As I was looking through old recipe books trying to figure out what to do with a few leftover apples…I went to my “go to” Betty Crocker recipe book that was given to me as a Christmas gift in 1998. This book is near and dear to my heart with all of my finger smudges from baking in the past and all of the sweet memories of being a young wife and mother. You can tell the recipes that I had made the most with all of the pages folded over…flour still sticking to them like a ghost from times so long ago.

It’s so easy now to just “google” a recipe or follow a blog (like mine!) but there is nothing more treasured than an old cookbook – it’s like a visit again with an old friend. My husband’s family still has a few of his mother’s recipes on old index cards with her thumbprints and finger smudges. The writing is now a little faded. But it’s a treasure. A keepsake that can never be replaced.

Now onto this wonderful Apple-Cinnamon Bread.

It’s delicious. It’s simple. It’s timeless.

Apple Cinnamon Bread 🍎

Ingredients

2 Medium Cooking Apples, chopped (I used McIntosh)

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening (I used a stick of unsalted butter)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts (I used Pecans)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Grease the bottom of a loaf pan

Cut the apples into fourths, then core, peel and chop to measure 2 cups.

In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, combine the sugar, shortening (or butter), vanilla and eggs. Mix thoroughly.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix very well until smooth. The batter will be thick.

Stir in the chopped apples, walnuts (or pecans) and raisins (optional)

Spread the batter into the greased loaf pan.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon together. Sprinkle over the batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick test (from the center of the bread) comes out clean.

Immediately remove the bread from the pan to a cooling wire rack. Cool. Store the bread tightly covered.

(Recipe Source: Betty Crocker’s Best of Baking: More than 350 of America’s Favorite Recipes, 1997)

I was trying to think of something delicious to make for an Easter dessert and what better dessert to make than Lady Bird Johnson’s Lemon Cake!

Easter has always been a very special time in our family. It started in my childhood with my mother taking me shopping for a new “Easter” dress each year. Each dress had to be accessorized, of course, with small white gloves, white patent leather shoes, a matching hat and purse.

It was a day of going to mass at Saint Thomas More Cathedral in my hometown of Arlington, Virginia and then proceeded with Easter dinner with family. The dinner was always a baked ham and all of the delicious sides (macaroni & cheese was my favorite!) and of course yummy desserts.

Lemon Cake was always a favorite. It always reminds me of Springtime and a time of renewal. The aroma of lemon is so refreshing to the soul!

I hope that each and every one of you have a wonderful Easter and enjoy the special day with family and friends. For me, as a Christian, it reminds me of all that Jesus did to sacrifice for us when He died on the cross. It also reminds me of times long ago with my mother. How I wish I could go back to the simpler times and the excitement of shopping for that new dress with my mom.

Lady Bird Johnson’s Famous Lemon Cake

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Softened Butter

1 1/4 Cups Sugar

8 Egg Yolks

2 1/2 Cups Flour

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Rind

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325° F. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until light and lemon colored. Blend into the creamed mixture. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Resift 3 times. Add the sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk. Beat the batter thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, lemon rind and lemon juice. Beat for 2 minutes. Bake in a greased Bundt pan in the oven for 1 hour or until the cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting. Serves 6.

Lemon Icing

Ingredients

2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar

1/4 Cup Softened Butter

Grated Rind Of 1 Lemon

2 Teaspoons Cream (Or More For Spreading Consistency)

Directions

Combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter and grated lemon rinds and beat. Add the cream until desired consistency.

I used the recipe from Tiny New York Kitchen