I make this bread year round and share with friends and neighbors. It's great fresh from the oven or toasted for breakfast:

1 quart warm water
softened 2 packages yeast
8 egg yolks plus one whole egg
1 lb. margarine
4 tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
white flour

In very large bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and salt in warm water. Add margarine, egg yolks and egg. Add enough white flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto floured board and knead. Let rise in greased bowl until double in bulk. Divide dough in half. Divide each half into 3 strips and braid. Let rise. After the braids are raised, brush with an egg yolk glaze (Mix with fork: one egg yolk and two tablespoons cold water.) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 2 braids. You may prefer to bake braids without the glaze as they tend to become very brown with the glaze. Sometimes I prefer to make four smaller braids. Bake these for 30 minutes. This is Ida Urwiler’s recipe. It is a Swiss recipe she obtained from her sister-in-law Mrs. Hilda (Carl) Urwiler.

With a family of seven, this cake was a favorite:

Mix 1 box white cake mix and 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix.

Add 4 eggs and follow the directions on the cake mix package.

Pour into three layer cake pans (line bottoms with waxed paper.)

Bake according to the directions on the cake mix package.

While cake is cooling, mix 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 egg yolks, 1 tsp. vanilla and ½ cup butter or margarine. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened (about 12 minutes).

Add 1 1/3 cups coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans to frosting mix. Beat until thick enough to spread. Frost tops of cake layers only.

This recipe is really Mom's Great-Grandma's (Johanna Von Seggern):

Date Bars

1 cup brown sugar 1 ½ cups oatmeal (quick)

1 cup melted butter 1 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon soda

1 cup nutmeats

Filling: 40 dates or about one cup chopped

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1. Cook the filling until thick and smooth. Let cool.

2. Prepare the above crumb mixture.

3. Put half of this in pan (9 x 13). Put on filling and pat on remaining crumbs.

4. Bake 45 minutes in 350 degree oven. Cut in squares.

I'm a picky eater. Mom's fruitcake is the only recipe for me! 

Combine in a sauce pan: 1 cup chopped dates

1 cup raisins

2/3 cup butter

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 ½ cup hot water

Simmer three minutes and cool in large bowl.

Add: 2 well beaten eggs

1 quart mixed fruit and peels (more cherries, citron and peel)

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans and English walnuts)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Bake in 10 inch angel food cake pan, greased and floured, for three hours at 275 degrees. Or Bake in two 5 x 9 inch bread pans at 325 until well done.

Throughout December, Mom sent one of us to the basement kitchen with the cookie tray. We were to fill it with a variety of cookies and candies. The variety was amazing! 

At every holiday, the guests begged for Mom's Buns. They were truly the best! To honor her buns, here's the recipe:

Sweet Roll Dough
Large Recipe                                       Small Recipe            

½ c warm water (110-115)                   ¼ c warm water

2 pkgs yeast                                        1 pkg yeast

1/½ c lukewarm milk                            ¾ c lukewarm milk

½ c sugar                                            ¼ c sugar

2 t salt                                                  1 t salt

2 eggs                                                  1 egg

½ c soft shortening                              ¼ c soft shortening

7 - 7 ½ c white flour                             3 ½ - 3 ¾ c white flour

In bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, shortening, & half of lour to yeast. Mix with spoon until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to handle easily. Turn onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth (5 min.). Round up in greased bowl bring greased side up. Cover with cloth. Let rise in warm place (85 degrees) until doubled, about 1 ½ hours. If kitchen is cool, place dough on a rack over a bowl of hot water and cover completely with a towel. Punch down; let rise again until almost double, about 30 min. Shape, let rise and back as directed in specific recipes.

Rolls of All Shapes

Shape Sweet Roll Dough as desired. Let rise until light, 15-20 min. Heat over to 400. Bake 12-15 minutes in lightly greased pan, baking sheet or muffin pan. Serve piping hot. Some shapes are: crescents, dinner rolls, cloverleaf rolls, knots, parker house rolls, butter fluffs, cocktail buns, etc.

Cinnamon Rolls

After dough rises,

1. Roll dough into oblong, 15X9”. Spread with 2 Tbsp softened butter & sprinkle with ½ c sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon.

2. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together. Even up roll by stretching slightly.

3. Cut roll into 1: slices. Place in greased 13X9” pan or greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise until double, 35-40 min. (Mom lets rise about 1 hour)

4. Heat oven to 375 and bake 20-25 min. Frost while warm.

Christmas Morning Stollen

Make small recipe Sweet Roll Dough except add with first addition of flour:

½ cup chopped blanched almonds

¼ cup each cut-up citron & candied cherries

1 cup raisins

1 Tbsp grated lemon rind

After dough rises, roll or pat out into an oval, about 12X8”. Spread with soft butter. Fold in two the long way. Form into a crescent. Press folded edge firmly so it won’t spring open. Place on greased baking sheet. Bruch top with butter. Let rise until double, 35-40 min. Heat over to 375 and bake 30-35 min or until golden brown. Frost while warm. Decorate with blanched almond halves, pieces of citron and halves of candied cherries to simulate poinsettias. Or dust to with confectioner’s sugar. Makes 1 stollen.