There’s No Taste Like Home

Dorothy-approved, family-friendly recipes. [logo]( Sunday Recipe Inspiration with PJ Batch 427 [Famous Department Store Blueberry Muffins]( Back in the days before the internet, people relied on television for just about all their entertainment. And one of the biggest events of the year was the annual showing of a cinema classic, The Wizard of Oz. For over three decades, starting in 1959, every January or February families all over the nation would settle in front of their black and white TVs with bowls of Jiffy Pop to follow the familiar adventures of Dorothy, Toto, and friends. Equal parts Wicked Witch scary and Scarecrow sweet, we all sighed in relief when Dorothy cried to Auntie Em at the end, "There's no place like home." This 1939 film has continued to resonate over the years. Why the everlasting love? Could it be the pure comfort of that final line: There's no place like home? To me, home brings up childhood memories of running wild with a gang of kids, completely unsupervised, from daybreak until the streetlights came on at dusk. Barefoot and carefree, we prowled the neighborhood and beyond, stopping only to eat: Frosted Flakes, peanut butter sandwiches, meat and potatoes (literally) — and always, whatever home-baked treats Mom had managed to conjure up. To this day, when I need a heavy dose of comfort (are you listening, pandemic?), I pull out a "Mom recipe" — something that reminds me of better, more innocent times. If it's a weekend and I'm looking for something special, I go for [Almond Puff Loaf](, an after-church treat back in the day. Despite its professional bakery appearance, it actually requires very little skill to put together; even a tween could pull it off. And the flavor? Oh, my ... buttery, flaky, jam-sweet and toasted-nut savory, it's eye-rollingly good. Then there are the famous (well, famous where I grew up, south of Boston) Jordan Marsh [blueberry muffins](. These muffins were served in the tearoom at Boston's oldest, most venerated department store, and inquiring Massachusetts moms (including mine) simply had to have the recipe in their repertoire. Overflowing with berries and topped with a spoonful of crunchy sugar, they're still the best blueberry muffins I've ever had. Never mind chocolate chip or Snickerdoodles, [Classic Peanut Butter Cookies]( were my mom's go-to cookie. In these familiar nutty, brown-sugary cookies with their trademark crosshatched tops, peanut butter has found its true calling. [Lazy Daisy Cake]( was another go-to Mom dessert. Vividly reflecting the 1950s American housewife's attraction to "quick and easy," this tender single-layer golden cake, with its buttery broiled coconut brown sugar topping, is ready in under an hour. On special occasions Mom would spring a fancy dessert on us. Post-war middle America had become fascinated with exotic "New York Cheesecake" and my mom, always open to something new, pulled a recipe from The Boston Globe's "homemaker" pages: [Easy Cheesecake](. With its simple graham cracker crust and four-ingredient filling, it was suburbia's pared-down (yet super-delicious) version of the real NYC thing. Sunday's the perfect day to warm up your kitchen with the magic of memories and Mom's special treats. Because Dorothy was right; there's no place like home. Even more importantly, there's no taste like home, either. Happy baking, PJ Contributing Writer Recipes We're Baking This Week ★★★★★ [Almond Puff Loaf]( ★★★★★ [Lazy Daisy Cake]( ★★★★★ [Classic Peanut Butter Cookies]( ★★★★★ [Easy Cheesecake]( Baking Gluten-Free? From flourless to wheat-free, we have recipes to inspire you. Search for a classic or discover a new favorite. 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