Page 61 of Christmas at Carnton

1½ cups flour (sifted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray small (8- or 9-inch) cast iron skillet very lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, then vanilla. Next, work in the flour. You can use an electric mixer, or you can get into the 1860s way of doing things and knead the dough on an unfloured surface until smooth.

Press dough into skillet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then flip pan over onto wooden cutting board. Cut shortbread into pieces while still warm; it will set up as it cools. Or serve warm. Yields 10 to 12 servings. And it really does. This recipe is rich and delicious!

Tempy’s Old-Fashioned Butter Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 large egg yolks (no whites)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

Pecan halves

Combine butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla in mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well combined. Add flour and salt; beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls to ¼ inch with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Place pecan half in center of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack.

VARIATIONS:

• Use a decorative cookie stamp instead of the bottom of a glass.

• To make old-fashioned crescent cookies, use almond extract instead of vanilla and crushed almonds instead of pecans. Delicious!

• This recipe also makes scrumptious thumbprint cookies. Add your favorite buttercream frosting on top and voilà! Another wonderful holiday cookie along with great memories when you involve the kids.

Aletta’s Chocolate Cream Pie

2⅓ cups milk, separated

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons flour

Dash salt

3 tablespoons cocoa

3 egg yolks, well beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon butter

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

Heat 2 cups milk to almost boiling, being careful not to burn. Mix sugar, flour, salt, and cocoa; stir dry mixture into ⅓ cup cold milk until well moistened. Add beaten egg yolks. Then add entire mixture to hot milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and butter. Cool slightly before pouring into baked pie shell. Cover with basic meringue (recipe follows) and brown in oven.

Basic Meringue

3 egg whites

Dash salt