Family Recipe Friday - Cynthia's Peach Pie

6 cup peeled, diced fresh peaches
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp tapioca
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
8" unbaked pie shell

Mix peaches, granulated sugar and tapioca in large bowl - let stand while preparing pie shell.

Combine flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender, until mixture is crumbly. Stir in chopped walnuts.

Sprinkle one-third of crumb mixture over bottom of unbaked pastry shell. Top with peach mixture.

Sprinkle remainder of crumble mixture over the top of the pie.

Bake in a hot oven (450) for 10 minutes.
Lower heat to moderate (350) and bake for 50 minutes or until top is brown and pie begins to bubble.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Source: Hanley Family recipe collection; Favorite Peach & Apple Recipes, 1950. A wonderful pie; the nutty taste you get from the brown sugar, walnut crumb mixture accents the fresh peaches well.

Family Recipe Friday - Chocolate Almond Cake

Chocolate Almond Cake

2 1/2 cup cake flour
3 squares of melted chocolate
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butter
2 cup sugar
5 eggs, well beaten

Sift cake flour, measure. Add soda and salt. Sift all together three times. Cream butter, add sugar and cream well, until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add melted chocolate and blend. Add sifted flour alternately with buttermilk; beat until smooth. Add vanilla.

Bake in two 9" greased and floured round cake pans at 325 for 50 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Toasted Almond Filling

Cook 1 cup chopped blanched almonds slowly in 4 tbsp butter until well toasted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add 6 tbsp cream. Add 3 cups sifted powdered sugar gradually, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in a dash of salt and 2 tsp vanilla.
Cool until right consistency to spread.
Spread filling between cake layers.
Frost cake top and sides with favorite chocolate icing

SOURCE: Hanley Family recipe collection; submitted by Hanley neighbor, Ora Neidermeyer for West Side Cookbook, 1945.

Family Recipe Friday - Yummy Muffins

Yummy Muffins
Hanley Family recipe collection, West Side Cookbook, 1945

4 tbsp. shortening (Crisco)
1/2 cup Sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup, Milk
2 cup, whole wheat flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup dates, chopped

Cream shortening and sugar well, add eggs and milk.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Mix in chopped dates and add other ingredients.
Place paper liners in muffin pan and fill half-full with batter.
Bake at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes.
Makes one dozen muffins.