Most of the recipes I hold dear to my heart are connected to the special women in my life: my grandmothers, my great-aunt Ede, my mom and mother-in-law, as well as my husband''s grandmothers. Some of their cherished recipes live on recipe cards, handwritten by the very person who first shared them at a meal or gathering. Others have been duplicated, rewritten, and passed down through multiple generations but will be forever tied to that one particular person whose signature dish has brought so much joy to the table over the years. I consider myself--or anyone else in possession of family recipes that they continue to make and share--to be a "keeper": the caretaker of those beloved dishes that represent their family''s history, culture, and traditions. They hold the key to the past and are most often the ones who possess the family recipes (whether written down or in their head), continue to make their family''s favorite dishes for holidays and special occasions, and play a role in passing on their family''s recipes and important traditions to the next generation. *** Swedish Almond Rusks The Dish Rusks are a twice-baked, cookie-biscuit made with ground-up almonds for a subtle, not-too-sweet, nutty flavor. Great for dunking in coffee! The Tell When I first encountered these oblong, cookie-like biscuits as a kid at my grandma Hilma''s house, I remember calling them "tusks," which makes sense as they kind of resemble an elephant''s tooth. Rusks, as the rest of the family called them, were stored in a plastic ice cream pail that would make an appearance at daybreak when the adults were having their first cups of coffee.

Of course I didn''t drink coffee back then, but I couldn''t resist the opportunity to eat a cookie before breakfast, even if it had an odd shape and seemed a bit dry to my young taste buds. Makes about 5 dozen 3 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1 cup ground almonds or almond flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature 2 eggs Heat oven to 300 degrees. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Dump dough onto counter and divide into 4 equal portions. Form dough into rolls 9 inches long and 2 inches wide and divide between 2 cookie sheets. Bake for 45 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and cut into half-inch slices, aka rusks. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees and toast slices for about 15-20 minutes, then flip.

Continue baking until rusks are light brown and crisp, another 15-20 minutes. *** Ham Balls The Dish Super-sized, sweet, and tangy meatballs made from ground ham and beef and crushed graham crackers. The Tell From my first encounter with ham balls, at my friend Toni''s wedding, I was smitten. No surprise: Weddings and other big life moments often put the spotlight on family favorite foods and include recipes that are truly from the heart. This sentiment rang particularly true for my friend''s wedding, where her aunts and relatives lovingly prepared many of the components of the celebratory meal. Ham balls--often called Iowa ham balls--are larger than the average meatball. Bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a softball, they are made with ground ham (not pork) and beef and crushed graham crackers, then topped with a sweet, tangy glaze that caramelizes in all the right ways while baking in the oven. Makes about 45 ham balls; serves about 20 3½ pounds ground ham 1½ pounds ground beef 3 eggs, beaten 2 cups milk 3 cups graham cracker crumbs 2 (10.

5-ounce) cans condensed tomato soup ¾ cup vinegar 2½ cups packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon prepared mustard Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine ham, beef, beaten eggs, milk, and graham cracker crumbs, using your hands to mix well. Use a 1/3 cup measure to shape mixture into 2-inch balls. Place meatballs in a large, shallow roasting pan. Combine tomato soup, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard, stirring well, and pour over meatballs. Bake for 1 hour, basting frequently. *** Rhubarb Pie Bars The Dish Rhubarb pie in the form of bars is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and any time you are craving pie. No fork necessary.

The Tell I was inspired to make rhubarb pie bars after years of making apple pie bars, which are essentially pie made in a rimmed baking sheet instead of a pie plate and cut into bars. I credit my cousin-in-law Becci for introducing me to making pie in bar form, aka slab pie. She''d often bring apple bars (as her family calls them) to the July Fourth Peterson potlucks, where they were always a hit. There is something special about serving pie in cute little squares topped with a drizzle of glaze that makes people go wild and beeline to the dessert table. Serves 20-24 Crust 2½ cups flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco) 1 egg yolk with milk to make 2/3 cup liquid; reserve egg white for egg wash ¾ cup crushed cornflakes Filling 3 cups sliced rhubarb 1½ cups granulated sugar Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 2-3 tablespoons milk Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in shortening until crumbly. Stir in egg yolk-milk mixture until dough comes together.

Divide into 2 parts. Roll one to fit in a (10x15-inch) jelly roll pan. Sprinkle cornflakes over crust. Mix filling ingredients and put over cereal crumbs. Roll out remaining crust and place over rhubarb. Beat egg white and brush on top of crust. Bake for about 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Make the glaze by mixing powdered sugar with vanilla and milk.

Drizzle glaze over bars while they are cooling.