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:
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:
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.
I’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:
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.
A hundred years ago (and throughout much of the 20th century) promotional cookbooks distributed by food companies were very popular. Pre-internet and social media, companies frequently used them to publicize their products.
In 1926, the Corn Products Refining Company published a cookbook by Ida Bailey Allen called The Modern Method of Preparing Delightful Foods. The cookbook contained recipes that used Karo Corn Syrup, Mazola Corn Oil, Argo Cornstarch and other products made by the company. At the time, Mrs. Allen was a popular cookbook author. She later became a radio cooking celebrity, as well as an editor of Good Housekeeping magazine.
Source: The Modern Method of Preparing Delightful Foods (1926)
I wanted to make some bar cookies for a pot luck picnic, so decided to try a recipe in the book for Butterscotch Squares.
I have mixed opinions about this recipe. If I set aside my preconceived notions about what these squares would be like (dense bars with a rich butterscotch flavor), and just enjoyed the squares I ended up with, I’d say that the Butterscotch Squares were tasty.
However, I couldn’t detect any hint of butterscotch when I nibbled on the squares, so I feel like I need to lower my rating of them. Also, the base of the Butterscotch Squares had a cake-like texture, rather than the typical more substantive, dense, moist texture of bar cookies. This base was topped with a thin layer of corn syrup and chopped nuts. (I used pecans.) The only sweetener that the recipe called for was the corn syrup in the topping, which resulted in the squares not being very sweet.
Here is the original recipe:
Source: The Modern Method of Preparing Delightful Foods (1926)
The recipe says that the dough should be put in a “medium-sized dripping pan.” I’m not sure what that is or how large it is, so I used a 9″ X 13″ rectangular baking pan. I didn’t measure the thickness of the dough, and it may have been slightly thicker than 1/2 inch. If I had used a pan which was a little larger, the texture may have been a little less cake-like.
The recipe calls for 4 teaspoons baking powder. This seems like a lot of baking powder, so I used 2 teaspoons baking powder.
I used olive oil instead of the Mazola Corn Oil, but any vegetable oil would work in this recipe.
1 cup dark or light corn syrup (Karo, etc.) (I used dark corn syrup.)
1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans.)
Step 1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
Step 2. Sift together flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder.
Step 3. Add olive/vegetable oil and milk; stir until combined.
Step 4. Grease a rectangular 9″ X 13″ baking pan, and put the mixture in the pan. (A pan that is a little larger could be substituted for the baking pan, if a less fluffy bar is desired.)
Step 5. Place in oven and bake.
Step 6. In the meantime, put the corn syrup in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil using medium heat. Reduce heat and cook until the syrup reaches the thread stage (230 – 235° F).
Step 7. When the bars are lightly browned, remove from oven and spread hot syrup on top, then sprinkle with the chopped nuts Press lightly to help ensure that the nuts stick to the top of the bars. (Depending upon the size of the pan, there may be a little more syrup than needed. It should be thinly spread and not gloppy.)
Step 8. Return to pan to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then cut into squares approximately 1 1/4″ X 1 1/4.”
I’m enjoying ever last minute of these final days of summer. Canoeing, swimming in the lake, state fair . . . and summer produce . . . tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, peaches. A few days ago, I bought some lovely peaches, so decided to try a hundred-year-old recipe for Peach Roll.
The Peach Roll was a delightful comfort food. Chopped peaches were rolled into a biscuit dough. The dough was then sliced and placed in a flat baking dish. A sugar syrup was poured over the slices, and the dish was baked until it was lightly browned and the syrup was hot and bubbly.
Peach Roll is similar in taste to Peach Cobbler, but the presentation is different. I like to serve Peach Cobbler with a little milk, so poured a little milk over the Peach Roll slices when I served them, but it is lovely either with or without the milk.
Here is the original recipe:
Source: Pennsylvania State Grange Cook Book (1926)
When I made this recipe, I peeled and coarsely chopped four peaches, which made about 3 cups of chopped peaches. This amount worked well when I made the roll.
The recipe called for cutting the roll into 3/4 slices. This seemed very thin to me. Each of my slices were about 1 1/4 inches thick which worked well with the pan that I used.
Step 2. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl; stir to combine.
Step 3. Cut in the lard or butter; then add the milk and stir with a fork until a dough forms.
Step 4. Put the dough on a prepared surface and roll into a rectangle about 8″ by 12″ and 1/4 inch thick.
Step 5. Put the chopped peaches on the rolled out dough, and spread to evenly distribute.
Step. 6. Gently roll the dough into a log (like a jellyroll).
Step 7. Cut the roll into slices about 1 1/4 inch thick.
Step 8. In the meantime, put the sugar and water in a saucepan. Using medium heat bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 9. Put the cut slices of the roll into a baking dish approximately 7″ by 12″ by 2.” Pour the sugar syrup over the slices.
Step 10. Place in the oven and bake until the syrup is bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
The farmers’ market is chock full of wonderful, fresh ,local vegetables. Green peppers and corn are at their peak. So, when I came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Baked Corn in Green Peppers, I decided to give it a try.
I’ve made stuffed peppers numerous times over the years; but, until I saw this recipe, I never thought about stuffing the peppers with a creamy baked corn mixture. This recipe is a tasty stuffed pepper variation. The corn and green peppers work well together.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: Pennsylvania State Grange Cook Book (1926)
This is a nice recipe, but it needed some tweaking. I think that green peppers were generally much smaller a hundred years ago than they are today. When I made this recipe, I used some medium-sized green peppers which I found at the farmers’ market. They were much smaller than most green peppers sold in supermarkets. Even though the peppers that I used were smaller than most, the recipe only made enough of the corn mixture to fill three green peppers, not six. When I updated the recipe, I indicated that three green peppers should be used rather than six.
I think that this recipe may be missing an ingredient. Whenever I have made Baked Corn in the past, the recipe called for eggs. I don’t think that Baked Corn will properly set without eggs, so I added an egg when I made the recipe. Even with the added egg, it took more than an hour for the baked corn in the green peppers to set, so when I updated the recipe, I indicated that two eggs should be used.
I wasn’t sure how to baste the corn and pepper with water and butter while they baked. Until the baked corn was set and became firm, the top of the Baked Corn in Green Peppers was very wet and did not need any additional liquid. I ended up pouring hot water and melted butter around the green peppers in the baking dish, though I’m not sure that is what the recipe author intended (and I don’t think it was needed, so I didn’t include basting when I updated the recipe).
When I have previously made stuffed peppers, I cut the tops off them and removed the seeds and membranes prior to cooking. I then put them in boiling water, and simmered for 5 minutes or so. I’m not sure why this recipe calls for pouring boiling water over the green peppers before the top, membranes, and skin are removed. That said, it worked fine to scald the green peppers by putting boiling water on the entire peppers. After the stuffed peppers were baked, the peppers were more wrinkled that some other stuffed peppers I have made in the past, but they still had a nice texture. Perhaps this was due to the scalding process, but I’m not sure.
I’m not sure why the recipe author said to “rub off the skin” of the peppers. It sounds like a lot of work, and that it would be easy to tear the green peppers in the process. It is very important to very carefully remove the green peppers’ membranes and seeds, since the corn mixture is very juicy before it is baked, and it would be problematic if the liquid leaked from a tear in a pepper.
I used milk rather than light cream when I made this recipe.
The corn from two fairly large ears made approximately 2 cups of corn.
2 cups fresh corn (the corn and pulp cut from 2 previously cooked large ears of corn) or use 1 16-ounce can of creamed corn
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or light cream
2 eggs
Step 1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
Step 2. Put enough water in a saucepan to fill it about 2/3’s full. Heat water to a boil, then remove from heat and add the green peppers; cover pan, and let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 3. Remove peppers from the hot water, and dunk in cold water to cool enough to handle. Cut the tops off the scalded peppers, then carefully remove the seeds and membranes. Use care not to tear the skin of the peppers.
Step 4. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk or light cream. Heat to boiling, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Step 5. Put eggs in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Place a small amount (approximately 1 – 2 tablespoons) of hot milk/cream mixture into dish with egg; stir quickly. (The egg is first combined with a little of the hot mixture to prevent it from turning into scrambled eggs when introduced into the hot combination.) Add egg mixture to the remaining hot mixture in the saucepan; stir. Add the corn and stir.
Step 6. Set the prepared green peppers in a baking dish, and spoon the corn mixture into the green pepper cavities to fill them
Step 7. Bake in oven uncovered until the corn mixture is firm and set (approximately 30 – 40 minutes.)
I bought some new potatoes at the farmers’ market a few days ago, and they are the best. The small, round potatoes were freshly harvested, and the skins scraped off easily. (They are different from the small potatoes typically sold in supermarkets, which are not freshly harvested and do not have skins that can be easily scraped off.) I love the delicate, moist firmness of new potatoes, so I was thrilled to find a hundred-year-old recipe for a classic recipe for creamed new potatoes.
The New Potatoes in Cream were wonderful. The potatoes were coated with a lovely cream sauce and flecked with bits of colorful red potato skin and parsley. I thoroughly enjoyed the new potatoes. I definitely will make this recipe again. New potatoes are such a fleeting summer food. In just a few weeks, I will only be able to buy mature potatoes, and I will need to wait until next year to again get new potatoes
Here is the original recipe for New Potatoes in Cream.
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)
I used red potatoes when making this recipe. The bits of red skin clinging to the potatoes look nice when the potatoes are creamed.
Step 1. Scrape the new potatoes with a knife, then put them in a saucepan and cover with water and add a little salt; boil until the potatoes are tender (about 20-25 minutes), then drain potatoes.
Step 2. In the meantime, melt the butter in another saucepan using medium heat, then stir in the flour. Slowly add the milk, while stirring constantly. Continue stirring and cook until the mixture thickens. Stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley.
Step 3. Add the boiled potatoes to the cream sauce and gently roll the potatoes to coat them with the sauce. Place the potatoes and sauce in the serving dish.
Cherry tomatoes are colorful, vibrant, and zesty. So, when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for a cherry tomato salad, I decided to give it a try.
Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad) made an attractive presentation, and was tasty. Yellow and red cherry tomatoes are arranged on a bed of lettuce and then topped with a vinaigrette-style dressing.
The recipe called for peeling the cherry tomatoes. A hundred-years-ago tomatoes were often peeled, but, since they are almost never peeled today, I considered skipping that step. However, in the end, I decided to follow the old recipe’s instructions, and peeled the tomatoes. The peeling was a little tedious– but after peeling the first 2 or 3 tomatoes, I got the hang of it, and the rest went quickly.
The salad made a nice presentation and was tasty. The peeling of the tomatoes affected both the look of the salad and the texture. The peeled cherry tomatoes were soft and juicy without the usual firmness of the skins. The tomatoes looked lovely arranged in the bowl, but had a soft, textured look rather then their usual shiny waxy skin. Also, the peeled cherry tomatoes soaked up more of the dressing which added additional flavor.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)
When I arranged the cherry tomatoes, in order to make a circle of red cherry tomatoes around the yellow ones, I needed more red tomatoes than yellow ones. When I updated the recipe, I increased the amount of red tomatoes to 1 1/2 cups, but this is a very flexible recipe, and the the number of cherry tomatoes needed of each color will vary greatly based on the size of the bowl and size of the tomatoes.
I’ve made several recipes this year which called for French Dressing. As I’ve previously indicated, a hundred years ago, French Dressing was a vinaigrette dressing, and quite different from the commercial, orange-colored French dressing that is common today. Here is the French Dressing recipe in the cookbook which contained the Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad) recipe:
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)
heart leaves of iceberg lettuce (or use the leaves of another type of lettuce)
1 clove garlic
parsley, for garnish
Step 1. Put water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Put a few tomatoes at a time into the boiling water, scald for 15-30 seconds. Remove from water and peel the loosened skins from the tomatoes.
Step 2. Put the peeled tomatoes in the French dressing (see recipe below). Put tomatoes in refrigerator to chill and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3. Peel garlic and cut in half, then rub serving bowl with the garlic.
Step 4. Line bowl with lettuce, then put the peeled yellow tomatoes in the center and the red tomatoes around the yellow ones. If desired, sprinkle with additional French dressing.
Step 5. Garnish with springs of parsley.
French Dressing (Vinaigrette Dressing)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
Step 1. Put the salt and paprika in a small bowl.
Step 2. Gradually add the olive oil while stirring constantly.
Step 3. Then slowly add the vinegar, a small amount at a time, while continuing to stir.
I’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.
