A couple of years ago, Bored Panda introduced readers to TikTok creator and archivist Rosie Grant, who was doing something equal parts unusual and unexpectedly touching: visiting cemeteries and tracking down recipes engraved on headstones, then recreating them as a way of preserving the food legacies people chose to leave behind.
Since then, Rosie hasn’t slowed down. Her project, best known online as Ghostly Archive, has turned into a growing collection of “lasting favorites,” from desserts and comfort-food staples to the kind of potluck classics that instantly tell you what someone was famous for in their family.
Do you have a recipe to leave behind? Which of these recipes would you try? Let us know in the comments!
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#1 “Snickerdoodles” By Unknown
“1 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2×3/4 cups cold medal flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs thoroughly. Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or by sifting. Blend all dry ingredients. Stir in.
Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in mixture of 2 TBSP sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Place 2 apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.
These cookies puff up at first then flatten out.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
As part of her journey, Rosie has visited the families of many of the people whose recipes are featured. Although, in some cases, the people whose recipes she found are still alive! Christine W. Hammill, behind the “Good Carrot Cake” recipe, and Peggy of “Peg’s Sugar Cookies”, are still around, and Rosie had the honor to bake the recipes with their creators.
#2 Gramma Guppy’s “Chocolate Chip Cookies”
“2 cups Crisco shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
4½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Cream together the shortening and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla; mix well.
Sift dry ingredients together and mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set and just lightly brown. Do not overbake!”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#3 Fleda’s “Sugar Cookies”
“Makes about 35 cookies.
1 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest or extract (optional)
4 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
Combine sugar, margarine and oil. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Add all dry ingredients, mix well. Use a ¾ ounce cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) and place on an ungreased pan. Flatten with cookie press or glass dipped in sugar (Fleda used a cup with a starburst on it, as depicted at the top of her memorial bench). Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-16 minutes.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
Some recipes are carved in full, while others are only partially inscribed, with families filling in the missing steps so the dish can live on the way it was meant to be made.
#4 Whanita’s “Fried Ripe Tomato Recipe”
“Tools: Electric frying pan, baking dish, spatula
3 large ripe tomatoes
3 cups of flour
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup milk
Pre-heat pan to 350-400 degrees
Heat butter and olive oil in a pan. Put flour in a dish for coating. Cut tomatoes into thick slices and dip in flour when the pan is hot.
Place tomatoes in the pan and cook the first side for 4-6 minutes until dark brown. Flip and cook the other side for 2- 4 minutes.
Place tomatoes in a baking dish. Deglaze hot pan with milk by stirring milk in the pan until mixture becomes a little thicker (2-3 minutes). Pour the milk mixture over the tomatoes and let sit for 30 minutes salt and pepper to taste.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#5 Sharon’s “French Silk Pie”
“Filling
1 stick butter (½ cup)
3/4 cup sugar
2 squares chocolate, unsweetened, melted, and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Crust
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
For the crust: Melt the butter. Combine with the flour, pecans and vanilla. Press the dough into a pie plate.
For the filling: Cream butter, add sugar gradually. Cream well, blend in choc. And vanilla, add eggs 1 at a time. Beat 5 min after each egg.
Bake just the crust at 400 degrees until golden brown, around 15 minutes. Once removed from the oven, let it cool before adding in the filling.
Pour the chocolate filling on top of the prepared crust.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
Now, Rosie’s journey has been gathered into a cookbook: To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes. It brings together 40 recipes that were either etched directly onto gravestones or closely tied to a grave’s story, each one a small, edible snapshot of a person’s life, their community, and what they loved enough to be remembered for.
#6 “Chocolate Mint Brownies” By John Rodda
“Bake 350
Time: 20 Minutes
Beat: 4 Beaten Eggs.
1 Cup Melted Margarine, 2 Cups Sugar. Add: 4 Squares melted unsweetened chocolate, 1 tsp peppermint flavoring, 1 cup flour
Beat.
I put in a greased and floured small cookie sheet (can use a 9×13 baking dish)
Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Bake a little less with the thinner brownies.
Cool.
Frost with: for a 9×13 top: 1/4 Cup margarine, 2 TBLS.
Cream, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tsp peppermint flavoring. (I go 1.5 of this to frost the cookie sheet top) Place the frosted brownie in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Melt 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate, 2 TBLS Margarine. Cool. Drizzle over brownies and sprinkle with crushed peppermint.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#7 “O’neal’s Peach Cobbler”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
In this post, we’re sharing the remaining recipes Rosie collected after our first feature—recipes that made it into the cookbook as her archive expanded far beyond those early finds. Scroll on to see what people chose to “sign” their legacy with, and how something as simple as a cookie, cake, or casserole can quietly outlast the years.
#8 “Carrot Cake” By Kimette Lee Decota
“Butter, for greasing the pan
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups corn oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
1-1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
1-1/3 cups puréed cooked carrots
3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch springform pans.
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in the walnuts, coconut, carrots, and pineapple. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Set on the center rack of the oven and bake until the edges have pulled away from the sides and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 minutes. Cool on a cake rack for 3 hours. Fill and frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Doubling the frosting recipe is highly recommended.
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
Cream the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Slowly sift in the confectioners sugar and continue beating until ingredients are fully incorporated. The mixture should be free of lumps. Stir in the vanilla, and lemon juice if desired.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#9 “Heavenly Daze Ice Cream” By Marian Montfort
“1 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup dried apricots in tiny pieces
3 cups cream
½ tsp nutmeg Stir preserves, apricots, and sugar on low heat so preserves melt and sugar dissolves.
Cool and mix in cream. Chill. Add vanilla and nutmeg. Stir and freeze.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#10 Debbie’s “Tea Biscuits”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#11 “Date & Nut Bread” By Connie
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#12 Mom’s “Christmas Cookies”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#13 “Peanut Butter Cookies” By Unknown
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#14 “Natalee’s Famous Brownies”
“Two boxes Betty Crocker supreme triple chunk brownie mix
½ cup tap water
2/3 cup Crisco vegetable oil
Five large eggs (preferably at room temperature)
Two cups Nestle’s toll house milk chocolate morsels
Instructions: Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 metal pan (or two 8×8 pans) with *pam nonstick spray, set aside. In a large mixing bowl – crack open the five eggs. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the oil and water. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate morsels and mix well no dry pockets in the batter! Pour the batter into the sprayed brownie pans)
Bake for 50 minutes. It’s done when the toothpick comes out clean. If not, give it an extra 5 to 10 minutes, no more!
Let cool on a cooling rack. The brownies may shrink from the sides. When the pan is slightly warm (not hot cover with aluminum foil Crimp the edges to preserve the moisture.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#15 Peg’s “Sugar Cookies”
“2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons water
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, water and sugar. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Roll out on a floured surface, you may have to add more flour while rolling it out. Using a cookie cutter, cut into cookies. Bake on a greased pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 6–8 minutes.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#16 Karen’s “Spaghetti Chicken Casserole”
“110.5 oz can ocam of mushroom soup I medium, red pepper, chapped fine 1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 pound (8 tablespoons) butter. Cooked for 5 minutes.
2 cups diced cooked chicken
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
110.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
¼ tablespoon pepper
¼ tablespoon salt
1 jar pimento, chopped and drained
1-7 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
Combine ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Served and baked with love every time.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#17 Valerie’s “Chicken Soup”
“This makes 1 large pot or 2 nice sized pots.
1 Perdue oven stuffer (1 whole chicken, about 6 lbs) cut in 10 pieces
1 small parsnip
2 stalks of celery
4 carrots
Parsley
Half leaf Dill
Salt
Clean the chicken. Cover with cold water. Add salt, celery, carrots, parsnip, and turnip. Bring the pot to a boil. As it boils, skim the fat off the top. Keep skimming fat until gone. Add the leafy vegetables while you are skimming. Reduce the heat and cook the soup for about 2 ½ hours.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#18 Deb Nelson’s “Red Lantern Cheese Dip”
“8 oz spreadable (Merkts) sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup real mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
Splash of milk
Handful of dried bacon bits
Combine all ingredients in a mixer. Refrigerate. Enjoy with clubhouse crackers.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#19 Karen Darr’s “Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#20 Beverly’s “Meatloaf”
“2 points lean ground beef
1 packet dry onion soup mix
5 slices of white sandwich bread cut into cubes
¾ cup milk
2 eggs
⅓ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 slices undercooked bacon for top of meatloaf
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine dry onion soup mix, milk, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
Add bread and meat and mix well with hands. Press the meat into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Layer bacon on top of meatloaf. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until the meat is done. Let cool for 10 minutes.”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#21 “Chicken With White Wine Sauce” By Unknown
Image source: Ghostly Archive
#22 Bonnie’s “No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies”
“2 cups of sugar
½ cup of milk
¼ cup of cocoa (swiss miss)
¼ cup of margarine (1 stick)
Bring to a full boil in a sauce pan. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Then add 3 cups of quick oats 2 tablespoons peanut butter 2 teaspoons of vanilla Drop off wax paper and let set until firm”
Image source: Ghostly Archive
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