Schaum Torte

by Mrs Marvel

This recipe is a German dessert. Gram was half German so it makes me wonder if this was a family recipe. The word “schaum” means frothy or foamy in German, which directly defines the meringue shells and even the whipped cream. All the references to Schaum Torte I found used strawberries, but if you don’t like those you could probably substitute raspberries, blueberries, or any fruit you like. It’s a light old fashioned dessert that might be a bit labor intensive, but delicious. It also reminds me a bit of the Angel Pie recipe.

This torte sounds a lot like Pavlova, and it’s also gluten free. If you decide to try this, I suggest baking sugar or caster sugar.

Schaum Torte

6 egg whites

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

Bake 1 1/2 hrs, cut in round pieces. Split, put fresh crushed strawberries between, whipped cream on top & garnish with whole berries

Peach Tart Pie

by Mrs Marvel

I really enjoy peach pie. I don’t know if this is anything like what I’m used to, but I’m game to try it one day. It seems a bit labor intensive, but this looks like one of those desserts you serve to friends and impress the heck out of them, then say “oh, it was SO easy!” with a wink and a nod to Gram.

Although it’s not noted, it goes without saying that you will make the pastry crust, then make the filling.

Peach Tart Pie

Pastry:

2 c flour

2/3 c oil

1 tsp salt

1/3 c cold water

Add 1 tbsp dry milk to wet ingredients

1 c sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

Mix & put into pastry crust, saving out about 1/4 c. Peel & place peach halves cut side up on top of sugar & cornstarch mixture. Sprinkle remaining s & c mix over tops of peaches. Pour over 1 c 1/2 and 1/2. Add sprinkles of cinnamon. Bake in 400 oven, watching crust edges. If they get brown before the pie appears to be set, turn oven down to 350. Very good when served slightly warm.

Brownies (Grammie Hennie)

by Mrs Marvel

I don’t have a recipe card for this but it’s so good I have to share. It’s actually a recipe from my other grandmother, Grammie Hennie. My daughter and I made this recipe about five times over the past weekend because A. it’s so easy and B. it’s soooo good! We made a box of Ghiradelli brownies and they were seriously substandard to these. I hope you will make some and enjoy! Try them still warm from the oven; it’s like a chocolate symphony in your mouth.

Brownies (Grammie Hennie)

1/2 cup butter

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

Melt together

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

Beat together

1/2 cup flour

Vanilla or peppermint extract

Nuts optional

Mix all together, bake in 8×8 pan 25 minutes at 350

Madeline’s Chocolate Pie

by Mrs Marvel

This is surely a recipe from Gram’s friend Madeline, the doctor. Clearly she wasn’t much concerned with healthy eating as we are today. It makes me wonder sometimes if we are so focused on what we eat that we are making ourselves fat. Eat and enjoy life in moderation, right? When we deny ourselves something like chocolate pie, we may find ourselves coming out of a food coma with the empty pie tin on our laps and chocolate filling around our mouthes.

Note, my Mom thinks we probably don’t have to use the double boiler as our grandmothers did. In this case, do your cooking over a low or medium heat and watch it closely so nothing scalds or burns.

Madeline’s Chocolate Pie

4 sq unsweetened chocolate

2 15 oz cans Eagle Brand condensed milk

1 c. water

1/2 tsp dalt

1 tsp vanilla

Baked pie shell

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler. Add milk, stir over rapidly boiling water 5 min until thick, remove from heat. Add water & salt, mixing well. When cool, add vanilla. Pour into pie shell. Chill & serve.

Pecan Pie

by Mrs Marvel

I have made this recipe and it is decadent. Even better, I made it with fresh pecans that a friend gave me from her tree. My dad unwittingly shelled and snacked on some of them one evening while we watched TV. There is something magical about fresh food items versus prepackaged and OLD food. Even though pecans, walnuts, etc. are processed and moved to the store shelves as quickly as possible, they are still not just from the tree fresh, or even “picked up off the grass” fresh.

Pecan Pie

Cream 1/2 c butter

1/2 c sugar

Add 1/2 c white corn syrup

1/2 c maple syrup

3 eggs well beaten

Mix well. Add 1 c pecan nut meats, 1 tsp vanilla. Pour into 8″ baked shell and bake 1 hour or until knife point comes out clean in a moderate oven 325-350. Serve with whipped cream