Shortbread (untested)

This recipe is written in ballpoint pen in my Grammy's handwriting. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 small egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Instructions:

1. Cream butter with sugars
2. Add eggs and vanilla
3. Blend in flour
4. Fashion into balls
5. Flatten with fork on cookie sheet
6. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes

Nutty Nuggets Cookies (untested)

I don't recognize the handwriting on this recipe. It may be a recipe that my Grammy wanted from a friend that was jotted down quickly on a piece of paper and never transferred to a recipe card.

Ingredients:

• 7/8 cup flour
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (fine)
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

1. Form into balls
2. Bake at 375°F about 15 minutes

Joanie's Kris Kringle Cookies

This recipe is written in ballpoint pen in my Grammy's handwriting and is dated 1960. Joanie was Elsie's youngest daughter who ended up getting this recipe named after her because of her love for them (hence the well-worn recipe card seen above). This is a simple butter cookie that many families came to adopt as a Christmas tradition when the Mirro Cooky and Pastry Press came on the market (see ad below). I still have my Grammy's cookie press in it's original shipping box. Christmas just isn't the same until I've had one of these delightful morsels.

Grammy wrote some variant measurements, temps, and times in pencil. This may be what she found to be preferable in her kitchen at 3500 feet above sea level in elevation. I have yet to test these measurements in our kitchen (that is close to sea level in elevation) to find which is best for our locale. I've included the variants in parentheses below.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup margarine [butter is better]
• 1/2 (3/4) cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 (1/2) teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Cream margarine [butter], sugar, egg, and flavoring
2. Add flour and mix well
3. Put dough into cookie press and form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets
4. Bake in 350°F (400°F) oven for 10-12 (8-10) minutes.
5. When cookies are cool, decorate with colored butter icing as desired [my favorite is to sprinkle the cookies with colored granulated sugar before baking]

Chocolate variation:

1. Blend into shortening mixture a 1 ounce square of melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate

Erma's Raisin Criss Cross Cookies (untested)

This recipe is written in ballpoint pen in my Grammy's handwriting. Erma was Elsie's stepmother and the great grandmother I was fortunate to know and love as a child. These cookies were among my favorites. Erma (I knew her as Grandma Munce) had a porcelain cookie jar stocked with cookies every time we came to visit her. The sound of the clink of a ceramic cookie jar lid takes me right back to Grandma Munce's kitchen.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fat
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 teaspoon soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped raisins and grated lemon rind (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Mix fat, sugar and egg thoroughly
2. Stir in milk and lemon extract
3. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into wet mixture
4. Stir in raisins and lemon rind (if desired)
5. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts
6. Place balls about 3-inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet
7. Flatten each ball with a fork dipped in flour, making a criss-cross imprint
8. Bake 8-10 minutes at 400°F

Tempting apple crisp (untested)

This recipe is written in ballpoint pen in my Grammy's handwriting. Although it is undated, I can guess this is probably from the early 1970s based on the recipe card it's written on. It is attributed to Quaker Oats.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups peeled and slice cooking apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sifted flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Instructions:

1. Place apples in shallow baking dish
2. Sprinkle with lemon juice
3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients
4. Add melted butter to dry ingredients and mix until crumbly
5. Sprinkle crumble mix over apples
6. Bake in 375°F oven for 30 minutes or until apples are tender

Sweet tart pastry (untested)

This recipe is written in ballpoint pen in my Grammy's handwriting. It is dated 1971 and is attributed to "Norfolk". It is a versatile recipe for making tart shells that can be filled with a filling of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsifted flour
• 3/4 cup margarine [I'd use butter]
• 2 eggs yolks
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind [lemon zest] (optional)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons ice water

Instructions:

1. Put flour in mixing bowl and make a well in the center
2. Cut margarine [butter] in thin slices
3. Place margarine [butter] slices, egg yolks, optional lemon zest and sugar in the well
4. Work ingredients in well with fingertips until creamy
5. Gradually blend in flour
6. Sprinkle with ice water and knead gently with fingertips just until dough holds together
7. Pull into a ball and flatten slightly to hasten chilling
8. Wrap in paper or foil and chill for several hours
9. Cut chilled pastry into 10 to 12 equal pieces
10. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to 5-inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick
11. Fit in 4-inch scalloped tart pans, pressing pastry well into scallops.
12. Even off edges with thumb
13. Prick bottoms with fork
14. Set pans on cookie sheet
15. Bake in moderate oven (375°F) for 10 to 12 minutes
16. Cool slightly, then carefully turn out on hand and put on cake rack to cool completely
17. Just before serving, fill with berries or fruit, pudding, ice cream or a combination of fillings

Pineapple tartlets (untested)

This recipe is written in fountain pen and appears to be my Grammy's early handwriting.

Ingredients:

• Patty shells [probably tartlet-sized pre-baked pie crust; get the recipe for baking tart shells by clicking here]
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup shredded pineapple
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• merinque Click here for a detailed recipe for Eight-Minute Meringue

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil and add sugar and flour
2. Cook until there is no starchy taste
3. Add pineapple, egg yolks and salt and stir
4. Pour mixture into tartlet shells
5. Cover with meringue
6. Brown in oven [no oven temperature is provided]