Tag: recipe

Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Squares

Butterscotch Squares

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.

woman putting food on outdoor table
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:

Recipe for Butterscotch Squares
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.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Butterscotch Squares

  • Servings: approximately 60 bars
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

2 cups bread flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup olive oil or other vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups milk

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.”

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Old-Fashioned Peach Roll

 

Peach Rolls in baking dish

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:

Recipe for Peach Roll
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.

I substituted butter for the lard.

Peach Roll in dish

Here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Roll

  • Servings: 8 - 10
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lard or butter, softened

3/4 cup milk

3 cups coarsely chopped peaches (about 4 peeled peaches)

Sugar Sauce

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

Step 1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

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.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Baked Corn in Green Peppers

Baked Corn in Green Pepper on plate

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:

Recipe for Baked Corn in Green Peppers
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.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Baked Corn in Green Peppers

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

3 medium green peppers

water

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.)

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

New Potatoes in Cream

New Potatoes in Cream in dish

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.

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.

If you don’t know how to scrape potatoes, you might find a post I previously did on how to scrape new potatoes with a knife helpful.

Scraping potatoes with knife

Here is the recipe for Cream Sauce that was in the same cookbook as the potato recipe:

Recipe for Cream Sauce
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

The Cream Sauce recipe is really just a recipe for a basic thin white sauce.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

New Potatoes in Cream

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

about 1 1/2 pounds small, round new potatoes

water and salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash red or black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

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.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)

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:

Recipe for Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)
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:

Recipe for French Dressing
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

I halved the recipe when I made it. I’ve previously posted this same French Dressing recipe as part of the recipes for Green Bean Salad (with Nasturtiums) and Cottage Cheese and Tomato Salad.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)

  • Servings: 4 - 5
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

water

1 1/2 cups red cherry tomatoes

1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes

French Dressing

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.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

Usually when I select hundred-year-old recipes to make, I choose recipes that I think look tasty. However, occasionally I’m intrigued by a recipe that seems unusual or unique, and decide to give it a try. This is one of those times.

I had an eggplant and wanted to make a recipe that would use it. I came across a recipe for Eggplant with Cheese on Toast in a 1926 issue of American Cookery magazine. It was very different from any eggplant recipe that I had ever seen – though I got the impression that the magazine editor really liked the recipe because the magazine included a grainy photo of the dish while most recipes did not have photos.  In any case, I decided to give it a try.

The recipe called for cooking strips of eggplant, and then adding them to a sauce that included lemon juice and nutmeg. The sauce was then put on toast points to serve, and topped with cheese and a sprinkle of paprika, which made an appealing, interesting presentation.

The eggplant mixture and cheese were delightful toast toppers. I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the Eggplant with Cheese on Toast was – though the lemon was the predominant flavor.

Here is the original recipe:Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

Recipe for Eggplant with Cheese on Toast
Source: American Cookery (October, 1926)

I cut bread slices into points prior to toasting, and then toasted them in a toaster oven after they had been cut – but, they could be toasted prior to cutting.  Or, whole slices of bread could be used, rather than making toast points.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

1 medium eggplant (1/2 large eggplant)

lightly salted water

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

grated cheese (I used cheddar cheese.)

paprika

bread (If desired, it can be cut into points.)

Step 1. Peel eggplant, then cut into half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the eggplant into strips approximately 1/2 inch-wide. (If the eggplant is particularly long, cut the eggplant halves into half to make the strips a more manageable length.)

Step 2. Put water with a small amount of salt into a saucepan; bring to a boil then add the eggplant strips. Reduce heat and simmer until the eggplant is tender. Remove from heat and drain.

Step 3. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually, add the 1 cup water while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, then stir in the lemon juice.

Step 4. Put the cooked eggplant strips into the sauce and gently stir the mixture.

Step 5. If desired, in the meantime, cut slices of bread into points. For each serving, stack 3 slices of bread on top of each other and then cut from one side to the other, starting at one corner and going to the center of the other side. Then toast the toast points in a toaster oven or under the broiler.  (Disregard this step if whole slices of bread are used, and instead just toast the bread.)

Step 6. To serve: Arrange the toast points (use 3 per serving) or the toast slices on plates. Top with the eggplant mixture, then sprinkle with grated cheese and paprika.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Peach Ice Cream

peach ice cream

When I was a child, Peach Ice Cream was a favorite on hot sunny days. The sweetness of the ice cream combined with the refreshing tartness of the peaches always hit the spot during the dog days of summer. So, when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for Peach Ice Cream, I decided to give it a try.

This Peach Ice Cream recipe is a winner. The ice cream was easy to make, and it had a lovely peach flavor. It tasted just like I remember, and made a recent hot day seem just a little cooler.

Here is the original recipe:

Recipe for Peach Ice Cream
Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

I used a small automatic electric ice cream maker to make this recipe, so I halved the recipe when I updated it. If a large ice cream freezer is used, the amounts in the original recipe should be used.

I was concerned that the peach slices might discolor and begin to turn brownish while they sat after the sugar was added; so, even though the recipe didn’t call for it, I also stirred in a little lemon juice.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Peach Ice Cream

  • Servings: 8 - 10
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

2 cups ripe peaches, peeled and slices

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups half and half

Step 1. Put peach slices, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl; stir to mix ingredients. Let sit for 1/2 hour – 1 hour.

Step 2. Thoroughly mash the peaches. A potato masher can be used to mash the peaches into very small pieces, or the peaches can be briefly pulsed  in a blender or food processor. (There should not be large peach chunks or they will harden like ice cubes in the ice cream; conversely, the peaches should not be totally liquified.)

Step 3. Put the mashed peach mixture and the half and half in a bowl; stir to combine. Thoroughly chill the mixture in the refrigerator.

Step 4. Put  the chilled mixture in ice cream freezer, and freeze following freezer directions.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com