A Winning Recipe Story
Rose M. Griffith,
Thank you for contributing to the Cook’s Country Lost Recipes Contest. We’re writing to let you know that the recipe you submitted was one of our favorites and will be published in the upcoming book From Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens. We received more than 1,200 recipes and chose just 115 exceptional recipes to include in this collection. Congratulations!
Cook’s Country
America’s Test Kitchen
17 Station St.
Brookline, MA 02446
My Story and Grandma’s Recipe
The smells from Grandma’s kitchen wafted out through the open window as I reached the back door. My ten-year-old feet stopped in their Keds and I shut my eyes and took a deep, longing breath of the aroma of freshly baked cake. Opening my eyes, I saw Grandpa walk by the screened porch door and see me waiting there in my pink gingham shirt and solid pink shorts, red hair shining in the bright summer sun. “Here comes Trouble, Mum,” he called over his shoulder, “better hide the cake!” Laughing, I opened the door and came inside to be enveloped in a rib crushing hug. It was the morning before the Fourth of July and everyone was preparing for our Griffith family picnic. Grandma knew her raisin cake was one of my favorites.
As an adult, I still don’t like raisins in any food except cake and I know it comes from the childhood experience of tasting this cake straight from the oven. This holiday was memorable because most times Grandma was a stickler for waiting for the party before anyone could eat anything. I don’t know what she saw in my eyes when I walked in this time, but without a word, she cut me the corner piece and served it up. It was still warm and the raisins nearly melted in my mouth. The cake was always moist and the right amount of sweet—Excuse me, I have to go bake now!
The Recipe
Boil 5 minutes:
1 box raisins (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups water
Stir with wooden spoon to keep them from sticking.
Thoroughly Mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup Crisco
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon baking soda (yes, 1 TBSP)
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 cups flour
1 cup nuts (I prefer walnuts)
Add raisin mixture to above ingredients, put into a greased 13 x 9 pan.
And bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
What are you waiting for? Go enjoy some scrumptious cake!
**
More Practical Musings here, but no more recipes!
Read: A Rose by Any Other Name
I miss walking into Grandma’s kitchen and smelling the wonderful smells, the hugs from grandpa and the family picnics.
We sure were fortunate to grow up with those very special people!
I have not made this cake lately but I have made it in my adult years. I made one for Dad one time when they visited. It is still as yummy today as it was back then!
Your story took me right back to the much simpler time of our youth. What fun! I am also anxiously awaiting my cookbook to be delivered. .
The cookbook is stuffed with delicious recipes that I (okay, Jethro for cooking; me for baking) can’t wait to try!
Just wanted you to know that I too could smell that delicious aroma as if it was the 4th of July. Also, I orderded the cookbook. Can’t wait to get it.
Available on Amazon 9/2011