#3328 - Cinnamon Oatmeal Nut Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup raisins
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Crisco shortening
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups Quaker quick oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
6 TBSP leftover raisin water (explained below)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Place raisins in a saucepan and cover them with water--bring them to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, cook the raisins for 5 minutes. Remove from heat--measure out 6 TBSP of the raisin water and save for later, then drain the rest of the water from the raisins. In a mixer add white sugar and Crisco--beat. Add eggs and reserved raisin water--beat. Add oats, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, allspice and ground cloves--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add drained raisins and chopped nuts--stir to mix. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let them stand for 1 minute on the cookie sheets, then transfer them to paper towels using a spatula. Cool completely.

#2969 - Hope Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 orange (for the juice and zest)
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dates (chopped into very small pieces)

In a saucepan add raisins--cover them with water, bring to a boil, boil them for 5 minutes, then drain them. In a mixer add Crisco, white sugar and eggs--beat. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and vanilla--beat. Add buttermilk--beat. Peel the orange and squeeze out the juice--add orange juice to batter--beat. Grate just the outside of the orange peel (zest) and add it to the batter--beat. Add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped almonds, drained raisins and chopped dates--stir until mixed. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

#2789 - Apple Butter Muffins

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup chopped pecans OR chopped walnuts
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 beaten egg
apple butter

In a bowl add white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder and salt--stir until mixed. Add the flour--stir until mixed. In a separate bowl add milk, canola oil and beaten egg--stir until mixed. Add the flour mixture and the chopped nuts to the milk mixture--stir just until mixed. Place cupcake liners into muffin tins. Spoon 1 TBSP of batter into each muffin cup. Spoon 1 TBSP of apple butter in the middle of the batter in each cup. Fill the rest of the cups 2/3 full with batter on top of the apple butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

#2715 - Bisquick Pumpkin Pancakes

(by Aunt Faye [Herman] Minier)

2 cups Bisquick
2 TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 - 12oz. can Carnation evaporated milk (NOT condensed)
2 TBSP canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

In a mixer bowl add Bisquick, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice--stir until mixed. Place mixer bowl on mixer--add Carnation milk, canola oil, eggs and vanilla--beat until smooth. Grease a frying pan or griddle. Pour batter on to hot pan/griddle in pancake shapes--heat them until tops form bubbles, then flip and heat other sides until browned.

#2670 - Brown Sugar Italian Cookies

(by Cousin Cathy [Minier] Ulrich)

4 1/2 cups flour
3 cups Domino's dark brown sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup Brer Rabbit green label baking molasses
1/2 lb. raisins
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon

In a saucepan add the raisins--cover them with water, bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, then drain the raisins. In a mixer add brown sugar and Crisco--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add molasses--beat. Add water/baking soda mixture--beat. Add allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon--beat. Slowly add flour--beat (continue mixing with a wooden spoon if too thick for the mixer). Add drained raisins--stir until mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

#2639 - Cream Cheese Carrot Muffins

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 15oz. can sliced carrots (well drained)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 cup canola oil
Filling: 1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 1 egg; 1/4 cup white sugar

Filling: in a mixer add cream cheese, 1 egg and 1/4 cup white sugar--beat well and set aside. Batter: in a bowl add drained carrots--mash them with a potato masher until smooth. In a separate bowl add flour, 1 cup white sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg--stir to mix. Add 1 egg and canola oil to the mashed carrots--beat with a whisk until smooth. Pour the carrot mixture into the flour mixture--stir with a spoon just until mixed. Place cupcake liners in muffin tins. Fill each 1/3 full of batter, drop 1 TBSP of the cream mixture into the middle of the batter, then place more batter on top of each so they are 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

#1837 - Marbled Spice Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups sifted cake flour (measure before sifting)
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

In a mixer add Crisco, milk and vanilla--beat. Add salt and white sugar--beat. Add eggs and baking powder--beat. Add sifted cake flour--beat until mixed, then beat for 2 minutes. Pour the batter evenly into two separate bowls/ To the first batter bowl add cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg--stir with a spoon. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan. Pour the cinnamon mixture batter evenly into the cake pan. Carefully pour the other bowl of batter evenly on top of the cinnamon mixture batter. Use a tableknife to marble the cake batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely--frost as desired.

#1817 - Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ginger
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 cups Libby's canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups bran flakes cereal
1 - 6oz. bag Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup chopped nuts

Sift the flour into a bowl. Add baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, ginger, baking soda, and white sugar--stir. In a mixer add eggs--beat until foamy. Add pumpkin, canola oil and bran flakes--beat until well mixed. Remove bowl from mixer--add the flour/spice mixture--stir with a wooden spoon just until mixed. Add chocolate bits and nuts--stir just until mixed. Pour batter into an UNgreased 10" tube cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool before removing from pan. Glaze as desired.

#1793 - Upsidedown Apple Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 medium baking apples (washed, cored, peeled and sliced)
2 TBSP Parkay margarine (melted)
1/3 cup Kayro dark OR light corn syrup
2 TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 1/4 cups Bisquick
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Spray an 8 x 8 glass baking dish with Pam--set aside. In a bowl add melted Parkay, corn syrup, 1 tsp. cinnamon and brown sugar--stir until mixed. Pour the brown sugar mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange apple slices on top of the brown sugar layer. Sprinkle the nuts over the top of the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. While that's baking, in a bowl add Bisquick, white sugar and allspice--stir. In a separate bowl add egg and milk--beat. Pour egg mixture into the Bisquick mixture--stir just until moistened. Remove dish from oven after 15 minutes--pour the Bisquick mixture evenly over the apple slices. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool for 15 minutes, then loosen the edges and invert on to a cake plate.

#1568 - Spice Whooppee Pies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups Crisco shortening
4 cups white sugar
4 egg yolks
2 cups buttermilk
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. salt
2 cups hot water
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking soda
9 cups flour
Filling: 2 tsp. vanilla; 4 TBSP flour; 2 TBSP milk; 4 egg whites; 1 1/2 cups Crisco shortening; 1lb. Domino's powdered sugar

In a mixer add 2 cups Crisco, white sugar, egg yolks--beat. Add cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, allspice, baking soda and vanilla---beat. Add buttermilk and hot water--beat. Slowly add flour--beat (continue by hand if necessary). Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely. Filling: in a mixer add vanilla, flour, milk, egg whites and 1 1/2 cups Crisco--beat. Slowly add powdered sugar--beat until fluffy. When cookies are cool, spread icing on one cookie (bottom side) and then top with another cookie (bottom side facing icing). You can freeze them by wrapping each pie in saran wrap and placing in a container.

#1270 - Nut and Spice Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans OR chopped walnuts
4 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup Brer Rabbit LIGHT molasses
1 tsp. allspice
3/4 cup Parkay margarine

In a bowl add flour, chopped pecans/chopped walnuts, and baking powder--stir and set aside. In a large saucepan over low heat add white sugar, light molasses, water, allspice and cinnamon--stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add Parkay--stir until Parkay melts. Slowly add flour mixture to the hot mixture--stir. Let the mixture sit on the counter until it's room temperature, then refrigerate it for 1 hour. Remove dough from refrigerator--divide the dough into four equal parts. Take out one on the four dough pieces--return other dough to the refrigerator. Shape the first piece of dough into a round ball. Flour your countertop, place the first dough ball on the flour, and lightly flour the top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough 1/8" thick. Use any shape cookie cutters to cut your cookies. Remove other dough from refrigerator--repeat with all cookie dough. Placed cut cookies on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies, then frost or glaze if desired.

#1181 - Sweet Potato Muffins

(by Aunt Janie [McNevich] Baronowski)

1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (potatoes must be fully cooked)
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins (boiled for 5 minutes, then drained)

In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add mashed sweet potatoes--beat. Add baking powder, salt, baking soda--beat. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice--beat. Add milk and flour--beat just until mixed. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped walnuts and raisins--stir just until mixed. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill each liner 2/3 full of muffin batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

#605 - 14 Day Pickles

(by Aunt Ada [Herman] Miller)

1 - 2 gallon pickle crock
1 peck of small pickles (about the thickness of your ring finger)
1 gallon water
1 heaping cup canning salt
10 large horseradish leaves
1 1/2 TBSP alum
3 lbs. white sugar
1 pint cider vinegar
2 TBSP celery seed
2 TBSP canning salt
1/4 cup whole allspice (placed in cheesecloth and tied on the top with string)
3 1/2 whole cinnamon sticks (broken into pieces, placed in cheesecloth and tied at the top)


Wash the pickles and place them in the crock. Pour the gallon of water in in a bucket and add the cup of canning salt--stir until mixed. Pour saltwater over the pickles--enough so that all pickles are covered. Place a pie plate in the crock on top of the pickles. Use a quart jar filled with water and set it on top of the pie plate to prevent the pie plate from floating up to the top. Take a cloth and cover the top of the crock so nothing gets into the pickles.

After 3 days, check them--if there is any scum on the top add 1/4 cup more canning salt and restir before placing pie plate, jar and cloth back on the crock. If there is no scum, don't add anything.

On the 8th day, scrape off any scum and throw it away. Remove all of the pickles and place them in a separate container--set aside. Throw the salt water away and rinse the crock. Tear the horseradish leaves into pieces that will fit into the crock. Cover the bottom of the crock with washed horsehradish leaves. Add a 3" layer of pickles next. Add another layer of horseradish leaves. Add another 3" layer of pickles. Continue layering until all pickles are in the crock and the top layer is horseradish leaves. Pour a gallon of boiling water in the crock slowly (enough so everything is covered). Place pie plate, jar of water and cloth back on.

On the 9th day, remove all of the pickles and throw away the water and the horseradish leaves. Rinse the crock. Put pickles back in the crock. Make another gallon of boiling water but add
1 1/2 TBSP alum and stir before boiling the water. Pour the boiling alum water back on the pickles. Place the pie plate, jar of water and cloth back on the crock.

On both the 10th and 11th days, remove the alum water from the crock, reboil it, and pour it back on the pickles. Place the pie plate, jar of water and cloth back on the crock. This must be done on BOTH the 10th and the 11th days.

On the 12th day, remove the pickles from the crock and throw the alum water away. Poke each pickle three times around with a fork--if you skip this step the pickles will shrivel. Put poked pickles back in the crock. To make the pickle juice, use a 4-6qt. pot. Add 3lbs. white sugar, 1 pint cider vinegar, 2 TBSP celery seed, 2 TBSP canning salt, 1/4 cup whole allspice (placed in cheesecloth and tied on the top with string), 3 1/2 whole cinnamon sticks (broken into pieces, placed in cheesecloth and tied at the top), and enough water to make 1 gallon of liquid (about 3 1/2 qts. water added to all of the ingredients). Place pot of the stove, stir all ingredients and float the allspice bag and the cinnamon bag on top. Turn heat on high and bring to a boil. Remove the allspice bag and the cinnamon bag from the juice and place them on top of the pickles in the crock. Pour the boiling pickle juice on top of the pickles. Place the pie plate, jar of water and cloth back on the crock.

On the 13th day, remove pickles from the crock and set aside. Pour the juice from the crock back into the pot and reboil with the allspice bag and cinnamon bag floating on top. Put the pickles back in the crock. When the juice comes to a boil, remove the allspice bag and the cinnamon bag and place them back on top of the pickles in the crock. Pour the boiling pickle juice over the pickles in the crock. Put pie plate, jar of water and cloth back on top of the crock.

On the 14th day, remove the pickles and place them in a large pot on the stove. Pour the pickle juice on top of the pickles and float the allspice bag and cinnamon bag on top. Turn heat on high and cook until hot (NOT boiling). Once pickles are hot turn heat back to medium. Wash your canning jars, place them right side up on the bottom rack of your oven, set oven to 200 degrees. Place the center part of your canning lids (not the rings) in a saucepan on the stove with water--heat until boiling, then turn heat back to low. Take 1 jar out as a time and pack them with pickles (as many as you can squeeze in). Use a soup ladle and cover the pickles in the jar with hot juice. Use a tableknife and shove it down the sides of the jar 4 times around to get the bubbles out. Use a dishrag to wipe any juice off of the top of the jar. Use a fork to get a canning lid from the boiling water--place it on top of the pickle jar. Place the canning ring on top--tighten lid as tight as you can. Repeat until all pickles are gone. Set finished jars on a heat proof surface. The lids will pop after a few hours. If there are any jars that have lids that have centers that didn't go down (and are still raised), use them first. Pickles will keep for about 2 years.

#554 - Apple Butter

(by Ruth Garrett - friend)

11 cups applesauce (plain--no added sugar or cinnamon)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
6 cups white sugar
3 tsp. ground cloves
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 cup apple cider

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot add all ingredients--stir well. Place pot on a cookie sheet in the oven (to catch the drips). Bake until mixture starts to bubble, then turn oven back to 300 degrees and bake for 5 hours. Remove from oven, let it cool--place into pint jars (makes about 6 jars). If you're not going to use them right away, seal the jars. Keep any open jars refrigerated.

#420 - Gingerbreadmen Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

3/4 cup packed Domino's dark brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup Brer Rabbit green label baking molasses
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. ginger
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

In a mixer, combine sugar and butter. Add eggs and molasses--beat. Add all other ingredients and beat. Cover dough and chill for one hour. Remove from refrigerator, roll dough to 1/8" thick on floured surface. Use gingerbreadmen cookie cutters to cut shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool, then decorate with sugar icing: 3/4 cup + 1 TBSP Domino's powdered sugar, 1 TBSP milk--mix together in a bowl and drizzle over cookies.

#415 - Pumpkin Spice Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins (cover with water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then boil them for 5 minutes--drain completely)

In a mixer, combine butter and sugar. Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Add baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and flour--mix well. Remove from mixer and use a wooden spoon to stir in walnuts and raisins. Drop by tablespoonsful on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

#142 - Sweet Potato Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 large yams
3 eggs
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups light cream
4 TBSP melted butter
1 unbaked 9" pie shell (if you want to make the pie shell from scratch, check out our recipe #33)

Bake the yams at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet or in a cake pan until tender (test with a fork). Remove from oven, peel them, and mash them with a potato masher. Beat 3 eggs and add to the mashed yams. Add the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Stir everything with a spoon until well mixed. Add the light cream and stir. Add the melted butter and stir with a spoon. Spray the pie dish with Pam, insert the unbaked pie crust, then spray the inside of the pie crust with Pam also. Scoop mixture into the unbaked pie shell and bake 400 degrees for 50 minutes.