Hahn Family Sweet Treats

No Thanksgiving or holiday dinner would be complete without the desserts. Pumpkin pie is par for the course, where sweet treats are concerned, but few folks stop there. Every family has their own unique preferences, and this collection of recipes has something for everyone.

The applesauce cake will have even the most ardent fruitcake detractors coming back for a second slice. Perfect for the holidays, it can be made and enjoyed year round. The shortbread is recipe was adopted from a Scottish woman who lived down the street from Mom when she was growing up in Boise. We've tried other shortbread recipes, but always come back to this one. Make these and I'm sure that they will disappear as quickly as they always did in our home. These recipes brought to you by World Spice Family Favorites. Thanks, Sherrie! For more holiday treats, check out all our dessert and pastry recipes.

Ingredients

For the Applesauce Fruitcake:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (or butter, softened)
1 egg
1-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (can use sweetened)
2 cups flour (or 2-1/2 cups cake flour)
1/2 cup currants
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Cassia Indonesian Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cloves, ground
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon rum or rum flavoring (optional)
1 tablespoon brandy or brandy flavoring (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
8 oz candied fruit

For Mom's Scottish Shortbread:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

Directions

For the Fruitcake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour tube pan or 2 loaf pans.

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add egg, applesauce and liquid flavorings, if using.

Sift together all dry ingredients and mix with applesauce mixture. Mix in nuts, currants, and candied fruit. Pour into pan and smooth out top. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For Mom's Scottish Shortbread:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream butter, salt and sugar together. Add flour, and mix well.

Pat into a pie pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.

Notes for Shortbread:

- Can also add 2 teaspoons of your favorite dessert spice to basic shortbread recipe. Try it with Advieh or Gingerbread Spice. Use Poudre Douce in brown sugar shortbread, or Urfa Biber in chocolate shortbread.

- Browned Sugar Shortbread: Substitute brown sugar for white sugar.

- Brown Sugar Oatmeal Shortbread: Substitute brown sugar for white sugar and 1/4 cup oatmeal for 1/4 cup flour.

- Chocolate Shortbread: Substitute 1/4 cup Valrhona Cocoa Powder for 1/4 cup flour.

- For a fancy shortbread pan, triple the recipe.

Flavor Alternatives

- Also see Grandma's Lemon Wedges for another Hahn family treat. You can never have too many lemon bar recipes, but this one is the only one that you need. This was my Grandma's recipe, and the recipe card has become quite stained over the years because it has been made so often. Most lemon bars are too sweet, but adding the glaze balances out the sweet and tart lemon flavor perfectly.

- Check out this version of Grandma's Applesauce Fruitcake that uses Gingerbread Spice .