Mom’s Blueberry Duff

Now THIS was an old favorite, Mom used to make it for us all the time but we never had it made with fresh blueberries. Will try and report back. Conclusion – even better of course! Instructions follow the recipe photo.

To make this with fresh blueberries instead of canned pie filling
1 1/2 cups fresh Maine blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 T sugar
2 t corn starch
1 t lemon juice

Put blueberries into a saucepan over medium low heat. Mix sugar and cornstarch and mix into berries. Add lemon juice and mix well. Cook down until juice around the berries begins to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool before using in duff recipe

Liz Ballentine’s Apple Ring Cake

This is from my mother, Nancy Tunis Klein’s recipe collection. Liz was married to Daniel Ballentine, my mother’s cousin. This recipe dates back to the 1960s.

Aunt Judy’s Orange Rum Cake

This recipe is from the early 70s when my Grandmother Irene Burgess Klein was still alive. It is in my handwriting except she wrote GRANDMA next to Serves: ❤ This recipe was from the kitchen of Judy Klein Woodruff. We were all together in Forksville, Pennsylvania.

Aunt Pam’s Pecan Tassies

Apple or Peach Crisp

A perfectly delicious solution for when you have extra apples, or wrinkly ones, and this is a favorite during peach season – sooo good. Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (pg 650) in 2004.

4-5 c peeled and sliced apples or peaches (for peaches blanch for 1 minute, peel and slice)
for apple crisp only – juice of one lemon or less if the apples are tart
1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 stick butter (1/4 lb) cut into small cubes
1 c rolled oats
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare fruit. If using apples put them in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Butter your baking or casserole dish (I use my square one). Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl, and rub in the butter with your fingers until mixture resembles course crumbs, then add the oatmeal and nuts and continue to mix until just blended. Spread the prepared fruit in the buttered pan, then spread the crumble mixture evenly over top. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is browned.

Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Adapted from https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/recipes/how-to-make-kentucky-bourbon-balls-kentucky-derby-recipe by Elaine

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup bourbon (Wild Turkey) , divided

2 cups Nilla Wafer crumbs

½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, divided

½ cup confectioners’ sugar, divided

Up to ¼ cup light corn syrup

Optional: dark chocolate and pecan halves

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the pecans and ¼ cup of the bourbon. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until the pecans have absorbed most of the bourbon, 2 to 3 hours. 

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bourbon-soaked pecans, and remaining bourbon, Nilla Wafer crumbs, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and half the corn syrup. Stir until smooth, adjust moisture by adding more corn syrup and/or bourbon

4. Using a heaping teaspoon portion, roll dough into balls.

5. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar and coat each ball in the cocoa sugar. Transfer the bourbon balls to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or until firm.

Optional:

Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler and cover balls in chocolate. Top with a pecan half before chocolate sets and cool on waxed paper.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Very rich – I made this for the end of year REM Delta Prime Robotics BBQ at the Hodgkins’ July 8, 2017

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013611-rhubarb-upside-down-cake

Grandma’s Brownie Recipe

Simply the best brownies ever. 2023 increased walnuts to 1 cup from 1/2 cup because that’s how much I actually use! Grandma in this case is Nancy (Tunis) Klein ♥ 

1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate – OR – 2 T oil + 6 T unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
1 t. vanilla
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

∞ ∗ ∞ ∗ ∞ ∗ ∞ ∗ ∞ ∗ ∞ ∗

Grease a square baking pan (8x8x2″) with shortening and preheat oven to 350º.

Crack eggs into a medium sized bowl and beat with a fork. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Set aside while you melt the chocolate and butter, let cool a little and add them to the egg mixture.  Melt the chocolate in a double boiler – small pan set in a larger pan of boiling water or in the microwave. If you use the microwave, watch carefully so it doesn’t burn. Blend in the flour, then add the vanilla. Spread into the greased pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, until set in the middle. Let cool before cutting into 9 squares.

* substitute: 1 ounce baking chocolate = 1 T oil + 3 T unsweetened baking cocoa. See comment for tips for making this recipe with cocoa.

Strawberry Shortcake for Chelsea

CORRECTED VERSION. Apologies to those who make the baking soda version *Teddy*.

Do not buy those crappy yellow sponge cakes from the supermarket.  Instead, make these.

first slice up fresh local strawberries in season
and have some whipped cream ready …

2 c flour
4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1-2 T sugar
5 T butter
2/3 milk

Preheat oven to 400° and butter a cake pan or small cookie sheet.  Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles course meal.  Add milk slowly until the dough just comes together to form a ball.  Knead on a floured surface for a minute, then roll the dough into  a rough circle about 3/4 inch thick and place in the pan.  Before baking “cut” into 8 pieces with a fork by poking holes close together bisecting the circle in a 4 lines – like cutting a pie.  Bake 12 minutes, or until nicely lightly browned.

Serve warm (not hot) piled with lots of strawberries and whipped cream.

Love Aunt Deb

Greek Yogurt Cake

Or yiaourtopita. A very rich and delicious basic cake.

3/4 c butter at room temperature
1 1/3 c sugar
3 eggs
1 c Greek yogurt
1 T vanilla
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350° and butter and flour a 9 1/2 inch springform pan.

Beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Add vanilla and beat well.

Combine dry ingredients and add to bowl along with the yogurt.  Stir to mix and then beat until thick and smooth.  Spoon into pan and back for 45 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test.  You can cover with foil after 30 minutes if it seems to be browning too quickly.

Let cool for 10 minutes before removing spring pan, then allow to cool completely on a wire rack.