nutmeg cake
Posted: December 31, 2023 Filed under: desserts | Tags: baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, butter, buttermilk, coconut, eggs, flour, light cream, nutmeg, salt, sugar Leave a comment
The Spice Of Life
Whether it’s sprinkled on top of your favorite wintertime drink, added to pies or cakes, or found in the form of a fancy sports move, nutmeg makes pretty much any time a special time.
Known for its warm, nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet taste, nutmeg is often found palling around with its familiar besties, cinnamon, clove, pumpkin pie spice, and allspice. Folks often say nutmeg “smells like Christmas,” and it’s not surprising that quite a few of my Mom “Betty’s” recipes call for this ingredient. From fondue to meatballs, quiche, and sweets, you can find nutmeg recipes with the ingredient search area at right (in desktop view).
Foodie Tips
❤ Buttermilk is fermented milk and if you don’t have buttermilk you can substitute it with sour milk. Sour milk? This term always throws me but if you’re in a pinch you can make “soured” milk – this article and video are quite surprising!
❤ No light cream on hand? You can substitute with a mixture of equal parts milk and heavy cream. Other options.
❤ What does nutmeg have to do with sports? My culinary skills outweigh my sports skills and this article helped me connect the two.
i. Time
About an hour
ii. Ingredients
for the cake:
½ cup | butter (my Grandmother “Nanny” insisted on Falfurrias brand butter)
1 ⅓ cups | sugar
3 | eggs
2 cups | sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon | baking powder
1 teaspoon | baking soda
2 teaspoons | nutmeg
½ teaspoon | salt
1 cup | buttermilk or sour milk
for the topping:
6 tablespoons | more butter
¼ cup | light cream (Coffee mate “Original” flavor works great)
1 cup | brown sugar
½ cup | flaked coconut
3 Out Of 3 Elves Agree Nutmeg Cake Makes The Holidays Bright
iii. What To Do
1. In a mixing bowl or KitchenAid, cream together the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Add this to the creamed mixture with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
4. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 375°F.
5. Turn the batter into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
6. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes or until done.
7. Let’s make the topping. In a medium pan combine the 6 tablespoons butter, the light cream and brown sugar. Place over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
8. Pour the mixture over the nutmeg cake. Top with the flaked coconut and return the cake to the oven to bake for 5 minutes.
This is delicious served warm!
Yield: 8-12+ Servings, depending on size of your appetite and your willingness to share
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
An Original Scan Of Mom’s Nutmeg Cake Recipe | Better Homes And Gardens, March 1969
Time Warp: Click on the vintage advertisements below from the 1930s – 1960s… all incorporating nutmeg!
11/30/21Presidente Brandy
strawberries romanoff
Posted: July 26, 2023 Filed under: desserts | Tags: cointreau, confectioner's sugar, curaçao, grand marnier, heavy cream, orange juice, straw, strawberries, vanilla Leave a comment
This recipe is dedicated to my Cousin Lorin who shared this recipe with me in 2017. We celebrated my 2023 birthday finally enjoying this treat and it sure was a tasty flashback to the good ol’ days!
~ 🥳️ ~
Very Berry Delicious
There’s no doubt my Mom “Betty” loved berries of all kinds. You can dive into many of the recipes spanning culinary delights including cobblers, pies, cakes, and a Texan’s favorite – kolaches. She even acquired a wildly coveted strawberry pot that I’ll post of picture of soon. 🍓 🍓 🍓
This is the second recipe from San Antonio’s historic La Louisiane restaurant here on Betty’s Cook Nook and rumor has it there are a few more that might follow!
If you aren’t familiar with San Antonio’s “La Lou,” you can read more about it here.
Foodie Tips
❤ Eating for two? You can reduce the portions in half. We had so much left over we froze the extras to enjoy at a later time.
❤ Make your treat extra special by adding a strawberry heart on top! It’s super simple – just slice your strawberry in half and use a mini cookie cutter to press your shape.
i. Time
15-20 minutes to prep and 3+ hours in the fridge for the flavors to mingle
ii. Ingredients
1 quart | ripe strawberries, prepared
½ cup | grand marnier, contreau or curaçao
½ cup | fresh orange juice, strained
1 cup | heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons | confectioner’s sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon | vanilla extract
iii. What To Do
1. Prepare the strawberries by washing and removing the leafy stems. Dry the berries on a paper towel or kitchen towel. Cut the berries in half or quarters (if they are large).
2. Place the berries in a bowl and pour the liqueur and orange juice over them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours or overnight. Turn them from time to time to keep them well-marinated.
3. When you’re ready to serve, whip the cream in a large chilled bowl. When the cream begins to thicken, add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until the cream forms firm peaks.
4. Transfer the marinated berries and *especially their juices* into a serving bowl or individual glasses (shown above). With a large spatula, ladle the cream on top of the berries and decorate the cream with swirls and peaks.
This is a dessert enjoyed any time of the year but remarkably so in the hot summer months here in Texas.
Servings: 4-6 (maybe more)
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Extra Strawberries Going Into The Freezer
11/30/21Presidente Brandy
millionaires
Posted: January 30, 2023 Filed under: desserts | Tags: butter, caramel, chocolate morsels, milk, pecans, shortening Leave a comment
This recipe is dedicated to my oldest friend Scotty. We met in 6th grade
and he’s truly my brother from another mother. He’s literally one in a million so what better way
to celebrate the best of friendships than to park this recipe for him on his birthday!
~ 🥳️ ~
You Just Struck Gold
I’m not sure when I ate my first millionaire candy but this sweet treat is about as Texan as it comes.
I assumed millionaires were invented right along with chuck wagons, chili, cowboy boots, and big Texas hair. I was surprised to learn that these candies were originally created by chemist H.T. Pangburn in his Fort Worth drugstore in 1914. Pangburn’s original recipe included a bit of honey which I may experiment with on my next batch of these delights. You can read more about candy and its ties to Texas in this interesting Hometown by Handlebar article.
Millionaires are a perfect smash-up of chocolate, pecans, and chewy that you magically transform into what I’d call a Texas bonbon. I may not be a Texas millionaire but it sure darn tastes like a million bucks!
This recipe was a continuation of good luck – it was a part of a microwave candy cooking feature in a circa 1980 Southern Living magazine which was the inspiration for last month’s peanut brittle homerun recipe (the original scan is below).
Foodie Tips
❤ Often times sizes of food items keep getting smaller while prices keep on the incline. This is no different from caramel packaging! Noted below they were originally sold in a 14-ounce package but the ones I scored yesterday were 11 ounces. I purchased two packages and did a little math to arrive at about 48 caramel squares to arrive at 14 ounces the recipe calls for.
❤ I’m not sure if it was because of cheap wax paper but I had a heck of a time unsticking the millionaires from the buttered wax paper! I refrigerated them overnight and was finally able to free them with mild struggles. For the chocolate phase below I switched to a buttered cookie sheet (no wax paper) which did the trick just fine – no sticking!
i. Time
About 30 minutes prep and 90 minutes (or overnight if making ahead) for cooling.
ii. Ingredients
14 ounce package | caramels
1 ½ tablespoons | milk
2 cups | texas pecans, coarsely chopped
12-ounce package | semisweet chocolate morsels (I used Ghiradelli)
1 tablespoon | vegetable shortening
to coat | butter (my grandmother insisted on Falfurrias brand butter)
iii. What To Do
1. Prep: You may want to grab a helper when unwrapping the caramels! This recipe takes about 50 caramels – unwrapping them is the longest part of the millionaire preparation. I learned that I could go faster carefully using a serrated knife to free the caramels from their plastic wrap. Also, ready your cookie sheet (see tip above) or buttered wax paper and set it aside.
2. Making Caramel: Place the unwrapped caramels in a 2-quart casserole. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir well with a spatula. Add the milk to the caramel and combine. Return to the microwave on high for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir again. Add the chopped pecans and stir well.
3. Forming The Millionaires: Drop the nutty caramel by rounded tablespoonfuls onto your buttered cookie sheet. I used a small cookie scoop that helped me go much faster and create candies that were similar in size. Once you’re done with the caramel drops place your filled tray in the fridge to cool for at least an hour. You can leave them in the fridge overnight or if you’re ready to complete the recipe, it’s time for the chocolate dipping!
4. Make Chocolate: In a 4-cup measuring glass, combine the chocolate morsles and the shortening. Microwave on medium heat for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until it’s smooth.
5. Dip It: Remove the pecan caramels from the fridge and dip them into the chocolate. I used a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the caramel to hoist the caramel into the chocolate. Lightly tap the covered caramel to remove any extra chocolate and place it on your buttered sheet. Continue dipping and tapping until done. Return your millionaires to the fridge so they can set.
6. Dig In: About 30 minutes prior to serving you can remove the millionaires from the fridge so they can soften up a bit. This will help them be chewier and easier to enjoy.
Yield: About 21-30 candies (depending on size)
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Original scans of Mom’s 1980 Southern Living clippings.
Note: I found it incredibly interesting that it appears back in the old days, caramel packages included chocolate caramels as well! The recipe says when making these millionaires to reserve the chocolate caramels for another use. If you know why chocolate was included along with the typical caramel please contact me because I’d love the history of it!
11/30/21
peanut brittle
Posted: December 7, 2022 Filed under: desserts, The Best Of The Best Recipes | Tags: baking soda, butter, corn syrup, peanuts, salt, sugar, vanilla Leave a comment
A Foodie Fail Recovery
After I worked my way into the details of this recipe, the mere fact I needed to have a candy thermometer literally had me shaking in the corner, full-body-wrapped in my burrito blankey. Ever since my prior candy thermometer foodie fails in the form of red candied apples and oh, fudge, I knew a culinary disaster wasn’t just around the corner, it was lurking for me!
Maybe it was the wine or the lack of patience… but I decided to dive 100% into this recipe without a candy thermometer. I threw caution to the wind! And I was surprised this was made entirely in the microwave… and even more surprised it was entirely devoured *and* delicious!
Congrats to the folks at Southern Living Magazine for this recipe (circa 1980), landing this in “The Best Of The Best Recipes” category here at Betty’s Cook Nook!
Foodie Tips
❤ I’m pretty sure with the advancement in microwave wattage since this recipe was originally published that modern microwaves don’t take as much time as they used to. That being said, try the mixture on the lower side of things and add more time if you need to. I cooked mine for 8 minutes and at one point I thought I burned the peanut brittle but it all turned out AOK. Next time I’m going to go for 7.5 minutes. And there will be a next time!
❤ You might be a little intimidated by the sticky, gooey brittle clean-up. This ain’t my first culinary rodeo and I knew my hot tap water would take care of things – and it did! Just let it soak a bit and the sugary brittle concoction will melt all your worries away!
i. Time
About 5 minutes prep and 10 minutes for microwaving and 30 minutes for cooling.
ii. Ingredients
1 cup | sugar
½ cup | light corn syrup
1 ½ cups | raw peanuts, unsalted
¼ teaspoon | salt
1 tablespoon | butter
1 teaspoon | vanilla extract
1 teaspoon | baking soda
iii. What To Do
1. In a 2.5-quart casserole combine sugar, corn syrup, raw peanuts, and salt.
2. Microwave on high for 7-9 minutes until the mixture is light brown. The mixture gets boiling hot so please ensure your casserole dish is microwave friendly and that you use pot holders when handling the hot dish.
3. While the mixture is microwaving, now is a good time to butter your 9″ x 13″ cooking sheet.
4. Remove the sugary mixture from the microwave and add the butter and vanilla, mixing them in well. You’ll want to work quickly so the mixture doesn’t start cooling down.
5. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until the mixture reaches hard crack stage (about 300°F). Again, I didn’t use a candy thermometer and the end result was amazing.
6. Remove the molten brittle from the microwave and sprinkle the baking soda on top of the brittle mixture and mix things together.
7. Pour the hot mixture onto a 9″ x 13″ buttered cooking sheet, spreading thinly. I used a wide metal spatula to help press the brittle flat. Don’t worry about irregularly-shaped edges – this is one of the fun characteristics of homemade brittle.
7. Let cool for about 30 minutes or more, then break into pieces.
Santa Agrees: This Peanut Brittle Makes For A Merry Holiday
Yield: About 1 pound.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Recipe Clipping From Southern Living Magazine Circa 1980
11/30/21
apple cream coffee cake
Posted: September 25, 2022 Filed under: breakfast, desserts | Tags: apple, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, eggs, flour, margarine, salt, sour cream, sugar, walnuts Leave a comment
The Taste Of Fall
As we round out the year my senses automatically turn to fall.
There’s no better way to celebrate crisp fall mornings than with a slice of warm, cinnamony coffee cake. Walnuts, sliced apples, and sour cream will make this a memorable way to start the day.
I can see why my Mom, “Betty”, tucked this recipe in her cookbook – it’s definitely a keeper!
Foodie Tips
❤ If you follow this blog you’ll know I have an utter appreciation for butter. My grandmother “Nanny” insisted on Falfurrias brand butter, which you will see on many of the recipes here at Betty’s Cook Nook. I opted to use margarine for this recipe despite my “bold for butter” instinct. You can read more about some of the differences between margarine and butter in this WebMD article.
❤ You’ll likely want to have some melted butter (or margarine) at the ready. Drizzling some on top of the warm coffee cake just before serving is highly recommended!
i. Time
Prep: About 25 minutes prep and 40 minutes for baking.
ii. Ingredients
½ cup | walnuts, chopped
2 teaspoons | cinnamon
1 ½ cups | sugar, reserved into ½ cup and 1 cup
½ cup | margarine, softened
2 | eggs (pasture raised a plus)
2 cups | flour
1 teaspoon | baking powder
½ teaspoon | salt
1 teaspoon | baking soda
1 cup | sour cream
1 large | apple, cored, pared, and thinly sliced (I went with granny smith)
iii. What To Do
1. In bowl #1: In a small/medium bowl mix walnuts, cinnamon, and ½ cup sugar. Set aside.
2. In bowl #2: In a medium/large bowl sift the 2 cups of flour. Next add the baking powder, salt and baking soda. Resift everything together.
3. In bowl #3: In a medium/large bowl or KitchenAid bowl cream together until fluffy the margarine and the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time until everything is well blended.
4. Into bowl #3: In alternating batches beat well after each addition add some of the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed margarine-sugar mixture, then add some of the sour cream. Keep alternating the batches ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
6. Grease a cake pan and set it aside.
7. Prepare your apple: coring, paring, and thinly slicing it. I realized while I was preparing this blog post I forgot to remove the apple skin and in all honesty, I didn’t mind the peel at all. On my next “go” of this recipe, I’ll try paring as it will likely result in a softer cake.
8. Spread half of the batter from step 4 into the prepared cake pan. Top the batter with the apples and half of the walnut mixture. Add the remaining batter on top and sprinkle with the remaining walnut mixture.
9. Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes, or until the coffee cake is done. Remove from oven to cool a bit. I enjoy this best warm but I tried leftovers from the fridge, which did not disappoint.
Yield: About 12 servings.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Coffee Cake Recipe
11/30/21
peachy blueberry cobbler
Posted: June 29, 2022 Filed under: desserts, The Best Of The Best Recipes | Tags: baking powder, blueberries, butter, flour, ice cream, milk, peaches, salt, sugar Leave a comment 
A Summertime Flavor Sensation
When I was a kid, if I heard the word “cobbler” I knew there was likely going to be an extra-special treat coming my way!
After a trip to Dime Box, Texas in the 70s, our San Antonio garden was graced with dewberry plants that were given to us by a family member who had them growing on their farm. What’s a dewberry? Dewberries are very similar to blackberries and they are a favorite berry for many Texans. One of my favorite dessert memories of all time was when my Mom, “Betty,” made dewberry cobbler with he fruit coming from our very own garden!
We liked this peachy blueberry cobbler because it wasn’t overly sweet and it sure tastes great for summertime meals. This recipe is super-easy to make and if you have a kid or two handy they could even join-in on the fun. As Joe said, “this is definitely a recipe worth sharing!” So here it is from us to you!
This recipe hails from a July 1980 Southern Living magazine from a special “Summer Glows With Peaches” section devoted to great culinary ways to create with peaches. You can see the original recipe scan below and you’re getting extra peach recipes to boot!
Foodie Tips
❤ You can easily adapt this recipe by using your favorite fruits. Pineapple, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. would all make a tasty cobbler.
❤ If peaches and blueberries are in season I suggest using fresh. You can also substitute frozen berries that have been thawed, rinsed, and drained.
i. Time
Prep: About 75 minutes, including 15 minutes for prep and 1 hour for baking.
ii. Ingredients
1 cup | sugar
1 cup | all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons | baking powder
1 teaspoon | salt
1 cup | milk
⅓ cup | butter, melted (my grandmother insisted on falfurrias brand butter)
3 medium | peaches, peeled, sliced and lightly sugared
⅔ cup | fresh or frozen blueberries
to serve | Bluebell vanilla ice cream (optional but recommended!)
iii. What To Do
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare the peaches, sprinkle with sugar and set aside.
3. Combine the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, baking powder and salt) in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
4. Combine the milk and melted butter and pour over the dry ingredients. Mix everything until it’s smooth.
5. Pour the batter into a greased 12″ x 8″ x 2″ glass baking dish.
6. Spread the sliced peaches evenly over the top of the batter and then top with the blueberries.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the batter rises through the fruit and the top is golden brown.
8. Serve your Peachy Blueberry Cobbler warm and top with ice cream, if preferred.
Yield: About 8-10 servings.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Peachy Blueberry Cobbler Recipe
11/30/21
pumpkin cheesecake
Posted: October 30, 2021 Filed under: desserts | Tags: butter, cinnamon, cloves, cream cheese, eggs, ginger, graham crackers, pumpkin, sour cream, sugar, vanilla Leave a comment
Let’s Break For Cheesecake
With all the pumpkin proliferation that erupts at the tail end of summer this is a recipe that might stand out from the orangey crowd.
I was a little leery about baking a sour cream topping but I was reminded that folks in these parts don’t mess around with sour cream. Go on – feel the force – the sour cream worked and made a nice topping for the cheesecake.
I don’t recall eating cheesecake until the 80s, when I dove fork first into a Sara Lee cheesecake. With origins to the 1940s Sara Lee cheesecake had been my north star for what a cheesecake should be. Nowadays baking a homemade cheesecake is simply worth the extra love.
Foodie Tips
❤ The amount of graham crackers caused some intense discussion in our household. We netted out that “18 double graham crackers” actually meant 18 sheets of 4-up crackers, which is 72 total crackers not 36. I guess in the golden days a single cracker was assumed to be a 2-up cracker whereas today it would likely be considered 2 separate crackers.
❤ Make sure your spring form pan is well seated and sealed. Mine leaked a little bit in the oven which I solved by placing a pan underneath to catch any drips. After a few minutes baking the cake had set and all was good!
❤ You definitely do not want to over bake your cheesecake. Over baking will likely form cracks through and on the top resulting in a dry vs. moist end result. I’m reminded that the creamiest cheesecake I ever had was the one we water bathed in our oven. To do so we just wrapped the bottom of the springform pan with foil and placed it in a small pan of water while it cooked. The extra moisture will treat you to an amazingly moist cheesecake. I’ll try this method on the next go of this recipe!
i. Time
Prep: About 1.5 hours, including 30 minutes for prep and 1 hour for baking. Most people prefer their cheesecake chilled, so cooling it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight is recommended!
ii. Ingredients
18 sheets (72 total) | graham crackers, crushed and divided
1 cup (2 sticks) | butter, melted (my Grandmother “Nanny” insisted on Falfurrias)
3 (8 ounce) packages | cream cheese
1 ½ cups | sugar
4 | cage free eggs, separated and beaten
15 ounce can | pumpkin
2 teaspoons | ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon | ground ginger
½ teaspoon | ground cloves
for the topping:
1 pint (16 ounces) | sour cream
4 tablespoons | sugar
1 teaspoon | vanilla
iii. What To Do
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
2. Crush the graham crackers in a bowl by hand or you can place them in a Ziploc bag, seal, and crush with a rolling pin or simply by hand. Mix the butter into the crumbs and press it into the bottom of a spring form pan. Reserve enough of the crumbs to cover the top in step 8 below.
3. Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, beaten egg yolks (not the whites yet!), the pumpkin and the 3 spices.
4. Hand fold-in the egg whites.
5. Pour everything into the spring form pan and bake for ~25 minutes at 375°F. I was using my gas oven and needed to add an additional 10-15 minutes for the cake to set.
6. When done remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool a bit. We’re not done with the oven yet – increase the temperature to 475°F.
7. While the cake is cooling lets make our topping by hand-stirring together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour this mixture on top of the cheese cake and return it to the oven to bake for 5 minutes at 475°F.
8. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, sprinkle on the remaining (reserved) buttery graham cracker crumbs from above and let it cool. I let my cheesecake rest on the bottom of the springform pan insert and chilled it in the fridge for a few hours until we were ready to cut it into slices and enjoy it!
Yield: About 8-16 slices, depending on how hungry you are.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
11/30/21
peanut butter slice-and-bake cookies
Posted: September 30, 2021 Filed under: desserts | Tags: baking soda, corn syrup, flour, milk, peanut butter, salt, shortening, sugar Leave a comment
The Cookies With A Twist
This recipe hails from the August 1982 issue of Southern Living, so it’s been patiently waiting in Mom’s cookbook for almost 40 years. I had seen the recipe many times flipping through my Mom’s cookbook, but “slice and bake” never really motivated me to explore more… until I later had a hankering for peanut butter and then I found myself headed to the store to get some fresh milk.
This recipe was surprising for a couple of reasons: 1) “Slice and bake.” The bake part threw me because you *don’t* bake these in your oven – you nuke them in your microwave! Making cookies in the microwave is a new one for me but not surprising given that the microwave was a rage making its debut in most American kitchens in the late 1970s. 2) The end result tasted like a homemade nutter butter cookie which was one of my favorites growing up in the 70s and 80s. Enjoy some vintage nutter butter memories below!
I was quite leery that these cookies would turn out great, but boy they sure did, and after the final schmear of peanut butter tucked between two homemade cookies I was thinking I had just made a fresh homemade home run nutter butter cookie sandwich!
Foodie Tips
❤ You can reduce the recipe ingredients by half; we were on a diet that week but it didn’t stop me from diving in! We wrapped and stored some of the remaining dough in the fridge for a couple of days and it lasted just fine.
❤ If you’re in a hurry to dive in you can chill the “baked” cookies in your fridge ~10 minutes to reduce the on counter cooling time. I did this and the end result was surprisingly crunchy.
❤ I laughed when I saw instructions to manually turn the cookies. We are lucky to live in a time when the microwave does the turning for us! I was also curious if these might do well in an air fryer and will try that on the next adventure with this recipe.
i. Time
Total prep: About 3.5 hours, including a 2-3 hour chill timeout in the fridge.
ii. Ingredients
1 ¾ cups | all-purpose flour
½ cup | sugar
½ teaspoon | baking soda
¼ teaspoon | salt
½ cup | shortening
¾ cup (or more) | creamy peanut butter, divided
¼ cup | light corn syrup
1 tablespoon | milk
iii. What To Do
1. In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry cutter (or if you don’t have one try a KitchenAid stand mixer) cut in the shortening and ½ cup of the peanut butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the corn syrup and the milk.
2. Shape the dough into a long roll, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the roll in waxed paper and chill it in the fridge 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.
3. Unwrap the roll and cut the dough into ¼ inch slices. Place 6 slices at a time on a wax paper-lined plate, arranging them in a ring.
4. Microwave the slices at medium heat (50% power) for 2 to 4 minutes or until the cookies are dry on the surface. If you don’t have a rotating microwave dish, manually rotate the dish at 1-minute intervals to promote “even baking.”
5. Slide/transfer the wax paper with the cookies from the oven onto your kitchen counter and let them cool for 2 minutes. Remove the cookies from the wax paper and place them on a wire rack to completely cool. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough.
6. Here’s the magical part: spread half the cookies with a schmear of peanut butter. I was generous with my schmear! Top with a remaining cookie slice on each to form your cookie sandwich.
Yield: About 2 dozen.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Let’s have a peek at some vintage ads:
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Slice And Bake Cookie Recipe Clipping
lemon pie hawaiian
Posted: July 4, 2021 Filed under: desserts | Tags: brown sugar, butter, coconut, egg whites, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon pudding mix, pastry shell, pineapple, sugar, water Leave a comment
The Hawaiian Pie Of My Eye
This pie definitely tastes like it flew straight out of the 1950s or 60s and flashed forward into my mouth. And based on where this recipe was located in my Mom Betty’s cookbook, I’m likely not that far off on its origins. I’ll continue some research to see if I can determine the publication for this recipe because I recognize the size, format and paper.
The original recipe below claims this pie is a cross between lemon chiffon and lemon meringue. I had to Google the difference between both in order to put my stink eye at ease.
I love that this recipe calls for a pre-made pie crust vs. fresh (hey, this era was a time often about making fast meals which were often a combination of part scratch and part ready made). This has a definite sweet-sugary taste which is one of the reasons I recommend unsweetened coconut – you don’t need extra in this.
I’m not sure how Hawaiian this pie actually is but with coconut in it, the taste will likely remind you of soothing tropical sunsets and beautiful beaches. You can read more about my Texas family’s connection to Hawaii through a few more Hawaiian-inspired recipes. Enjoy!
Foodie Tips
❤ What’s a pie shield? It’s typically made of silicon and it can help prevent the top edges of your crust from burning. Here’s ours from Williams-Sonoma which is adjustable and its been a life saver! You can also make your own impromptu version by using foil and shaping it around the crust’s edge.
❤ A word about the filling. We had a lot of filling left over but we didn’t opt to make a second pie as we were on diets (yeah, that’s the ticket)! We poured the extra filling into some custard cups to devour on some weak moments after our initial pie festival.
i. Time
Total prep: Allow 1 hour for Hawaiian pie prep plus 4 hours for chilling.
ii. Ingredients
8 ¼ ounce can | crushed pineapple, drained (I could only find an 8 ounce can of Libby’s)
¼ cup | brown sugar, packed
¼ cup | unsweetened flaked coconut
2 tablespoons | unsalted butter, softened (my Grandmother “Nanny” insisted on Falfurrias)
9-inch | pastry shell, unbaked
4-serving size | regular lemon pudding mix
½ cup | granulated sugar
1 ¾ cup | water
2 | cage free egg yolks, slightly beaten (save the whites for below!)
2 tablespoons | fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon | more butter
2 | cage free egg whites
¼ cup | more granulated sugar
to garnish | toasted coconut (optional but highly recommended)
iii. What To Do
0. PREP
Set out your butter to soften to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
1. MAKE THE PIE BASE
Combine the drained pineapple, brown sugar, ¼ cup of the coconut and 2 tablespoons butter. Spread it over the bottom of the pastry shell.
2. BAKE THE PIE’S BOTTOM
Cover the edge of the pastry with foil or a silicon pie shield. Bake in your preheated oven at 425°F for 15 minutes, removing the crust protector after the first 5 minutes of baking. When done, remove the pie from the oven and set it aside to cool.
3. LET’S MAKE CUSTARDY FILLING
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat combine the pudding mix with a ½ cup of the granulated sugar. Stir in the water and egg yolks and cook and stir until things are bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining butter. Cover with clear plastic wrap and let things cool, stirring occasionally.
4. LET’S PREP THE WHITES
In a bowl beat the egg whites on high speed with your mixer until you see soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining ¼ cup sugar until everything forms stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cooled filling. Pile everything on top of the baked pastry shell.
5. PREPARE FOR DISMOUNT
Place the pie in the fridge for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve garnish with some toasted coconut.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
pumpkin dump cake
Posted: November 29, 2020 Filed under: desserts | Tags: butter, cinnamon, eggs, evaporated milk, pecans, pumpkin, salt, sugar, whipped cream, yellow cake mix Leave a comment
A Bit Of Dump Cake History
The folks at Epicurious describe the dump cake as “the worst name in the history of desserts.” I, on the other hand, snickered when the name first graced my being. In fact it was more of a snortle of sorts.
The year was 2005 and my Cousin Julie had emailed me the dump cake recipe below that she was impressed with. Being one of the early bathroom humor pioneers (poo-oneers?) I simply replied: “you know I’ll try this because it has the word DUMP in it!” Well that email got filed away with good intentions and sadly forgotten. This year when I was missing my Cousin I went digital dumpster diving into my old email account and a few clicks later the recipe floated to the surface (pun intended).
Flashback: Dump Cake
Before we dive into this recipe I was curious the glorious origins of the dump cake. While some online posts said the first dump cake would send us to 1980, others threw me off track saying the dump cake actually went by other names, including “wacky cake.” For my purposes my culinary etymological research is purely of “dump cake.”
As can be seen by the Google Books Ngram Viewer let’s have a peek at the usage of dump cake over time. There it was – nestled on page 50 of 1917’s The Los Angeles Times Economy Cook Book No. 5: Practical and Economical Recipes by Skilled Cooks – this nugget for Dump Cake. Albeit the recipe instructions read more like a conventional cake (think more effort), the origins of the name take us back to when my Grandmother “Nanny” was 17. You can click this link and see for yourself! I can’t wait to let this useless trivia factoid rip at my next party!
What’s even more interesting is I discovered I lived at the trifecta of perfection – when word usage of dump cake and two sidekicks near and dear to my heart – “pac man” and “bean roll” – were in pure alignment. The year was 1979 and little did I know I was living the glory days. Who knows if this moment in time will rise again?
Foodie Tips
❤ I have to admit I was leery that this cake would come together. But just as the name implies the magic of the dump cake took over once it was in the hot oven and things began to mingle.
❤ Striving to curtail holiday overeating (which later proved to be a farce) we split the recipe into three greased 9″ round foil pans. I was nervous if they would turn out OK and they did! We gave two cakes to unsuspecting neighbors who said they enjoyed it greatly.
i. Time
Total prep: About 60 minutes.
ii. Ingredients
29 ounce can | Libby’s 100% pure canned pumpkin
12 ounce can | evaporated milk
3 | cage free eggs
1 cup | sugar
1 teaspoon | salt
3 teaspoons | cinnamon
1 box | Duncan Hines classic yellow cake mix
1 cup | Texas pecans, chopped
¾ cup | unsalted butter, melted (my Grandmother “Nanny” insisted on Falfurrias)
to serve | whipped cream or ice cream (optional)
iii. What To Do
1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
2. Mix the first six ingredients until well blended and pour the batter into a 9″ X 13″ greased pan.
3. Sprinkle cake mix on top and then sprinkle that with pecans.
4. Pour melted butter or margarine over top. Bake for 50 minutes.
Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. My Cousin Julie topped her cake with dulce de leche and said it was really good!
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Let’s have a peek at some vintage Libby’s pumpkin ads:
Betty's Cook Nook 