Category: Food

Old-Fashioned Halloween Spice Cupcakes

Halloween Spice Cupcakes

Since photos are few and far between in hundred-year-old cookbooks, I was surprised to see a photo of Halloween Spice Cupcakes in a 1926 cookbook. The adorable cupcakes (Can cupcakes be called adorable?) were decorated to look like jack-o-lanterns. Raisins were used to make the faces.

Halloween Spice Cupcakes
Source: Mrs. Peterson’s Simplified Cooking (1926)

I decided to try to replicate the cupcakes in the photo. The recipe on page 180 of the cookbook is for a loaf cake and does not specifically mention Halloween Spice Cupcakes, so I just put the batter in a cupcake tin that I had lined with paper liners.

Recipe for Spice Cakes
Source: Mrs. Peterson’s Simplified Cooking (1926)

I decorated the cupcakes similarly to the way the cupcakes in the old photo were decorated. Since the photo in the old cookbook is black and white, it is difficult to tell what color the icing was. Since food coloring was readily available in 1926, I assumed that the icing was tinted orange.

The cupcakes were fun to make, and turned out wonderfully. The cupcakes were tasty and had a lovely spice flavor.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Halloween Spice Cupcakes

  • Servings: 12 - 14 cupcakes
  • Difficulty: moderate
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1/2 cup shortening or butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 1/4 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

frosting, tinted orange

raisins

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Put paper cupcake liners in cupcake tin(s).

Step 2. Put the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and allspice in a bowl. Stir to combine, then set aside.

Step 3. Put the shortening (or butter) and sugar in a mixing bowl, then cream.

Step 4. Add the eggs; beat until combined.

Step 5. Add the milk and dry ingredients; beat until smooth, then put in the prepared cupcake tin(s). Fill each cupcake cup 2/3 full.

Step 6. Bake 30 – 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Step 7. Let the cupcakes cool, then ice the cupcakes with icing that has been tinted orange.

Step 7. Use raisins to make the faces on the cupcakes. Use round raisins for the eyes, elongated raisins for the nose, and chopped raisins to make the mouth.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Escalloped Cabbage

Escalloped Cabbage in baking dish

The farmers’ market had some lovely cabbages, so I bought one and then started looking through my hundred-year-old cookbooks for a cabbage recipe. I found a recipe for Escalloped Cabbage in a 1926 women’s club cookbook from Peoria, Illinois

The Escalloped Cabbage was a delightful, simple, side dish.  It’s just boiled shredded cabbage in a white sauce. It is then put in a baking dish. topped with bread crumbs, and put in the oven until it is hot and bubbly.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Escalloped Cabbage
Source: 1926 cookbook compiled by the Domestic Science Class of the Peoria (IL) Women’s Club

The bread crumbs for the topping can be made by grating 1/2 slice of bread using a box grater.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Escalloped Cabbage

  • Servings: 4 - 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

1/2 cabbage, coarsely shredded

water

1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon butter (melted)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Step 1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

Step 2. Put the shredded cabbage in a large saucepan, then add about a quarter inch of water. Bring to a boil using medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the cabbage is tender (about 20 minutes). (If the water evaporates while cooking, add a small amount of additional water.) Then remove from heat, and drain to remove any remaining liquid.

Step 3. In the meantime, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour. Gradually, add the milk while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens.

Step 4. Pour the white sauce on the boiled cabbage; stir to combine.

Step 5. Put the cabbage mixture in a baking dish.

Step 6. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter, then spread the bread crumbs on top of the cabbage mixture.

Step 7. Put in oven and bake until hot and bubbly (20 – 30 minutes).

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Apple Mallows (Baked Apples with Marshmallows)

Apple Mallow (Baked Apple with Marshmallows) in bowl

Baked apples are a classic fall comfort food. So, when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for Apple Mallows (Baked Apples with Marshmallows), I decided to give it a try. The recipe was included in an advertisement for Campfire Marshmallows in the November, 1926 issue of Good Housekeeping. Here is the original recipe:

recipe for Campfire Apple Mallows
Source: Good Housekeeping (November, 1926)

Processed foods were rapidly becoming part of the U.S. diet by the 1920’s. Advertisers, including the Campfire Company, developed recipes that incorporated the food they were promoting into traditional desserts and dishes.

The advertisement said that the recipe was “tested and approved by Good Housekeeping Institute.” Apparently, the Campfire Company thought cooks would be more likely to trust that it was a good recipe if they were assured that the magazine’s research arm had tested it.

I agree with Good Housekeeping Institute’s decision to approve the recipe. Apple Mallows are a delightful variation of a classic dessert. Toasted marshmallows on top of the baked apples bring back memories of toasting marshmallows over a summer campfire, while marshmallows in the center of apples melt into a lovely, thick, sweet, gooey syrup.

The recipe indicated that the Apple Mallows should be served with cream. I didn’t have any cream, so I poured a little milk on some of the Apple Mallows. They were yummy. Additionally, I tried the Apple Mallows without any cream or milk, and they were also tasty that way.

The original recipe called for six apples and 12 large marshmallows, which is two marshmallows per apple. When I made the recipe, I used approximately three marshmallows per apple, so when I updated the recipe I increased the number of marshmallows to 18.

Similarly, I used more butter than the original recipe called for, so I increased the amount when I updated the recipe.

Since this recipe basically entailed just stuffing cored apples with marshmallows, the number of servings can easily be adjusted.

After the apples that had been stuffed with marshmallow pieces were baked, I added whole marshmallows on top. I then put the baked apples under the broiler for a minute or two to lightly brown the marshmallows prior to serving.

The original recipe says that the apples can be served hot or cold, but I served them hot.  The gooey marshmallow filling in the middle of the apples was lovely. My sense is that the texture of the marshmallow filling would be quite different if the apples were served cold. When I updated the recipe, I indicated that this dessert should be served hot.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Apple Mallows (Baked Apples with Marshmallows)

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

6 apples (Use an apple variety that keeps its shape when cooked – Haralson, Rome, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Braeburn, etc.)

18 large marshmallows

2 tablespoons butter

water

cream or milk (optional)

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

Step 2. Use a sharp paring knife or an apple corer to cut out the apple cores. Once it is cut, a spoon can be used to help scoop the core out. When cutting out the cores, do not go all the way through the apples. Leave about 1/2 inch of the apple at the bottom so that the marshmallow filling will not seep out.

Step 3. Make 6 or 8 vertical cuts in the skin of each apple that goes half way down the apple. Don’t cut all the way through the apple. Just cut the skin.

Step 4. Put the apples in a baking dish that can go under the broiler.

Step 5. Cut 12 of the large marshmallows into eights.

Step 6. Put the marshmallow pieces in the center of the apples. Put small bits of butter in the apples with the marshmallow pieces.

Step 7. Gently pour about 1/2 inch of water into a corner of the baking dish.

Step 8. Put into oven and bake until the apples are tender (about 35-45 minutes).

Step 9. Remove from oven and put a whole marshmallow on the top of each apple. The marshmallows are held in place by gently pushing the bottom of each marshmallow into the holes in the apples.

Step 10. Place under the boiler until the marshmallows are lightly browned (1-2 minutes). Remove from oven and serve.  If desired, serve with cream or milk.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Overnight Waffles with Yeast

Overnight Waffles with Yeast on plate

Often waffles taste almost like pancakes, so when I came across a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for traditional Waffles with Yeast, I decided to give it a try. The recipe included an option for making overnight waffles, and I decided to go that route since it can be hectic in the morning, and I liked the idea of doing most of the prep work the previous evening.

The Overnight Waffles with Yeast were tasty with an old-fashioned goodness. The waffles were heartier and chewier than the typical modern waffle.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Waffles with Yeast
Source: New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes

A cake of compressed yeast contained about the same amount of yeast as a packet of active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast).

Since I made the waffles using the overnight method, I updated the recipe for that option. Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Overnight Waffles with Yeast

  • Servings: 3 - 5
  • Difficulty: moderate
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2 cups milk

2/3 teaspoon active dry yeast (1/4th of  packet)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter or lard, melted

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Step 1. Put milk in saucepan, then heat with medium heat while stirring until the milk is scalded (180 – 185° F.). Remove from heat and cool to 105 – 110° F.

Step 2. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on the warm milk, then stir to dissolve.

Step 3. Put the milk mixture in a mixing bowl, then add the melted butter or lard, eggs, flour, and salt; beat until the batter is smooth.

Step 4. Cover and put in the refrigerator overnight (10 – 15 hours).

Step 5. Remove from refrigerator, gently stir, then ladle batter onto a hot waffle iron and cook following the waffle iron directions.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Hundred-Year-Old Food Combination Suggestions

List of common food combinations
Source: Pennsylvania State Grange Cook Book (1926)

Some foods just seem to go together: bacon and eggs, fish and chips, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Similarly, a hundred years ago, people often ate certain food combinations. A hundred-year-old cookbook contained a list of suggested foods to serve with various types of meat and fish.

Some of the old-time food combinations were similar to common combinations today; others were quite different. Apples and pork went together both a hundred years ago and now. The list said that applesauce should be served with both post roast and pork croquettes. I’ve seen recent recipes that call for serving cooked apple slices or rings with pork chops and other types of pork.

Other food combination recommendations in the old cookbook seemed more unusual. I can’t quite picture serving olives stuffed with cream cheese with cold tongue – though who am I to say?  I can’t remember ever serving cold tongue, so maybe the olives would be lovely with it.

Old-Fashioned Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Salad in bowlI’m still enjoying locally-grown watermelon, but know that the season will end soon. I came across a lovely hundred-year-old recipe for Watermelon Salad that bridges the summer and fall seasons, and decided to give it a try. This salad contains watermelon cubes that are coated with sugar, warm fall spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), and orange juice.

The Watermelon Salad was delightful. The cozy, warm cinnamon and nutmeg on the refreshing,  juicy cubes of watermelon reminded me a bit of the apples in apple pie – though the texture was different. This salad is a lovely fall treat, though it would also work well during the summer (and, during any season, since watermelon can now be purchased year-round).

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Watermelon Salad
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

When I made this recipe there was a lot of  liquid, so I drained the salad before serving. Additionally, I skipped lining the bowl with lettuce.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Watermelon Salad

  • Servings: 2 - 3
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

2 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 tablespoons orange juice

Step 1. Put the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl; stir until combined.

Step 2. Put the watermelon cubes in a bowl, then sprinkle the sugar mixture over it.

Step 3. Pour the orange juice over sugar mixture and watermelon; stir gently, then let sit for a few minutes.

Step 4. To serve, drain excess juice and put in serving bowl(s).

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Hundred-Year-Old Tips for Preparing a Meal to Serve Unexpected Guests

Cold meat platter and other foods
Source: Ladies Home Journal (August, 1926)

Impromptu home entertaining has changed a lot over the years.  Today if someone is planning to stop by my house, especially if they are hoping that I will serve them a meal, they will text or email to see if it is convenient.

A hundred years ago, people often didn’t have phones (or if they did, phone companies often provided extremely limited service), so friends and relatives just stopped by with no advance notice. The hosts were expected to be hospitable and often provided the guests with a meal.

A hundred-year-old magazine had lots of suggestions for how to quickly and easily pull together a lovely meal with a cold meat platter for unexpected guests:

The woman who can with equanimity view a motor full of hungry persons pulling into her yard just at luncheon or dinnertime, is a woman in a thousand. And yet, if she is hospitably inclined, and has had the forethought to make certain plans for this informal but delightful sort of entertaining, there is no reason in the world why she should feel the slightest anxiety.

In my own refrigerator I always keep a few cans of such viands as crab meat, salmon, tuna fish, sardines, Vienna sausage, veal loaf and chicken, with perhaps a jar or two of some tasty piquant cheese, one of mayonnaise, a head of lettuce and several bottles of a refreshing beverage. In addition to these stand-bys, I select once a week from a fine delicatessen shop an assortment, such as sliced cold boiled tongue, baked ham, several varieties of summer sausage, and Swiss, American Roquefort or Dutch cheese.

On my pantry shelf may be found a jar of pickled walnuts, a bottle each of plain and stuffed olives, one of tiny gherkins, and several kinds of homemade relishes, such as watermelon rind or cucumber rings.

From these good things I can prepare at short order an appetizing main dish which, with rye or white bread and butter, a generous pot of good coffee or hot canned soup, and a salad which is easily managed in summer, makes a most tempting meal. As to the sweet course, fruit either fresh or canned, or a delicate jelly with sweet crackers of which it is well to keep several varieties on hand if one dwells out of town.

Ladies Home Journal (August, 1926)

Whew! It almost sounds like the typical family got unexpected guests frequently. The author of the article seemed to think that cooks had an awfully lot of foods on hand that could be used to quickly prepare a cold meat platter and other dishes to feed unexpected guests. I can’t imagine buying lots of deli foods every week just in case someone happened to show up.

As someone who often finds it difficult to organize a coffee gathering or a meal for guests, in some ways I wish that people today felt free to just informally stop by. In other ways, it seems a little impolite for someone to just show up at my door, and they’d be lucky if they got any food. At most, I’d order a pizza.