With more time on my hands than usual to do what I want, I've been looking through my recipes and finding new ones to try. I've had this recipe for years, but don't recall having ever made it before. My sister got it from our grandmother. This is the recipe:
1/2 C. sugar
2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening
1 egg
1/2 C. molasses
1/2 C. milk
1 C. raisins or dates
1 C. nuts (chopped)
Put dry ingredients in mixing bowl, add shortening and mix until crumbly. Add the others and beat well. Bake in shallow pan. Remove from oven and cut in desired size.
That's it, folks! No pan size, no oven temperature, no baking time. My sister estimated 350 degrees, and I estimated 30 minutes. That might have been adequate if I had used a 9x13 pan. But I used an 11x7, or maybe it's 10x6. It took nearly an hour before the toothpick came out clean, and by then the edges were almost too brown.
The only adjustment I made to the ingredients was to substitute almond milk for the cow milk, for the benefit of the family member with the dairy allergy. I used dates, because I had some on hand. Next time, I plan to try a 9x13 pan and bake it for 30 minutes, and then test with a toothpick. This batch seems a little dry; some whipped cream on top would be great!
Photos taken on my Android phone.
