Christmas in the Coal Region embraces certain generations-old traditions without which Christmas just would not be Christmas. The annual flurry of cookie-making was embraced in […]
Sweet Things
Smooth and Creamy Rice Pudding
Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s in The Coal Region, going out to eat anywhere was a special treat. My Nana and Mom cooked […]
Old-fashioned Homemade Mincemeat for Pies and Tarts
My memories of my Nana in the kitchen often revolve around the foods she cooked that my parents, Pappy, and I favored, like chow chow […]
Kolaches
Kolaches (koh-LAH-chees) are Czech yeast dough pastries traditionally topped with a dollop of prune, apricot, poppy seed, or cheese filling. In appearance, they resemble a […]
Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
For those not familiar with this Coalcracker/PA Dutch treat, a whoopie pie is made with two soft cake-like cookies with a fluffy filling sandwiched in […]
Apie Cake (aka AP, Apea, Apee, Apies, or Apeas Cake)
Apie cake (and it’s various spellings) is a Pennsylvania thing; more specifically, a Pennsylvania Dutch thing — even more specifically, a mid- and south-eastern Pennsylvania […]