COOK'S CORNER\Old box sheds new light on lost recipe for divinity.

Byline: Natlie Haughton

In response to Pat Ianello's request for the divinity recipe that used to appear on Betty Crocker frosting mix, Andrea Griffith of Burbank came to the rescue. Griffith wrote, "I have two boxes of the Fluffy White Frosting Mix that I bought in Chicago in 1988 on my shelf. I was living in Toronto at the time and supermarkets there didn't carry the product, so I stocked up in Chicago." Here's the recipe for divinity as it appears on the side of the box.

1 package (7.2 ounces) Betty Crocker white fluffy homestyle frosting mix

1/3 cup light corn syrup 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

1 package (16 ounces) powdered sugar (4 cups)

1 cup chopped nuts

Beat frosting mix (dry), corn syrup, vanilla and boiling water in a small bowl on low speed until blended.X

Beat on high speed about 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually beat in sugar on low speed. Stir in nuts.

Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let stand about 4 hours or until firm. Turn candies over. Dry at least 12 hours. Store in airtight container. Makes 5 to 6 dozen candies.

XBecause mixture is extremely stiff, use only countertop (not hand) electric mixer.

Spinach Deluxe

After we featured spinach square recipes in this column a while back, Patricia Crosthwaite sent along another recipe and wrote, "I was amazed that none of your Spinach Cheese Square recipes resembled the one my mother began making in the '50s." Here is that version - enjoy

SPINACH DELUXE (Shared by Patricia Crosthwaite, Santa Clarita)

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

4 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/4 cup dairy sour cream

In a blender, whir together spinach, eggs, salt and onion about 30 seconds or until well blended.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet with heat-proof handle over low heat. Pour in spinach mixture and cook slowly, pulling from edge of skillet, until set. Sprinkle top with cheese and add small dollops of sour cream.

Brown under preheated broiler. Just before serving, sprinkle top with ground nutmeg if desired. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Pumpkin Bread 

Here's the recipe for Monastery Pumpkin Bread requested by Sharon Wayne of North Hills. More than a dozen readers sent along the recipe, noting they clipped it from a local newspaper years ago. It's from the Monastery of the Angels in Hollywood, which makes and sells it. It's delicious

Make it now with cans of pumpkin you have on hand in your pantry, or clip and save the recipe to use for the fall holidays later this year.

MONASTERY PUMPKIN BREAD (Shared by numerous readers)

3 1/2 cups sifted flour

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup oil

2/3 cup water

2 cups solid-pack pumpkin

Walnut pieces

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Combine eggs, oil, water and pumpkin, mixing well. Stir into dry ingredients.

Turn into 3 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans and top with several walnut pieces. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. Makes 3 (1-pound) loaves.

NOTE: Bread freezes well and tastes best slightly warm, spread with butter.

Can you help?

If you have recipes that can help these readers, please send them along to us at the address below to share in a future column.

I am looking for tasty, low-fat recipes for turkey meatloaf and turkey meatballs (using white meat only). Does anyone have some good ones to share?

- Anita Arkin

Tarzana

I had a wonderful frosting recipe from the '60s that tasted like whipped cream. It was made of Crisco, canned evaporated milk, granulated sugar and vanilla. It was beaten with an electric mixer; it looked terrible and curdly then suddenly turned creamy. Does anyone have the recipe?

- Margaret James

Sylmar