Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Baking with Grandma W

All About Food | May 25th, 2016

Eighteen months after her death, my grandmother is still feeding us.

Sure, her buttermilk brownies may be a bit past their expiration date, but Grandma Williams' frozen goodies are still edible after 30 seconds on high in the microwave and dunked in a glass of milk.

Grandma W and I bonded over baking, one of several interests we shared, like genealogy and reading. Whenever I had a baking question (or problem), I'd give her a ring.

When I made her lemon bars for the first time, around age 13, I called her when my crust was too soft.

When I had no butter for Betty Crocker's chocolate chip cookies, she told me to add more shortening.

And when my lemon jelly roll had a less-than-smooth transfer from the cookie sheet, she was taken aback I was making one, but later clipped an article offering the insight she couldn't.

Baking is not as hot of a hobby as it used to be for me, probably because my time and resources are limited. Hey, I don't live at home anymore, so no more free flour and sugar from Mom's cupboards.

Grandma W passed away in October 2014 following heart surgery. Her 80th birthday party unfortunately turned into a funeral, though we still celebrated her life with great gusto (i.e. wine, treats, stories, etc.).

She's no longer there to chat about glass versus metal pans, if one can get away without using cooking spray this one time or what ingredient I can substitute in a recipe.

But her wisdom lives on in the cookbook she made and gave me about 10 years ago. Notes in the margins attest to the tips and tricks my grandmother suggested and I annotated for my baking queries.

"Make crust first."

"Double ingredients."

"KICKASS cookies”

The cookbook from Grandma W has grown over the years, mostly in its number of cookie recipes.

Her buttermilk brownies, a fixture of her baking legacy, I’ve only attempted once due to the sheer number of ingredients you need to cobble together.

Here are her "Famous Buttermilk Brownies" in her own instructions. Love ya, Grandma.

Famous Buttermilk Brownies

1 (1/2 C.) cube margarine1 cup hot water 1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup oil

Bring to a boil. Pour above over dry ingredients: 2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Soda Then mix and add:

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes in an 11 by 17 " pan. Frosting should be made while brownies are baking and frost the brownies while they are hot:

FROSTING

1 cube margarine

1/4 cup cocoa

1/3 cup buttermilk

Heat to boiling. Add:

1 lb. Box powdered sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 cups nuts (optional)

Beat together.

[Writer's note: Audrey Williams was the host of "Mealtime," a live cooking segment on WDAY-TV's show "Party Line" in the 1960s. May she rest in peace.] 

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Rodeo is a family tradition for sisters Kate and Tera Flitton. The duo performs under the moniker Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls. The Utah natives will be performing along with bareback riders,…

Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m. doors open at 7 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, FargoCheck out this cult classic on the big screen as a live band performs along with David Bowie’s vocals, all while basking in the Art Deco glory…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA column on How Trumusklicans are trying to change historyIt took William L. Shirer a couple decades to write and then publish “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany,”…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Photos by Rick GionLiving in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Chad Nodland, "Artistic Freedom"On January 19, 2025, the last full day of Joe Biden’s presidency, he commuted Leonard Peltier's two consecutive life sentences to home confinement at his…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…