Emma #134: She Made an Apple Roll
A special feature on food, generations, and a peek into the future
In July 1938, Emma first mentioned making an apple roll. In this same month, we learned that Ruth was expecting. I’ve been looking forward this point in her journals, because it gives me an opportunity to tell a little more of the story and share some fun stuff.
Ruth’s first child was a daughter—my mother Roberta (Bobbie). After that, Ruth and Bob had two sons, my uncles David and John. As I write this, Bobbie has four children and four grandchildren, and Dave has two children and two grandchildren. Ruth (Grandmaruth), Bob (Papa), John (Uncle John), and Katharine (Auntie K) are no longer with us.
Here’s where the apple roll comes in. In 1990, Auntie K made a cookbook as a gift to the family. The recipes in it are not, for the most part, antiques—they represent family favorites from K, Ruth, Bobbie, and my siblings and cousins. Many of them include notes about the person who requested them, and quite a few of the dishes show up regularly on my table and at family gatherings.
Auntie K enjoyed calligraphy, and she penned the master for the cookbook in her own hand, then had copies printed and comb-bound for the family. The title and cover of the book feature the Apple Roll, with the dedication to Emma and Tell on the first page explaining the connection.
The apple roll has become a family tradition, and several generations have baked it as a special treat. In the family files, I found a recording Uncle John had made of Grandmaruth making one at home in Swarthmore, PA. I also pulled out some photos of Mom making one (in the same pan!) at the family cabin Grandmaruth and Papa built in the Poconos. I’ve compiled these into a video. It is such a joy to hear her voice, and to watch her hands knead the dough, slice the apples, and roll everything up into a wonderful treat.
As I think about the things that we are handing down to the fifth generation (Emma and Tell’s great-great-grandchildren), the joy of gathering with family and food is definitely one of the big ones. I feel blessed to come from a long line of amazing women (and men!) and to have access to so many of these stories.
A while back, I recreated the cookbook to share with family and friends—so many of the recipes in it are still part of my world. With help from Mom and notes from K, I incorporated a few corrections and added page numbers and an index. Here’s the recipe for the apple roll if you’d like to try it. If you’d like your own copy of the cookbook, I’ve set up the Kindle version to be free to download for the next several days (it’s always free on Kindle Unlimited), and here is a link to a PDF version you can download.
What food traditions are part of your family history? Are there recipes or dishes that are unique or special to you?
P.S. I shared the video with family members a few weeks ago, and my sister Carol sent this picture of the apple roll Mom was inspired to bake after she watched it. The tradition continues!
Lots of love,
I hope you’ve enjoyed this special installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for August 1938.