Recipe Requests

Bettye Steinberg of Baltimore was looking for a recipe for Chocolate Snowballs that she had for more than 50 years and misplaced. This old-fashioned favorite was made using Hershey's cocoa, sugar, water and canned milk that were cooked together and then frozen in ice-cube trays. Marjorie Felt of Baltimore sent in her recipe for the frozen treat, which she says was her mother's specialty. Felt says this recipe "brings back memories of our old neighborhood and is still enjoyed today by new generations."

Nancy Johnson of Springdale, Ark., was looking for a lost recipe for a white barbecue sauce. Barbara Diggs of Newcastle, Wyo., sent in a version she enjoys for a white barbecue sauce from a collection of annual recipes from Southern Living magazine. I tested this recipe on chicken pieces, which I marinated in the sauce for about an hour then precooked slightly in the microwave before finishing them on the grill. I basted the chicken pieces with the sauce as they grilled. The result was a moist and flavorful chicken with a slightly piquant taste.

Shirley Campbell of Perry Hall was looking for a misplaced recipe from many years ago for a Cauliflower Puff. Beverly Hines of Baltimore sent in a recipe she had clipped from the newspaper a long while ago. The cauliflower is cooked first and then pureed with egg yolks and milk. Then egg whites are beaten and the cauliflower mixture is incorporated into the whites along with cheese. The mixture then is baked in a pie plate and comes out of the oven a beautiful golden brown and puffed. It reminded me somewhat of a quiche but without a crust.

Linda Johnson of Hamilton Square, N.J., was looking for a recipe for a casserole she called Yankee Spaghetti. Matthew Fogner of Salisbury, N.C., sent in his recipe for a spaghetti casserole that bears the same name and sounds very close to what Johnson wanted. While his recipe doesn't have all the ingredients that Johnson remembers hers having, it does come pretty close. I tested this somewhat old-fashioned, stick-to-your-ribs recipe using lean ground beef, but ground turkey or chicken could easily be substituted.

Ella Krichinsky of Dundalk was searching for a recipe for plain brown-edge cookies. Diane Hubbard of Baltimore responded with a recipe that appeared in The Sun a number of years ago. She says that her husband especially enjoyed these cookies. They're not fancy, but they are rich, buttery and just plain good. They brown beautifully on the edges and puff up some in the center. They would be terrific served with sorbet or fruit salad, or just eaten plain with a cup of tea or coffee. Brown-Edge Cookies Makes about 36 cookies 1/2 pound (2 sticks)

Judith Miller of East Windsor, N.J., was looking for a recipe that her mother used to make in the 1940s for a rice pudding that was baked and looked like a cake when it was done. Barbara Arnoff of Baltimore sent in her recipe for what she calls rice kugel, which is rice pudding baked either in a round or square pan, with a consistency solid enough that it can be cut into slices and served like a cake. The kugel can be served warm or cold. It's delicious on its own or jazzed up with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Michelle Rice of Rapid City, S.D., was looking for an old-fashioned steam burger or sloppy Joe recipe of the kind you might find served at church events or other community gatherings. Christine Pullen of Fultonville, N.Y., sent in the recipe used at her church's bazaars. She says it is, hands down, everyone's favorite. She also says that it's typically served over hot dogs at her church, though it is equally delicious by itself on hamburger or hot dog buns. While this recipe serves only six, it is a simple one to make in larger quantities.

Alzada Ross Hill of Silver Spring was looking for a recipe for a vanilla-wafer poundcake that she first made in the late 1960s. June Behm of Baltimore sent in a recipe that had been her mother's originally, and she felt certain it was the recipe Hill was searching for. While it's not technically a poundcake, this is an extremely dense, moist and delicious cake. It also keeps well and perhaps is even better the day after it is baked, when the flavors have blended. Linda Ensign of Salisbury, N.C., is looking for a recipe for salt-rising bread.

Hollee Paterson of Baltimore was looking for a recipe for Welsh rarebit, preferably made without beer. Jenny McKenzie from Windsor, Colo., sent in a recipe for this classic dish taken from what she calls her "cooking bible": Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, published in 1950. She says she grew up with this cookbook in her mother's kitchen and was very pleased to inherit her grandmother's copy. The introduction to this recipe says that long ago in Wales the peasants were not permitted to hunt on the estates of noblemen, so they created this savory and satisfying dish, which substituted melted cheese for rabbit, the prize of the hunt.

Alberta Pelekakis of Baltimore was looking for a favorite recipe she lost for a cherry-cheesecake type of dessert that she found on the side of a Dream Whip box several years ago. She remembers that it was simple and delicious and something that she liked to make for large family gatherings. Janet Loux of Spearfish, S.D., sent in a recipe of her mother's that sounds just like what Pelekakis is looking for. This recipe calls for cherry-pie filling, but blueberry or strawberry would work equally well.