Thinking-ahead-recipes for friendly gatherings

A yellowed piece of paper fell from an equally old cookbook that had been left to me by the late Bea Lett, a favourite reader and long-time friend.

The three recipes typed on the paper caught my attention because each one carried a check mark which indicated to me the trio had been baked and enjoyed by the Lett household.

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Deluxe Cherry Slice

Base:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup butter

Filling:

2 eggs, well beaten

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsps. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup maraschino cherries, quartered 1/2 cup walnuts Mix the flour and butter together for the base, using a pastry blender to blend. Press into a 9x9 inch greased pan and bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes. To make the filling, cream the eggs and brown sugar, add the flour, baking powder and coconut. Mix in cherries and walnuts. Pour over base and bake at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes until set. Do not overbake. Frost with a butter icing to which one drop of red food colouring has been added for a pink colour. Decorate with more pieces of maraschino cherries.

•••

Snow-Capped Brownies

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 6 large marshmallows Beat eggs then add brown sugar and beat until very light.

Melt chocolate and butter together over boiling water and add to egg mixture and beat.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and add to chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla and nuts.

Spread into a greased cake pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes but do not overcook.

While brownies are cooking, quarter the marshmallows. Spread on top of hot brownie cake. Return to warm oven until marshmallows are soft and can be spread from corner to corner, but not browned. Remove from oven and cool. Top with chocolate frosting.

•••

Dream Cake

Base:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar Filling: 2 eggs, beaten

1 cup brown sugar 2 tsps. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder pinch salt

1 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup flaked coconut 1 tsp. vanilla Use a pastry blender to blend base ingredients. When coarse, pat into a greased 8x8 cake pan and bake at 450 degrees F until lightly browned. Cool.

Mix the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and mix into the egg mixture. Mix in coconut and walnuts.

Pour onto top of cooled base and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until set but not overbaked. Cool and cover with a plain icing. Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net