My mother is an octogenarian with a family of four children, 14 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and three more on the way.
When counting the extended family, that makes more than 40 people when we gather at occasions such as Christmas, anniversaries and weddings.
When we are planning Christmas, no matter where it will be, Mom always says, “well, we can always have it here.” All our lives we have always gathered with family for these special events.
I remember as a child having one side of the family at Christmas and the other side at New Years. The families were bigger in those days and seemed further away or travelled less, but we gathered those who could attend.
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The tradition continues, and our new little families make a big effort to travel across provinces to be home for the MacDonald Christmas on Dec. 23 every year.
No matter where the event is, we do pot luck and Grandma Mac always contributes to the event with her baking, including her home-made apple pie for dessert.
Here are some of the usual treats that the family looks forward to.
Grandma’s buns
1/2 c. white sugar 125 mL
1/3 c. oil 75 mL
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt 5 mL
8 c. flour 2 L
2 tbsp. yeast 30 mL
3 c. warm water 750 mL
Mix sugar, oil, eggs, and salt. Add water and mix. Mix in yeast and half of flour. Add remaining flour. Mix. Knead for about five minutes. Let rise 15 minutes. Punch down. Repeat twice more. Form into balls.
Let rise one hour. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 F (190 C).
Grandpa’s favourite shortbread
1 c. butter 250 mL
2 c. flour 500 mL
1/2 tsp. vanilla 2 mL
1 c. icing sugar 250 mL
1 egg yolk
Mix dry ingredients. Beat and add egg yolk and vanilla. Knead the dough until soft enough to put through a cookie press.
Bake the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet at 325 F (160 C) until brown.
Raisin butter tarts
Pastry:
1 lb. lard or shortening 454 g
5 1/2 c. flour 1375 mL
1 tsp salt 5 mL
1 c. water 250 mL
1 egg
1 tbsp. vinegar 15 mL
Place first three ingredients in large bowl. Using pastry blender, cut shortening into pea-sized pieces. In a measuring cup, beat the egg with a fork, add the vinegar and fill to the one cup (250 mL) line with cold water.
Sprinkle the water mixture over the dry ingredients. Toss and stir with fork until it clings and you can form a ball. Knead together as in making pastry. Roll out as pastry dough and then use a glass to form circles for tart shells. Fill tart shells half full with filling below. Bake in 400 F ( 200 C) oven on lower shelf until crust is browned.
Filling:
1 1/2 c. brown sugar 375 mL
1 tbsp. flour 15 mL
1/4 c. butter 60 mL
1 / 4 c. milk 60 mL
1 c. raisins 250 mL
Bring to boil. Boil one minute. Beat. Spoon into tart shells.
Maple cream fudge
3 c. brown sugar 750 mL
2/3 c. evaporated milk 150 mL
1 tbsp. corn syrup 15 mL
2 tbsp. butter 30 mL
1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
1/2 c. chopped nuts 125 mL
Stir all ingredients, except vanilla and nuts, in a saucepan, heating gently and stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring.
Cook until soft ball stage (234-242 F or 112.7-115.5 C).
Remove from heat. Cool until lukewarm. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and nuts. Pour into buttered pan.
Mom’s ginger snaps
3/4 c. margarine or butter 175 mL
1 c. brown sugar 250 mL
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses 60 mL
1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
2 1/4 c. flour 560 mL
2 tsp. baking soda 10 mL
1/4 tsp. cloves 1 mL
1 tsp. cinnamon 5 mL
1 1/2 tsp. ginger 7 mL
Cream the fat and sugar well. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Add the molasses. Add all dry ingredients. Blend into creamed mixture.
Roll into balls; dip in sugar.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 15 to 20 minutes.
Great grandma Ev’s yum yum salad
2 c. crushed pineapple 500 mL
1 c. white sugar 125 mL
2 tbsp. gelatin 30 mL
1/2 c. cold water 125 mL
1 c. grated cheddar cheese 250 mL
1 c. whipped cream 250 mL
Heat together the pineapple and sugar. Mix gelatin in water; add to pineapple and sugar mixture. Cool.
Add cheese and whipped cream. Let stand in cool place until set.
Reader inquiry
Dear Team: I use many of your recipes, but something sure went wrong with my carrot muffins from the Nov. 5 paper. Have you had any other complaints? I suspect the flour quantity is wrong. – Lucille Naaykens
Dear Lucille: The carrot muffin recipe that was in the Nov. 5 paper is really more of a cupcake recipe. The recipe is for a carrot cake that has been used in Jodie Mirosovsky’s family for three generations.
Jodie cooks hers in a muffin pan because it is easier for her kids to take to school in lunches. The muffins are light and cake-like.
I have just made a batch and for my preference I would add another cup of flour to give them more of a muffin texture. This is based on my pumpkin muffin recipe that is identical to Jodie’s except for pumpkins instead of carrots and three cups of flour instead of two. Jodie’s family prefers light muffins as made with the original recipe. This is an example of different tastes and why we have so many recipes. Thank you for your query.
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
