Tag Archives: raisins

Desserts and Sweets

Grandma’s Cottage Cheesecake

This is such a special cheesecake, different from any other cheesecake I have ever eaten. The cottage cheese keeps its lumpy texture, so it doesn’t have the dense solidity of cheesecakes made with cream cheese. It’s like curd cake, and it’s almost a meal in itself. Even though I loved the sweeter cookies and other baked goods Grandma used to make, her cheesecake was ever so satisfying.

Ingredients for Grandma’s Cottage Cheesecake

  • 1 recipe baking powder biscuit base
  • 1 container creamy cottage cheese
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1/2 to 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 t vanilla
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Spread baking powder biscuit dough in large shallow pan, pinching up dough around edges for about 1/2 inch. Mix together rest of ingredients. Spread on dough base and bake at 350 F for 1/2 hour or until set.

Note: The original Grandma version calls for a yeast dough base rather than baking powder dough; however, baking powder dough is easier.

Cottage Cheese Cake
Cat at the Zoo
Desserts and Sweets

Apple Crisp

  • 4 cups peeled apples, sliced
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 6 T butter
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • 1/8 t nutmeg

Place apples in a deep oven pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice and bake at 325 for 10 to 15 minutes. to soften. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, butter and spices. Sprinkle on top of applies. Bake for about 20 minutes. or until softened and browned.

Desserts and Sweets

Boiled Raisin Cake

  • 2 cups raisins
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil or margarine
  • 1/2 t each salt, cinnamon, nutmeg
  • 1/4 t cloves
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1-3/4 cup flour
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Simmer raisins, sugar, margarine, salt and spices in hot water for 6 mins. Allow to cool. Add flour, baking powder, egg and nuts. Pour into greased 8″ pan. Bake at 325 F for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

 

Desserts and Sweets

Butter Tarts

Pastry:

  • Mariposa, Carol 1990
    Mariposa, Carol 1990

    2 cups flour

  • 1 t salt
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 5 T ice water

To make pastry: sift flour and salt; rub shortening into the flour to form balls the size of small peas. Add water and mix with a fork. Knead slightly for form a smooth ball. Roll and cut to fit tart pans.

Filling:

  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 T vinegar
  • 1 T vanilla
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1-1/2 cups raisins

To make filling: combine eggs, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir in melted butter and raisins.

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup whipped cream

Fill tart shells two-thirds full. Bake for 10 minutes at 450º F; reduce heat to 325º F and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Desserts and Sweets

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

This is not a quick, stove-top rice pudding. This is the real thing: the hours of slow cooking turn the rice into a delicious vanilla-flavored cream with crusty edges.

  • 4 cups milk
  • 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup uncooked rice
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1/2 cup raisins

In oven-proof dish, mix the milk, sugar. rice, salt and vanilla. Bake, uncovered, for 3 hours at 300F, stirring three times during the first hour. After the first hour, stir in raisins and continue baking until done.

Easy vegan: Substitute almond milk for the regular milk and use raw sugar.

Breads and Pancakes

Loretta’s Hoska

Hoska is a delicious Czech Christmas sweet bread made by Grandma, and then Mom, and then Loretta, and now Anna.

A couple of kids

Recipe submitted, after extensive taste testing, by Nancy & Anna.
Makes 2 loaves. Bake 1 hour at 325-350F.

#1.

  • 1/2 C sultana raisins
  • 1/2 c sliced almonds plus a few whole peeled almonds

Soak #1 in 1/2 c rum or Grand Marnier overnight.

#2.

  • 1/2 c lukewarm milk
  • 2 T dry yeast
  • pinch sugar

Let #2 rise 5 minutes or until puffy.

#3.

  • 1 c soft butter
  • 1 c sugar

Cream together #3

Mix together #s 2 and 3 and add:

#4.

  • Zest of 1 lemon (not lime)
  • 1-1/2 c warm milk (room temperature)
  • 4 eggs (1 at a time)
  • 1 t Mexican vanilla
  • 1-1/2 t salt
  • 6 – 8 c flour (as needed)

Mix to form a dough and knead 15-20 minutes.

Add #1 minus whole almonds.

Place in a large buttered bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled (1-1/2 to 2 hours).

Shape into 2 double braids (see below).

Place soaked whole almonds decoratively along double braids. Cover and let rise again to double–about 30 to 45 minutes. Mix 1 egg with a bit of milk and brush tops of braids. Bake 1 hour or so at 325 F until golden, brushing on more of the milk/egg wash about 1/2 way through.

If necessary, use foil to cover if Hoska appears to be browning too fast.

bread-dough-raisins

To form double braids:

  • Divide dough in half – then separate each half into 6 balls (3 larger, 3 smaller)
  • Roll balls into about 30 cm long ropes, using hands. There should be 3 thicker and 3 thinner ropes.
  • Braid larger ropes and place on baking sheet tucking in ends of braids.
  • Braid smaller ropes and place them on top of the larger braid.
Meat and Poultry

Pastel de Choclo: Corn and Chicken Casserole

Pastel de Choclo is a typical corn and chicken casserole from Chile, with a sweet corn crust hiding a savory mixture of chicken, olives, raisins, and hard-cooked eggs.

Ingredients for Pastel de Choclo

  • 1 lb. boneless chicken breast
  • 3 large onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • salt and cumin to taste
  • raisins
  • black olives
  • 2 hard cooked eggs, quartered
  • oil

Corn layer:

  • 6 medium cobs of corn, or 2 cans of sweet corn
  • 1 large sprig of basil
  • sugar

Saute the onion and garlic in oil. Add the chicken and cook over low flame until done. Season with salt and cumin.

Scrape corn from the cobs and grind in a blender or food processor with the basil. Cook a few minutes over low flame to thicken. If it is too thick add a little milk and if too thin, thicken with some cornstarch.

Spread the chicken in one layer in the bottom of an oven-proof casserole.  Sprinkle with raisins  and olives and then a layer of the quartered hard-cooked eggs. Spread the ground corn over top. Sprinkle sugar over the top of the corn layer.

Place in a 350 F oven until crust is golden

White corn

Desserts and Sweets

Hermits

The scent of spices wafting through our kitchen when I was a child many times heralded the emergence of sheets of fragrant Hermit cookies from the oven. Though usually crisp around the edges right after baking, they later soften up to a satisfying chewiness.

Ingredients for Hermits:

  • 1- 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 3 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 1/4 t cloves
  • 1/2 t nutmeg
  • 1 egg, beaten (vegans may use 1 flax egg or other egg substitute)
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk (vegans may use almond milk or any other non-dairy milk substitute)
  • 1/3 cup oil (coconut oil is my preference)
  • 1/2 cup raisins *

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix egg, sugar and milk. Add oil and raisins. Mix with dry ingredients.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet and bake at 425F for 10 minutes.

* Chopped nuts may also be added

Cookies

Desserts and Sweets

Oatmeal Cookies

This has to be a favorite in almost every family that ever made homemade cookies.

Ingredients for Oatmeal Cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 T water
  • 1 cup wholewheat flour
  • 1/2 t cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cups raisins
  • 1/2 cup broken pecans

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and water. Mix flour, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mix to butter mix. Add oats, raisins and nuts. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or till light brown.

Desserts and Sweets

Bread Pudding

Old stale bread and breadcrumbs can be baked into something heavenly with ingredients that almost anyone has in the kitchen.  This simple dessert is popular all over the world and has hundreds of variations

Ingredients for Bread Pudding

  • 2 cups coarse dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 quart hot milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 t vanilla

Options: 1/2 cup coconut, nuts, raisins, dates

Preparation

Butter a baking dish. In it put the bread crumbs, butter, and hot milk. Mix and cool.

Add sugar, beaten eggs, salt, and vanilla. Stir well.

Add 1/2 cup of any of the suggested options, or devise some of your own.

Bake for 1 hour at 325 F. Serve with milk or sweet cream.