Month: December 2020

Chicago – The REAL Stories

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 31, 2020
No Comments on Chicago – The REAL Stories

I love the movie CHICAGO!! It is probably one of my favorites ever! How can you not like Richard Gere tap dancing, Catherine-Zeta Jones singing and dancing in Cell Block Tango, Renee Zellweger belting out “Jazz” in the opening number All That Jazz, and all the beautiful costumes and music. But did you know that the movie was based on two real life women murderers? And two others were characters on Murderess Row?

Maurine Dallas Watkins was a small-town girl, daughter of a minister in Indiana. She was a college graduate, which was just becoming a thing at the turn of the century. Maurine was a playwright from an early age. She won an award for a play she wrote when she was just 11. After graduation from Butler University in Indianapolis, she went to Radcliffe to study Greek. There she met George Pierce Baker who taught playwriting at Harvard. During the class Baker urged his students to get experience in the larger world and suggested newspaper reporting. She left Radcliffe and went to Chicago to work for Standard Oil in advertising. Then she went to the Chicago Tribune as a crime reporter.

In the 1920s, women murderers were becoming more frequent, so much so that a wing of the Cook County Jail was set aside for the women and was nicknamed Murderess Row. Also, the juries were all male. One of the Chicago prosecutors was quoted saying, “You can’t convict a woman – a good looking woman – of killing a man.” The women in Murderess Row had a “beauty school” of sorts cutting each other’s hair into fashionable dos, giving each other manicures and makeup lessons, obviously they were aware that beauty and fashion were the keys for getting off.

Enter Maurine. There were several women reporters covering the women’s cases. These reporters were commonly known as “Sob-Sisters”. Mary Sunshine in Chicago is an example of this. These women reporters were sympathetic to the murderers believing that they were forced into killing by the men they killed, liquor and jazz. Maurine was both more realistic and cynical in her reporting. She wanted the women she reported on to be convicted. She was horrified when her reporting had the opposite affect! The women she reported on received flowers and candy, and even restaurant meals in the jail while they awaited trial. After eight months at the Tribune, she left her job as a reporter after having about 50 stories printed. She went to Yale where George Baker had been recruited to start the Yale School of Drama. Baker in his 47 Workshop course gave them a writing assignment.

Maurine wrote a book The Brave Little Women about 4 of the cases she had reported on. The book was a satire on the criminal justice system in Chicago and the emergence of the “Celebrity Criminal”. The four cases that she wrote about became:

Roxie Hart – Beulah Annan
                Velma Kelly – Belva Gaertner
                Katalin Helinsky – Sabella Nitty
                Go-To-Hell Kitty – Kitty Malm
                Billy Flynn – mixture of Beulah’s and Belva’s attorneys

Later she changed the name of the book to Chicago and wrote a play also called Chicago . The play premiered in where else Chicago in 1926 and went on to Broadway on December 20, 1926. It then toured for two years, with get this, Clark Gable was Amos Hart! Several movies were made from the play, the first Chicago which was produced in 1927 and was a Silent Movie. In 1942, Ginger Rogers starred in the adaptation Roxie Hart.

In the 1960s, Maurine was approached by Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon to buy the rights to the play and turn it into a musical. Maurine refused, she felt that a musical would make the murderers seem too sympathetic. In 1969, Maureen died from lung cancer. At that point, her estate sold the rights to Bob Fosse. He hired John Kander and Fred Ebb to write the score. It was first produced in 1975 and revived in 1996. The revival holds the record for the longest running musical revival and the longest running American musical in Broadway history. Chicago surpassed Cats on November 23, 2014 with its 7,486^th performance!

The movie was filmed in 2002 and won the Oscar for Best Picture as well as an Oscar to Catherine Zeta-Jones for Best Supporting Actress, and Best Art Design- Set Design, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

Click on the Headings next to the pictures to read the stories that inspired the characters in Chicago.

Beulah Annan - The REAL Roxie Hart

Belva Gaertner - The REAL Thelma Kelly

Sabella Nitti - Saved by a Makeover

Kitty Malm - the REAL Go to Hell Kitty!

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Belva Gaertner – The Real Velma Kelly

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 31, 2020
No Comments on Belva Gaertner – The Real Velma Kelly

Belva Gaetner, the REAL Velma Kelly told a flock of reporters. “No sweetheart in the world is worth killing – especially when you’ve had a flock of them, and the world knows it. Why, it’s silly to say that I murdered Walter. I liked him and he loved me – but no woman can love a man enough to kill him. They aren’t worth it, because there are always plenty more. Walter was just a kid – 29 and I’m 38. Why should I have worried whether he loved me or whether he left me.”

Belva was born Belva Eleanora Boosinger, September 14, 1884. She was a cabaret singer and dancer that went by the stage name Belle Brown. At some point she married a man named Overbrook. June 4, 1917, she met William Gaertner while riding on the bridle paths of Washington and Jackson Parks. They often rode and galloped together until at one-point Belva was riding one of William’s 15 horses. There was one problem with this romance, Belva was married. Her husband had deserted her but they were still married.

William and Belva's Rocky Marriage

William Gaertner was 20 years older than Belva and a manufacturer of scientific instruments, and also wealthy. Guess where they eloped? That’s right Crown Point, Indiana! They then took a five-day honeymoon to West Baden. He had the marriage annulled 5 months later after he found out that she had not been divorced from Overbrook for a year, they were only divorced on April 27, 1917. If you recall from the May and Freddie story, at that time in Illinois you had to be divorced for a year or more to remarry.

During the annulment petition from William, Belva filed her own petition, asking for alimony. William’s attorneys argued that as their marriage was not legal there should be no alimony. Belva was denied alimony. As soon as her divorce was finalized they remarried.

In 1920, eight private detectives are living with William and Belva. William filed for divorce and asked Belva to leave. When she refused to leave, he called the police. The police refused to get involved. William then hired a private detective to watch the house. Belva then hired one to watch the one William hired. William then hired a second one, and so did Belva calling him an assistant. William added two more and so did Belva. She was consistently followed by eight detectives everywhere she went, to the theater, shopping and even to the mailbox.

In the divorce trial, William reported that Belva had been gone for three days and told William that she was staying with a woman friend. On the night of March 30, 1920 William and one of the detectives trailed her to the home of Edward Lusk. Belva did not contest the divorce and was awarded $3,000 which is about $40,000 today, her car, and some furniture which included a billiard table.

So, in July, 1920 Belva Gaertner got all the licenses she needed, installed a meter, bought a uniform, and became in her words a “chauffeurette”.

“You see, my divorce left me with $3,000, my car, my furniture and a billiard table. Well, I just can’t take orders from anyone. Therefore, I can’t hold down a job. I must be my own boss. So, I decided that as a taxi driver I’d be my own boss, make enough to live on, and still have the pleasure of my car. But I shall not drive at night and I won’t make trips into the suburbs. There are too many holdup men. “

Did Belva Gaertner kill Walter Law?

Belva and Walter Law had been partying for more than 3 months, his wife Freda knew nothing about it. The newspapers at the time described it as “wild gin parties” and “jazz”. But, in the early morning of March 12, 1924 Walter Law’s dead body was found in Belva’s car. Shot in the head by the right temple with a gin bottle on the floor.

When the police got to Belva’s apartment she was in a robe with bloody clothes dumped on the floor. The police traced the license plate on the car and went to Belva’s apartment where they found her drunk and hysterical with bloody clothes dropped on the floor. She said she was too drunk to remember what happened. So, the police take her to the police station hoping to sober her up and get the details of what happened.

As Belva Gaertner describes the evening, “On our way to my home we began talking about stickup men. I told Law we were taking an awful risk going home so late. Think of it, I said, What if some bandit stopped and robbed us and maybe tried to get rough with me? What would we do? Our conversations drifted along these lines for some time.”

Then I said,” I’ll bet I’m a better shooter than you are. I suggested jokingly that we toss up a coin and that the winner shoot the loser. I said if the winner missed the loser the latter would get a chance to shoot, and vice versa until one of us was shot. There were nine bullets in the pistol.

“And then — oh, I just don’t know what happened. I was too drunk. I remember seeing him collapse over the wheel, but I had no idea what was the matter.

“Walter! Walter! I called, but he did not answer me or move. Then I tried to pull him out of the driver’s seat so that I could drive the car home, but I couldn’t budge him, he was so limp. His head fell on my arms and that’s how my clothing came to be spattered with blood. I became frightened and ran into the house. ”

The Inquest

An inquest was held, where Belva Gaertner and Walter’s widow finally meet each other. Freda Law was called into the police station to give a statement. Freda, Belva and Walter’s father sat around a table with the police. Freda claimed that Walter was a good husband, Belva a courteous escort.

Walter’s father put part of the blame on Walter, “No daughter, it’s not that woman’s fault entirely. Walter ought not to have gone out with anyone. He had a lovely wife and a fine baby. No, he did wrong and we know it.”

Belva is plainly gowned even though she is wearing seven diamond rings. She complains that her best coat, her white hat, and green dress are ruined with blood, so she is just wearing a brown dress, black coat with a fur collar and a brown hat.

Freda too is dressed plainly, she had spent the night before in her home sewing curtains, alone. “I sat up waiting for Walter. He had phoned at dinner time and asked me if I wanted to go out, but I said I had to sew. So he told me he was going to work. I waited up for him. About 2 in the morning I saw a taxicab stop next door. I thought Walter was drunk and going to the wrong house. But, the next minute, the man came to my door and told me my husband had been killed.

“At first, I felt sorry for that other woman,” she says pointing at Belva, “because she was guilty of killing and everything.

“But did you see her come in? She was almost giggling. Oh, I never knew I could hate anyone so much. My friends told me they hope she hangs. No, I don’t want her to hang. But I don’t want her to go to jail for a month or two and then step out.”

Belva sitting a few seats away explains, “Walter never did get along with his wife. He often told me that if it weren’t for his little boy he would never live with her. ”

Freda responds, “He was so good and he was so fond of the boy, Walter Jr. the very image of his father. What will I tell the baby when he begins to ask questions? What will I tell him?”

Freda then starts insisting that she had no suspicion that Walter was seeing someone else. She also stated that he was rarely not at home in the evenings.

Belva responds, “Why, sometimes he’d take me out three evenings a month. And at least once a month since we met in December.”

In response to the auto salesman Paul Goodwin’s statement that Walter had bought more life insurance because he was afraid of Belva Gaertner, her response was, “I’ll tell you the truth about that insurance. A few weeks ago, Wallie told me his wife had had her fortune told and the woman warned her that her husband would die inside of seven weeks. But Wallie told her that he would tie up the insurance so that his wife couldn’t get a penny from it. He said that he would have it all made out to his son.”

William comes back to save Belva

Belva is indicted in Walter Law’s death. No bail was set. Before the guards could take Belva back to jail, William shows up and promises her whatever she needs. He tells her that he has hired three attorneys.

Beulah, Belva and Sabella appear before Judge William Lindsay to set trial dates. Belva, “The most stylish”, went first and had her trial postponed. Beulah, “The most beautiful”, too had her trial postponed. Sabella is very happy as she is to have a new trial, the first one she was found guilty and sentenced to hang, more on Sabella later.

Belva’s attorneys have a hearing before Judge William J. Lindsay and future US Attorney General Andy Wysznski, to argue motions. Judge Lindsay overruled both of the defense’s motions, the first to prevent the use of Belva’s car as evidence, and the second to prevent the use of fingerprint evidence from the car to be used. The trial was then continued.

The first day of the trial and jury selection begins. Comments from the people in the courtroom to watch were,

“Say she’s got the Annan girl skinned by a mile!” to which the response was,

“Not so pretty, but more class.”

Classy is how the newspapers, Maurine Watkins in particular described Belva Gaertner. Referring to Belva as “The most Stylish” on Murderess Row and describing her outfit as classy, a blue twill suit with black braid and a lacy frill down the front, patent leather slippers with shimmering French heals, chiffon gun metal hose, and a helmet shaped hat with a silver buckle and a cockade of ribbon with one streamer tied jauntily under her chin. Obviously, the hat made quite the impression as Samuel Hamilton, the assistant state attorney asked one of the prospective jurors “Would you let a stylish hat make you find her ‘Not Guilty’?”

The trial

Belva wore a new dress to the trial. Café-au-lait braded in black with bell shaped sleeves and deep cuffs that clung to the curves of her body, the cloche hat was a deeper brown that matched both her eyes and the mink choker she wore. Only her gloveless hands with painted nails, showed her nervousness. The state tried to prove that she was not too drunk to remember.

The trial begins. Opening statement was made by the prosecution but waived by the defense.

The first witness was the coroner, Joseph Springer. He testified to examining the body at 4:55 am on March 12, 1924 and stated that there were no powder burns where the bullet had entered the right temple. “A gun has to be within 15 inches to leave a powder burn.” he stated.

Hamilton then asked if the absence of powder burns ruled out suicide and Dr. Springer agreed.

In the cross-examination Michael Ahern tried to get the doctor to place the pistol at the presumed angle and distance, while he said that Law could have committed suicide. Dr. Springer vehemently disagreed.

Dr. Springer also identified the empty gin bottle that had been lying on the floor of the car.

Next up were the policemen that found the body. Sergeant Quinn and Patrolman Fitzgerald testified as to finding the dead body and of locating the owner of the car by the license plate. Detective William Sullivan went to the address from the vehicle registration and found Belva Gaertner in a robe with bloody clothes on the floor.

Belva sat passively as he described all of this but did become annoyed when he tried to describe her clothes. Apparently, the bloody clothing consisted of a mashed hat, rumpled coat, dress, and flimsy slippers.

Next came Bert Brown the floorman of the Gingham Inn. He said that Belva and Walter had come to the Inn five or six times prior to the night of the murder. According to Brown, the Gingham neither sells, serves, or allows patrons to bring their own alcohol in to the cabaret, so that anyone that entered sober would have left sober. The defense attorney accused him of saying that to protect his place of employment. Their next witness was Alfred Quodbach, the proprietor of the Gingham Inn.

Quodbach stated that they were “Perfectly sober.”

The next witness was William Leathers the head waiter at the Gingham Inn. Leathers testified that “I wish that I had always been as sober as they were that night.”

The final witness was Freda Lay, William’s widow. The defense waived their opening statement, called no witnesses, and waived their closing statement. The defense attorneys asked to have the charges dropped as the state had not proved their case.

Judge Lindsay ruled, “I haven’t the power to tell the state’s attorney what to do, and therefore deny the motion. But if the jury should bring a verdict of guilty, I am confident that the Supreme Court of Illinois would reverse the decision, as the evidence is only circumstantial: strong enough to arouse suspicion of guilt but not to convict.”

Why are they taking so long Belva asked herself as she paced around smoking cigarettes waiting for the jury to return.

Finally, after 7 hours and 8 ballots the jury returns with a not guilty verdict. Belva hugs her attorneys and shakes hands with the jury thanking them. Belva packs up her extensive wardrobe and leaves the jail intending to spend a few days of quite with her sister.

Belva Gaertner Life after Murder

About a year later, on May 2, 1925, Belva and William are remarried. They honeymoon in Europe.

Belva Gaertner charges Billie Ryan with stealing her jewelry. Detective WJ Riley and Police Officer Marion Arbuckle accompanied Belva to Walley Farm to arrest Billie. Billie was visiting Belva in April and took Belva’s jewelry leaving her own which was much less valuable. The jewelry was not found at the farm and Billie denies having taken it. Billie and two other women from Chicago had just rented the Walley farm and moved in that morning.

About a month later, Billie Ryan returns to her farm because the cows and pigs need her attention. Fay Seifer and Jean Ross her roommates are being held on $1,000 bail a piece instead. Judge Immenhausen said he couldn’t bear the thought of the cows and pigs going hungry. The three women pleaded guilty at their arraignment. Fay Seifer was a former maid for Belva. It was Fay who decided to take some of Belva’s rings and leave cheap ones in their place. The police say that Belva’s rings have been pawned at least twice since they were stolen by the “Farmerettes”. They have promised to make restitution to Belva.

William files for divorce #3. Belva, who’s defense was “I was too drunk to remember.” began leading a wild life. He claims that she was drunk almost every night and had engaged in numerous love affairs. Belva also became abusive. Once when William reproached her for her drinking, she hit him over the head with a mirror. William then claims that on July 5, 1926 he arrived home to find another man in his apartment. He asked what was going on and Belva began screaming and threatening murder. William was so scared he locked himself in his room until they left, and he hadn’t returned to his house.

Apparently, this divorce was never finalized, because in 1948 when William passed away, Belva was still noted in his will as his wife. William Gaertner dies on December 3, 1948. He had $25, 000, $250,000 in today’s money that he left to Belva.

The main portion of his estate, the Gaertner Corporation was placed in a living trust. Under the trust Belva got the income from the corporation for life. After she passed the income would go to the University of Chicago for scholarships and other uses in physics and astronomy. For 21 years after Belva’s death the University must keep the Corporation running as a business, after 21 years they can sell it or do whatever they want with it. His attorney said that the main reason he did this was to guarantee jobs for his current staff, a lot of whom were veterans.

After William’s death, Belva moved to Pasadena, California to live with her sister. She died in 1965 from natural causes. She was 80 years old.

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Black Bean Brownies

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 29, 2020
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Black Bean Brownies! I know it sounds disgusting but these flourless brownies are moist chewy brownies, the black beans give them some protein and some fiber, and while not exactly good for you, better than regular ones!

Ingredients:

1 can black beans (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

3 tablespoons canola oil
3 eggs
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Place the beans, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and oil in a food processor; cover and process until blended.

Add the eggs, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, baking powder and salt; cover and process until smooth.

Transfer to a 9-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

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Grandma Lillian’s Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 23, 2020
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Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake! My grandmother made this cake every holiday season. It is so delicious! A rich chocolate cake with a hint of mint, chocolate ganache and crushed candy canes! So Yummy!

Ingredients

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 ounces baking chocolate, unsweetened
1/2 Cup Water
2 Sticks Butter, softened
2 Cups Sugar
4 Whole Egg yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Peppermint extract
2 1/2 Cups Flour, sifted
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk
4 Whole Egg whites

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350
Melt all Chocolate in 1/2 C boiling water
Cream butter with the sugar
Add egg yolks and mix
Add vanilla and peppermint extracts
Add Flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk, mix well
Add chocolate mixture and mix well
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry
Fold into batter
Pour into well greased bundt pan
Bake at 350 for 1 hour

Glaze with Ganache, 1 Cup Chocolate Chips, 1 Cup Heavy Cream, Bring Cream to a boil stirring continuously, as soon as comes to a boil remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until you have a shiny velvety ganache. Let cool about 15 minutes and glaze cake.

Sprinkle with broken up candy canes.

Enjoy our family favorite Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake!

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Sabella Nitti – Saved by a Makeover

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 22, 2020
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July 9, 1923 Sabella Nitti was called a “husband killer”, by 12 male jurors. She was sentenced to hang for the murder after the jury deliberated only one hour and forty-seven minutes. She was the first woman to ever be sentenced to hang in Cook County, Illinois.

Her execution was slated for October12, 1923. Sabella didn’t speak English, so she didn’t know what her sentence was. No one was willing or able to tell her the sentence. The newspapers described her as a “greasy woman”, “that she grew hysterical with the frenzied pleading of a cruel animal that was cornered and tortured”. They said she babbled in her Italian dialect, and further described her as a “dirty disheveled woman”, and a “cruel, dirty, repulsive” woman. Ironically, in the musical CHICAGO, Sabella was the inspiration for the beautiful ballerina Hunyak, who was sentenced to hang.

Her lawyer immediately asked for a new trial, and 24 hours later got her an interpreter to tell her her sentence. After which she tried to commit suicide twice. Once by jumping down an elevator shaft, which a deputy pulled her back before she fell, and the second time by butting her brains out against a concrete wall.

The Murder

Frank Nitti disappeared from his truck farm near Stickney, Illinois on July 22, 1922. The state charged that Sabella Nitti, his wife, held her husband’s head in her gnarly fingers. Her boarder at the time, Peter Crudelle, who was also her lover and 23 years younger than she beat Frank to death. She sent her 15-year-old son Charlie and Peter to dispose of the body. In September, Sabella, Peter, and Charlie were arrested for the missing Frank.

The following March, Sabella and Peter were married, and in May Frank’s body was found in a catch basin.

The charges against Charlie were dropped in lieu of him testifying against his mother and her husband. However, Charlie disappeared in September 1923.

He never showed up for his deposition and could not be found, so her son Steven testified against her, instead. Sabella insisted that Steven killed Frank over $400 Steven needed to marry a Chicago girl. Frank and Steven had a fist fight and Frank was sick for 3 days. He then wandered into the fields that mysteriously caught on fire.

Now, get this! Sabella was allowed to keep her 4 year old daughter in her cell with her while she awaited trial!

Murderess Row

Then, after six months in prison for Sabella, in waltzes Belva Gaertner. Belva immediately hires Sabella to clean her cell and do her laundry. Then the following month in breezes Beulah Annan, who also hires Sabella. They clean Sabella up, do her hair and get her a clean stylish dress. Sabella loved prison life with Belva and Beulah. She had never had such luxuries, never learned how to do her hair and makeup. Never had such nice clothes, or silk stockings or shoes and certainly not a fur trimmed coat.

Sabella Nitti seemed almost happy as she appeared to before the Supreme Court of Illinois that had granted her and Peter a new trial.

Then on December 2, 1924 all charges were dropped against both Sabella and Peter. A makeover had saved them both!

And then there was one! Next time the story of Kitty Malm

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Ho Ho Ho Cookie

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 19, 2020
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This is a super easy Giant Cookie that you can make with the kiddos!

Ho Ho Ho Cookie has No mixing, very little mess and NO PIPING! Plus you will have fun with your kids and grand kids and it takes very little time! Everyone loves to decorate cookies!

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookie Dough roll from the Refrigerator Section
Flour for rolling out
Canned Frosting, I used Cream Cheese
Sprinkles, Jimmies, Marshmallows

Construction:

Let the cookie dough warm up to room temperature.
Roll the dough out on parchment paper using as much flour as needed to roll smoothly, roll into a square or circle, your choice!
Transfer to cookie sheet
Bake at 350 10-12 minutes until golden brown
Let cool
When cool, frost with canned frosting
I freehand drew the outline of Santa from a coloring book using a bamboo skewer
The kiddos then filled it in using various cookie decorations.

Enjoy the Ho Ho Ho Cookie ! Happy Holidays from all of us at Scandals and Sweets!

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Joyce’s Easy Crepes with Raspberry Syrup

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 16, 2020
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Joyce’s Easy Crepes with Raspberry syrup is my daughter’s invention! The crepes are light and delicate and the syrup is tart and tangy! Perfect with the whipped cream and powdered sugar!

Ingredients

For the Crepes

1 Cup Flour
2 Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1 Tablespoon Butter

For the Raspberry Sauce

10 ounces raspberries, frozen, thawed
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
Powdered Sugar

Directions

For the Crepes

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt until combined.
Create a well in the flour mixture and add the eggs.
Graudually pour in milk whisking consistantly.
Let batter stand until light bubbles appear on top. 10-20 minutes.
In a small skillet over medium heat melt the butter.
Drop the batter into the pan swirling to coat the pan, I use a 1/4 C measure
Cook about 2 minutes and flip over and cook another minute
Repeat with remaining batter, add butter as needed, sometimes I need more than the first tablespoon

For the Raspberry Sauce

Heat raspberries in pan a few minutes over low heat to release juices
Add Sugar and Cornstarch
Stir consistantly until sauce thickens
You can either sieve the sauce to get rid of the seeds or serve as is

Construction

Fold Crepes as desired
Drizzle with Raspberry Sauce
Sprinkle with powdered sugar
For Extra Decadence add some Whipped Cream
Enjoy!

Joyce and I hope that you enjoy her Easy Crepes with Raspberry Syrup! They really are Yummy!

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Mama’s Pecan Toffee Bars

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 12, 2020
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Pecan Toffee Bars were my absolute favorite cookie growing up! My mother would only make them at Christmas, and believe me starting the day after Thanksgiving I would start asking for them!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 Cup Brown sugar
1 Whole Egg yolk
2 Cups Flour, sifted
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Pinch Salt
10 Whole Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
1/2 – 3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans to sprinkle on top.

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350
Cream together Brown Sugar, Butter, Egg Yolk and Vanilla
Add Salt
Add one cup of flour and stir together
Add second cup of flour, if you are using a standup mixer with the paddle attachment, you’re good
Other wise I use my hands to mix it all together
Pat into a well sprayed or buttered 13×9 pan
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until it is golden brown
Place Hershey Bars on top and let melt. I usually put the cookies back in the cooling oven after I lay out the Hershey Bars for 2-3 minutes
With a spatula evenly spread the melted chocolate across the cookies
Sprinkle with pecans if you like or leave plain, almost as yummy!
Refrigerate until chocolate is set
Cut into squares
Store in airproof container in the refrigerator

I hope that you enjoy my Mama’s Pecan Toffee Bars and they become a tradition for you too!

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Aunt Norma’s Carrot Cake with Pecan Filling

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 10, 2020
2 Comments on Aunt Norma’s Carrot Cake with Pecan Filling

Carrot Cake is one of my favorites!

Aunt Norma was another of my grandmother’s sisters, she had six! They were all great cooks! But they all agreed that Aunt Norma’s was the best!

This cake is so decadent with the rich Pecan Filling, the Cream Cheese Frosting and the spicy moist carrot cake!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 1/4 Cups Corn Oil
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Whole Eggs, Beaten
1 Pound Carrots, Shredded
1 Cup Pecans, Chopped

For the Pecan Filling:

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Heavy cream
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Pecans
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
4 Ounces Coconut

For the Frosting:

8 Ounces Crean Cheese, Softened
8 Ounces Butter, Softened
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

For the Cake:

Preheat Oven to 325

Combine Oil and Sugar – Beat Well

Sift Dry ingredients and combine 1/2 with sugar mixture and mix well

Alternate remaining dry ingredients with egg mixture and mix well.

Stir in carrots and pecans.

Pour into two lightly greased 9 inch cake pans.

Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes.

For the Pecan Filling:

Combine sugar and flour in a sauce pan.
Gradually stir in Heavy Cream
Add Butter and Salt
Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently until it simmers(30 minutes).
Take off heat
When Lukewarm add vanilla and pecans.
Let cool completely

For the Frosting:

Combine Cream Cheese and Butter in a food processor.
Add sugar and vanilla and mix well.

Construction:

Spread Pecan filling between layers.
Frost Entire Cake

Enjoy!!

Posts

Sandy’s Fudge

Post author By cwisdom@scandalsandsweets.com
Post date December 5, 2020
No Comments on Sandy’s Fudge

I have a cousin Sandy and this is the Fudge he makes! It is super easy and doesn’t need a candy thermometer. It is also very adaptable as it uses chocolate chips and they come in so many flavors now! I used the milk chocolate and the white chocolate, but I’m think I’m going to make a batch with salted caramel chips too!

An easy and delicious Fudge, ready in less than 10 minutes!

Ingredients

2/3 Cup Milk
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
16 whole Marshmallows
3/4 Cup Chocolate chips
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions

Combine Milk, sugar and salt in saucepan
Bring to a boil and continue to cook and stir for 5 additional minutes
Add Marshmallows, chocolate chips and vanilla
Stir until all is melted
Pour into buttered 8 inch pan
Let cool, Refrigerate for about 2 hours until set

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