Old-Fashioned Cider Frappe

I tend to think of frappes as a fairly modern cold coffee drink, but frappes actually have been around for at least a hundred years – and they are not necessarily a coffee drink. They actually are just a chilled drink served with ice or frozen to a slush. I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Cider Frappe and decided to give it a try.

The Frappe was wonderful. The recipe called for mixing cider, orange juice, and lemon juice together. This worked really well. The sweetness of the apples in the cider blended nicely with the citrus undertones provided by the orange and lemon juice.

Here’s the original recipe:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Cider Frappe

Servings: 6 - 8
Time: 25 minutes active prep time
Difficulty: moderate
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1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups water

4 cups cider

2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

Put sugar and water in a saucepan. Using medium heat bring to a boil; stir occasionally. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cider, orange juice, and lemon juice. Put the mixture in ice cube trays or freezer boxes. Freeze until a slush. If desired put the slushy mixture into the blender and blend for a few seconds to make the mixture smoother. Put into glasses and serve.

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Old-Fashioned Spinach with Noodles

Spinach with Noodles

I recently came across a lovely recipe for Spinach with Noodles in a hundred-year-old cookbook. The spinach and noodles were smothered with cheese and milk, and then baked until hot and bubbly. It makes a nice side dish – though it is hardy enough that it could be the entree.

Spinach with Noodles

Here’s the original recipe:

This recipes calls for a lot of milk. The key to it not being too juicy, is to not cook the noodles too thoroughly. They should just be cooked in boiling water until they are al dente. They then will absorb the milk and soften some more while in the oven baking.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Spinach with Noodles

Servings: 3 - 4
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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1 1/2 cups chopped cooked spinach

water

1 1/4 cups noodles

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup cheese, grated (I used cheddar cheese.)

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350° F. Put water in a large saucepan, place on the stove and bring to a boil using high heat. Add noodles and reduce heat; simmer until the noodles are al dente. Remove from heat and drain.

In a separate pan heat the spinach; then remove from heat and drain any excess liquid.

Put half of the noodles in a baking dish. (I used a 3-cup baking dish; a quart dish would also work well.) Top with half of the spinach. Sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper, then add half the cheese. Add the other half of the noodles, followed by the remaining spinach. Sprinkle with the remaining half of the salt and pepper. Top with the remaining half of the cheese. Pour the milk over the layered mixture, then bake in the oven until hot and bubbly (about 45 minutes).

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Old-Fashioned Date and Nut Bread

Date and Nut Bread

Summer is coming to an end, and students are back in school. I did a post several weeks ago for the back-to-school season on suggestions in a hundred-year-old year old cookbook for packed lunches. Date and nut sandwiches were one suggestion. A reader commented, “Date/nut bread with creamy cream cheese… um.”

I’d never had Date and Nut Bread, so the next thing I knew, I was searching through my hundred-year-old cookbooks to see if I could find any recipes for Date and Nut Bread. Happily, I found a recipe, and made it yesterday.

The Date and Nut Bread was moist, and chock full of dates and pecans. Now that I’ve eaten Date and Nut Bread, I can state with confidence that I agree with the reader, “Date/nut bread with creamy cream cheese… um.” It would be lovely in a packed lunch.

Date and Nut Bread

Here’s the original recipe:

I interpreted “hot wheat breakfast cereal” as cream of wheat. I was surprised that it was listed as an ingredient in the recipe, but it worked fine.

When, I made the recipe, I substituted a packet of dry yeast for the yeast cake.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Date and Nut Bread

Servings: 2 loaves
Time: approximately 4 hours
Difficulty: moderate
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2 cups of hot cream of wheat cereal (prepare the cereal following package direction)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups dates, chopped

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 packet active dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm milk (105 – 115° F.)

approximately 5 cups bread flour

In a large bowl mix together the hot cream of wheat cereal, brown sugar, salt, dates, and pecans. Allow to partially cool for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk. When the cereal mixture is lukewarm (105-115° F.), add the dissolved yeast and stir to combine. Add half of the flour and stir to combine, then gradually add the remaining flour until the dough reaches a consistency where it can be handled. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Put in a large greased bowl, cover and place in a warm spot that is free from drafts until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).

Punch dough down, then divide dough into two equal parts and shape into loaves. Place in two greased loaf pans, and cover. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Bake loaves in 375° F. oven for 35 -45 minutes or until lightly browned.

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Old-Fashioned Leeks (and Potatoes) au Gratin

Leeks au Gratin

It’s so much fun to go to the farmers’ market. The variety of produce available is at its peak, and it’s wonderful to support local farmers who sell incredibly fresh vegetables and fruits. When I go to the farmer’s market I always quickly walk through the entire area to see what looks particularly enticing, and then go around a second time to make my purchases. This past week several sellers had lovely leeks, so I decided that it was time to dig out my hundred-year-old cookbooks and find a leek recipe.

I found a lovely recipe for Leeks au Gratin. The title of the old recipe wasn’t totally accurate because it also called for potatoes. Regardless of whether this recipe is called Leeks au Gratin or Leeks and Potatoes au Gratin, it’s a winner. Sliced leeks and potatoes are smothered in a white sauce, and then topped with cheese and bread crumbs. The delicate, slightly sweet, mild onion-flavored leeks well paired with the earthy potatoes to create a rustic side dish.

Here’s the original recipe:

Twelve leeks and six potatoes seemed like a lot, so I halved the recipe when I made it. The halved recipes fit into a 1-quart baking dish.

I put a little salt and pepper in the white sauce rather than sprinkling it on top of the cheese and bread crumb topping.

The recipe calls for a relatively small amount of white sauce compared to many recipes for “creamed” or “au gratin” vegetables, but it worked fine, and I was pleased with how the recipe turned out.

I layered the leek and potato slices in the baking dish, and put half of the white sauce of top of them after doing the first layers.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Leeks (and Potatoes) au Gratin

Servings: 3 - 4
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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6 leeks

3 medium potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar.)

1/3 cup fine bread crumbs (I grated a slice of bread to get the bread crumbs.)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Clean and trim the leeks. Slice the white and light green parts of the leeks into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan and cover with water; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using high heat bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until the leeks are tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and drain.

Peel and then slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. (If the slices are large, cut each slice in half.) Place in another saucepan, and cover with water; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using high heat bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until the sliced potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and drain.

In the meantime, in another pan, using medium heat, melt butter, then stir in the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Gradually, add the milk while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the white sauce begins to thicken.

Put 1/2 of the cooked potatoes in a baking dish. (I used a 1-quart baking dish.). Add 1/2 of the cooked leeks. Spread 1/2 of the white sauce over the vegetables in the dish. Add the remainder of the potatoes, and then the remainder of the leeks. Spread the rest of the white sauce over the vegetables in the dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese, and then the bread crumbs, on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and the bread crumbs are lightly browned.

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Old-Fashioned Broiled Tomatoes

broiled tomatoes on plate

I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Broiled Tomatoes, and decided to give it a try. But I then wondered . . . What type of tomatoes should I use in the recipe? Should I use purple, chocolate, yellow, or orange heirloom tomatoes? . . . or should I use red tomatoes. . . . beefsteak? . . . plum?

What did tomatoes look like a hundred years ago? When I search on “tomato” and “history” I get articles about wild tomatoes that were small and yellow or orange. The Aztecs and Mayans raised tomatoes, and tomato seeds went from Latin America to Europe in the 1500s. They became very popular, though some people thought that they weren’t safe to eat. The number of tomato varieties increased and they were bred for various characteristics. Tomatoes were then brought back to North American during the colonial era. But, I’m not finding information about what tomatoes were like in 1924. I think that they generally were red, so I decided to use red, medium-sized tomatoes.

The Broiled Tomatoes were easy to make and tasty. They are topped with just salt, pepper, and a little butter, which allows the naturally balanced flavors to shine.

Here’s the original recipe:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Broiled Tomatoes

Servings: 2-3
Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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2 medium tomatoes

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons butter

Cut tomatoes into slices 1/2 inch thick. Put on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with small dabs of butter. Place under the broiler and broil until hot (about 3-4 minutes).

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Old-time Recipe for Baking Corn on Cob

baked corn on cob in husk

I love corn on the cob, and make it several times a week during the peak season. I’ve always boiled the corn, but was intrigued by a hundred-year-old recipe for Baking Corn on Cob, and decided to give it a try.

The recipe called for pulling the husk back and removing the corn silk, then soaking in water. After the corn has soaked for half an hour, the husk is pulled back into place, and the corn is baked.

The verdict: The corn was tasty, and the cooked corn was attractive in the husk. Baking the corn on the cob is a nice variation.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Baking Corn Cob — Source: Cook Book of the Susquehanna Valley Country Club, Sunbury, PA (1924)

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Baking Corn on Cob

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 ear of corn per serving

Pull back the husks on the corn, and remove all the silk. Put the corn (with the pulled-back husks) in a large pan of cold water; let soak for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Remove the corn from the pan, and shake off the water. Pull the husks back into place and cover the corn with the husks. Put directly on the wire rack in the oven; bake 30 minutes.

The husk can either be removed before serving or it can be served with the husk still on.

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Old-Fashioned Peach Meringue Pie

slice of peach pie with meringue

We’re getting to the peak of peach season. Succulent peaches are wonderful fresh, and are also wonderful when baked into various delectable desserts. I recently came across a recipe for Peach Meringue Pie in a hundred-year-old cookbook, and decided to give it a try.

The pie was a winner. The peach filling was sweet with a hint of tartness, and the meringue topping was refreshingly light with a nuanced vanilla flavor which nicely balanced the peaches.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Peach Pie (with Meringue) — Source: Butterick Cook Book (1924)

I’m not sure why the recipe called for cooking and mashing the peaches prior to putting them in the pie shell, but I followed the directions. Maybe the recipe author did not want distinct slices of peach in the baked pie.

I sweetened the peaches with 1/2 cup sugar. When I made this recipe the cooked peaches were very juicy -and I knew that they would not hold their shape in a pie, so I added 1/4 cup of flour. This worked well, and the cooked peach pie filling was an appropriate consistency when the pie was baked.

It’s intriguing that the old recipe indicated that the recipe was for either apple or peach meringue pie. I would think that the spices that are used in an apple pie would be somewhat different than the spices in a peach pie. Similarly, I would think that more flour would be needed to thicken the filling of a peach pie than an apple one (though, of course, no flour or other thickener was called for in the old recipe).

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Meringue Pie

Servings: 6 - 8
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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4 cups sliced and peeled peaches

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 9-inch pie shell

3 egg whites

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400° F. Put the sliced peaches and the sugar in a saucepan; stir together. Using medium heat bring to a boil while stirring occasionally; simmer, until the peaches are soft, while continuing to stir occasionally (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and mash the cooked peaches. (I used a potato masher). It is okay if the mashed peaches are chunky. Stir in the flour and nutmeg. Put the peach mixture into the pie shell and bake in oven until the filling begins to bubble, and the crust is lightly browned.

In the meantime, make the meringue. Place egg whites in a bowl, and beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla while continuing to beat. Then spoon on top of the pie and swirl. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F. Return pie to oven and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned.

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