Children's Rusks - 1916

1 cake yeast
2 cups milk, scalded and cooled
1 Tablespoon sugar
6 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup currants
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve the yeast and one tablespoon sugar in lukewarm milk, and add to it three cups of flour to make an ordinary sponge. Beat well. Cover and set aside in a warm place to rise, for about an hour.

When light, add to it the butter and sugar creamed, egg well beaten, the currants, which have previously been floured, and the remainder of the flour, or sufficient to make a moderately soft dough, and salt with the last of the flour.

Knead lightly, place in greased bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place, free from draft, to rise for about two to two and one-half hours. When well-risen, turn out on a kneading board and mould into rolls. Place in well-greased pans, cover and let rise again for about one hour, or until double in bulk.

Brush with egg diluted with milk. Bake in a hot oven (400) for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Upon removing from oven sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Source: Excellent Recipes for Baking Raised Breads, copyright 1916, The Fleishmann Company

Date and Cheese Bread - 1930s

4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup dates
1 1/2 cups milk

Sift the flour with the baking powder, soda, and salt 3 times; rub in the cheese and the shortening, stir in the chopped dates, pour in the milk combined with the molasses. Mix thoroughly. Turn into well buttered bread pan and smooth out with the back of a spoon dipped in cold water. Bake about 1 hour in a moderate oven (350). Rub the top with butter, let cool in pan placed on a cake rack so that the air circulates under it.

Source: Grandma's Old Fashioned Molasses Recipes, copyright 1930s, Boston Molasses Company,                    Boston, MA

Rice Muffins - 1940

1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup cooked rice
3 Tablespoons melted shortening
1 1/2 cups flour
5 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Beat egg, add milk, rice and melted shortening; mix thoroughly. Add flour sifted with baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix together quickly. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake in moderately hot oven at 425 about 30 minutes. Makes 12.

Source: A Guide to Royal Success in Baking, copyright 1940, Standard Brands Inc.

Peanut Butter Bread - 1934

2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Clabber Girl Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter

Sift dry ingredients together. Beat milk, eggs, and peanut butter together with egg beater, then add gradually to dry ingredients while beating with a spoon. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan, size about 8 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches. Bake one hour in a moderate oven (350).

Source: Clabber Girl Baking Book, copyright 1934

Cheese Stars - 1936

1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Arm & Hammer or Cow Brand Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk
Soft butter
Grated cheese

Sift flour once, measure, add baking soda and salt and sift again. Cut in shortening. Add grated cheese. Add buttermilk, stirring quickly to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured board. Knead slightly. Roll 1/4 inch thick. Spread lightly with soft butter. Cut into 2 inch squares. Cut each square in half, making triangles. Cover one half with grated cheese, place other half on top of first, butter side down, center points in opposite position. Bake in hot oven (475) 15 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 24 stars.

Recipe taken from: Good Things to Eat by Martha Lee Anderson, copyright 1936 Church & Dwight Co., Inc.

Corn Muffins - 1930

1 cup corn meal
1 cup white flour
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients. Add milk, egg and butter. Stir well. Bake in muffin pans in a hot oven about 20 minutes.

Recipe taken from: Come Into the Kitchen, published in 1930 by the Lydia E Pinkham Medicine Company

Orange Loaf - 1936

2 cups pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon Arm & Hammer or Cow Brand Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, or other shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
Grated rind of 1 orange
3/4 cup orange juice, strained

1. Sift, then measure the flour. Sift three times with the baking soda and salt.
2. Cream the butter until light and lemon colored. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition.
3. Slowly add the eggs which have been beaten until they are almost as stiff as whipped cream.
4. Add the orange rind. Alternately add the dry ingredients and orange juice, beating until smooth after each addition.
5. Turn into a greased paper lined 6 x 10 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
6. When cool, frost with Coconut Orange Frosting.

Orange Coconut Frosting

3 tablespoons butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup grated coconut

1. Cream butter until very soft.
2. Add sugar gradually, thinning with orange juice to spreading consistency. Beat until smooth.
3. Beat coconut into frosting.

Amount: 1 1/2 cups

Recipe taken from Successful Baking for Flavor and Texture by Martha Lee Anderson, copyright 1936, Church & Dwight Co.