AUNT SASSY’S MOLASSES COOKIES: ~Aunt Sassy walked in, balancing a tray of steaming sassafras tea and fresh molasses cookies. My mouth watered at the sight, the smell.~ (This was adapted from my Grandaunt Angie’s recipe.) 1 cup sugar (white or raw) 1 cup molasses 1 cup shortening 3 cups flour (to start) 3 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 egg ¾ cup warm water 1 cup raisins (optional, but tasty) Heat sugar and molasses together over medium low heat. When sugar is dissolved, add shortening and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon together. Beat egg into water. Add dry ingredients and raisins alternately with egg and water. Stir until soft, smooth dough is formed, adding more flour as needed. Chill dough for 2 or more hours, until easy to handle. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with a glass or large, round cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet or parchment paper. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on racks. AUNT SASSY’S HOT SPRING DANDELIONS OVER POTATOES ~Aunt Sassy cooked my favorite meal that night, a feast of roast chicken and hot dandelion greens poured over mashed potatoes.~ tender dandelion greens (may substitute fresh endive)—enough to heap a large skillet before cooking ham or bacon drippings 1 egg 1 Tablespoon sugar 1Tablespoon flour (heaping) 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar (run over) 1 cup milk potato water as needed Clean tender, young dandelion leaves thoroughly in cold water. Drain and pat dry. Heat ham or bacon drippings in large skillet over medium heat. Beat egg, sugar, flour and vinegar together. Add mixture to hot skillet and stir, gradually adding milk and potato water as needed to make sauce. When bubbling gently and of the consistency desired, add dandelion greens or endive. Cook only until greens have wilted slightly, stirring constantly. Serve over hot mashed potatoes. (This recipe is from my mother-in-law, Naomi Gohlke, and is delicious served with ham or roasted chicken.) AUNT SASSY’S MOLASSES APPLE DUMPLINGS ~She baked apple dumplings, cinnamon and molasses oozing out the tops, and brought out the last of the coffee. “You be thinking on this cooking when you’re off half starved, and come on home.”~ (The pastry portion of this recipe belongs to my friend, Lin Leeman.) Pastry: 4 cups flour 1 Tablespoon sugar 2 scant teaspoons salt 1 and ¾ cups shortening 1Tablespoon vinegar 1 large egg ½ cup water Using a fork, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add shortening and cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Mix water, egg and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir into flour mixture with fork until moistened. Divide into 6 portions, shaping flat. Wrap in wax paper or foil and chill for 30 minutes or more. Filling for Apples: 6 large apples, cored, without breaking through bottom of apple ½ cups molasses ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 3 Tablespoons butter Syrup: 1 cup sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 Tablespoons butter 1 ½ cups hot water Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll pastry (about 1/8 inch) into 6 squares or rounds (each 7-8 inches). Place one apple in the center of each pastry square. Mix together ½ cup molasses, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Fill apples with mixture. Top each apple with ½ Tablespoon butter. Moisten the edges of pastry squares with cold water, folding up around apples. Press pastry edges together to seal. Prick pastry with a fork around apple. Combine 1 cup sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons butter, and 1 ½ cups hot water in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to form a syrup. Place apples in a greased baking dish and bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, pour syrup over the apples and pastry, and continue baking for 30-35 minutes, basting with syrup. Serve warm—plain, or as Robert liked, with warm sweet cream. MRS. MAYNARD’S VERY SPECIAL BREAD ~“Make certain you give these loaves directly to the prisoners,” she’d said. “If they go through the guards those suffering men won’t get a bite!”~ ARMY HARDTACK ~The tent flap lifted and Wooster struggled in with a steaming cup. “It’s not coffee, but it’ll chase the early morning shakes away.” He grinned and pulled a broken tag of hard cracker from his pocket, pushing it into my hand. “It’s not much. There ain’t much to be had. But it’s eats.”~ 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons salt water (1 cup or less) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water to create a dough that won’t stick to hands or pan. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Cut five square “crackers” from the dough. Place crackers on ungreased baking sheet. Using an ice pick or similar pointed object prick a pattern of 4 rows by 4 rows (16 holes) in the top and bottom of each cracker, but do not puch through the dough. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn crackers over and bake for another 30 minutes. Crackers will be slightly brown. Remove from oven to cool. As crackers dry they will harden. (To eat, heat or soak in water or coffee. Sometimes soldiers soaked their hardtack ration in water, then browned it in pork fat, and called it skillygalee.) RUBY’S FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS ~“Ruby’s cooked up the best of our ham and grits. There’s cornbread and the last of our potatoes, fried with onions—the way you like them, if I remember.” “You remembered I like fried potatoes?” It was a dumb thing to say. Now it was her turn to blush. “I remember a great many things, Robert.”~ 4 cups potatoes, sliced thin (do not peel) 3 slices bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces Vegetable oil (if needed to add to pan drippings) 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 1/8 teaspoon sage ¼ teaspoon thyme ¼ teaspoon rosemary salt and pepper to taste Combine herbs. Spread potato slices flat. Crumble mixed herbs over potato slices. Set aside. Saute bacon over medium heat in large skillet, drain on paper towels, cut in ½ inch pieces, and set aside. Add onion to hot bacon drippings and sauté until almost translucent. Stir in potatoes and bacon pieces. Cover skillet. Fry until potatoes are golden, turning as little as possible (add oil if needed). Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. ASH ROASTED POTATOES AND CORN ~We built a small fire that night and sat around it, roasting old ears of corn and a few potatoes.~ Irish potatoes Ears of corn, still in husks butter salt and pepper large cabbage leaves (optional) Build a wood fire early and allow ashes to heap. Rake a hollow in the hot ashes and place potatoes. If cabbage leaves are available, clean potatoes and wrap in cabbage leaves to keep ashes from potato skin. Cover potatoes well with more ashes. The potatoes will roast in 1-2 hours, depending on the heat of the fire. Test to see if they are done by sticking with a fork through the ashes. When done, rake vegetables from fire. Remove cabbage leaves (if used), split open potatoes and husk corn. Eat with butter, salt, and pepper. (If cabbage leaves are not used you will need to wipe or rinse ashes from potatoes to eat.) Corn (still in husks) should be roasted in the ashes similarly, but will take less time. Allow 45 or more minutes for corn in hot ashes. The husks will brown and ends may blacken. When done and raked from fire, husk corn and remove silk before rolling in butter or salting.

AUNT SASSY’S MOLASSES COOKIES:

~Aunt Sassy walked in, balancing a tray of steaming sassafras tea and fresh molasses cookies. My mouth watered at the sight, the smell.~

(This was adapted from my Grandaunt Angie’s recipe.)

1 cup sugar (white or raw)

1 cup molasses

1 cup shortening

3 cups flour (to start)

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

¾ cup warm water

1 cup raisins (optional, but tasty)

Heat sugar and molasses together over medium low heat. When sugar is dissolved, add shortening and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon together.

Beat egg into water. Add dry ingredients and raisins alternately with egg and water.

Stir until soft, smooth dough is formed, adding more flour as needed.

Chill dough for 2 or more hours, until easy to handle.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with a glass or large, round cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet or parchment paper. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on racks.

AUNT SASSY’S HOT SPRING DANDELIONS OVER POTATOES

~Aunt Sassy cooked my favorite meal that night, a feast of roast chicken and hot dandelion greens poured over mashed potatoes.~

tender dandelion greens (may substitute fresh endive)—enough to heap a large skillet before cooking

ham or bacon drippings

1 egg

1 Tablespoon sugar

1Tablespoon flour (heaping)

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar (run over)

1 cup milk

potato water as needed

Clean tender, young dandelion leaves thoroughly in cold water. Drain and pat dry.

Heat ham or bacon drippings in large skillet over medium heat. Beat egg, sugar, flour and vinegar together. Add mixture to hot skillet and stir, gradually adding milk and potato water as needed to make sauce. When bubbling gently and of the consistency desired, add dandelion greens or endive. Cook only until greens have wilted slightly, stirring constantly.

Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

(This recipe is from my mother-in-law, Naomi Gohlke, and is delicious served with ham or roasted chicken.)

AUNT SASSY’S MOLASSES APPLE DUMPLINGS

~She baked apple dumplings, cinnamon and molasses oozing out the tops, and brought out the last of the coffee. “You be thinking on this cooking when you’re off half starved, and come on home.”~

(The pastry portion of this recipe belongs to my friend, Lin Leeman.)

Pastry:

4 cups flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 scant teaspoons salt

1 and ¾ cups shortening

1Tablespoon vinegar

1 large egg

½ cup water

Using a fork, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add shortening and cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly.

Mix water, egg and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir into flour mixture with fork until moistened.

Divide into 6 portions, shaping flat. Wrap in wax paper or foil and chill for 30 minutes or more.

Filling for Apples:

6 large apples, cored, without breaking through bottom of apple

½ cups molasses

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

3 Tablespoons butter

Syrup:

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups hot water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll pastry (about 1/8 inch) into 6 squares or rounds (each 7-8 inches).

Place one apple in the center of each pastry square.

Mix together ½ cup molasses, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Fill apples with mixture. Top each apple with ½ Tablespoon butter.

Moisten the edges of pastry squares with cold water, folding up around apples. Press pastry edges together to seal. Prick pastry with a fork around apple.

Combine 1 cup sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons butter, and 1 ½ cups hot water in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to form a syrup.

Place apples in a greased baking dish and bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees, pour syrup over the apples and pastry, and continue baking for 30-35 minutes, basting with syrup.

Serve warm—plain, or as Robert liked, with warm sweet cream.

MRS. MAYNARD’S VERY SPECIAL BREAD

~“Make certain you give these loaves directly to the prisoners,” she’d said. “If they go through the guards those suffering men won’t get a bite!”~

ARMY HARDTACK

~The tent flap lifted and Wooster struggled in with a steaming cup. “It’s not coffee, but it’ll chase the early morning shakes away.” He grinned and pulled a broken tag of hard cracker from his pocket, pushing it into my hand. “It’s not much. There ain’t much to be had. But it’s eats.”~

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

water (1 cup or less)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water to create a dough that won’t stick to hands or pan. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Cut five square “crackers” from the dough.

Place crackers on ungreased baking sheet. Using an ice pick or similar pointed object prick a pattern of 4 rows by 4 rows (16 holes) in the top and bottom of each cracker, but do not puch through the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes. Turn crackers over and bake for another 30 minutes. Crackers will be slightly brown. Remove from oven to cool. As crackers dry they will harden.

(To eat, heat or soak in water or coffee. Sometimes soldiers soaked their hardtack ration in water, then browned it in pork fat, and called it skillygalee.)

RUBY’S FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS

~“Ruby’s cooked up the best of our ham and grits. There’s cornbread and the last of our potatoes, fried with onions—the way you like them, if I remember.”

“You remembered I like fried potatoes?” It was a dumb thing to say.

Now it was her turn to blush. “I remember a great many things, Robert.”~

4 cups potatoes, sliced thin (do not peel)

3 slices bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces

Vegetable oil (if needed to add to pan drippings)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/8 teaspoon sage

¼ teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

Combine herbs. Spread potato slices flat. Crumble mixed herbs over potato slices. Set aside.

Saute bacon over medium heat in large skillet, drain on paper towels, cut in ½ inch pieces, and set aside.

Add onion to hot bacon drippings and sauté until almost translucent.

Stir in potatoes and bacon pieces. Cover skillet. Fry until potatoes are

golden, turning as little as possible (add oil if needed). Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

ASH ROASTED POTATOES AND CORN

~We built a small fire that night and sat around it, roasting old ears of corn and a few potatoes.~

Irish potatoes

Ears of corn, still in husks

butter

salt and pepper

large cabbage leaves (optional)

Build a wood fire early and allow ashes to heap. Rake a hollow in the hot ashes and place potatoes.

If cabbage leaves are available, clean potatoes and wrap in cabbage leaves to keep ashes from potato skin. Cover potatoes well with more ashes. The potatoes will roast in 1-2 hours, depending on the heat of the fire.

Test to see if they are done by sticking with a fork through the ashes. When done, rake vegetables from fire. Remove cabbage leaves (if used), split open potatoes and husk corn. Eat with butter, salt, and pepper. (If cabbage leaves are not used you will need to wipe or rinse ashes from potatoes to eat.)

Corn (still in husks) should be roasted in the ashes similarly, but will take less time. Allow 45 or more minutes for corn in hot ashes. The husks will brown and ends may blacken. When done and raked from fire, husk corn and remove silk before rolling in butter or salting.

~Recipes from~

I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires