My mom was a wonderful cook. She was famous around the hills as a great dessert maker! We lived on the "Haul Road" (the road to the Alyeska Pipeline). The truckers never missed stopping for her great baked treats! This page has a few of her recipies. The intro is from the book of recipies I am also working on. Hope you enjoy!

This book of recipes was compiled as a means of dealing with death. Elizabeth "Betty" Hormann was a lifelong Alaskan. She was born near Icy Cape, Alaska on November 16, 1924. Her father had a reindeer herd and her mother tended to her family and the camp. Betty spent her early years with her family, following the herd. When the reindeer would move to new ground, the families would have to follow. She learned the skills to survive in the harsh Northern Coastal environment from her parents and extended family. She later attended Eclutna and White Mountain Schools. She perfected her culinary skills there. She later moved to Fairbanks. This is where she met and married Robert Hormann. They homesteaded 80 acres on a mountain top 20 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. She raised 5 children, besides taking care of a lot of the homestead chores. Her culinary skills were matched by her sewing skills. She made alot of her children's clothing. Betty made the families parkas as well as their snowpants, gloves etc. She also spent a number of years sewing "kuspuks"(summer parkas) for a local lady who sold them to the tourists. The Hormann's kept their CB radio on 24 hours a day. Many was the time that "Biscuits"(her CB handle) helped out the injured or stranded trucker on the Haul Road. Every trucker knew that there would be hot coffee and one of her delicious desserts ready as they passed. They would call out, "Breaker, Breaker 19, You got your ears on Biscuits?  I'll be there in 5". Betty passed away August 16, 1992. She suffered a 5 year battle with a fatal and painful disease. Yet through it all, you never heard her complain. She knew this life, this pain, was no match for the coming glory of her Lord. Her daughter (me) Roberta, spent the last few years looking after her. This book is her way of remembering, with joy, her mother. She found most of the recipes tucked away in her kitchen. There were many handwritten papers tucked inside of books or beside the spices. Some had come from her card file. Many were given to Betty as a young wife, by her mother-in-law and sister-in-laws when they lived in Illinois 40 years before. Some were so faded they were hard to read. "Biscuits" had most of them memorized. "Breaker, Breaker 19. You got your ears on Biscuits? I'll be there in five!"

Alaskan Sourdough Starter

Back in the early days of Alaska, the white people that settled the land depended on a basic...the Sourdough Starter.  They used it for their bread, their pancakes and the once in awhile treat. I remember growing up and waking up to the smell of sourdough pancakes cooking on top of our old wood cook stove. It was one of those old porcelain covered stoves. Now they are bought up as antiques. But then it was just a necessity in life. It gave us our heat and hot water and cooked our food, (with mom's help of course). The top was scrubbed after each use. It was so clean that every morning mom cooked our pancakes right on the top. If you have never woke up to the distinct smell of sourdough cooking...you don't know what you have missed!

Basic Starter

2 cups unsifted all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons sugar 1 package active dry yeast 2 cups very warm water Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the water until mixture resembles a smooth paste. Cover with a clean towel or several layers  of cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place. Let sour and bubble for 2 to 3 days. Stirring several times a day. If temperature is lower then 85 ° or if you prefer a more pronounced sour flavor, let the mixture stand 3 to 5 days. If mixture is allowed to sour more than 3 days and it does not seem bubbly, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water. At the end of the bubbling and souring period, pour into a large jar or plastic container, partially covered, to allow gasses to escape and store in fridge. To prepare basic starter for sourdough recipes, measure 1 cup of starter mixture into a large bowl, return starter jar to fridge. Stir in 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of luke warm water with a wooden spoon until fairly smooth. Cover bowl with clean towel and set in warm place for 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Add at least 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water each week to the starter jar. After you have used the required amount of the mixture you pulled out of the starter jar, return leftover to the starter jar in the frid

Farmers Cookies

1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon molasses 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 tablespoon warm water 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour Cream the butter, gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the molasses, nuts and warm water. Mix the soda with a small amount of flour. Add this to the butter mixture. Stir in the remaining flour in 2 portions. Knead with your hands just until dough holds together. Divide dough into 2 equal parts and shape each in a roll about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each in plastic and chill for 1 hour. Cut in 1/4 inch slices and put on slightly greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until light brown and crisp. Cool on a rack. Then store in an airtight container in a cool place. Makes about 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

Sourdough Chocolate Cake

1 cup thick sourdough starter 1 cup water 1 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cups not fat dry milk 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs 3 squares melted chocolate Mix the first four ingredients together. Let ferment for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place until bubbly, and there is a clean sour milk odor. Meanwhile, cream shortening, sugar, flavorings, baking soda and salt together. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well each time. Add creamed mixture and melted chocolate to the sourdough after is has fermented. Stir until blended. Pour into two layer cake pans or one large cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and frost as desired.

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