Icebox Pinwheel Cookies

I remember making these with my bubby and always being upset because the dough had to be refrigerated overnight and I was way too impatient to wait that long! The great part about this recipe though, is that you can make even portions of chocolate and vanilla doughs, or you can make a bit more chocolate, then vanilla, or vice versa, and they still come out great. These cookies are a very good dunking cookie because they are cake-y and dense. This batch turned out just like I remembered them! I can't wait to make them again.

Marble Cake a.k.a., the Coffee Dunking Cake

This cake is very simple to make, the key, however, is to use the right type of cocoa. My bubby always used Droste Cocoa, which I believe is a Dutch cocoa. Using any ol' generic brand won't do, it has to be a higher-end cocoa. The cake comes out very dense and uses very little sugar so it soaks in all of the coffee, or milk, that you dunk it in. It is one of my favorite dunking cakes, next to her Mundel Bread which is like a Jewish version of a biscotti. (I'll be making those in a couple of weeks). When I made this yesterday for Mother's day, I completely forgot to make the chocolate frosting, and boy did I get an earful from my mom! Yes, the frosting made the cake and I will have to make it again with the frosting to get the true flavor. Great recipe though overall and easy to make. The best part is that you can marbelize it as little or as much as you want, and it's fun for kids to be able to make the marble swirls.

Orange Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, I am so happy that this recipe was a complete 180 from the Chocolate Rum Cake. These cookies were delicious. I was skeptical because it seemed like there were too many ingredients....bananas, orange, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. These were really really great. I had company over and by the time they left, all but 2 were eaten. This one will definitely go in the book and is one of the most unique cookies I have ever tried. I can't wait until next weekend....I think I'm going to make it a chocolate/vanilla weekend and go for the marble cake and the Pinwheel cookies.

Chocolate Rum Cake - Very Disappointing!

When I read this recipe I was very hesitant to make it. It asked for chocolate pudding mix and cake mix and a bunch of other stuff. I was so surprised that my bubby would have simplified the cake and used a cake mix! I was told by my aunt that cake mix was a new invention at the time so people were trying to incorporate it in their cooking to simplify the recipes.

I made the recipe and it was incredibly watery so I added a bit of flour. I baked it for 10 minutes longer then the recipe called for until the toothpick came out clean. When I was finally able to get it out of the pan, all of the chocolate chips had sunk to the bottom since the batter was still liquid and the cake seemed raw still and tasted disgusting. I am so bummed that this recipe was even in her collection.

I can't remember her ever making it, and now I know why.

Dessert #2 - Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, I didn't go quite in alphabetical order. I was too tired to go to the market to get what I needed for the next "A" recipe, so I found a recipe that I had all the ingredients to. These turned out delicate and delicious. They are one of my favorite cookies that my bubby made for me. Each flavor is perfectly balanced so that no ingredient over powers the other. I just had one with a cold glass of milk...heaven.

Trying Out the 1st dessert - Apple Cake Squares

Since I couldn't decide which to do first, I thought I would go in alphabetical order...so, I began with Apple Cake Squares. I found out from my mom that this is a recipe created by both my bubby and her sister Jenny, who was also a baker.

The recipe was very easy to make; I only used one bowl and a spatula and hand mixed everything so this is definitely a great recipe if you want minimal clean up! They came out perfectly moist and are loaded with apples and walnuts. For the book I will recommend slicing the apples thinly and then chopping them into small pieces. There is a lot of sugar in this recipe, but boy does it taste delicious! It is even better with a bit of melted butter on it, yummy.

The Start of My Bubby's Desserts Recipe Book

My bubby (grandma) was a baker. Every time I would see her she would surprise me with a delicious cookie, muffin or cake. I would love spending weekends with her because she would allow me to help her with the baking and teach me the ins and outs of true baking and the secrets to creating the perfect dessert.

When I was about 7, she became blind due to a surgery complication. My bubby was devastated. How would she be able to bake without help she asked? It pained me to see her so upset. Coincidentally about a week after her surgery one of my teachers had us watch the Helen Keller story where I learned about sign language and the Braille system. That same day I went to the library with my mom and checked out a book on Braille. It took me 2 weekends to braille her kitchen by putting little dots of nail polish on all of her measuring cups, spoons, drawers, stove and oven. She learned to feel the Braille system quickly, and was back to baking without help about a month after her surgery.

As I got into my teen years my bubby's health began to deteriorate and she soon moved to a nursing home. As I was helping to sort through her apartment, boxing up her belongings, I found boxes and boxes of tattered index cards with recipes on them ranging from a simple butter cookie and birthday cake, to rugalach and a Passover marble cake. They were all her own creations, perfected throughout the decades. I could not think about throwing away the recipes that made my childhood so sweet, so I decided I would type each one out and compile a book for myself and my family with all of the recipes.

I've been using this book for about a decade now, mostly for Jewish holiday baking. Every time I made a dessert I would bring a piece to my bubby and she would say "I taught you well, it tastes better than when I made it!" It made her so proud to see me bake, especially using her original recipes.

Sadly, my bubby passed away about a year ago. Ever since then I dreamed of creating a cook book of her recipes for everyone to have and share. I've decided to stop dreaming and start doing, so today, I am going to begin the first step by testing out a recipe and photographing the final product. I'm going to bake 2 desserts every weekend. Wish me luck!