Old-Fashioned Honey Tea Crackers

honey tea crackers on plate

Want a cross between a cracker and a cookie? If so, I have just the recipe for you. I recently was browsing through a hundred-year-old cooking magazine and came across a recipe for Honey Tea Crackers. The name of the recipe made me salivate, and I was ready to give the it a try. But, when I looked at the recipe a little more, I was a little confused. The recipe called for putting an almond or walnut half on top of each cracker. Crackers don’t generally have nuts on top of them. And, when I thought about it, I realized that most crackers are salty or savory, not sweet.

The more I looked at the recipe, the more I was intrigued I became – and I soon was mixing up a batch of the crackers. Since it seemed unusual to put nuts on crackers, I did not put a nut on top of some of the crackers.

The recipe turned out well, though Honey Tea Crackers are not typical of modern crackers. In addition to honey, the crackers contain allspice as well as some lemon juice and grated lemon rind. The crackers were sweet with the complex undertones of honey and lemon, and a hint of allspice. They have the texture of a cut-out cookie that had been rolled out very thin. I put almonds on some crackers and walnuts on others. Both types of nuts worked well, and I don’t have a preference, but I definitely preferred the crackers that had a nut on top over the plain ones. In hindsight, I wish that had just followed the old recipe and put a nut on top of all of them.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Honey Tea Crackers — Source: American Cookery (May, 1925)

I did not dissolve the baking soda prior to adding to the other ingredients, and it worked fine. The mixture, however, seemed very dry, so I added a little more than the 1 teaspoon of water called for in the recipe.

The recipe calls for pricking the crackers “all over.” I was surprised how long it took to prick a lot of crackers, so be sure to allow sufficient time.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Honey Tea Crackers

Servings: about 90 crackers
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs

grated rind of 1/2 lemon

juice from 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons honey + 2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon water (add more if needed) + 2 tablespoons water

almonds or walnut halves (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.

Sift together flour, salt, allspice and baking soda. Add eggs, grated lemon rind, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons honey, and 1 teaspoon water; stir to mix. If the dough is too dry, add additional water. On a prepared surface, roll the dough out until it is very thin (1/4 inch or a little less). Cut into circles using a round cutter. (I used a cutter that was 2 inches in diameter.) Put the crackers on a lightly greased baking sheet. Prick all over each cracker with a fork. Brush the crackers with the honey and water mixture. If desired, press an almond or walnut half into the center of each cracker. Put into oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

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Old-Fashioned Pound Cake Waffles

Pound Cake Waffles

When browsing through hundred-year-old cookbooks, I came across a recipe for Pound Cake Waffles. The title intrigued me. The recipe called for lots of butter and sugar, and was very similar to actual Pound Cake recipes. I decided to give it a try. The recipe indicated that either lemon or vanilla flavoring could be used in the recipe. I went with lemon extract.

The waffles were lovely with a sunny lemon flavor that worked nicely with the maple syrup that I put on the waffles.

Here’s the original recipe:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Pound Cake Waffles

Servings: 4 - 6
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, separated

1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla (I used lemon extract.)

Beat egg whites, then set aside. Put butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, then beat until creamed. Add the egg yolks and milk, then beat. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon extract or vanilla; beat until combined. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites. Ladle batter onto a hot waffle iron and cook, following the waffle iron directions.

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Walnut Grove Potatoes (Scalloped Potatoes and Hard-Boiled Eggs)

Walnut Grove Potatoes

HAPPY EASTER!

If your household is like mine, you have hard-boiled Easter eggs sitting in the refrigerator and are looking for ways to use them. I came across a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for Walnut Grove Potatoes, which is a fancy name for Scalloped Potatoes with Hard-Boiled Eggs. It was delightful, and is a great way to use those hard-boiled eggs.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Walnut Grove Potatoes — Source: Cook Book (Compiled by Women of the Country Club Christian Church, Kansas City, Missouri)

When I made this recipe, I interpreted “cream dressing” to mean white sauce. It did not work very well to put all of the white sauce on the top of the top layer of breadcrumbs, so I changed the recipe to indicate the white sauce should be one of the layers so that it is more evenly distributed.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Walnut Grove Potatoes

Servings: 3 - 5
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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3 cups sliced, peeled potatoes (1/4-inch slices)

1 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1 cup coarsely-torn breadcrumbs (tear bread into 1-inch pieces) + 1/8 cup finely-torn breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

approximately 1/3 green pepper, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400° F. Put the sliced potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil using high heat; reduce and simmer until the potatoes are just barely tender (about 10-12 minutes). Remove from heat and drain.

In the meantime, in another pan, using medium heat, melt butter, then stir in the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually, add the milk while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the white sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

To assemble: Put 1/3 of the white sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, add 1/2 of the cooked sliced potatoes, then add a layer composed of 1/2 of the hard-boiled egg slices, and a layer of 1/2 of the coarsely-torn breadcrumbs. Pour a third of the white sauce over the layers. Repeat the layers with the remaining sliced potatoes, hard-boiled egg slices, and coarsely-torn breadcrumbs. Pour the remaining white sauce over the top. Garnish with the green pepper slices and finely torn breadcrumbs. Put in oven and bake until hot and bubbly (about 30 minutes).

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Old-Fashioned Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

Now that winter is over, and April has finally arrived, I find that I crave both comfort foods and spring vegetables. I think that I’ve found the perfect hundred-year-old recipe: Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips.

The Chicken Pie had an old-fashioned goodness, and the asparagus tips made a lovely garnish.

Here’s the original recipe: Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

Recipe for Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips — Source: American Cookery (March, 1925)

The recipe does not specify whether green asparagus or white asparagus should be used, but the picture in the old magazine looks like the recipe author used white asparagus. I seldom see white asparagus at the store (and when I do it is very expensive), so I used green asparagus. I actually think that green asparagus looks better than white when used in this dish.

I think that “rich milk” refers to light cream, so I used half and half, though milk would work fine in this recipe. I added mushrooms, carrots, and peas.

Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

Servings: 4 - 6
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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1/4 cup butter + 1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup half and half (or use milk)

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 4-ounce can mushrooms, stems and pieces (drained)

1/2 cup sliced carrots, cooked

1/2 cup green peas (I used frozen peas.)

asparagus tips to garnish (I used the tips from approximately 1/3 pound of asparagus.)

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Preheat oven to 425◦ F. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour, paprika, and salt. Gradually, add the chicken broth and half and half while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce from the pan, set aside. Stir the cooked chicken, mushrooms, carrots, and peas; continue heating until hot and bubbly. Put the mixture into a baking dish, then pour the reserved sauce over the mixture. Spoon the 1 tablespoon of melted butter on top. Put in oven and bake until it is just beginning to brown (about 15- 20 minutes).

In the meantime, cook the asparagus tips. (I lightly steamed them.)

Remove the Chicken Pie from the oven and garnish with the asparagus tips.

Old-Fashioned Nut Molasses Bars

I came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Nut Molasses Bars and decided to give it a try.

The cookies are a cross between cutout cookies and modern bar cookies. The dough is rolled out, then cut into bars, and topped with coconut and walnuts. They were tasty with just the right amount of spices and molasses.

Here is the original recipe:

Nut Molasses Bars — Source: The Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)

English walnuts are just the usual walnuts that are sold commercially. Unless walnuts are specifically labeled as black walnuts, they are English walnuts.

If the butter is softened before making this recipe, the water does not need to be boiling.

The cookie dough was extremely dry, so I added additional water to make it rollable.

I had trouble with the coconut and walnuts not adhering to the bars. To help make the topping stay put, I revised the recipe to say that the rolled cookie dough should be brushed with beaten egg white before the coconut and walnuts are sprinkled on it.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Nut Molasses Bars

Servings: approx. 60 bars
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup water + additional water, if needed

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

3 2/3 cups flour

1 egg white, beaten

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350◦ F. Put butter, water, brown sugar, and molasses in a mixing bowl; stir. Add baking soda, ginger, cloves, and salt; stir to combine. Add flour, and stir. If the dough is too dry, add additional water until it holds together. (I had to add about 3/4 cup of additional water). Chill for 1/2 hour. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 1/2 inch X 1 inch strips. Brush with egg white, then sprinkle with coconut and walnuts. Press the coconut and the walnuts firmly into the dough. Cut each strip into 3 pieces. Put the pieces on a prepared baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes.

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Old-Fashioned Grapefruit Cocktail

Grapefruit Cocktail

The word “cocktail” generally brings to mind alcoholic beverages, but another definition of cocktail is ” a cold dish, often eaten at the start of a meal, consisting of small pieces of food.” According to the January, 1925 issue of American Cookery magazine, a fruit appetizer called Grapefruit Cocktail was served at many of the best hotel back then. Given this strong recommendation, I decided to make Grapefruit Cocktail.

It was easy to make. Grapefruit segments are cut into bite-sized pieces, then a little powdered sugar and juice from a jar of maraschino cherries is added. The mixture is served in an attractive serving cup or sherbet glass that is lined with lettuce and topped with a maraschino cherry.

The recommended way of serving Grapefruit Cocktail in a sherbet glass lined with lettuce makes an attractive presentation, but it has a very old-fashioned look. (When is the last time you’ve eaten fruit nested in lettuce leaves?) But the Grapefruit Cocktail was refreshing and very tasty with a nuanced burst of flavor provided by the maraschino cherry juice.

Here’s the original recipe:

Grapefruit Cocktail

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Grapefruit Cocktail

Servings: 2
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 grapefruit

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon juice from a jar of maraschino cherries

lettuce

2 maraschino cherries

Peel the grapefruit, then divide into segments and cut each segment into thirds. Put into a bowl. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and add maraschino cherry juice; gently stir. Line serving cups or sherbet glasses with lettuce leaves, then fill with the grapefruit mixture. Garnish with a maraschino cherry on top.

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Old-Fashioned Shamrock Salad with French Dressing with Mustard

Shamrock Salad

Hundred-year-old magazines sometimes have holiday recipes. For St. Patrick’s Day, the March, 1925 issue of American Cookery had a recipe for Shamrock Salad with French Dressing with Mustard. I decided to give it a try.

Shamrock Salad is made by stuffing green pepper halves with a cream cheese and olive mixture. The stuffed peppers are refrigerated for several hours, then sliced. The French Dressing with Mustard is very different from modern bottled French dressings, but it was a nice oil and vinegar dressing.

The Shamrock Salad with French Dressing with Mustard was good, but had a very old-fashioned look and taste.

Here’s the original recipe:

Shamrock Salad

The old recipe indicates that the serving size is four slices. I cannot imagine eating a serving that large of this salad; 1 slice – at most 2 – makes a nice serving size. Since I thought that the serving size was very large, I halved the recipe when I updated it.

For the French Dressing with Mustard, I used olive oil for the oil.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Shamrock Salad with French Dressing with Mustard

Servings: 2 - 3
Time: 20 minutes active prep time
Difficulty: moderate
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1 large green pepper

1/2 tablespoon butter, softened

1 8-ounce container cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 tablespoon cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 stuffed green olives, finely chopped

lettuce (optional)

Remove stem from the green pepper, then cut in half. (There will be a top half and a bottom half.) Remove pith and seeds. Set aside.

Put butter in a bowl and cream, then add the cream cheese, cream, and salt. Stir until smooth. Add the chopped olives and stir until the olives are evenly distributed in the mixture.

Use the cream cheese mixture to fill the green pepper halves. Press the mixture in firmly. Refrigerate the stuffed peppers until the cream cheese is firm (at least 4 hours)

Remove from refrigerator and with a sharp knife cut the stuffed peppers into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick). If desired, put the slices on lettuce leaves. Serve with French Dressing with Mustard (see below).

French Dressing with Mustard

1 teaspoon brown mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

1 teaspoons onion, grated (optional)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 tablespoon vinegar

Put the brown mustard in a bowl, then stir in the salt and pepper. If desired, add the grated onion and stir. Gradually add the olive oil while stirring rapidly, then add the vinegar and stir to combine.

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