Uncle Johnny's Nabisco Torte

John Penne, circa 1942

While organizing my recipes I came across this one from my Great Uncle, Johnny Penne, and knew immediately it should join the “Family Recipes” on this blog. However, after reviewing the recipe, which is written in Johnny’s hand, I could see it was clearly abbreviated AND unreadable on the left margin! Luckily Google provided many similar recipes filling in the gaps.

Uncle Johnny was a mess sergeant during World War II and this was a mess hall favorite! It’s definitely a retro recipe and many of you most likely have tasted a similar dessert. Gelatin has been around since 1845 but it wasn’t until 1897 when a cough syrup manufacturer began experimenting with gelatin that the brand Jell-O was born. Personally, dessert recipes similar to the one below (or Jell-O shots!) should be the ONLY way Jell-O should be used. Take my word on this as someone who lived through the “savory” Jell-O phase before the 1980’s when cooks added coleslaw, carrots, olives, shrimp etc. to unpalatable concoctions. Many a time I sat at the dinner table wondering why my Mom ruined the Jell-O by adding carrots or fruit cocktail! Plain Jell-O in a bowl with whipped cream, that’s how to serve it Mom!!! haha

After reading other similar recipes online here is my extended and more complete recipe, final result photos included! Please comment if you try Uncle Johnny’s Nabisco Torte! Hey it’s way better than Jell-O and carrots!!

For other stories on John Penne and his life check out these links to my blog.

https://www.treeofmanyleaves.com/treeofmanyleaves/2015/02/the-tavern_15.html

https://www.treeofmanyleaves.com/treeofmanyleaves/2015/02/pennes-haven.html

Grandma Hiller's Cheese Strudel Recipe......well, sort of.

Phyllo dough cheese strudel after baking.

With the holiday season upon us, my earliest childhood memories of this time includes my Grandmother serving her apple and cheese strudel.  I remember watching her hand stretch the strudel dough with the back side of her hands (she had rheumatoid arthritis and this technique was easier for her) until it was paper thin.  Stretching was complete when the dough hung off the sides of our large dining room table.  It's time consuming and tricky to accomplish this without poking holes in the dough.  So, I am offering an alternative no self-respecting Slovenian would consider...or so I thought.  Prepared phyllo pastry dough!  In Heike Milhench's cookbook Flavors of Slovenia she offers a recipe for both the apple and cheese strudel using phyllo pastry dough.  I won't be posting her recipes since that would be rude and more importantly illegal but I highly recommend purchasing the cookbook as a gift for your favorite Slovenian foodie.  The author nicely blends history, photos and recipes in this entertaining collection of Central Europe cookery.  And so, I decided to blend my Grandma's filing recipe (because it's the best) with the author's idea to use phyllo dough and the result didn't disappoint.  Below are both the original recipes for both strudels as well as the directions for the phyllo dough strudel.

Grandma Hiller's Cheese and Apple Strudel

Dough Recipe:

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

1 beaten egg

1 cup warm water

melted butter

Put flour in bowl and make a well. Mix water, salt, oil and egg together then add to flour.  Knead until smooth and silky about 15 minutes.  Oil dough and place in a bowl.  Cover and rest 1 hour in a warm place.  Place dough in center of floured table cloth.  Using a rolling pin, roll until 30 x 40 inches.  Brush melted butter over dough.  Place hands under the dough and begin pulling from middle outward until the dough is stretched out over the table (or until approximately 3' x 5') edges.  Work slow to avoid tears as it is hard to repair them once the dough gets paper thin.  Trim off thick edges of dough.  Brush with melted butter.  Now you are ready to add the filling, choose your favorite below.

Cheese Filling Recipe:

2 lbs small curd cottage cheese, strain if necessary.  I use Michigan Brand because it's

thick and doesn't need to be strained.

2 eggs beaten

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together.

Spread the cheese mixture on half of the dough, lengthwise.  Start rolling lengthwise on the filling side by lifting the tablecloth slowly to aid in rolling.  This job is best accomplished with helpers for an even roll!  Place the long roll of strudel in a greased jellyroll pan by laying it up and down the length of the pan.  Brush with butter.  Bake 350 degrees for about 1 hour.  Cool in pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Apple Filling Recipe:

11 small or 6 large apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs.  Do this by adding a small amount of melted butter to the crumbs and combine.

1 cup sugar

Cinnamon

Sprinkle the bread crumbs on the dough.  Spread apples evenly over half the dough.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon over entire area.  Roll using same technique as in cheese filling as well as laying in the greased jellyroll pan.  Brush with butter.  Bake 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Cool in pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Cheese Strudel Recipe Using Phyllo Dough

1 package phyllo dough.  One package will make about 6 small loaves.

Cheese Filling as above however cut ingredients in half, so 1 lb of cottage cheese, 1 egg beaten,

1. Brushing the phyllo with melted butter.

1 tablespoon of flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Melted butter and pastry brush.

(I used 5 sheets of phyllo dough for each loaf but 4 will work just fine too.)

Take 1 sheet of phyllo dough, lay flat and brush with melted butter.  Top with second sheet and repeat process until you have 4 or 5 sheets.

2. Add the cheese mixture like this.

Add some of the cheese mixture, approximately 1/3 cup, as show in the photo.  Fold in both the side about a half inch and the end closest to the filling as well as seen in photo 3.  Begin rolling at the cheese end and place strudel in greased jellyroll pan.  Repeat the process until you have used all the cheese mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

Dober Tek!

3.  Folding in the sides.

4. Rolling the strudel.

Grandma Atwell's Shredded Wheat & Hot Milk

Prepping the biscuit with water.

Ingredients for 1 Serving

2 shredded wheat biscuits 

1 cup of milk (more or less depending on preference).

2 T. butter

Sugar, optional

Begin by heating a cast iron pan on medium heat with a little butter.  While pan is heating take 2 shredded wheat biscuits and run briefly under water, letting the water drain.

Browning/steaming.

When the pan is to temperature add the shredded wheat, a couple butter pats to each biscuit and cover.   Cook/steam until the bottom is browned and butter has melted through the biscuit.  While the biscuits are browning, heat

about 1 cup of milk in the microwave.

Place 1 or 2 biscuits in bowl with the warm milk and add sugar.  Enjoy!

Grandma Hiller's Walnut Potica Recipe

Dough

8 cups flour

2 cups milk

6 egg yolks, keep 3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar plus 1/2 tsp sugar for yeast

2 packages dry yeast

1 1/2 cups butter plus 1/4 cup melted butter (to brush on loaves before baking)

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsp salt

Filling

3 lbs finely ground walnuts

Grinding the nuts.

1 3/4 to 2 cups milk

1 cup honey

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

3 egg whites, beaten stiff

Cinnamon

7-8 greased loaf pans are also needed.

1.   Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1/2 tsp sugar.  Let stand 30 minutes to

Proofed yeast.

activate yeast.

2.   Melt butter 1 1/2 cups butter and milk together (I use the microwave).  Stir in the sugar and allow to cool.  Then add the 6 egg yolks. 

3.   Add yeast mixture to milk and mix well.

4.   Sift together flour,  3/4 cup sugar and salt.   Make a well in dry ingredients and then add milk mixture blending with a wooden spoon.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until

silky smooth throwing dough down on table a couple times.  Place dough in greased bowl (I actually like to use a 9 x 13 pan so that the dough is a nice shape for rolling later) also greasing top of dough then covering with a clean cloth.  

Texture of risen dough.

5.  Place dough in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Note-I usually turn the oven on lowest setting then turn off before placing bowl inside.

Risen dough on floured tablecloth,

ready to be rolled.

6.   While waiting for dough to rise, cover a large table with a thin, smooth tablecloth and flour well.  

7.   For filling, melt sugar, butter, and milk together.  Stir in honey and nuts.  Fold beaten egg whites into cooled mixture.  

8.  Turn risen dough onto center of table.  Roll dough from center out, lengthwise first then width wise.  This is a slow process and dough should be

very

thin.  

Don't rush otherwise the dough thickness will be uneven and impossible to correct .

Spreading walnut filling.

9.   Spread nut mixture evenly over dough.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

10.  Roll up lengthwise-start roll with fingers then continue by lifting up on tablecloth-find a friend because this part if a two person job.

11.   Line greased loaf pans along roll and cut into loaves.

12.   Place rolls in loaf pans and cover with clean towel.  Let and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Measuring for cutting into loaves.

13.   Brush tops of loaves with melted butter.  Bake at 350º F for 45 

minutes to 1 hour.

The old time movie below is courtesy of my niece Kellie!

Rolling.

Grandma's Oven Baked Flancati Recipe

The only ingredient change I made was using butter instead of oleo.  Generally flancati dough is twisted before deep frying giving them the nickname "angel wings".  Grandma (inadvertently or maybe these are supposed to be squares?) left out the twisting instructions which is basically pulling one end down and up though the slit.  I decided to add the twist and found it easier to do this when I cut the flancati in strips (1"x 2.5") rather than squares.   These were good however, I think fried would be the way to go.

Grandma Hiller's BBQ'd Hamburgers

The original recipe.

 A few years ago, after looking through my Mom's old recipe collection I found this one for BBQ'd Hamburgers.  I recognized the handwriting immediately as belonging to my Grandma Hiller.  My family knows I have a fascination with family recipes handed down through the generations and I was thrilled to find this one.  Grandma Hiller made this for family gatherings, although in all the years we visited,  I don't remember ever eating them.

Last weekend I made this recipe for the first time and it turns out Grandma Hiller was on to something.  BBQ'd hamburgers are very good.  Kind of like a Sloppy Joe with a patty instead of loose meat, with the sloppy included.  As I read  it and gathered the ingredients I was intrigued by this abbreviated recipe.  It's written more in note form than like a traditional recipe, perhaps she was a friend's house and jotted it down quickly?  Or from a magazine?  Regardless, I've never seen a similar recipe and the hamburgers would be easy to keep warm in a crockpot or large roaster for a party, family gathering or tailgate.  Leftovers, no problem, they tasted even better the second day! While not her original recipe, "Grandma Hiller's BBQ'd Hamburgers" is the official name now.

My version.

Marie Atwell's Cheese Pie

Crust Ingredients:

16 graham crackers, rolled fine
1 stick melted butter
4 tablespoons sugar
Mix above ingredients together and press into and 8 x 8 or pie pan.

Filling Ingredients:

4 small packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat above ingredients together, fill crust and bake on 375 for 15-20 minutes or until set.  Hold oven temperature.

Top Layer:

1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Mix above ingredients together and spread over pie and bake for another 5 minutes.

When cool, refrigerate.