OT - Mamma Lemon Cake

quirky · 02-23-2006, 09:16 PM

Well this is way off topic - but I thought I would share my perils with "mamma's lemon cake"

Way back when, before anything sagged and my marriage was new, my husband requested that I make his mother's lemon cake.

I called his mom right away - but she could not remember where she had put the recipe. I did not want to disappoint my husband. But I had never had mamma's cake. So I made a lemon layer cake with oozy drippy frosting. It was so oozy I could not move it to the table and we had to serve it right from the counter.

My husband was appreciative but it wasnt mammas cake. Nothing like it appearantly.

Fast forward to another b-day and once again I determined to make mamma's lemon cake. Again, I failed in my mission.

For the next 10 years I would try to make mamma's cake. And never once was I able to get the real recipe from my mother in-law.

Yet I tried and tried until my husband commented "real love is when your wife tries year after year to make a lemon cake"

Well this year I thought I had it right. I still did not have the real recipe but I have many years experience in what not to do! So I made my cake confindent that this year would be the year the cake was right!

Alas as I was pulling the cake out of the oven I realized that the oil was still sitting on the counter. Right where I had put it after measuring the oil!

Oh it was pretty good anyway

BinkyKat · 02-24-2006, 02:29 AM

Way to go Quirky! Your sig says it all.
Never EVER give up!

So, is Mamma ever going to poney up the recipe?

My DH told me when we first met he'd marry any girl that could make date cookies like his mothers. We've been together 13 yrs and married for 7, I haven't baked any of them yet

Jenelle · 02-24-2006, 03:03 AM

Even though I'm not married I can relate to that. My mom STILL won't give me her special homemade pot pie noodle recipie. :(

quirky · 02-24-2006, 03:51 AM

Quote:

So, is Mamma ever going to poney up the recipe?

Naw, I think she is having fun watching me try!

Ya'know, we share the same birthday. Think that means anything? lol

HollyP · 02-24-2006, 02:09 PM

For years I tried to get my Aunt's baked apple recipe. But she wouldn't give it up for anything. I had tried every recipe I could find but none of them tasted like my aunt's. Then one day when I was shopping with my cousin and her 5 yr old son, we were in the freezer aisle and he said 'Mom don't forget Gramma's apples" while we were in front of the Stouffers frozen escalloped apples.
I looked at my cousin and said "are you kidding me?" She started laughing and said "no". So the elusive apple recipe was always just a trip to the store away.

On the same note everyone thinks I make wonderful brownies from a secret family recipe. Every party, potluck, what ever I go to people beg me to bring my brownies The secret is they are Ghiradelli triple chocolate brownies from a mix. They are sooo good none has ever guessed they are not made from scratch.

So my point is she maybe didn't have the recipe to start out with. It could have been a mix or even gasp- store bought!

Ellen Edwards · 02-25-2006, 04:58 AM

My DIL gave me the best recipe for apple dumplings--and it has Mountain Dew in it!!! How could it NOT be good!! Seriously though--it's so quick to make, with refrigerator crescent rolls and Granny Smith apples,butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and MOUNTAIN DEW, of course---bakes up in 45 min and people think you're amazing!!

BinkyKat · 02-25-2006, 05:11 AM

We had one of our many potlucks at work, this one being at Halloween time. I baked up a double batch of lemon bars in a 9 x 13 pan having never tried that before (since the box calls for an 8 x8). They turned out perfect and one of the gals at work cornered me for the recipe as her church circle was on deck for bars for a funeral luncheon. I told her to write it down, but this is how I make them... You get into your car, drive to the grocery store, head to the baking aisle and pick up two boxes of Lemon Bar mix, follow the instructions, and have a glass of wine while they bake

She was laughing so hard yet amazed at how good a boxed mix could be. I am a purist for baking though, I love to do it and if time allows would rather do something from scratch. She followed my "recipe" and said the biddies in her circle loved them. She didn't divulge her method and they are none the wiser! LOLOL

Hildegard_von_Knittin · 02-25-2006, 05:39 AM

we have a secret family recipe... My mom always tells this story about how she had to beg her mother to give her the recipe before she passed away... her mother apparently didn't use measuring cups, so it was " add some flour... no more... more.... more... Okay now add the wine... more.... more.." and my mom had to keep adding "more" until it was enough... THEN go back and measure that amount so she could write it down! I don't have it memorized yet, but I'm working on it. I had to hide the recipe from my husband because he's alwasy wanting to add something to it... "What if we tried this ???" I'm like NOOOOO!!!

One of my girlfriends lent me a recipe for pinapple-zucchini bread, and it calls for "a half an egg of water" ... and let me tell you, if you use 2 tablespoons, it doesn't work....

BinkyKat · 02-25-2006, 06:44 AM

HILDIE!!!!

I have several church group, company employee, etc cookbooks. My favorite "instruction" in many recipes is "cook/bake until done".
what the?