Recipes

I have to admit, I never made her Ravioli recipe but would be tempted to try it and there are so many choices for filling from cheese, meat, lobster, to butternut squash. Has anyone tasted her recipe? Let me know if you have tried it and I would love to have you share the results.

Edna used a spice cake box mix (which is hard to find these days in the market but Betty Crocker still makes one) and turned it into something special. Adding her own ingredients, she made it rich with a soft texture and took out the hard work of mixing the basics. The cake reminds me of a carrot cake, and I think I would pair this with a cream cheese frosting or a glaze of a simple syrup mixture. A simple sugar glaze of
water and sugar boiled for 5 minutes, would allow you to add flavor of brandy, rum, almond, etc. If adding a glaze you could slowly pour over the top or use a toothpick to make a few holes in the cake to allow the drizzle to absorb into the cake.

Sand Tart cookies are meant to be rolled out to be very thin and can be made round or shaped with a cookie cutter. They are thinner than a traditional sugar cookie. They are especially popular around the Christmas holiday. The candy toppings can be different colored sugar or cinnamon sugar.

I think grandson, David Burkley, is the biggest fan of these cookies and Grandma and Mom would make them and freeze them and ship them to him. It wouldn’t be a holiday without having these cookies. They are so simple to make year-round on a whim.

A classic from the 50-60’s, Barbara remembers Grandma making this recipe as well as her Ambrosia salad. There are not many gelatin lovers these days, but if you ever attend a themed party this is the dessert to bring. I still love a cold dish of gelatin with a little whipped topping. There are now vegan gelatin options available.

A rich chocolate buttercream frosting for cakes and cupcakes.

Another easy and tasty frosting. Whipped icing needs to be cooked by making a white sauce, letting it cool and add remaining ingredients. This is a different twist, not the 7-minute cooked frosting that requires egg whites and cream of tartar to get the marshmallow texture. This probably can be adapted to different flavors if desired.

Mama Sue's pecan pie can be made with or without the bourbon, which might qualify as blasphemy in the South.

This is one of two versions she made. The first version Chocolate Cake below includes eggs and makes enough for a two-layer cake or 9x13 pan cake.

This depression-era cake uses no eggs or dairy, just pantry basics you're likely to always have on hand. The key ingredient is the vinegar. Barbara recommends frosting this; check out the recipes list for the rich chocolate frosting.

Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food! It’s creamy, hearty, flavorful, and a well-balanced meal in one dish.

Bonus: this version is gluten-free, but no one will ever know!

A summertime favorite, perfect for the 4th of July

Bill's favorite apple pie recipe.