Andrine’s Banana Cream Cake
Written on a torn little scrap of paper, Andrine’s Banana Cream Cake promises a moist, tender cake rich with ripe banana and vanilla—and only 25 minutes in the oven.
Category Handwritten
Recipes preserved in their original handwriting, from well-used recipe cards, scraps of paper, notebooks, and other keepsakes saved through the years.
Sweet Potatoes
A handwritten Sweet Potatoes recipe that turns six simple spuds into buttery, brown-sugar-glazed slices—with a charming little question about whether “candying” is quite the right word for it.
Katie’s Dessert Salad
A handwritten recipe for Katie’s Dessert Salad, a fluffy mix of strawberry Jell-O, crushed pineapple, cream cheese and Cool Whip, with a little family trail stretching all the way to Ohio.
Shortbread Lemon Squares
Buttery shortbread topped with a bright, lemony almost-custard layer—this handwritten Lemon Squares recipe turns a handful of simple ingredients into something worth waiting to cool before cutting.
Milk Sponge Cake
A handwritten recipe for a light, tender Milk Sponge Cake made with beaten eggs and hot milk, with your choice of vanilla or lemon for flavor—and it bakes in just 25 minutes.
Pat’s No Cook Marshmallow Frosting
A fluffy marshmallow frosting without the cooking—just egg whites, sugar, white Karo syrup and vanilla whipped into glossy peaks.
Banana Bread
A handwritten Banana Bread recipe for two loaves, made with mashed bananas and sour milk, with optional nuts and a handwritten suggestion to add raisins.
Jelly Roll
A handwritten Jelly Roll recipe with lemon and Crisco that gives directions for mixing the batter but leaves the baking, filling and rolling instructions a mystery.
Andrine’s Simple Date Cake
A handwritten recipe for Andrine’s Simple Date Cake, made with dates and nuts, baked in a loaf pan and served plain or topped with whipping cream or hard sauce.
Mrs. T’s Oatmeal Cookies
A handwritten recipe for Mrs. T’s Oatmeal Cookies, with quick oats and chopped nuts, formed into rolls, chilled, sliced and baked.
Boiled Dressing
A handwritten recipe for a sweet and tangy boiled dressing made with vinegar, sugar, mustard, butter and egg, with cream or vinegar added to thin it.
Eagle Brand Recipe Fragment
A mysterious handwritten Eagle Brand recipe fragment with crackers, chocolate chips and nuts—and only part of the original directions still intact.
Kitchen Faucet Assembly
Handwritten instructions for reassembling a kitchen faucet, saved right alongside the recipes.
Olave Pickles
A sweet green tomato and onion pickle seasoned with mustard, pepper, allspice and cloves.
Prawn, Ham and Rice Casserole
A simple baked casserole combining prawns, ham, mushrooms, tomatoes and Minute Rice.
Krumkager (Krumkaker)
A handwritten recipe for traditional Krumkager flavored with cardamom and baked in a stovetop iron, complete with a practical note about the butter.
Ever Ready Frosting and Chocolate Sauce
A chocolate frosting made with Nestlé’s Ever Ready cocoa mix that can easily be thinned into chocolate sauce.
Vera’s Date Cake
A simple date and nut cake made with shortening and vanilla, with directions for baking as a cake or cupcakes.
Ella’s Drop Sugar Cookies
Tender drop sugar cookies flattened with a sugar-dipped glass and baked until done.
Sweet Cucumber Pickles
Sliced cucumber pickles preserved with cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, mixed spices and onion.
Cressa’s Cherry Winks
Cornflake-coated cookies filled with pecans, dates and maraschino cherries from a handwritten 1970 recipe.
Cranberry Fruit Nut Bread
A classic cranberry quick bread with chopped nuts and bright orange flavor, baked until golden brown.
Cherry Crunch
An easy cherry dessert topped with a buttery cake mix crumble and baked until golden brown.
Aunt Olga’s Fruit Cake
A substantial fruitcake packed with raisins, dates, figs, citron and nuts, with an intriguing old-fashioned addition of a “small glass of jelly.”