I made strawberry shortcake for dinner last night – though I used 2% milk. Perhaps I should have followed the advice in the hundred-year-old advertisement, and used Carnation Milk. Maybe (I’m a bit of a skeptic), the shortcake would have been lighter and fluffier.
I was also surprised to see a photo in the old magazine with the mother and the background intentionally blurred. I tend to think of that as a more modern photography technique.
I can’t imagine using evaporated milk for a biscuit dough, but who knows? I’ve always used the shortcake in an old (30s-40s) New England cookbook. Last time I made it, it seemed heavy to me. My chef-trained daughter said, “Isn’t that how old-fashioned shortcake is supposed to be?” 🙂
There must have been some interest in “light” shortcake a hundred years ago since the ad says that the use of Carnation milk will result in “light, fluffy shortcakes.” That said, I think that I agree with your daughter. Shortcakes shouldn’t be light and fluffy. Now that I think about it, I can’t even really imagine a fluffy shortcake.
Angela is right I think. When I was growing up, the shortcakes were rather dense and their texture transformed when they soaked up all the lovely strawberry juice. Then this trend started with grocery stores trotting out those Twinkie like little cakes in strawberry season. Not a shortcake at all, just a fluffy little sponge. I’ll take the old-fashioned one any day of the week!
My mom used evaporated milk in just about everything!
eeek! I hate those spongy little cakes you can buy at the store. I’m with you. I’ll take old-fashioned shortcake anyday. Mid-century (and I think even today) recipes for pumpkin pie often call for evaporated milk. I think that it reduces the amount of time that the pie needs to bake since the milk is thicker than regular milk.
I think you are right. The milk has already evaporated, and my mom also used it for all her custards. I don’t remember them ever breaking.
I like that photograph in the ad!
The boy has a great expression on this face.
Yes, and it really does give a message that was likely common then.