The Family Cookbook That Preserved My Childhood Recipes

Family Cookbook

One Christmas, my mother surprised us siblings with a FAMILY COOKBOOK!

This cookbook consists of all my family's favorite dishes that we had enjoyed while growing up. Throughout the cookbook, my mother not only indexed each recipe into categories, but she also gave us a story behind each recipe! For example, the Butterhorn Dinner Rolls, on page 6. This recipe was given to my grandmother years ago by a lady who lived in Moberly, Missouri. The woman was very reluctant to share her recipe as she was afraid she would lose customers. It was a secret recipe that made her a fortune by selling to hundreds of customers.

Some of the other recipes bring up fond memories, such as the Bubble Bread that we had enjoyed every Christmas morning - the gooey cinnamon nut bread that tasted wonderful with hot cocoa!

Or the Peanut Butter Cups that an elderly lady from my church made each year that we looked forward to during the holidays.

Or that unbelievable Wheat Germ Cereal that my mother discovered when we attended a church at the Lake of the Ozarks...

And of course, the Beef Enchilada recipe that my mother took to every potluck dinner our church held! This dish was so popular, that my mother had to gently scold us kids to save some for others! Of course, we never listened to her, and I remember a few times staring down into my plate and realizing I was dishing up all my mom's home cooking! I think our pastor enjoyed the cooking too, for I remember him coming over for dinner frequently, especially when it was HOMEMADE PIZZA night!

Over the years, the cookbook has saved me many a PHONE CALL to ask my mother, yet once again, "WHAT was that recipe again, for such and such....?

Now, all I have to do is leaf through my family cookbook and scour down the index and find that favorite dish that brings back so many memories.

Over the years, my mother has been collecting many new recipes, so she'll probably have to work on a second edition... Including that TO DIE FOR chicken potpie that everyone on the planet seems to be asking her about, or to share another invention of hers.

Here's a recipe I'll share today. This one my mother discovered while attending an Airstream’s rally. This was when my parents used to take their Airstream (RV) and travel around.

Some call it Cracker Candy, but in my mother's cookbook, it's listed as Saltine Cracker Cookies. A very delicious and quick snack to make and FUN for kids to cook!

Saltine Cracker Cookies

SALTINE CRACKER COOKIES

Ingredients

• About 45 saltine crackers
• 1 cup butter (do not substitute margarine)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 (12-ounce) package chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line an 11 x 17-inch baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil.
3. Arrange the saltine crackers in a single layer, filling gaps with broken cracker pieces if needed.
4. In a saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 3 minutes.
5. Pour the hot mixture evenly over the crackers.
6. Bake for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven. If the crackers have puffed up, gently press them back down.
8. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot crackers and allow them to melt. Spread evenly with a spatula.
9. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.
10. Allow to cool completely before breaking into pieces.

Storage Tip: Store in an airtight container or freeze for later. It freezes beautifully and tastes just as delicious after thawing.

Family Recipes Are Worth Preserving

Recipes have a remarkable way of bringing us back to special moments in life. A single bite can remind us of childhood Christmas mornings, church dinners, grandparents' kitchens, or holidays spent together around the table.

I'm thankful my mother took the time to preserve our family's favorite recipes before they were forgotten. Today, every time I open that cookbook, I'm reminded that the greatest ingredient wasn't flour, butter, or chocolate—it was the love and memories shared around our family table.

Do you have a treasured family recipe that has been passed down through generations? I'd love to hear the story behind it in the comments.

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