Peach Puffs - 1926

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 can sliced peaches

Drain syrup from peaches and reserve. Place a layer of peaches in the bottom of well buttered individual baking dishes or muffin tins. Mix remaining ingredients to make a batter. Cover peaches with batter and bake in a moderate (350) oven for about 25 minutes. Turn out the puddings so that the peaches are on top. Serve with Hot Peach Sauce and hard sauce.

Peach Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
few grains of salt
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
syrup from drained peaches
2 teaspoons butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
few grains of nutmeg

Mix sugar, salt, cornstarch, water and peach juice in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Remove from fire and add 2 teaspoons butter, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and a few grains of nutmeg.

Source: The Del Monte Fruit Book, copyright 1926, California Packing Corporation

Dutch Cherry Cake - 1937

1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 cups canned red cherries
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 teaspoons baking powder

Drain cherries, saving juice. Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup of sugar and sift together three times. Beat egg yolks and combine with milk, vanilla and melted margarine. Add liquids to flour all at once and beat until smooth. Fold in cherries and egg whites which have been beaten until stiff, but not dry, with remaining sugar. Bake in well buttered pan 7 x 11 x 1 1/2 inches in moderate oven (350) 50 minutes or until done. Serve either hot or cold with hot Cherry Sauce on top of cake. Serves 10 to 12.

Cherry Sauce

1 Tablespoon margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup juice from cherries
1 cup cherries

Bring cherry juice to a boil. combine cornstarch, sugar, and cold water and add to hot juice. Stir constantly until sauce boils. Remove from heat and add margarine, almond extract, and cherries. Serve over cake.

Source: Cakes and Cookies With Personality, copyright 1937, by The Best Foods, Inc., New York, NY

Prince of Wales Cake - 1930

1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs (keep whites of 2 for frosting)
1 cup sour cream
2/3 pound of raisins
1 tsp soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup oil

Wash the raisins well in warm water, first dividing them and keeping one-third apart from the rest. Dry them with a cloth and spread out for a few minutes. Then put them through a food chopper, the two portions separately, putting aside the one-third for the frosting.

Mix together the brown sugar, yolks of 3 eggs and white of 1 egg. Add the sour cream and the larger portion of raisins. Stir in the dry ingredients which have been sifted together and add the oil. Bake in a moderate oven (350) in a loaf pan for 50 minutes, or in a shallow one for 35 minutes. Cover with a boiled frosting to which 1/3 pound of chopped raisins has been added.

Source: Everyday Recipes, copyright 1930, The Wesson Oil People, New Orleans, LA

Lemon Meringue Pie - 1930s

1/2 cup water

7 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 lemon (grated rind and juice)

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Baked Pie Shell

Mix 1/2 cup water and cornstarch to thin paste. Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in top of double boiler and bring to boil over direct heat. Add cornstarch paste and cook until mixture begins to thicken; return to double boiler and continue cooking until thick and smooth (15 minutes). Pour over slightly beaten egg yolks, return to double boiler, and cook 1 minute longer. Add lemon rind and juice and butter and blend well. Cool and pour into pie shell. Top with meringue. (see below)

Meringue:

2 egg whites

6 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Add sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add vanilla or lemon juice. Pile lightly on filling in baked pie shell. Bake in slow oven (325) for 15 minutes or until firm and delicately browned.

Source: What Shall I Cook Today?, Spry Shortening, 1930s, Lever Brothers Co.

Date Whip - 1930

1 cup stoned and chopped dates
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook dates in boiling water until tender. Press through a sieve. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Carefully fold in the date pulp. Pile lightly on a buttered dish and bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with soft custard or whipped cream.

Source: Come Into the Kitchen, Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Company, 1930

Strawberry Shortcake - 1935

3 cups sifted flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup Spry (shortening)
1 cup milk (about)
2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters

Sift dry ingredients together and cut in Spry. Add milk, mixing to a soft dough. Knead lightly 20 seconds. Divide dough in half. Pat one piece into 9-inch layer pan greased with Spry. Spread with Spry and cover with other half, patting to fit pan. Bake in hot oven (425) 30 minutes. Separate layers. Spread with butter; cover with 1/2 of berries. Place upper layer on top. Cover with remaining berries. Serves 8.

Source: Aunt Jenny's Favorite Recipes, Lever Brothers Company, 1935

Lime Sparkler - 1935

1 package Royal Gelatin Dessert (lime flavor)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups dry ginger ale

Dissolve Royal Quick Setting Gelatin in boiling water. Cool until it begins to thicken, then add ginger ale slowly. Chill immediately until it becomes very thick again. Place in parfait glasses. Chill until firm. Garnish with mint. Serves 6.

Recipe taken from: Royal Desserts and Salads, copyright 1935, Standard Brands Inc.

Chocolate Cream Pie - 1936

3 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
6 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 baked 9-inch pie shell

2 egg whites
4 Tablespoons sugar

Add chocolate to milk and heat in double boiler. When chocolate is melted, beat with rotary egg beater until blended. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; add gradually to chocolate mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly; then continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add egg yolks gradually, stirring vigorously; cook 2 minutes longer. Add butter and vanilla. Cool. Turn into pie shell. Beat egg whites until foamy throughout; add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is blended. Then continue beating until mixture will stand in peaks. Pile lightly on filling. Bake in moderate oven (350) 15 minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 Baker's Coconut, Premium Shred, over meringue before browning, if desired. Or substitute whipped cream for meringue.

Recipe taken from Baker's Famous Chocolate Recipes, copyright 1936 by General Foods Corporation