Some Childhood Desserts Never Leave You

I still remember/Lust after a simple cookie I helped my Grandmother make. She called it an ice box cookie which was almost a piece of candy. Ingredients cocoa, oatmeal, sugar, and peanut butter. Mix ingredients and heat partially cook the oak meal (she did not use word al-dente) Spoon out dollops on wax paper sheets and put in fridge for 30 min. SCRUMMY!!!

Did anyone else notice that the crust of the tart had an imprint on it? Is it "x"s and "o"s for hugs and kisses? I've never seen a tart pan with an imprint in the crust. If someone knows, DO TELL, please.

Beautiful. How it makes me smile at holiday time, or at special occasions, when family members or good friends say, "Hooray, you made the [fill in treasured dessert item]!" And on the rare occasion when that particular favorite did not appear on the dessert table, their disappointment was palpable. How important our food memories are and how they bring us together.

I am always amazed people take the time to complain or criticize a recipe. To suggest 'losing the sugar' is ridiculous. Shall we lose the sugar in all baked goods? You don't eat sugar, great. But for the rest of us who can enjoy treats in moderation, let us be. It's all about 'me,me,me' I know better and you should be like me.

I apologize for throwing a wet blanket on this. But ya gotta lose the sugar. Just about every knowledgeable authority on nutrition would recommend this. I'm waiting for a charming, magical write-up featuring stevia which no one's grandmother ever heard of. Just need to spin it a bit.

My Grandma Davidson made hot cross buns for my cousins, my siblings, and I once a year every year-- on Good Friday. When I got married, she passed along the recipe to me, and I have made them once a year-- on Good Friday-- ever since. They are such a part of our shared history, and our family. It is a joy to bake them, for the shared love and memories they represent...

The article states, "The tart line started with Granny Annie, Steph’s mom. The recipe she used was passed on to Stephanie when she moved to France, and Steph has since given it to Caroline."

If the recipe originated from Steph's mom, shouldn't the recipe be named after her (Steph's mom)?

This wonderful article took me back to the magical first few months with my daughter. Thank you for so perfectly capturing the wonder of sharing what you love with a new love!

I am not much of a baker, but I've started to try it more now with my daughter. She's too young to be near a hot stove as I make dinner, so baking is a nice way for her to be involved in the kitchen. I often recommend that parents struggling with picky eaters try cooking with their kids...they love being involved!

Such a beautiful piece. I lost my mum when I was young, and the memories of her sharing little scraps of her baking with me are some of the ones I treasure most. Some of my earliest memories are actually of playing with a little piece of dough, and as I got older, rolling scraps into my own little shapes. I always feel closest to her when I'm baking, especially something like her biscotti or ginger cookies. In addition to being a big baker my mum was also incredibly generous. She taught me the pure joy of giving and receiving gifts for no reason. I remember her bringing me books and little treats out of the blue. Obviously birthday and Christmas gifts are special, but I think the most special ones are the "just because" gifts that have no accompanying occasion. They're just pure expressions of love, unencumbered by social obligation or routine. I love the way you wrote about baking for loved ones as another form of gift-giving. Thank you for such a lovely article, which has reminded me of some of the lessons my mother has taught me and the impact she still has on my life.

Lovely article. My father was the baker in my family, who taught me the joys of bread fresh out of the oven and allowed me to add blue dye to the dough just because I was in love with the color blue. To this day my favorite bread is plain old blue sandwich bread.

My family are not big dessert eaters. An occasional fruit crisp or pie is enough to keep everyone happy. But I often remind myself that, as a parent, one of my primary jobs is the creation of childhood memories for my son. This has especially been useful when I'm feeling cranky or impatient. All the time we are creating memories for our children, and it's up to us to make sure they are good ones.

you are sweet and generous to give us the recipe! thank you.

Such a lovely article and so true. I've always baked for my sons and it is still such a big deal when the chocolate chip cookies or brownies or cake come out of the oven. It is very gratifying to see the people you love most so excited about something you created - and then to see them enjoy it.

"The Home Tart" is a great title in waiting. Great story.

Lovely! Thank you.

My mother made baby cream puffs for special celebrations. Finally after several decades, I started learning to make them. A few years later, she died suddenly from pancreatic cancer. I still make the cream puffs for the family, in fact I will be making them again soon because of a family visit here in LA. The main problem is that I have completely spoiled myself for anyone else's cream puffs.