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Health & Fitness

Amy's Family Recipes for Easter

I'm alone in the kitchen today. Coming soon will be my favorite Swampscott landlord and a very exciting and beautiful lady . . . La Rabinessa

 

Someone's in the Kitchen with Amy:

Hello friends. The ghosts of kitchen pasts are my guests today. 

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My interview this week fell through due to illness so I thought you might enjoy some recipes from days of old.

The first recipe is one passed down from my grandmother perhaps even from her mother and served every Easter.  It is easy, a little fussy but delicious.  Somewhere along the way, the family stopped making it.                                                                       

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CALLA LILLIES

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees - 3 eggs -1 cup sugar -   1 cup flour -  2 tsp. Baking Powder -  dash salt  -  3 TBSP water – more if needed.  Batter should be thin.  Grease sheet pan.  Pour batter onto pan in about 5” – 6” circles.  Bake until medium brown around edges.  Working quickly; roll while hot into a cone shape.  Secure with a toothpick if desired.  When hot, they tend to collapse a bit so I like to make a cone of foil and support the cookie for a few minutes, just until it can maintain its shape.  It’s a bit of a pain, but worth it once a year.  When cooled, fill with sweetened whipped cream.  Decorate the center with a small strip of orange zest.  Very pretty and so yummy.

 

Here is one of my dad’s favorite cakes.  Most folks aren’t crazy about fruit cakes and I don’t blame them.  This one is different however, it is DELISH!    

BILL TAFT WHITE FRUIT CAKE

¾ cup butter 

1 ½ cup sugar    cream these together until nice and smooth

Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, mixing well each time

Add ¾ cup milk, alternately with 2 1/8 cup flour mixed with 1 ½ tsp baking powder; until well blended

Add a small can of diced pineapple, 15 maraschino cherries and ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions do not include type of pan so I would use a well-greased tube pan and a pre-heated 375 degree oven.  Check in 40 minutes.  You may want to turn the temperature down if your oven runs a little hot.   Frost with regular white frosting.

 

This is an all-time favorite of mine.  It was published in a Cape Cod cookbook years ago when I lived there.  My family always asks for it on holidays.  I think you will enjoy this vegetable dish.

BROCCOLI/POTATO BAKE

3 cups hot mashed potato                              1 small can French fried onions    1- 3 oz pkg. cream cheese

2 pkgs. Broccoli Spears thawed – sliced lengthwise               1 egg                     ¼ cup milk

1 cup shredded American cheese

2 TBSP butter                                    salt & pepper to taste

 

Mix potatoes, cream cheese, milk egg and butter together until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Fold in one half the can of onions.  Spread potato mixture in a buttered 8x12 pan and up sides.  Bake in at 350 degree oven uncovered 25 -30 minutes or until golden brown.  Arrange broccoli on potato shell.  Sprinkle with cheese and remaining onions.  Bake uncovered for 5 minutes more.  Serves 6 – 8.

 

These cookies are so delicious and the recipe came from a neighbor and friend of my grandmother Amy Lockerbie.  Her name was Mrs. Coates and she lived around the corner on Front Street.  The recipe card I have was typed by my father eons ago.  I think you will like these

 

FILLED COOKIES

 

1 cup sugar          1 egg      ½ butter                  2 tsp cream of tartar       ½ cup milk          1 tsp baking soda

3 ½ cups flour     1 tsp vanilla

 

Filling – 1 cup chopped raisins      ½ cup water         ½ cup sugar         1 TBSP flour

Cook filling until it thickens, cool.  Roll dough thin, cut into shape.  Place 1 tsp of filling on one using one of the next cookie for a cover.  Do NOT press down.  Bake quickly.

There weren’t instructions as to oven temperature or mixing the cookie ingredients so I will improvise.  I think a 375 degree oven would be the proper temperature but you can try your oven and make adjustments accordingly.

Cream butter and sugar together until well blended.  Add egg, vanilla and mix well.  Mix flour, cream of tartar and baking soda together on wax paper.  Alternately, add flour mixture and milk to butter/sugar mixing well between additions.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut out rounds or squares, which ever you desire.

Sometimes my mother substituted dates for the raisins and I enjoyed them much better but that is your choice.

 

This will be the last but not the least for today.  We used to serve this one at LOCKERBIE catering parties.  Fraffie Welch was my right hand helper and I couldn’t have managed without her.  Some day, I may tell tales about some of our fun and delightful experiences running that little restaurant and catering business.  If you want to have an easy, tasty item for your next get-together try . . .

 

GRILLED FANTASIA

Equal parts ham and American cheese

1 green pepper

½ onion – optional

Grind in food processor all together but don’t make a paste.  Just chop.  You want to recognize each item.  Mix enough mayonnaise to make spreadable.  For Hors d’Oevures I like to use Pepperidge Farm Party Rye or Pumpernickle.   Spread about a tablespoon full on a piece of the bread; put these slices on a cookie sheet placed under the broiler and cook until they are golden brown.  So easy and delicious.  If you want to make a nice easy supper, try it on some English muffins.  Kids love them. 

 

Enjoy and Happy Holidays to Everyone

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