Tallahasse Hush Puppies- Recipe Box #7

I'm not sure where this box came from...possibly Red Oak, Iowa.  Here it is:

I've always been a fan of hush puppies, so here's a tasty one:

Here's the recipe:

Tallahasse Hush Puppies

2 c. corn meal

2 t. (tsp?) baking powder

1 t. (tsp?) salt

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. water

1 large onion

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Add milk and water.  Stir in chopped onion.  Add more meal or milk as may be necessary to form a soft but workable dough.  With the hands mold pieces of dough into pones (oblong cakes, about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide and about 3/4 of an inch thick).  Fry in deep fat or oil until well browned.

Enjoy!

Pecan Whiskey Cake- Recipe Box #6

Today's recipe box was purchased at an antique store in Hopkins, Minnesota.  Here's the box:

Most of the recipes are from newspapers and food boxes and bags, but the previous owner of this box must have created children's birthday cakes.  I found several with diagrams for snowmen, and boats and things:

The previous owner also made "grown up" cakes!  Today's recipe is for Pecan Whiskey Cake.  Here's the original paper on which it was written:

Here's the recipe:

Pecan Whiskey Cake

Butter three small loaf pans.  Set the oven at 250 degrees.  

Separate 6 eggs.  Beat the whites until they stand in soft peaks.  Beat in 1 cup sugar. 

Without washing the beaters, beat the yolks until thick.  

Cream 3/4 pound butter.  Beat in gradually 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar.

Add the egg yolks & beat well.

Mix 1 cup flour, 2 pounds pecan nut meats, 1 1/2 pounds white raisins.

Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. nutmeg.  Add to the butter mixture.

Add 1 cup bourbon whiskey.  Stir in floured nuts and raisins.

Fold in the whites.  Fill the pans.  Bake two hours.

Enjoy!

Barbecue Sauce- Recipe Box #5

I found this box at the Missouri Mouse Antique Store in St. Paul, Minnesota:

I don't think it's very old...it has lots of recipe cards from Lund's/Byerlys, and the newspaper clippings aren't brittle.  I'd say 60's and 70's?

The recipe I'm posting from this box is for Barbecue Sauce...one of my FAVORITE condiments.  Here's the card:

Here's the recipe:

Barbecue Sauce

1 c. tomato ketchup

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups water

dash black pepper

3 stalks celery, chip

3 bay leaves

1 clove garlic

1 T. chopped onion

4 T. butter

4 T. worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. paprika

Combine all.  Bring to boil.  Simmer 15 min.  Remove from heat & strain.

Enjoy!

Pepper Relish- Recipe Box #4

Here's another older box that I found in an antique store in Red Wing, Minnesota.

No idea of previous ownership, but the pamphlets and crumbling newspaper clippings inside appear to be from the 30's and 40's (?).  Research online indicates that this version of Betty Crocker (see photo below) was used around 1936.

Several years ago, I worked part time at Harry & David, which sells a jarred Pepper & Onion relish...which is AMAZING!  Maybe this recipe for pepper relish is the same!

Here's the recipe:

Pepper Relish

12 red peppers

12 green peppers

2 hot peppers

2 T. salt

12 onions (1 1/2 inch)

4 cups vinegar

2 cups sugar

1/2 T. celery seed

Wash peppers, cut, remove seed & pulp.  Put peppers & onions through food chopper.  Drain off water, pour boiling water over, let stand 10 min, drain.  Boil in syrup for 10 minutes, seal.

Enjoy!

West Haven Cake (Rosells)- Recipe Box #3

Today's box came from Thora Mae's Antique Store in Canon Falls, Minnesota.  No idea who owned it previously, but most of the cards have details as to who this person got each recipe from.

Here's the box:

The recipe I've chosen is called West Haven Cake (Rosells).  It has a notation that it came from p. 5 of a cookbook, but I can't make out the writing...Runesdone?  Runeslove?  Runnlove?  I'm also not sure what "Rosells" means...

Here's the original recipe card.  You can tell by the spatters and wear to the card that it was made frequently.  It also says "very good" under the name of the cookbook from which it came:

Here's the recipe:

West Haven Cake (Rosells)

Small package (1 cup) dates- cut in half & pour over them 1 cup hot water with 1 tsp. soda.  Let cool.  Cream 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup shortening.  Add date mixture to creamed mixture, plus 1/4 tsp. salt if butter is not used.  Add 2 eggs, tsp. vanilla and 1 3/4 cups flour sifted with 1 tablespoon cocoa.  Pour in 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle 1/2 cup nut meats plus 1 cup Baker's German Sweet chocolate broken into pieces or use 1 pkg. chocolate chips.  Stir into top of batter in pan.  Bake (350 degrees) for 45 minutes.  Test with tooth pick.

Enjoy!

German Filled Butter Flakes- Recipe Box #2

Here's a photo of today's box.  Again, no information on where I found it, but it DOES include the name of the original owner, and a date!

I've decided to feature Verna's German Filled Butter Flakes today:

Here's the recipe:

German Filled Butter Flakes  2 doz.

2 medium sized potatoes, 2 cups sifted flour, 1/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar, 1 cup (2 sticks) butter firm.  Apricot preserves.  Cook potatoes until tender; cool and slice (should measure 1 cup).  Meanwhile sift together flour, confectioner's sugar; chill.  Using a fork, blend chilled flour mixture and potatoes.  Cut in butter.  (Keeping all ingredients cold results in a flaky cookie.)  Shape into ball; chill several hours.  On lightly floured board roll dough 1/4 inch thick.  Cut rounds with 1 1/4 inch diameter cutter.  Using 3/4 inch cutter, cut center from one half of the rounds so that a ring is formed.  Place rounds, rings, and center on baking sheet; bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove to wire rack to cool.  When cool spread preserves on each round and top with ring and center.  Note use only raw potatoes or mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

Vintage Recipe Boxes

I collect many things, but one of my favorite collections is vintage recipe boxes.  I love them!  I haven't officially counted, but I have around fifty of them that I've purchased on ebay, in antique stores, and at auctions (actually my dad bought the ones from the auctions).

a selection of recipe boxes from my collection

I don't collect empty boxes...only those full of the recipes of the person who previously owned them.  Each box is a snapshot of the life of someone, and each contains treasured family recipes, clippings from magazines, and recipes requested after enjoying the various main dishes, side dishes, and desserts at the houses of friends.

So...I'm going to start my blogging year off by sharing my boxes AND a recipe from each with all of you...the seven who actually follow my blog.  I will include a picture of the box...a picture of the recipe, and, if available where it came from (many cards in many boxes give the name of the person from whom the recipe came).

To start, here's one of the oldest boxes in my collection (based on the condition of the cards inside...one dated 1932, and another card with information on "sugar rationing").  I usually put a note in the box indicating where I found it, but this one doesn't have one.

From this first box, I've chosen to honor the previous owner by posting their RHUBARB MERINGUE PIE recipe:

As is usually the case...especially with the older boxes...the recipe leaves a few details out.  I've reorganized the ingredients and directions, and have attempted to interpret and "complete" the recipe below (with assistance from allrecipes.com!):

Rhubarb Meringue Pie

INGREDIENTS: 

2 1/2 c. rhubarb, cut fine

2 T. water

2 egg yolks

2 T. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. butter

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

2 T. sugar 

1 9-inch unbaked single pie crust

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the rhubarb in the 2 T. water till tender.  

Drain 1/2 c. juice and discard, if necessary (to keep pie from being too watery?).

Place rhubarb mixture in pie shell.  Mix egg yolks, flour, salt, sugar, and butter.  Pour over rhubarb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees until filling is set (approximately 50-60 minutes).  Remove pie from oven.

Beat egg whites until foamy.  Add cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form. 

Add sugar slowly.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Spoon meringue over pie, making sure to spread it to the edge of the crust and covering all of the filling.  

Return to oven and bake until meringue is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!!