Granny's Secret Desserts

Understanding the Cookbook

Any dessert gives a finishing touch to a great meal.  However, there are a few rules of thumb to follow.  You should always choose a dessert that will compliment the menu.  If the meal is heavy, the dessert should be light, and vise versa.  A dessert should never  repeat  a flavor which can be found in the meal.  For example, a raisin glazed ham should not be followed by a dessert with raisins or grapes.  Or, if a fruit cup is served as an appetizer, a fruited dessert should be avoided.  A dessert full of protein, such as a custard pie, should be served with a vegetable luncheon.

In today’s user friendly world, I wanted to make this book quick and easy to read.  Each section is separated, alphabetically, into types of desserts. Grandma always hated starting a recipe and not having everything on hand.  Back in “her day”, there wasn’t any convenience store open 24 hours a day.  She couldn’t just pop out for that one ingredient missing from her pantry.  With that in mind, I created a “Thumbnail Shopping List” so you can check your ingredients before you begin.  I also added preparation and bake times.  Some recipes, especially yeast breads, take time to rise.  Therefore you may want to prepare ahead.  As far as eating time, that is up to your taste buds.

I do not want to be long winded with explanations on how to bake.  I am starting with the assumption that you have some experience around an oven.  I have added a few tips that were passed down to me, just to make the baking experience smoother.  Most of all, remember that everyone’s oven heats differently.  Adjust the minutes to fit the way your oven bakes.

With everyone becoming health conscience, I wanted to add a Nutrients chart.  I don’t know about you, but I wanted to see what was in these old recipes.  Therefore, I used the USDA Nutrient Database to calculate the various nutrients per serving.  When calculating the nutrients, I checked every ingredient of every tasty dessert and factored in that measured portion. This book contains more than 100 recipes.  Many begin with a similar base, with the fruit or flavor being altered.  They are listed separately because the nutritional values differ from recipe to recipe.  Also, nutritional values can vary slightly, depending on what type of ingredients you use in the recipes. The ingredients which I used are found in the appendix of this cookbook.  The“Thumbnail” and the Nutrients chart are across the page from every recipe.   Within the chart, I also added grams of calcium, because healthy bones are important in my family.  As you read the nutrient charts, keep in mind that serving sizes may be generous, just like grandma would have served.  Another way to change the values would be to change the serving size.  Any recipe which says “serve with” will increase the chart by what you add.  The recipes which say “top with” have the nutrients of that topping factored into the chart.

Near the end of the book, I added what I call “Tidbits for the Mind”.  Since I’ve shared food for the stomach, I thought it only appropriate that I share food for thought, too.  These are just ideas which I heard in conversation over the years, when women sit and chat about cookbooks and food.  I take no credit for their creation and, unfortunately, can not give credit to those who did.  If these tidbits help in any way, they were worth putting in the book.

I added traditional wedding anniversary gift ideas.  After all, this book is about traditions passed down.  Many people know the modern gifts, but lost track of original gift ideas.  I added a weights and measures section, because I never saw a cookbook without one.

Enjoy,

RoxAnne