Cooking for Seven

{Grandma’s Cooking School is my chronicles of the informal cooking lessons that my Grandma graciously decided to give us girls. I have compiled a list of all the lessons so far. Enjoy!}

Apple Strudel. A thing of beauty. Sweet apples encased in a thin, flaky dough. Delicious.

We began our lesson by reading through the recipe and preparing the apples.

Next, we mixed together two kinds of dough: a quick version and a more traditional version made with yeast. Meanwhile we cooked the apple filling.

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Have I told you about this cobbler? It is wonderful. Easy, fast, delicious. My dad likes it better than blueberry pie. The first time we made it he said, “You need to USE this recipe.” And so we have.

The construction of the topping was new to me: Cut the butter into the dry ingredients, then add boiling water. The result is a tender, tasty topping. And it’s so much easier than pie dough.

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What do you do when you run out of your favorite chocolate chips and want to make some utterly scrumptious cookies? Ad-lib a bit, of course!

I dug through our extensive collection of printed Internet recipes and found one claiming to be the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe.

Of course I had to experiment and expand. I threw in some toasted pecans and chopped dates. Am I ever glad I did. The toasty pecans add a nice flavor and texture. When you bite into a date, it seems a tiny explosion of fruity sweetness occurs.

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As I looked at our nearly bare garden and spotted our healthy rhubarb plants, a sudden fancy hit me. Rhubarb upside down cake. We had made this recipe once before with success. So my sister & I quickly harvested the tenderest shoots.

Then, as we were prepping our ingredients, panic stuck. There wasn’t a stick of butter in the house. Amanda & I looked at each other and shrieked.

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I must admit that I that had never met with a financier until last Friday. Perhaps I had heard the name mentioned online or in cookbooks, but I would not have been able to tell you a thing about it.

As I flipped through cookbooks, searching for a recipe to use up the ten (ten!) egg whites sitting in the refrigerator, I came across this recipe. The use of browned butter & ground almonds intrigued me; and it looked surprisingly simple. I consulted Dad (who had mentioned pudding & ice cream as a dessert option), and he agreed that trying something new would be good.

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