33 Comforting Depression-Era Desserts

Read Time: 10 mins

33 Comforting Depression-Era Desserts2/33 Grandma Pruit’s Vinegar Pie 5 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 40 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This historic pie has been in our family for many generations and is always served at our get-togethers.—Suzette Pruit, Houston, Texas 3/33 Oat & Coconut Icebox Cookies 5 Reviews Oat & Coconut Icebox Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings about 3-1/2 dozen. Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This recipe was passed down through my family from Grandma Irene and is

a favorite of my dad and cousin Dennis

a favorite of my dad and cousin Dennis. It’s a true cookie lover’s cookie: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and perfectly dunkable. —Lori Rowe, Tigerton, Wisconsin 4/33 Delicious Potato Doughnuts 3 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour Servings 4 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I first tried these tasty treats at my sister’s house and thought they were the best I’d ever had. They’re easy to make, and the fudge frosting tops them off well. When I make them for friends, the recipe is always requested. —Pat

Davis, Beulah, Michigan 5/33 Tillie’s Ginger Crumb Cake 8 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 55 min Servings 16 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This recipe goes back at least as far as my grandmother, who was born in the early 1900s. Our sons and I enjoy eating it in a bowl with milk poured on it—much to the dismay of my husband, who prefers it plain! —Kathy Nienow Clark, Byron, Michigan 6/33 Bread Pudding with Nutmeg 41 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Taste of Home Total Time 55 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the

He says it tastes exactly like the bread pudding he enjoyed as a child

Recipe Creator: I always make this bread pudding recipe for my dad on his birthday and holidays. He says it tastes exactly like the bread pudding he enjoyed as a child. —Donna Powell, Montgomery City, Missouri 7/33 Green Tomato Pie 11 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Green Tomato Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 15 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: When frost nips our garden, I quickly gather all the green tomatoes still on the vine and make this old family favorite. It’s been handed down from my grandmother, and

The icing recipe can be doubled if you have a real sweet tooth

now my granddaughters are asking for the recipe.—Violet Thompson, Port Ludlow, Washington 8/33 Contest-Winning Chocolate Potato Cake 6 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Contest-Winning Chocolate Potato Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 5 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I won grand champion honors in a potato festival baking contest with this moist chocolate cake. The icing recipe can be doubled if you have a real sweet tooth. —Catherine Hahn, Winamac, Indiana 9/33 Sugar Cream Pie 46 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Sugar Cream Pie Recipe photo by Taste of

Here, we serve it warm or chilled and call it “Hoosier” sugar cream pie

Home Total Time 55 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I absolutely love Indiana sugar cream pie, especially the one that my grandma made for me. Here, we serve it warm or chilled and call it “Hoosier” sugar cream pie. —Laura Kipper, Westfield, Indiana 10/33 Plum Pudding 5 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Tiny Tim’s Plum Pudding Recipe photo by Laura Scherb for Taste of Home Total Time 2 hours 30 min Servings 12 servings (1-1/2 cups sauce) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: In A Christmas Carol, everyone claps for plum pudding. Our family

Many of us still make them today

has made this pudding our own tradition, and it really is something to clap for. —Ruthanne Karel, Hudsonville, Michigan 11/33 Grandma Davidson’s Baked Apple Pudding 7 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Grandma Davidson’s Baked Apple Pudding Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 55 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My savvy grandmother whipped up recipes like this homey cinnamon-scented apple pudding in the Depression years. Many of us still make them today. —Holly Sharp, Warren, Ontario 12/33 Cherry Coconut Treats 4 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 50 min Servings

This old-fashioned chocolate cream pie

2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My great-grandmother created this recipe more than 100 years ago, so these tasty bites have appeared at many family parties. If you’re preparing these for the holidays, make them festive by using both red and green maraschino cherries. —Anne Mullen, Windsor, Ontario 13/33 Chocolate Cream Pie 19 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 15 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Our teenage son, John, has done lots of 4-H baking. This old-fashioned chocolate cream pie

recipe with a flaky crust was his favorite thing to make

recipe with a flaky crust was his favorite thing to make. —Mary Anderson, De Valls Bluff, Arkansas 14/33 Peanut Butter Cookies 67 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe photo by Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home Total Time 25 min Servings 3 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: When she got married, my mother insisted my grandmother write down one recipe for her. Grandma was a traditional pioneer-type cook who used a little of this or that until it felt right. This treasured recipe is the only one she ever wrote down! —Janet Hall, Clinton, Wisconsin

15/33 Sour Cream Raisin Pie 7 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved TASTE OF HOME Total Time 40 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: The aroma of this pie baking in my farm kitchen oven reminds me of my dear grandma, who made this pretty pie for special occasions. —Beverly Medalen, Willow City, North Dakota 16/33 17/33 Apple-Walnut Cake with Orange Glaze 1 Review Test Kitchen Approved Apple-Walnut Cake with Orange Glaze Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 30 min Servings 16 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I tinkered with

a plain apple cake recipe to create this moist, delicious winner

a plain apple cake recipe to create this moist, delicious winner. The result: old-fashioned goodness with a heavenly aroma! This cake is the perfect fall treat or holiday dessert, but it’s also great as a special breakfast or brunch item. —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida 18/33 Rice Pudding 7 Reviews Rice Pudding Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 3 hours 15 min Servings 4 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: For an old-fashioned sweet treat just like Grandma made, try this creamy pudding. It has a rich cinnamon flavor. The whipped cream folded in at the

end gives it a wonderful light texture

end gives it a wonderful light texture. —Jennifer Bennett, Salem, Indiana 19/33 Raisin Pecan Pie 4 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 55 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I remember my Grandmother Voltie and Great-Aunt Ophelia making this southern-style pie for Thanksgiving. It was always one of the many cakes and pies lined up for dessert. —Angie Price, Bradford, Tennessee 20/33 Apple Cornbread Crisp 10 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Apple Cornbread Crisp Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 40 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator:

It’s absolutely wonderful topped with ice cream

With hearty ingredients and quick prep time, this warm apple crisp makes a delicious, wholesome dessert for any fall night. It reminds me of the recipe my grandmother would serve after our big family seafood dinners. It’s absolutely wonderful topped with ice cream. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland 21/33 Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 51 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings about 3-1/2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: A friend gave me the recipe for these cookies many years ago, and they’re as delicious as the ones Mom

used to make

used to make. The secret to the recipe is to measure exactly (no guessing on the amounts) and to not overbake. —Wendy Coalwell, Abbeville, Georgia 22/33 Ruby Grape Pie 10 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Ruby Grape Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 10 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe 23/33 Icebox Cookies 7 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Icebox Cookies Recipe photo by Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 7 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This cookie recipe from my 91-year-old grandmother was my grandfather’s favorite. She

Simple and unusual, it remains a treasured family heirloom

still makes them and sends us home with the dough so that we can make more whenever we want, I love to make a fresh batch when company drops in. —Chris Paulsen, Glendale, Arizona 24/33 Grandma Pietz’s Cranberry Cake Pudding 2 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 50 min Servings 15 servings (2 cups sauce) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: For generations, our family has handed down this cake recipe starring cranberries. Simple and unusual, it remains a treasured family heirloom. —Lisa Potter, Camp Douglas, Wisconsin 25/33 Bread Pudding Pie 9 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Bread

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