Frances Tuck

I inherited my love for cooking from my mother, the late Frances Tuck, who was very good at it.

If unexpected company showed up there was always enough home canned meat, vegetables, and fruit on hand to whip up a meal.

She worked as a cook at Howard Johnson's Restaurant when it was in Butler at the bottom of North Main Street Hill.

After it was sold, she ran the restaurant at Family Bowling Lanes on Rt. 8 North for many years.

She was known for her pies, but one of the family's favorite treats was her old fashioned caramel dumplings.

Another family favorite, always requested for birthdays or special occasions, was her buttermilk cake.

June JohnstonButler

Caramel DumplingsSauce:1½ cups sugar2 tsp. vanilla2 cups boiling water2 Tbs butterBatter:2 cups flour½ tsp salt½ cup sugar1 Tbs melted butter1 ½ tsp baking powder½ cup milk

Cook half cup sugar slowly in a large skillet, stirring constantly until golden brown.Slowly add boiling water, remaining sugar, vanilla, and butter. Boil for 2 minutes.Mix batter then drop batter teaspoon by teaspoon into boiling sauce.Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.Serve by themselves or over ice cream.<B>White Buttermilk Cake with CoconutCake:1 cup shortening3 tsp. baking powder3 cups sugar½ tsp. baking soda2 c. buttermilk1 tsp. salt4 c. cake flour1 tsp. coconut flavoring4 egg whites, stiffly beatenIcing:1 cup milk1 tsp. coconut flavoring5 Tbs flour1 cup shortening1/8 tsp. salt1 cup sugar</B>Cream shortening and sugar. Add a little buttermilk and beat until fluffy.Add all dry ingredients alternately with the rest of the buttermilk.Add coconut flavoring and fold in egg whites. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.Cook milk coconut flavoring and flour until thick, then cool.Beat until creamy.Add shortening, salt and sugar to the cooled cooked mixture and beat until fluffy.Ice cake and add shredded coconut between layers. Cover sides and top of cake with coconut.Yields three 9-inch layers.The flavor is better if baked two to three days before serving.<B></B>

June Johnston of Butler said her mother, Frances Tuck, made white buttermilk cakes with coconut when requested for special occasions or birthdays. Johnston inherited her love for cooking from her mother.