White Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Nut Cookies

Kristy Robison

2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 cups oats (1 cup of it ground up in a blender)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup macadamia nuts

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Add white choc. chips, oatmeal and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at preheated 350 for 11 minutes. White chocolate chips could be exchanged for semi-sweet chocolate chips and macadamia nuts may then be deleted.

Sweet Rolls

Kristy Robison

¼ cup water (warm)
1 T yeast
½ T sugar
Stir yeast into water. Stir in sugar. Set aside.

Blend well:
1 ½ cup hot water
½ cup non-instant dry milk

In a mixer put:
1T. sugar
Dry milk mixture
1½ cup cool water
Yeast mixture
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
¾ T salt

Start mixing on lowest setting, Gradually add about 8 cups of Flour (could be less or more flour) until the consistency of bread dough (not too sticky, easy to handle).Put the dough on floured surface and knead. Let it rise in greased bowl covered with wet cloth. Divide the dough in half. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about ½” thick. Spread thin layer of butter over the rolled dough. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon. Starting from one long side, roll up the dough as you would a jelly roll. Cut crosswise into slices an inch thick. Arrange slices cut side down in well greased baking sheet. Do the same with the other half of dough. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Icing:
½ stick softened butter
½ box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T. water
Mix ingredients together. If needed, add more water until icing is desired consistency. Brush Icing generously over warm sweet rolls.

Oatmeal Raisinette Cookies

Kristy Robison

2 sticks margarine/ butter

1 ½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

2 cups oats

14 oz. bag Raisinettes

chopped nuts (optional)

Mix margarine, sugar, vanilla and eggs together until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. While mixing gradually add oatmeal, Raisinettes and nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Old-Fashioned Plum Pudding

Rosalie Robison Risk

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp baking soda
¼ cup orange juice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup dark seedless raisins
½ tsp. ground mace
1 cup currants
4 oz. suet
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sugar
¼ cup finely chopped candied orange peel
2 cups soft bread crumbs
¼ cup finely chopped candied lemon peel

1. Sift first 6 ingredients together 3 times; set aside.

2. Separate the suet from its membrane, discarding membrane and chop suet finely. Put into a bowl with sugar, bread crumbs, and beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the orange juice.

3. Adding alternately and mixing thoroughly after each addition, add the dry ingredients in thirds and milk in halves to suet mixture.

4. Mix in raisins, currants, nuts, and candied peels. Turn into a well- greased 2-qt. mold or 2 1-qt. molds. Cover tightly (grease inside cover), or tightly tie greased heavy-duty aluminum foil over top of mold and steam* about 3 hrs.

*Place covered pudding on a rack in a large kettle. Pour in boiling water to no more than one-half of the height of the mold. Cover steamer; bring water to boiling and keep it boiling at all times.

5. Remove pudding to a rack; remove cover and let pudding stand 10 to 20 min. Unmold onto serving plate. Serve with any desired pudding sauce. If storing pudding, unmold on rack and cool completely before wrapping in foil and setting in a cool place. Steam thoroughly before serving.) About 12 servings.

Mom's Scotch-A-Roos

Pearl Robison

Combine in pan: 1 cup sugar 1 cup Karo syrup, stir till it boils, then add 1 cup peanut butter butter and mix in well. In a large bowl, put 6-7 cups Rice Krispies. Pour syrup mixture over them and blend well. Butter a large cookie sheet. Spread mixture onto cookie sheet, pressing till it fills the pan. TOPPING: Melt 1/2 package chocolate chips, 1/2 package butterscotch chips together and spread over bars. May have to use fingers to spread completely over top of bars.

These were often made for family gatherings. Everyone loves them.

Pecan Puffs

Rosalie Robison Risk

¾ cup margarine
1 ½ cup finely ground pecans
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt (optional)

Cream margarine, sugar and vanilla together. Add nuts, flour and salt. Mix well. Roll dough int small balls, about ½ inch. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in slow oven (300 degrees) 45 minutes or until they begin to brown. Roll while hot in powdered sugar and cool on a towel. Roll in powdered sugar again after they're cool and sprinkle more on top when you store them in a tightly closed container.

Source: Pat Quinn, a long time family friend from Lansing, Mi. This is one of our favorite Christmas cookies!

Brad's Favorite Chocolate-Nut Balls

Rosalie Robison Risk

1 can (6 oz) evaporated milk
½ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 pkg (6 oz) semisweet-chocolate
1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts or pecan pieces
1/3 cup orange juice
2 ½ cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 64 wafers)
1. In heavy, 2-quart saucepan, cook undiluted milk and chocolate, over medium heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from heat. Add crushed wafers, sugar, ½ cup nuts and the orange juice, mixing well. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Shape into balls 1 inch in diameter. Roll in remaining nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour, or until firm. Makes 4 dozen.

Source: I really don’t remember, some magazine, but I've had it so long that Brad thinks it's not Christmas without them!

Peanut Butter Chapel Fudge

Rosalie Robison Risk

Use the Chapel Fudge recipe here, but instead of chocolate chips, put 1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter in mixing bowl, along with 1 stick margarine. Follow the other directions, boiling 8 minutes.

We like this one with chopped nuts.

Chapel Fudge

Rosalie Robison Risk

Put in mixing bowl:
12 oz (2 cups) chocolate chips (Hershey's work best)
2 sticks margarine
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine and mix together in 4 quart heavy kettle:
4 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups canned milk
exactly 20 large marshmallows

Bring sugar mixture to rolling boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly. Continue
cooking at a rolling boil on med, med-high stirring constantly for 8 minutes. Pour hot mixture into chocolate chip mixture and beat vigorously with wooden spoon for at least 3 minutes. May add 1/2 cup or more nuts if desired. Pour into buttered 9x13 pan and cool. NOTE: If using milk chocolate chips, boil the mixture at least 12 minutes. It's wonderful made with mint chocolate chips, as well. If they're not available add 1/2 t. Mint flavor to regular chocolate chips.

Source: Sister Norma Graffam from Bangor, ME: one of the original 'old time members' who used this recipe to make hundreds of batches of fudge as fund raisers to build the Bangor Ward Chapel; hence it's name! This 'secret' recipe was closely guarded for many years. She was my Visiting Teacher and gave me this recipe. The fudge is great! As is the peanut butter variety.

English Toffee

Rosalie Robison Risk

1 lb. butter
1 6-oz. pkg. chocolate chips
3 cups sugar
½ cup ground almonds for top
1 cup slivered chopped almonds

Melt butter slowly and add sugar and slivered almonds. Turn heat to high. Stir
constantly, until dark caramel color, about 5 minutes. Pour out onto large cookie sheet. Let cool 10 minutes then sprinkle chocolate chips over top, let melt and spread out evenly. Sprinkle almonds on top of chocolate. Refrigerate long enough for chocolate to harden. Break into small pieces to serve. Makes about 3 ½ pounds.

Source: Sandra Krehel, Bangor Daily News. Makes large batch of excellent
toffee.

Maine Potato Candy

Rosalie Robison Risk

¾ cup cold mashed potatoes
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoons salt
4 cups shredded coconut, chopped
4 squares melted baking chocolate

Plain mashed potato is used, no milk, butter, salt or pepper is added. Mix
potatoes and confectioners' sugar; stir in coconut, vanilla and salt. Blend well. Melt
chocolate over warm, not hot water. If water is too hot under the melting pot it will cause the chocolate to have white streaks as it dries. Spoon melted chocolate over the candy which has been pressed into a buttered pan to the depth of 1/2 inch. Cool and cut into squares. For haystacks, mold mixture into chocolate-like shapes and dip the lower half into the melted chocolate and set on wax paper to cool.

Source: Bangor Daily News. This is a common candy recipe in Maine, since they grow a lot of potatoes. These are a good addition to a box of Christmas candies, or add some to a May Basket! You can substitute chocolate morsels for the baking chocolate. At one time this candy was manufactured as Needhams, similar to Almond Joys.

Duncan Hines Pound Cake

Rosalie Robison Risk

1 box Fudge Marble cake mix
1 cup water
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
Combine and beat 2-3 minutes. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for time on box.

I use this recipe for wedding and other large, heavy type cakes. I freeze the layers before frosting them, which makes them easier to handle and much easier to frost. It also and makes the cake very moist and yummy.

Texas Sheet Cake

Rosalie Robison Risk

Bring to boil in saucepan then pour into large mixing bowl:
1 cup margarine,
1 cup water,
4 tablespoons cocoa.
Add and beat well:
2 cups flour,
2 cups sugar,
½ teaspoons salt
Add: 2 eggs,
½ cup sour cream,
1 teaspoon soda
Beat well again and pour into greased 12x18 jelly roll pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes. Make icing while cake is baking.

ICING :
Bring to boil:
½ cup margarine
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons cream or canned milk
Add and blend well:
1-lb. box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped nuts
Frost cake while hot. (Delicious topped with vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate sauce and a dab of strawberry jam!)

Source: Laurie Wood, State College Ward, PA. A favorite with Young Adult groups.

Mom's Lazy Daisy Cake

Pearl Robison

4 eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Beat eggs, add sugar and vanilla.
Blend in flour mixture. Heat milk and butter to boiling. Add at once to batter and beat well. Bake in 9x13' pan 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and
immediately cover with topping.

TOPPING:
Mix together: ½ cup melted butter and ¼ cup evaporated milk
Stir in:
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup flake coconut
½ cup chopped nuts

Spread on baked cake. Brown under broiler till brown and bubbly.

Source: Grandma Pearl. Rosalie's favorite of Mom's many delicious cakes.

Grandma Nellie's Applesauce Cake (1 2 3 4 5 Cake)

Rosalie Robison Risk

1 cup shortening
¼ teaspoons cloves
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoons allspice
3 cups applesauce (homemade is best)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons soda
5 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup raisins
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup nuts

Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly. Add eggs and beat. Blend in applesauce. Sift flour with spices, salt, soda and baking powder and add to creamed mixture. Blend thoroughly. Fold in raisins and nuts. Pour into a 9x13' cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Mom modifies this recipe for her Christmas fruit cakes, adding fruit cake mix along with the raisins and nuts. She baked them in small loaf pans for each of her children's families . . . as well as for numerous friends. She used more or less the same ingredients, fewer eggs if they're large, and not as much applesauce. She made my wedding cake using this recipe. It's truly a Family Heritage recipe! It's called 1 2 3 4 5 because that's how you remember the main ingredients.

Source: Grandma Nellie Hinckley Robison, modified by Grandma Pearl

Cherry Fruit Cake

Rosalie Robison Risk

1 ½ cup flour, sifted
2 jars (16 oz) maraschino cherries, drained
1 ½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
18 oz (5 ½ cups) pecan halves
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
2 packages (7 ¼ oz) pitted dates
1/3 cup orange juice
1 lb. diced candied pineapple
½ cup light corn syrup
Grease 2 9x5x3” loaf pans (or 6 small disposable loaf pans); line with foil, allowing 2” overhang, grease again. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into very large mixing bowl; add fruits and pecans and toss until well coated. Beat eggs and orange juice thoroughly; pour over fruit mixture. Toss until well combined. Turn mixture into prepared pans, pressing to pack tightly. Fill pans full, they don't rise much. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 ¾ hours or till toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 15 minutes, remove from pans and tear off foil. Brush loaves with corn syrup while warm. Cool thoroughly before storing.

Source: One of my many magazines, a long time ago. It's my favorite fruit cake recipe. About the only one I ever use. After I gave it to Mom, it became her favorite also.