c/family-recipe-swap

I just hit 50 attempts at my grandma's biscuit recipe and finally got it right

I've been trying to copy my grandma's buttermilk biscuits for about two years now, and my notebook shows I made my 50th batch last Sunday. The trick, which she never wrote down, was using frozen butter and grating it into the flour with a cheese grater. My last batch came out perfectly flaky and tall, just like hers. Has anyone else had a family recipe with a secret step that took forever to figure out?

Hot take: People keep overcooking the onions for my great-aunt's chili recipe

They turn them to mush and lose all that sweet flavor! I found out after my cousin in Phoenix texted me a photo of her pot last week, and the onions were basically gone. Does anyone else have a family dish where one tiny step makes the whole thing?

Serious warning about those online recipe card printing services

I spent $45 on a fancy set of recipe cards from a website, and the print quality was so bad the ink smeared the first time my hands were damp. I should have just used the free template and printed them at the library for a dollar. Has anyone found a good, affordable way to make a nice family cookbook?

My grandma's pie crust went from tough to perfect after one simple swap

For years, my grandma's apple pie recipe was a family joke because the crust was so hard. She always used ice water like her mother did. Then, about two months ago, my aunt visited from Chicago and suggested using vodka instead of half the water. Grandma was skeptical but tried it. The next pie she made was completely different. The crust was flaky and tender, not tough at all. She said the vodka makes the dough wet enough to work with but then cooks off, so it doesn't make the gluten tough. It was a total game changer for a recipe we've had for fifty years. Has anyone else tried this trick with other family baking recipes?

I always thought my grandma's 'secret' ingredient for her chili was just a story, but finding her old notebook proved me wrong.

Just realized my grandma's cookie recipe has been in the family for 47 years

I was copying it out for my cousin and saw the date my mom wrote at the bottom, 1977. That means my great-grandma was making these same ginger snaps in her kitchen in Dayton. It's wild to think how many holiday plates they've been on. Does anyone else have a recipe with a specific year attached to it?

My grandma's cornbread recipe has been passed down for 4 generations now, and I just realized I'm the only one who still makes it.

It hit me when I was teaching my niece last week, and I'm worried this simple, perfect recipe might actually stop with me, so has anyone else had to figure out how to get the younger family members interested in the old dishes?

My sister told me my cornbread was too sweet for her chili

I always used my mom's recipe with a full cup of sugar, but after she said that last Thanksgiving, I cut it back to a third of a cup. It's way better now and actually tastes like corn. Has anyone else had a family recipe that got better with less sugar?

My uncle's 'secret' ingredient for his famous chili is just a can of cola

I was bragging about my chili recipe to him last weekend, and he just looked at me and said, 'Kid, the whole thing is built on a can of Dr Pepper.' I was stunned because I've watched him make it for 20 years and never noticed! He pours it in right after browning the beef. It totally changed how I think about family recipes, that sometimes the 'magic' is something silly you'd never guess. Has anyone else had a family recipe with a totally unexpected ingredient like that?

My grandma's biscuit recipe actually came from a 1950s Gold Medal flour bag

I was going through her old recipe box in St. Louis and found the original clipping. It says 'Gold Medal's Prize Biscuits' right on it, which I guess she just copied onto a card. I mean, I always thought it was some secret family thing passed down for generations. Has anyone else found out a beloved recipe has a totally different origin story?

My aunt in Phoenix said her secret ingredient for chili is a square of dark chocolate

I tried it in my usual recipe and it added this amazing depth without being sweet. Anyone have other surprising 'secret' ingredients for savory dishes?

Just wasted $30 on a 'family recipe' book that was all basic stuff from the internet

I got excited and bought this fancy looking cookbook online that promised 'lost family recipes.' Opened it up and the first five dishes were just basic chocolate chip cookies and meatloaf, word for word from common food blogs. It feels like they just copied and pasted. Has anyone else been burned by one of these books? I'd love to find some real, unique recipes instead.

My grandma's 'secret' ingredient was just a regular jar of mustard

I was looking through her old recipe box from the 70s and found her meatloaf card. It called for a tablespoon of yellow mustard, which I always thought was weird. I asked my aunt about it and she said grandma started adding it after a neighbor gave her some in 1975 when she ran out of Worcestershire sauce. It just stuck because my grandpa liked it. I made it last week and it actually gives it a nice little tang without being too strong. Does anyone else have a family recipe with a weird add-in that started from a simple mistake or swap?

Just realized my grandma's apple pie crust went from tough to perfect after I switched from a food processor to my hands for mixing, which she told me to do 15 years ago.

I finally listened and used my fingers to work the cold butter into the flour for just 45 seconds last weekend, and the flaky difference was honestly kind of embarrassing.

Update: My aunt's potato salad at the 4th of July picnic in Dayton made me switch from mayo to sour cream.

I saw her mix in a full 16-ounce tub of sour cream with the warm potatoes, and it soaked in way better, so has anyone else got a mayo substitute that actually works?

Can we talk about the cornbread at that new diner in Knoxville?

I went to the Blue Plate Diner on Market Street last week and got their cornbread with chili. It was way too sweet, like cake. My family recipe uses just a tablespoon of sugar for a whole pan, so you taste the cornmeal. Theirs had honey and sugar, maybe even a bit of maple. It felt more like dessert. Does anyone else think cornbread should be savory, not sweet?

My mom's cornbread called for buttermilk or plain yogurt, and I went with the yogurt for a tangier crumb.

I swapped it in for my batch last Sunday, and the texture was so moist my cousin asked for the updated version, so has anyone else made a simple swap that totally changed a classic?

My grandma insisted I use lard in her biscuit recipe and I finally tried it

She always said the texture would be flakier than with butter, but I thought it was just an old-fashioned thing. I made a batch last weekend with the lard she mailed me from her farm in Kentucky, and the biscuits were completely different, way lighter. Has anyone else had a family cooking tip they doubted that turned out to be totally right?

My aunt's 'secret' apple pie recipe cost me $40 in wasted ingredients

She gave me the recipe but left out that she uses a specific type of flour for the crust. I used regular all-purpose, and the whole thing fell apart when I cut it. I had to throw out the whole pie, plus the apples, sugar, and butter. Has anyone else had a family recipe fail because of a missing detail like that?

Pro tip: My $30 cast iron skillet saved my family's cornbread recipe.

I almost burned a batch using a cheap non-stick pan, but the cast iron gave it that perfect crispy crust my grandma always got. Anyone have a good skillet trick for keeping cornbread from sticking?

Found my great-grandma's recipe card from 1932. The sugar amount was wild.

Was going through an old tin box in my mom's attic last weekend. Found a handwritten card for a simple spice cake. It called for two full cups of white sugar. For one cake. Looked it up online. Found out the average American used about 100 pounds of sugar a year back then. Now it's closer to 60. Makes sense why her desserts were so sweet. Anyone else have old recipes with measurements that seem crazy now?

Hot take: my aunt's 'secret' meatloaf recipe is actually pretty bland without my tweaks (sorry, Aunt Carol).

After a bad week where my family insisted I make it exactly as written (with 2 cups of plain breadcrumbs and no Worcestershire sauce), I finally proved my point by making my version side-by-side last Sunday, and even my dad admitted mine had more flavor. Anyone have a family recipe they had to secretly improve?

My grandma's arroz con pollo recipe used to call for a full cup of oil, but I cut it to a quarter cup now.

Honestly, she cooked for a farm crew in the 70s, but I just don't need that much grease for my family of four. Anyone else tweak an old recipe to be a bit lighter?

My aunt said my cornbread was too sweet for chili, so I cut the sugar in half.

She told me, 'Real Southern cornbread shouldn't taste like cake.' I tried her way, using only a tablespoon of sugar, and it balanced the spice way better. Anyone have a strong opinion on sweet vs. savory cornbread for their family meals?

My grandma's famous chili recipe almost turned into soup last Thanksgiving