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

Cinnamon diamonds (untested)

This typewritten recipe is attributed to "Ethel".

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 beaten egg yolk
• 1 slightly beaten egg white
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Sift together flour and spices
2. Stir in brown sugar
3. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly
4. Blend in egg yolk
5. Pat 1/4 inch thick into 15-inch by 13-inch rectangle or ungreased cookie sheet
6. Brush top with egg white
7. Sprinkle with nuts
8. Bake in 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp around edges
9. Loosen edges
10. Cool slightly
11. Cut in diamonds

Makes about 36 diamonds

Chocolate crunch cookies (untested)

This recipe is written in pencil on a folded piece of paper with two other unrelated recipes. The handwriting may belong to Grammy's daughter Ann.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 pound Guittard chocolate [it appears this is a bar of baking chocolate]
• 1 1/8 cup flour

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients as you would a cake
2. Add walnuts
3. Cut chocolate in half-inch squares and fold in to the batter as the last thing
4. Drop from teaspoon onto baking sheet
5. [No over temperature or baking time is provided but another cookie recipe on the same piece of paper uses a moderate oven (350°F–375°F) with a baking time of 10-12 minutes]

Strawberry divinity (untested)

This recipe is written in a handwriting I don't recognize.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup Karo corn syrup
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 eggs whites
• 1 package strawberry flavored gelatin (e.g., Jell-o)
• 1 cup nuts

Instructions:

1. Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan
2. Boil together until mixture reaches 252°F or hard ball stage*
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff
4. Beat in the strawberry flavored gelatin
5. Pour syrup in slowly 
6. Add nuts
7. Beat until candy loses its glossy sheen

*If you aren't using a candy thermometer (which I highly recommend) you can test candy the old fashioned way using cold water. Click here to read all about testing candy using cold water.

Peanut butter fudge (untested)

This recipe seems to be one of the older ones in Grammy's recipe box and appears to be written in fountain pen in either Esther's or Maggie's handwriting.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup sweet milk [probably sweetened condensed milk, but without testing I can't be certain]
• 2 heaping tablespoons Heinz peanut butter [any brand will work]

Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients
2. Boil for exactly 5 minutes
3. Remove from fire
4. Beat until thick
5. Pour on buttered platter
6. Cut and serve [I'm sure you have to wait until it has cooled]

Mary Greiner's Divinity (untested)

This typewritten recipe is attributed to Mary Greiner.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup (dark Karo can be used in place of white to give is a caramel flavor)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup water
• Vanilla or almond extract [no measurement is given but I'm guessing a teaspoon would do]
• Nuts, cherries and/or coconut (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place sugar, salt, syrup, and water in a saucepan to boil
2. Cook until hard brittle stage* (300°F-310°F) 
3. The secret of divinity is to have the syrup crackle when tapped on edge of cup
4. Add slowly to stiffly beaten egg whites and beat until candy begins to stiffen
5. Add vanilla or almond flavor, nuts, cherries and/or coconut (whichever is preferred). When using an electric mixer it is best to remove from beater and continue by hand when adding nuts, etc.
6. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper

*If you aren't using a candy thermometer (which I highly recommend) you can test candy the old fashioned way using cold water. Click here to read all about testing candy using cold water.

Maple kisses (untested)

This recipe appears to be written in Grammy's handwriting (her handwriting looked different when she wrote in fountain pen). It is undated, but I suspect this recipe pre-dates 1941 (the year she got married).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups maple sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup shelled pecans

Instructions:

1. Cook the water, sugar and butter until it reaches the soft ball stage* (235°F-240°F)
2. Add the nuts and stir until the mixture begins to cool and thicken
3. Then drop in small spoonfuls on a greased paper [wax paper might be the modern equivalent] or greased plate 

*If you aren't using a candy thermometer (which I highly recommend) you can test candy the old fashioned way using cold water. Click here to read all about testing candy using cold water.

Dakota caramels (untested)

This recipe appears to be written in Grammy's handwriting (her handwriting looked different when she wrote in fountain pen). It is undated, but I suspect this recipe pre-dates 1941 (the year she got married).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1/4 pound grated chocolate
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients (except nuts) in a saucepan
2. Cook until mixture reaches the firm ball stage* (245°F-250°F)
3. Add nuts
4. Pour into a well-greased plate [a glass Pyrex pan would be good]
5. Cut in squares when cool

*If you aren't using a candy thermometer (which I highly recommend) you can test candy the old fashioned way using cold water.  Click here to read all about testing candy using cold water.

Creamed walnuts (untested)

This recipe appears to be written in Grammy's handwriting (her handwriting looked different when she wrote in fountain pen). It is undated, but I suspect this recipe pre-dates 1941 (the year she got married).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• Vanilla [no measurement is given but I'd guess a teaspoon is probably good]
• Shelled walnuts [no measurement is given so I would suppose it depends on how many you want to make]

Instructions [incomplete]:

1. Cook the sugar and water without stirring
2. [This is where the instructions end]

Without testing this recipe, I cannot give further details. I suspect the vanilla is added to the sugar mixture as it begins to form a thick syrup. I don't know if the walnuts are supposed to be dipped in this syrup as a candy coating or if they are supposed to crushed and "creamed" to create a walnut cream. Any insight from other family members that may have had this recipe would be greatly appreciated.

Hip-O-Lite fudge (untested)

This typewritten recipe requires a bit of "translation" because of brand name products used in it that no longer exist—Hip-O-Lite (misspelled on the recipe card) and Sego Milk. For those interested in how I arrived at the ingredient substitutes, you can go to the bottom of this post for more info.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 large can unsweetened evaporated milk [substitute for Sego Milk]
• 3 packages of Nestles chocolate chips
• 1 cube margarine [I'd use butter]
• 2 cups nuts
• 13 ounces of marshmallow creme [substitute for Hip-O-Lite]
• vanilla [no measurement is included but 1 teaspoon is probably a good guess-timate]

Instructions:

1. Boil sugar and unsweetened evaporated milk for 10 minutes
2. Take off heat and add the remainder of ingredients
3. [There are no further instructions beyond this point. I'm certain that all ingredients need to be mixed thoroughly and then poured into a rectangular baking pan (I'd use my glass Pyrex pan as I do with other fudge)]

Hip-O-Lite
Hip-O-Lite was a brand of marshmallow creme. Although the recipe above calls for "1 can hipolite", in my research I could only find references of Hip-O-Lite marshmallow creme in jars. After some hunting around, I found someone on Pinterest that had posted a photo of a vintage jar label that shows the actual amount of product in one jar was 13 ounces.

Sego Milk

Sego Milk was produced at the Sego Milk Plant (also known as the Utah Condensed Milk Company Plant) located in the town of Galt in Northern California (a couple hours drive south of my Grammy's home). Based on the alternate name of the plant, I thought that Sego was a brand of sweetened condensed milk. But after doing further sleuthing, I found a photo on Pinterest of an original Sego Milk tin from the 1920s that clearly shows Sego Milk was unsweetened evaporated milk.

I also found a scan of a vintage ad that says the same thing:

Then I found an even more informative vintage ad from 1926:

Click image to enlarge

I won't make you squint to read the text. Here's the transcription:

Richer than Cream in "Whole-Milk" Richness 

Cream is rich in only one food element of milk—butterfat.

Sego Milk is extra rich in all the food elements of milk—in butterfat and in the bone and tissue building substances that cream does not contain.
That is what we mean by "whole-milk" richness. It is the quality that makes milk nature's perfect food.
As Cream—Use Sego Milk undiluted. It does the things you want cream to do—gives fine consistency and flavor to your good.
In coffee, ice creams, and desserts—in all cream uses—Sego Milk provides the "whole-milk" richness for which there is no substitute.
For Milk Uses—Dilute Sego Milk to suit any need. It still has the "whole-milk" richness—contains all the food elements of milk in their natural proportions—is never like the bottom half of the bottle—skimmed milk.
In cream soups, creamed vegetables—in all cooking—the "whole-milk" richness and clean purity of Sego Milk gives substance and flavor that nothing else can give.
Sterilized in sealed containers, every drop uniformly rich in "whole-milk" richness, Sego Milk is "nature's most perfect food" in cleanest form.
Sego Milk costs less than half as much as cream—as extra-rich milk, costs no more than ordinary milk. 

Zucchini bread (untested)

This recipe is written in ballpoint pen in a handwriting I don't recognize.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups peeled and grated zucchini
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup nuts (type of nuts isn't specified)

Instructions:

1. Beat eggs until light and foamy
2. Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla
3. Mix lightly but well
4. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl
5. Add flour mixture to first mixture and blend
6. Add nuts
7. Bake in two greased 9-inch by 5-inch load pans at 325°F for 1 hour or until done
8. Remove from pan and cool on rack

Pineapple Nut Bread (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting. It is dated 1955 and is attributed to "PGE School" with the note "Oven Meal". PG&E stands for Pacific Gas & Electric. They had (and still do have) a significant presence as a large landholder in Plumas County because of the hydro power plants that were built along the Feather River. I know there were (and still are) several mountain camps that were PG&E. There is still a PG&E school in Quincy. I wonder if that's where she got this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fat, melted
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup crushed pineapple

Instructions:

1. Beat eggs and sugar together
2. Stir in melted fat
3. Add sifted flour, baking powder, and salt
4. Add nuts and pineapple (do not drain the juice off the pineapple)
5. Stir just enough to combine
6. Pour into loaf pan
7. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes 

Raisin Nut Bread (untested)

This typewritten recipe is undated and has no attribution.

Ingredients:

• 1 package active yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cup milk, scalded
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Soften yeast in warm water
2. Combine milk, sugar, shortening, and salt
3. Cool to lukewarm
4. Add about 2 cups flour and beat well
5. Add the softened yeast
6. Stir in raisins and nuts
7. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough
8. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny (about 5 to 8 minutes)
9. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough
10. Cover
11. Let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 2 hours)
12. Divide dough in half
13. Shape each half into a loaf and place in two lightly greased 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch loaf pans
14. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour and 15 minutes)
15. Bake in moderate oven at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes
16. Remove loaves from pans
17. While slightly warm, brush tops with confectioner's icing

Confectioner's Icing

1. Slowly add 2 tablespoons milk to 1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
2. Stir until smooth

Orange Walnut Bread (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting and dated February 1975. The only attribution are the initials "FJ". I wonder if this was a holiday recipe. Walnuts and oranges are good holiday flavors.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 cup finely chopped dates
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange rind [aka "orange zest"]
• 1 tablespoon flour

Instructions:

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
2. Combine orange juice, sugar, egg, and butter; mix well
3. Gradually add wet mixture to flour mixture; stir well
4. Combine remaining ingredients; stir into batter
5. Turn into greased 8.5-inch by 4.5-inch by 2.5-inch loaf pan
6. Bake in 350°F oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until done

Makes 1 loaf

Phyllis Nye's Nut Bread (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting and is attributed to Phyllis Nye. My mom shed some light on who Phyllis Nye was:

"Phyllis Nye was my 2nd grade teacher. She lived in Crescent Mills (5 miles from Greenville). In later years, she and my mom [Grammy] were commute buddies to Quincy (22 miles) where they both worked. After I got my driver's license, I could borrow the station wagon for the day when it was Phyllis' turn to drive, if I wanted to get up early enough to take my mom to Crescent Mills and pick her up again at 5:30. It gave me status to be driving a car to school. We had a small parking lot with few cars. ha ha" 

The ingredient "nuts" is nonspecific so I suppose you can use whatever nuts are your favorite.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup nuts

Instructions:

1. Beat eggs and sugar
2. Add milk and beat well
3. Sift flour with salt, baking powder and baking soda
4. Add sifted dry ingredients to wet ingredients
5. Stir in nuts
6. Bake in greased 5.5-inch by 10.5-inch loaf pan in 350°F oven for 1 hour

Diamond Walnut Bread with 3 variations (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting. I am guessing based on the title that she probably got this off a package of Diamond walnuts. Based on the card stock she used, this is probably from the early 1970s.

There are three variations included: regular, Streusel, and candied fruit.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup melted fat
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Additional ingredients for Streusel variation:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter

Additional ingredients for candied fruit variation:

• 2 teaspoon grated orange peel [aka "orange zest"]
• 3/4 cup chopped candied fruit

Instructions:

1. Resift flour with sugar, baking powder, and salt
2. Add egg, fat, milk, and vanilla
3. Stir just until flour is moistened
4. Add walnuts
5. Turn dough into greased 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch loaf pan or divide batter between to greased #2.5 cans
6. Bake at 350°F about 1 hour 20 minutes for loaf pan or 1 hour 10 minutes for round

Streusel variation:

1. Prepare batter as above
2. Turn half into loaf pan
3. Blend brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter
4. Sprinkle over batter
5. Top with remaining batter
6. Bake as above

Candied fruit variation:

1. Prepare batter as above
2. Add orange zest to egg and milk mixture
3. Stir in candied fruit with the walnuts
4. Bake as above

Cranberry Christmas Canes (untested)

This recipe is written in Grammy's handwriting. It is dated December 1971 and is attributed to one of Grammy's best friends Vivian Naseath. I personally knew Vivian and adored her. She was like an aunt to my mom and my aunts, so I always saw her as a great-aunt.

One important note in this recipe: it states that you need to refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. So this is a dough that can be made in advance during the busy holiday cooking season and then bake it when the oven is free.

Ingredients for dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups unsifted flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel [aka "lemon zest"]
• 1 cup margarine [I would use butter]
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 beaten eggs

Ingredients for filling:

• 1 1/2 cup finely chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel [aka "orange zest"]

Instructions for dough:

1. In a saucepan, scald the milk then let it cool to lukewarm
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest
3. Cut in the butter with bladed dough blender (aka "pastry cutter") until like a coarse meal [click here if you need to see what this tool looks like] 
4. Dissolve package of yeast in warm water
5. Combine flour mixture, yeast, milk, and eggs
6. Cover dough tightly
7. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days)
8. When ready to bake, prepare filling

Instructions for filling:

1. In a saucepan, mix cranberries, sugar, raisins, pecan, honey, and orange zest
2. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat
3. Cook for 5 minutes
4. Cool

Instructions for constructing Christmas Canes:

1. Divide dough in half
2. Roll each half of the dough into an 18-inch by 15-inch oblong rectangle
3. Spread half the filling mixture on the oblong piece of dough
4. Fold dough into 3 layers in 15-inch long strips
5. Cut into 15 strips
6. Holding ends of each strip, twist in opposite directions
7. Pinch ends to seal
8. On greased baking sheet, shape top of each strip into a hooked cane
9. Bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes
10. Cool
11. Frost with confectioners' sugar frosting (click here for recipe)