Holiday recipes from Neosho area evoke childhood memories

Although our extensive holiday events feature prevented our publishing these holiday recipes last month, I think they’re appealing throughout the year, especially wintertime. They not only satisfy our hunger and offer “stick to the ribs” nutrition, but they also bring back childhood memories to the contributor, Katherine M. Jackson of Neosho, MO. “The thoughts of long ago bring to mind all the great family meals and recipes that have been passed down from one generation to another,” she wrote.

Date-Sandwich Cookies

Filling
1 1/2 cups chopped and pitted dates 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar 1 cup nuts, chopped

Dough
1/2 cup shortening 1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, beaten 1 tablespoon cream
2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon soda

First mix the filling, combine dates, sugar and water. Cook until until thick. Add in the nuts and let cool.

Cream shortening for dough, add sugar, and cream well. Beat in egg; add cream. Add sifted dry ingredients. Mix well and chill dough. Roll between two sheets of waxed paper into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Use a round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can, re-roll scraps of dough and cut out more cookies until dough is all used. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet and bake a 400† until lightly browned, for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool.

Take a baked cookie and lay it upside-down on waxed paper. Spread date filling on it, put a baked cookie on top of the filling with the flat side down on the filling. Press gently together.

Keep repeating the process of making “cookie sandwiches” until filling is all used.

“These are Grandmother Olga Topel’s trademark cookies,” Katherine wrote. “She made them always, but especially at Christmas time. She would wrap them individually in waxed paper. One cookie was like getting two cookies in one helping.”

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

6 to 8 potatoes, sliced thin 2-3 cups milk to almost cover potatoes
3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 cup water
(Mix cornstarch with water, stir until smooth)
1 whole onion, sliced in rings 1 teaspoon salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon parsley
6 to 8 slices of ham

Wash and peel potatoes, slice. Cover potatoes with water and set aside. Peel and slice onions. Butter a 12” x 13” cake pan or large casserole dish. Drain water from potatoes, discard water. Put a layer of potatoes in the pan and onion, cover potatoes with milk.

Stir in the water and cornstarch mixture. Spread potatoes out in pan and make another layer. Add more milk and stir so that the cornstarch gets distributed throughout the pan. (This will thicken the milk and make a creamy mixture for the potatoes.)

Sprinkle the salt, pepper and parsley on top of potatoes. Place the ham slices on top of potatoes in a layer, mostly covering them.

Cover pan or casserole dish with aluminum foil. Put a cookie sheet under the pan or casserole dish in case the milk mixture boils over in the oven. Bake at 375† for 45 minutes or until potatoes are done.

“My mother, Evelyn Topel, made this dish when I was a child,” Katherine wrote. “I make it for my family every time we buy a ham. Delicious!”

Honey Cake

1/2 cup oleo or cooking oil 1 cup honey
1 egg 1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk
2 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon soda
Add 1 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon spice if wanted

Pour into a greased cake pan. Bake in a moderate over until done. (You can make sure cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean it is done.)

Variation: You can add two tablespoons cocoa and a little more milk for a Cocoa Cake.

The Honey Cake recipe was handwritten in 1943 by Katherine’s aunt, Bessie Moser. “She would recycle greeting cards by cutting them down into recipe-card size and centering a pretty picture on one side. One the plain side she would write down her recipe.”

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