Guest Sherida Stewart with Date Pudding

Missy, here. When Sherida was talking on the Seekerville blog about her grandmother's Date Pudding, I asked her to share it here. I'll probably share it again near the holidays but was anxious to find out how she made it! Here's Sherida…

Family Treasures

by Sherida Stewart

In a 1950’s Kansas kitchen filled with the scent of frying doughnuts, I learned to love cooking and to treasure the handed-down recipes which are my family’s heritage. Grandmother would stand at the stove frying the puffy dough while I stood on a chair helping Granddad dip the treats in sweet glaze. I waited with anticipation until we finished so I could finally bite into one while it was still warm. Yum! In their small town, Grandmother was known as the Doughnut Lady because of the thousands of doughnuts she made for church fundraising projects and for selling at the local mercantile. That recipe is in a church cookbook in memory of her contributions.

My mother, grandmothers, and aunts cooked wonderful meals for family celebrations. Through their efforts, I learned about family love and family traditions expressed by preparing food for others. Those memories of family festivities are recalled when I use their recipes. A special memory is our Christmas Eve dinners at my grandparents’ home. Thirty-five family members would sit at a very long make-shift table stretching from the dining room through the small living room. We looked forward to Grandmother’s special Date Pudding dessert, a recipe handed down with love. We knew it was a treasured tradition.

My mother and her four siblings grew up during the hardships of the Depression. My grandmother stretched the food budget with her garden and creative cooking. During the Depression, the ingredients for this Date Pudding recipe were very expensive. Grandmother would scrimp to be able to make this special dessert for Christmas dinner. My uncle told me the family would sometimes save money by collecting hickory nuts in the nearby pastures. These were hard to crack, but tasted fine in the Date Pudding. Generations have passed this recipe down, continuing to make it as part of our Christmas celebrations.

This is very rich, but also very easy….a treat to treasure.

DATE PUDDING

1 T. flour

1 T. soda cracker crumbs

1 cup sugar

1 t. baking powder

1 cup dates (cut in thirds)

1 cup walnuts (broken)

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients. Beat in eggs. Add dates, nuts, and vanilla.

Pour into a greased and floured 8- or 9-inch pan.

Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Makes nine servings.

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, crushed crackers, sugar, and baking powder) in a bowl.

Beat in the eggs.

Cut the dates into pieces. Cutting them into thirds works well for me.

Mix in the dates, walnuts, and vanilla until combined.

Pour mixture into a greased and floured 8- or 9-inch baking pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Be careful not to bake too long.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

I treasure the recipe card in my mother’s handwriting, reminding me of her love of family, cooking, and traditions.

This year we enjoyed Date Pudding on New Year’s Day when our younger son and his fiancée were able to join us for a late Christmas celebration. Endearingly, she asked if I would give her the recipe. Yes, absolutely I’ll pass it on….along with the cookbook of family treasures I’m collecting for her wedding gift. Welcome to our family heritage of food mixed together with love and sprinkled with memories!

Thanks to Missy for asking about this treasured recipe and for having me visit with you here in the Yankee-Belle Cafe. Do you have treasured recipes which have been passed down with special memories?

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Sherida Stewart is hiking along the trail God has mapped for her and learning to trust in His directions. Married to her high school sweetheart for 42 years, they have two sons, two grandchildren, a daughter-in-law, and one future daughter-in-law. A former teacher, Sherida now enjoys blogging about inspirational romance and writing at www.SheridaStewart.com and about traveling and food at http://QuietTravels.com.