Leslie Hayes, formerly of Baltimore and now living in the United Kingdom, was in search of the recipe for the sticky buns that were served at Camp Louise located in the Catoctin Mountains in Western Maryland. Hayes attended the summer camp many years ago and came to love their sticky buns. "It would be a real treat if any readers could help me find the recipe, scaled down to family-size portion of course," she said.
Founded in 1922 by Aaron and Lillie Straus, the sleepaway camp aimed to give immigrant girls from Baltimore an opportunity to experience the countryside as well as to give them a break from their factory jobs. Still in operation today, the Jewish camp has a large and loyal group of alumni who still get together from time to time. One reader wrote that the famous sticky buns were served at a camp reunion she attended not long ago at the Jewish Community Center.
Marlyn O'Mansky of Baltimore and her husband, Dr. Boris O'Mansky, spent the first summer of their married life as the camp doctor and nurse at Camp Louise in 1961. Marlyn O'Mansky sent in the recipe, saying they, like everyone else at camp, loved the sticky buns. At the end of camp that summer, she went into the kitchen and asked the head cook if she would share her recipe — and she did. O'Mansky sent in a copy of the original 3-by-5-inch index card given to her by the cook. She also shared her own scaled-down version and said she has made the buns many times over the past 53 years.
Thanks to Marlyn O'Mansky, all you campers out there, young and old, can now re-create one of the joys of Camp Louise in your home.
Requests
Alene Oestreicher of Baltimore is looking for the recipe for the French dressing that was served at the old White Coffee Pot restaurants. She said it was not sweet and she suspects that it had a buttermilk base.
Cindy Cuomo of Syracuse, Mo., is looking for a recipe that was published in a woman's magazine, possibly Ladies' Home Journal or McCall's, back in the mid-1980s for Dicki Doo's baked beans. She said Dickie Doo Bar-b-que was a popular restaurant in Sedalia, Mo., for many years. The recipe called for dried beans and was somewhat spicy. It took time to make, she said, but it was well worth it.
If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Baltimore Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278 or email baltsunrecipefinder@gmail.com. If you send in more than one recipe, please put each on a separate piece of paper and be sure to include your name, address and daytime phone number. Important: Name and hometown must accompany recipes in order to be published. Please list the ingredients in order of use, and note the number of servings each recipe makes. Please type or print contributions. Letter and recipes may be edited for clarity.
Camp Louise sticky buns
Makes 12 rolls
Dough
1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm milk, divided use
4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
6 tablespoons shortening, melted
Glaze
1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 cups pecan halves or pieces
Filling
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon.
For the dough: In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
Combine the eggs, yeast mixture, remaining warm milk and melted shortening.
Dish Baltimore
Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Dough should be soft and a little sticky. Add a little additional flour if too sticky.
Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Prepare the glaze and the filling while dough is rising. For the glaze, mix together the dark brown sugar, butter, honey, corn syrup and pecan halves and spread evenly into the bottom of a well-greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Punch down dough. Turn out onto a floured surface. Roll into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle; brush top side of dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Combine light brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges and press into dough.
Roll up jellyroll style, starting with the long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut log into 12 slices. Place cut side down in prepared pan with glaze. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately invert onto serving platter. Serve warm.