Old-Fashioned Apple and Coconut Pie

Slice or Apple and Coconut PIe

Government agencies have produced cookbooks for more than a hundred years that promote the use of local foods. I recently came across a small apple cookbook published in 1924 by the Fruit Branch of the Canada Department of Agriculture. The introduction to the book says that “Canada produces the best flavoured, most highly coloured and longest keeping apples.” I can’t vouch for the accuracy of that statement, but I can say that the book has some good recipes – though I used possibly inferior (??) U.S. apples.

One recipe was for Apple and Coconut Pie. The pie was delightful. This recipe takes a classic pie, and adds a fun tropical twist to it.

Canadian Apple Cookbook

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Apple and Coconut Pie — Source: Canadian Grown Apples: Delight in Every Bite (1924)

I used cinnamon rather than lemon. When I made this recipe, in addition to flavoring the apples with sugar and cinnamon, I stirred in a little flour to help ensure that the pie won’t be overly juicy.

The recipe author spelled “cocoanut” with an “a.” I think that this is considered an archaic spelling now, so when I updated the recipe, I spelled it without an “a.”

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Apple and Coconut Pie

Servings: 6 - 8
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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6 cups thinly sliced apples (cored and peeled)

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups coconut

1 10-inch deep dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl; stir to combine. Add the sugar and cinnamon mixture into the sliced apples; gently stir until the apples are coated with the mixture. Set aside.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the coconut on the pie shell, then add the apple mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the apples are soft. Sprinkle 1 cup of coconut on top of the hot pie. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the coconut is just barely beginning to brown. Remove from oven.

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Old-Fashioned Witches’ Layer Cake

Witches' Cake

Bakers have been making spooky Halloween Cakes for at least a hundred years. The October, 1924 issue of American Cookery magazine had a recipe for Witches’ Cake. The recipe intrigued me. It called for making a chocolate layer cake, and decorating it by putting the two parts of the cake together with a red frosting, then icing it with chocolate frosting, and decorating with small red candies that are arranged to make an outline of a witch.

This was a fun recipe to make. The cake was a rich and fudgy cake with an almost brownie-like texture.

Witches' Cake

Here’s the original recipe:

The old recipe called for tinting some of the frosting red with cochineal. I wasn’t familiar with cochineal so I did an online search. According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine, cochineal is a crimson dye made from an insect.

An average trip to the grocery store can yield a cartful of colorful foods. Bright among the rainbow are the reds, lending hues to products such as raspberry jam, canned cherries, strawberry licorice and red velvet cake. Often, their source is a certain small insect.

Cochineal bugs — oval-shaped scale insects around 0.2 inches long — are harvested and turned into the natural dyes cochineal extract, carmine and the pure pigment carminic acid. They have been used to color food, textiles and cosmetics for centuries.

Smithsonian Magazine (March 29, 2022)

I had no idea where I could buy cochineal, so I used dark red food coloring to tint the icing for the filling.

I didn’t find any small red wintergreen candies at the store where I shop, so I bought small red “sugar pearls” in the cake and cookie decorating section.

Squares of unsweetened baking chocolate have gotten smaller over the last hundred years. Back then a square was an ounce in size; today a square of a popular baking chocolate is 1/2 ounce.

This recipe doesn’t call for any baking powder or baking soda. The beaten egg whites provided the leavening.

I used 2/3 cup of milk, and I substituted all-purpose flour for the pastry flour.

I found recipes for Plain Frosting and Chocolate Frosting in a hundred-year-old cookbook:

Recipe for Plain Frosting — Source: Modern Priscilla Cook Book (1924)

Recipe for Chocolate Frosting — Source: Modern Priscilla Cook Book (1924)

I quadrupled the Plain Frosting recipe so that I’d have enough frosting to ice the cake. I did not use any water when making the Chocolate Frosting. I just used milk to get it to the right consistency. I used less chocolate than called for in the old recipe, since a square of chocolate was 1-ounce a hundred-years ago and the squares are smaller today- but it still was very chocolatey.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Witches' Layer Cake

Servings: 8 - 10
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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Cake

4 eggs, separated

1 1/3 cups butter, softened

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted (4 1/2-ounce squares)

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups all purpose or pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup milk

small red candies (can use wintergreen candies or sugar pearls)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans; line with waxed paper or parchment paper, then grease again and lightly flour.

Put egg whites into a mixing bowl, and beat until peaks form. Set aside.

Cream 1/3 cup butter, then add the remaining 1 cup butter and the melted chocolate; beat until smooth. Stir in egg yolks and sugar. Sift together flour, salt, and cinnamon, then stir into the chocolate mixture alternately with the milk; continue stirring until thoroughly combined. Fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour the 1/2 of the batter into each of the cake pans.

Bake the layers for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.

Make frosting (see below).

To assemble cake, trim cake layers if needed to make even, then put a layer on a plate. Spread with red frosting, and then put the other layer on top of it. Ice with the chocolate frosting, then decorate with red candies. I used a template of a witch as a guide when arranging the candies to make an outline of the witch.

Frosting

4 cups flour confectioners’ sugar

1/3 – 1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

red food coloring (I used “dark red” food coloring)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (4 1/2-ounce squares)

Combine confectioners’ sugar and 1/3 cup milk in a mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Add vanilla, and beat until combined. If the mixture to too thick add additional milk.

Red Filling: Put about 3/4 cup of the frosting into a small bowl. Add enough red food coloring to make the filling a bright red. Stir to combine.

Chocolate Frosting; Stir the melted chocolate into the remaining frosting.

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Old-Fashioned Scalloped Fish

Scalloped Fish

Both a hundred years ago and now, cooks sometimes struggle to figure out how to use leftovers. I recently had some leftover fish and some leftover mashed potatoes, so when I saw a recipe for Scalloped Fish in a 1924 cookbook that called for both cooked fish and mashed potatoes it seemed serendipitous, and I knew that I needed to give it a try.

The recipe was a winner. The Scalloped Fish was delightful, and I felt like I was being very frugal by using left-overs.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Scalloped Fish — Source: The New Butterick Cook Book (1924)

I did not cook the milk mixture for the entire 20 minutes called for in the recipe. It seemed like it might begin to scorch on the bottom of the pan if I cooked it that long. I just cooked it until it came to a boil and thickened.

I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper when I made this recipe.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Scalloped Fish

Servings: 3 - 5
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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2 hard-boiled eggs

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter + additional butter for topping

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups cooked or canned fish, flaked (I used flounder.)

1/2 cup mashed potatoes

1 cup fine bread crumbs (I grated a slice of bread.)

Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut hard-boiled eggs in half. Mash the yolks with a fork. Press the whites through a sieve. (I used a Foley mill.) Set aside.

Put the cornstarch and 1/4 cup milk into a small bowl; stir until smooth. Put the milk mixture into a saucepan, then add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and stir together. Add 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to a boil using medium heat while stirring constantly. Reduce heat and gently simmer until the liquid thickens. Stir in the mashed egg yolks and egg whites that have been put through a sieve. Remove from the heat and add the flaked fish and the mashed potatoes; stir until combined. Put in a baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and dot with small pieces of butter. Bake in oven until hot and bubbly (approximately 15-25 minutes).

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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 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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