Mint Julep

Mint julep is traditionally an alcoholic beverage made with mint, bourbon, sugar and water. Not in our family. My maternal family line were strict teetotalers and one of the most revered cousins in this line was Prohibitionist William E. "Pussyfoot" Johnson. My mother told me that one time, when she was a young newlywed, her mother came to visit. During dinner my mother had some wine, and later my grandmother wrote her a very scathing letter saying she'd "rather see her dead than drinking alcohol." With such strict attitudes in the family, it is no wonder that our family's Mint Julep recipe contains no alcohol.

Just because this recipe contains no bourbon (which between you and me, it tastes delicious with a splash thrown in!), doesn't mean it's not good! This recipe is a favorite of mine because Grandma made it for most of my birthdays. Since my birthday is tomorrow, I thought I'd share it in Grandma's honor!

Auntie's Mint Julep

1 cup mint leaves

Make syrup:

1 cup sugar and 1 cup boiling water

Juice of 1 lemon plus rind

Pour syrup over mint leaves and lemon. Let stand over night.

In the morning strain the juice and discard the leaves.

Add juice of 1 more lemon and 1 bottle of white soda and ice to syrup.


White soda, in our family, has caused some debate. In the past we have experimented with 7-Up, Sprite, Ginger Ale, but in my opinion those all add too much sweetness to the already sweet syrup. I prefer club soda because it adds bubbly without overpowering the sweet mint syrup.


Some time ago, when I was researching recipes from the Great Depression, I ran across this version, which is surprisingly similar to our family's recipe:


American History Cookbook: Mint Julep (1930)
During the Prohibition period, some cookbooks helpfully suggested nonalcoholic punches and versions of cocktails like this mint julep, from the Chicago Daily News Cook Book of 1930, edited by Edith G. Shuck. Of course, Chicagoans with access to illegal liquor could simply add it back in.
Yield: Serves 1, can be multiplied

* Several sprigs fresh mint
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from one large lemon)
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 16 ounces ginger ale
* 1 cup cracked ice

Equipment: Strainer, juicer (optional), food processor (optional), 16-ounce glass

1. Juice the lemon, and add the juice to the sugar.
2. Crush most of the mint and stir it with the lemon juice and sugar.
3. Add the ginger ale.
4. Crack the ice in a food processor if available.
5. Half fill the glass with ice.
6. Strain the ginger ale mixture into the glass of ice.

Serve with a sprig of fresh mint.

Buck and Buck

In my mother's/grandmother's old Shaw Walker recipe box I found this recipe. It caught my eye because it was also written in another family recipe book. I figured if it was in two places, this recipe must have been beloved by someone at some point in our family history! I have no idea how this is, and am hoping my mom will jump in with a comment about it!

Buck & Buck

1 peck green tomatoes
1/2 peck ripe tomatoes
1/2 head cabbage (medium)

Chop all ingredients. Pour over mixture one cup of salt and let stand over night. Drain. Then add 1/2 gallon vinegar, six red peppers chopped fine. Boil briskly one hour or until soft and tender. Add one tablespoonful each of: celery seed, mace, cloves, allspice, and black pepper, 2 pounds of sugar, and one cup grated horseradish. Ready for use when cold.

Grandma's favorite

In my mother's handwriting, I found a recipe card that said "Mother's favorites." I think I surely got my sweet tooth from my Grandma!

Crisp Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sour milk
2 t. soda
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
3 1/2 c. sifted all purpose flour

Cream butter, add sugar and cream well. Add peanut butter and blend thoroughly, then add vanilla. Add milk, blended with soda, then salt. Add sifted flour and mix thoroughly.* Chill and slice into 1/8 inch thickness. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in center of a moderate oven (375 degrees) for 8 to 10 minutes.

*I think my mother left out a step here--to chill these and slice them, I think you might want to roll the dough into a log first! She also added: These can be dropped rather than chilled--press with a fork.

Sopapillas

My sister asked me for this recipe the other day; she thought she would share it with her grandchildren. I remember when I was about 14 I made this recipe on a regular basis. As I told her, it's definitely the one I used because the recipe is stained from frequent reference!


Sopapias (Fried Bread)

2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 T. shortening
3/4 c. water

Mix above (it has a texture like pie crust). Roll out in thin round. Cut circle in quarters. Fry these pie-shaped pieces in deep fat like tortillas. Will puff up. Serve warm with butter or honey. (I always sprinkled powdered sugar over them)

Texas Pecan Pie

This recipe, written in my grandmother's handwriting, comes from our cousin Verna.

Texas Pecan Pie

1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. light molasses
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 salt (scant)
3 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 T. flour
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 lb. pecan meats, unsalted

Put in pastry and bake in moderate oven until done. It will be shiny on top and nice and brown.


On the back of this recipe is another one for:

Pecan Pie for 8 pies

2 c. butter
7 c. light molasses
1 3/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. sugar
21 eggs, beaten
14 T. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 pounds pecan nut meats, unsalted

Corn Sausage Pie

Corn Sausage Pie

Brown 1 lb link sausages

Pour off all but 4 T. of the sausage drippings, and sautee in the drippings:

3 T. finely chopped green pepper
2 T. finely chopped onion

Next, blend in:

3 T. flour
1 t. salt
dash of pepper

Remove from heat.

Gradually mix in:

3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups cream-style corn

Return to heat and stir constantly until mixture is heated through. Pour into greased casserole (8 1/2" diameter and 1 3/4" deep)

Arrange on top of the mixture the browned link sausages.

Cover with Rich Baking Powder Biscuit Dough (recipe below)

Bake 20 minutes in 425 degree oven (hot oven). Serve hot. Makes six servings



Rich Baking Powder Biscuit Dough

Sift together:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder

Cut in with pastry blender or two knives:

3 T. shortening

Stir in:

1/4 to 1/3 cup milk (just enough to make a soft dough)

Round up lightly floured cloth-covered board. Knead very lightly, just enough to smooth up. Roll or pat out into same diameter as casserole dish above. Make slits in dough for the six sausages to poke through.

Bread Starter

I found this recipe tucked inside a cookbook that was obviously a favorite of my great-grandmother's. My great-grandmother was a newspaper clipper. Among her things were hundreds of clippings, but none are dated. This recipe, from a Nebraska newspaper, was probably from the 1930s. It is signed "N.M.M. Nance Co."

Bread "Starter"

Save the liquid from your boiled potatoes and add a pint of boiled potatoes, mashed fine. Before breakfast the next morning add enough hot water to make a half gallon. Put it in a gallon stone jar and add:

1 T. salt
2 T. sugar
one cake of yeast which has been soaked in a capful of warm water

Stir thoroughly, cover closely, and wrap up warm and tight; do not disturb until the next morning at which time beat it briskly for about five minutes. Take out a pint of this mixture to be used as a starter for the next baking instead of a cake of yeast; put it into a glass jar, set the cover on loosely and put in some cool place, as the cellar. To the remaining three pints of liquid add enough flour to make a stiff batter and as soon as it is light, mix it stiff with flour which has been warmed by stirring with the hands on the back of the stove until it is fluffy. Let dough rise to twice the original bulk and push it down; let it rise once more and mold into loaves. When light, put the loaves into an oven hot enough to brown in ten minutes; then maintain a moderate heat for fifty minutes more. When done, turn upside down on a table where it will not be in the way and leave it uncovered until it is thoroughly cold. If need be, let loaves lie all night there; then put them into your bread box which has been thoroughly scrubbed, scalded and sunned. This will make from six to eight loaves varying according to the size of loaf desired. The recipe calls for one tablespoonful of salt, but does not seem enough for me, so I add a second tablespoon of salt when I mix it stiff. When ready to make bread the second time, using the starter instead of the yeast, I save the potato water at noon with potatoes and enough hot water added to make the half gallon, and as soon as cool, add salt, sugar, and starter; leave until next morning and then make the sponge after the starter has been taken out.

Runzas

In Nebraska this food is a favorite! Runza restaurants are wildly popular with locals, and many of us who have moved away long for a chain in our hometowns! This recipe is one I've had in my collection for over 30 years. If I don't have the time to make the dough from scratch, I will use freezer rolls (those balls of dough that you rise to make rolls with). I thaw them for a bit until pliable, then let them rise a bit once I've added stuffing. It's a pretty forgiving recipe!

Runzas

1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar

Cool and add 1 teaspoonful sugar to 1 package yeast (dissolved in 1/4 cup water). Add 1 egg. Beat. Add 1 1/2 cups flour. Set 15 minutes. Add enough flour to make medium-soft dough.

Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Roll to about 1/4-inch thickness (perhaps thinner). Cut into squares. Put a large spoonful of filling on each square. Pull edges up and pinch together. Place on greased pan, pinched side down. Let rise about 45 minutes. Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

FILLING:

1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 1/2 c. shredded cabbage
1 1/2 c. grated onion

Brown all ingredients together. Add salt and pepper and 1 can mushroom soup.