here with the aid of a Moulinex.) 

add the salt and pepper

touch of nutmeg

in goes the egg

Now, mash it all up with a fork.

Add the flour and breadcrumbs.

Adjust the amount of flour and breadcrumbs, a lot depends on the amount of marrow in the bones, size of egg.  Mix until it's consistent and firm.  

Once rollable, take a handful and roll it out onto some breadcrumbs.

Form a snake and cut little two centimeter morsels.

Roll between palms until mini balls are formed.

Put in lightly boiling water or broth or soup for 8-10 minutes, until they float to the top. 

They plump out and get so delicious.  Enjoy!

Printable Recipe