Thursday, 15 June 2006
Tonight was our wards quarterly HFPE. The theme, Family Reunions (family history, genealogy, etc.). I volunteered to bring a dessert and earlier this week came upon the idea to make and take one of my Grandmother's signature desserts. One of the desserts she prided herself on, a dessert she took to EVERY function... reunions, church socials, family dinners, etc.
As a teenager, whenever Grandma would send me a letter or card, she'd include some handwritten recipes. Most were things she made all the time - carrot cake, fudge, rolls - but some were just things she'd found or seen and wanted to pass on. I put these long thin slips of green paper (undoubtedly scraps from Uncle Mike's print shop) in a file box that's still at my parent’s house.
In hopes of finding the recipe, I emailed the extended family, and then called my mother. Mom spent the next hour sifting, first through my little recipe box, and then through her recipe drawer... a dresser drawer stuffed with recipes. Within the drawer, just as my father walked in the door from work to see a kitchen that had exploded with recipes, she found the card with the recipe written out in her beautiful script. Hurry! Thank you Grandma!
At one point during our search my mom suggested a few other dessert options. We both got a good laugh at my reaction.. "Mom I can make a dessert, I have lots of dessert options, the point is to take Grandma's dessert!"
It's been over 10 years, possibly even 15, since I last made this cake, and she was right at my side making sure I did everything just right. She'd make the cake in a metal cake pan and serve it chilled. Grandma's cake was a melt in your mouth, could easily sit down and eat the entire pan, kind of cake. It's gonna take me a little bit to get my cake to that standard, but my first solo attempt wasn't a bust. I even put the coconut and walnuts on top, just like she did.
Side note: Grandma put walnuts in and on just about everything and as kids we didn't like nuts - no crunch for us thanks - she and my mother seriously wondered how we were ever born into this family... but she humored us when ever she could and would even leave out the walnuts in our batch of Christmas Fudge.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Snowflake Dream Cake
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6 comments:
Kate- your Grandma;s recipe is almost identical to one of our family recipes! We know it as "Roma's cake". Here is our version incase you ever want to try a varient (I'll have to try yours!)
1 lemon or yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/2c butter (melted), 2T flour, 1c water, 1can madarin oranges & 1/2c juice. Mix and bake at 350 for 30-40min. Frosting: 1pkg. instant lemon or vanilla pudding mix, 1c crushed pinapple, 8oz whipped cream- mixed and garnished with coconut flakes.
I see so much Barb in the picture of Grandma as a young girl.
I was at this HPFE and got to try the said cake. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe...definitely a keeper.
That is very sweet! You have motivated me to get out my grandma's recipe boxes and start sharing them with family & friends, too.
This is Peter's annual birthday cake! We know it as "Yum Yum Cake" at our house - no denying it is definitely yum yum. Love how you showcased your grandmother.
i think barb and grandma have the same nose
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