While I was not able to find the fruitcake cookies, I did find other recipes from the cookbook, and two recipes for their standard fruitcake. Recipes from the cookbook are listed first.
APRICOT-PECAN FRUITCAKE
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
2 cups (475 ml) flour
4 tsp (20 ml). baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml). salt
2/3 cup (150 ml) sugar
1 cup (225 ml) chopped pecans
3/4 cup (175 ml) finely chopped dried apricots
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup (225 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (200 C.). Grease 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
In large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add nuts and apricots, tossing lightly.
In small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add to dry ingredients, stirring only until moistened. Pour into prepared pan, pushing batter into corners of pan leaving center slightly hollowed. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Bake for 1 hour.
SPICED APPLES
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
10 to 12 small apples
3 cups water
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup red hot cinnamon candies
1/2 tsp. red food coloring (optional)
Peel, core and slice apples about 1/4-inch thick. Set aside.
In a large pan, bring remaining ingredients to a boil and cook until red hots are dissolved.
Add sliced apples, reduce heat and cook until apples are tender and have become translucent, and syrup has thickened, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate apples and syrup.
HOT CHOCOLATE ON ICE
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups milk
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
In a pan, stir cocoa powder, sugar, milk and salt over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla. Pour into an 8x8-inch metal pan and freeze.
Before serving, remove from freezer and let stand 20 minutes. Break up and stir with electric mixer until thick and creamy and full of ice crystals. Serve in 4 chilled glasses.
FRUITCAKE ICE CREAM
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
Half gallon good quality vanilla ice cream
2 cups crumbled fruitcake
1/2 cup bourbon, cognac or rum
FOR SERVING (optional):
Chocolate sauce
Toasted fruitcake crumbles (recipe follows)
Soften ice cream until it can be stirred. Blend in fruitcake and bourbon. Refreeze until serving time.
Top with chocolate sauce thinned with a bit of bourbon, rum or cognac, if desired, and garnish with toasted fruitcake crumbles.
TOASTED FRUITCAKE CRUMBLES:
Spread crumbled fruitcake on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until lightly toasted about 8 minutes. Sprinkle over ice cream instead of nuts
GREEK LEMON SOUP
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 tsp salt
2 small egg yolks
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, sliced thinly (for garnish)
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and salt, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly add lemon juice, and beat until light. Continue beating and gradually add 2 cups of the hot chicken mixture. Pour egg yolk mixture into remaining chicken broth and heat over very low heat until soup has thickened slightly. Do not allow soup to boil. Serve at once, garnishing each serving with a thin slice of lemon.
EVE'S TEMPTATION PIE
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2/3 cup pecan pieces
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided use
Pastry for a two crust pie
6 cups apples, pared, cored, and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons salt
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Pour melted butter in the bottom of a 9-inch round layer cake pan. Swirl to coat bottom evenly. Spread pecan pieces on top of butter, then top with 2/3 cup brown sugar. Press sugar down firmly over pecans and butter. Set aside.
Prepare pie crust and divide into two balls--one smaller and one larger. Roll out the larger ball to a circle about 13-inches in diameter. Fit over pecan layer in cake pan, pressing down to cover bottom. Dough should hand over the rim of the pan. Set aside.
Combine apples and lemon juice in a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, blend remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to apples, gently mixing until they are evenly coated. Spoon into crust. Roll remaining pastry into a 9-inch round. Fit over apples and fold bottom crust over the top one, crimping the edges well.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes then lower heat to 350 degrees F and bake 30 minutes longer or until top crust is browned. Remove from oven, and as soon as syrup stops bubbling, place serving plate over cake pan and invert out onto plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.
CARROT CAKE
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
Makes 12 servings
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups shredded coconut
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup pecans, chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
1/2 cup pecans, whole (optional, for garnish)
Combine sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl and set aside.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture.
Fold in carrots, coconut, pineapple, and pecans. Pour into generously greased and floured 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely.
Spread Cream Cheese Frosting over cake. Gently sprinkle nuts over frosting, if desired.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon milk, (may need more)
Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar. Gradually stir in milk until desired consistency is reached. Stir until smooth.
Mary Jane "Pud' Kearns included her Mother's Day baked egg recipe in The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
BAKED EGGS
Makes 1 serving
1 egg
1 tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Break egg into buttered ramekin. Top with sour cream or yogurt, and butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until center is set. (This recipe will not microwave.)
RADISHES CON QUESO AU GRATIN
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
4 cups cleaned radishes (about 6 bunches)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, divided use
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 ground white pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp prepared mustard
2 Tbsp. dry vermouth
1 cup (4oz.) grated Cheddar cheese
2 slices bread, cubed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash radishes. Remove stems and root ends, Place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes; drain. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat; stir in flour. Add milk, reduce heat and simmer until thickened about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add seasoning, mustard, and vermouth, stirring until smooth. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in radishes. Pour into a buttered 6-cup casserole.
In a small skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter; add bread cubes and toss until coated. Spread cubes over the radish mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until bread cubes are browned and mixture is bubbly.
MEXICAN CHICKEN WITH FRUIT SAUCE
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup white raisins
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup Triple Sec or Cointreau (or other orange-flavored liqueur)
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons cold water
1 avocado, peeled and sliced (for garnish)
4 cups cooked white rice
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and brown chicken pieces on both sides.
Add almonds, raisins, pineapple, cinnamon, cloves, orange juice and liqueur. Cover and simmer on low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.
MARY OF PUDDIN' HILL FRUIT CAKE
Source: The Puddin Hill Cookbook: Recollections and Recipes by Mary "Pud" Lauderdale Kearns (1988)
2 cups sifted flour, divided use (Sift before measuring.)
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pound candied cherries, whole
1 pound candied pineapple, coarsely chopped
1 pound dates, coarsely chopped
8 cups (1/2 gallon) pecans, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F., or lower (see note below). Spray a Bundt pan, angel food cake pan, or four small loaf pans with Pam.
In a very large bowl, mix one cup of the flour with the eggs, sugar, and baking powder.
In another bowl, dredge the fruits and dates with the other cup of flour and add this, flour and all, to the egg mixture in the larger bowl. Add pecans and mix well. Add the lemon extract and mix well (batter will be very stiff). Spoon into prepared pan(s,) pressing down gently to remove large air bubbles and spaces.
Bake for approximately 2 to 2 1/4 hours. (To test for doneness, stick a toothpick in center part of cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is done.) Let cool in the pan(s) on a wire rack.
Note from the recipe's author:
"My mother-in-law wrote this recipe out for me 45 years ago, and at that time a lot of people had gas stoves without temperature controls. She said to bake the cake at as low a temperature as possible without the flame going out, that the lower the temperature the moister the cake would be."
FRUITCAKE...LIKE MARY OF PUDDIN HILL
1 lb pecans
1 lb dates-pitted and chopped
1/2 lb candied cherries (red and geen)
1/2 lb candied pineapple (green and yellow)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or 1 tablespoon rum, bourbon, or brandy
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (that is not a typo-TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY degrees). Place a pan with boiling water in the oven to create steam. (Fill the pan as needed during baking.) Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray and line with wax paper. Spray wax paper with cooking spray.
Chop dates and nuts. Sift dry ingredients over fruit and nuts and mix in.
Beat eggs until light, add vanilla and pour over fruit, mixing well. (you will probably need to mix with your hands). Spoon into prepared pans, pressing down gently to remove large air bubbles and spaces.
Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour and 45 minutes.Let cool.
