1/2 pound butter. 1/2 ounce cinnamon. 1/2 pound sugar. 3 eggs.  Flour.

Work together and form into small balls.  Place in hot buttered wafer irons, hold over fire and bake.  This is an old German recipe which Frau Schmidt’s grandmother used.

“BRAUNE LEBKUCHEN”

2 pounds sugar syrup. 1/4 pound granulated sugar. 1/4 pound butter. 1/4 pound coarsely chopped almonds.  Grate yellow part of one lemon rind. 1/4 ounce cinnamon. 1/4 ounce cloves. 1 drachm of powdered cardamom. 1 ounce of hartshorn, dissolved in a little milk.

Place syrup in stew-pan on range to heat, add butter, almonds, spices, etc.

Remove from range, stir in flour gradually.  Use about 10 cups of flour.  When cool add the dissolved hartshorn.  Allow the cake dough to stand in a warm place eight to ten days before baking.

Then place a portion of the cake dough on a greased baking sheet which has been sprinkled lightly with flour, roll cake dough out on the sheet about 1/3 inch in thickness; place in a very moderate oven.  When well dried out and nicely browned on top cut the sheets into small squares, the size of ordinary soda crackers.

This is a very old recipe given Mary by Frau Schmidt.

PEANUT COOKIES

One pint of roasted peanuts, measured, after being shelled.  Rub off the brown skin, run through a food-chopper.  Cream together 2 tablespoonfuls of butter, 1 cup of sugar.  Add 3 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of milk, 1/4 teaspoonful of salt and the chopped peanuts.  Add flour to make a soft dough.  Roll out on a floured board, cut with a small cake cutter and bake in a moderate oven.  This recipe was given Mary by a friend living in Allentown.

PIES—­FLAKY PIE CRUST

Have all the materials cold when making pastry.  Handle as little as possible.  Place in a bowl 3-1/2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoonful salt and 1 cup good, sweet lard.  Cut through with a knife into quite small pieces and mix into a dough with a little less than a half cup of cold water.  Use only enough water to make dough hold together.  This should be done with a knife or tips of the fingers.  The water should be poured on the flour and lard carefully, a small quantity at a time, and never twice at the same place.  Be careful that the dough is not too moist.  Press the dough with the hands into a lump, but do not knead.  Take enough of the dough for one pie on the bake board, roll lightly, always in one direction, line greased pie tins and fill crust.  If fruit pies, moisten the edge of the lower crust, cover with top crust, which has been rolled quite thin.  A knife scraped across the top crust several times before placing over pie causes the crust to have a rough, flaky, rich-looking surface when baked.  Cut small vents in top crust to allow steam to escape.  Pinch the edges of fruit pies well together to prevent syrup oozing out.  If you wish light, flaky pie crust, bake in a hot oven.  If a sheet of paper placed in oven turns a delicate brown, then the oven is right for pies.  The best of pastry will be a failure if dried slowly in a cool oven.