Grandmas Easter Biscuits

Easter biscuits were traditionally baked and given as gifts at Easter time. This recipe comes from my grandmothers kitchen.. and she baked them every year,

Lightly spiced and speckled with currants they are delicious and make a change from the usual chocolate confections.

75 g (3oz) butter
75 g (3oz) caster sugar
1 medium egg separated
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
50 g (2oz) currants
15 g (½oz) mixed peel
175 g (6oz) plain flour (all purpose)
about 3 tablespoon milk
granulated sugar to sprinkle

• Pre-heat oven to moderate (180℃ (160℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 4).
• Lightly grease two baking trays.
• Beat butter and add sugar gradually until light and fluffy
• Add egg yolk and beat again until smooth.
• Add currants and peel and stir through
• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spice. 
• Gradually fold into mixture to a firm dough
• Tip out mixture onto a floured board
• Roll out to about ¼in  thickness. 
• Use a 3in round cutter to cut out biscuits and place on the trays. 
• Gather up the trimmings, roll and repeat.
• If the mixture becomes difficult to work with, place in the fridge for 15 minutes 
• Lightly beat the egg white 
• Brush the surface of the biscuits with the egg white, then sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.
• Place trays into oven and bake for 15 minutes or until a pale gold colour.
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on trays before using a spatula to transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack.

Creole Beef and Rice

I wasnt too sure what Creole Beef was but this recipe from the Pet Milk Company 1942 looked interesting for dinner. It is another dish that turned out looking nothing like the photo. But... I will say.. for such simple ingredients..it was quite flavourful.

The recipe gives quantities for three different serving sizes. I chose the one for four people

1 pound lean beef (chuck or shoulder)
4 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup chopped onions
10-oz. can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup green pepper sliced
1/2 cup Pet Milk

• Cut beef into inch cubes
• Heat shortening in pan until hot
• Add beef and brown on all sides in 3
• Add onions and cook slowly for 5 minutes..
• Stir in the soup, water vinegar salt and pepper
• Cover and simmer for 1 hour until the meat is tender
• Add green pepper
• Cook for a further 5 minutes or until pepper is tender
• Remove meat from heat
• Stir in milk
• Do not cook after combining.
• Serve at once in nest of boiled rice

Pet Milk Company 1942

British Wartime Fruit Scones

British Afternoon Tea wouldn't be complete without the obligatory scone. This recipe come from Eating for Victory, a collection of Ministry of Food Leaflets from World War 2. It gives three varieties, plain, sweet and fruit. I chose the fruit, and used Golden Raisins.. the closest thing to sultanas here in the US.

The recipe is quite straight forward, and calls for a savoury or sweet sandwich filling. I don't know about a sandwich filling, but I do like a thin spread of butter, or a dollop of homemade preserves.

Plain Scones

1 lb. self-raising flour or
1 lb. plain flour and 4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 oz. margarine
A bare 1/4 pint milk

• Mix the flour, baking powder (if used) and salt together
• Rub in the margarine.
• Mix to a soft dough with milk.
• Turn on to a floured board and roll out to 1" in thickness.
• Cut into 8 rounds or triangles
• Put on a greased baking sheet and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes.
• Serve hot or cold with a savoury or sweet sandwich filling.

Variations:

Sweet Scones:
Plain scone recipe with 1 oz. sugar added after fat has been rubbed in. 

Proceed as before.

Fruit Scones:
Plain scone recipe with the addition of 1 oz. sugar and I oz, dried fruit added after the fat has been rubbed in 

Proceed as before.

Eating for Victory

Quick Chop Suey

This recipe from "Better Homes and Gardens" Magazine, August 1942, was an odd-ish one to begin with.. Even though I copied the recipe to the letter, (except for a few sliced mushrooms and leftover carrots)it didnt quite look as I expected. The meat mixture looked thick and more like the filling of a Shepherds Pie.. though the taste was completely different. Maybe it was the soy sauce and dark molasses. The recipe said to serve with rice or noodles.. but plonked on top it didnt quite look right so I decided to mix it all together

And what a tasty meal it turned out to be. And seeing as the recipe says 'serves 6'.. the pound of ground beef used, stretches to feed a few people I think you can add any chop suey veggies you like (shredded cabbage, corn, bell peppers, etc) and it wont change the flavour, After all... Chop Suey does mean "odds and ends"

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons fat

1 3/4 cups boiling water

3 bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons soy sauce.
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sliced onion .
2 cups celery, cut in strips

• Brown meat in fat.
• Add boiling water, bouillon cubes, soy sauce, and molasses.
• Add cold water gradually to cornstarch; stir until smooth
• Add to meat mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
• Add vegetables.
• Cover.
• Cook slowly 201 minutes.
• Serve with hot rice or Chinese noodles.
• Serves 6.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
August 1942

Orange One Egg Cake

Having a generous neighbour who has a couple of orange trees in her garden (thats California for you) means I often get bags of this delicious fruit left on my doorstep. As a thank you I always make baked goods to gift back 

This recipe comes from my family kitchen and hails from around the mid 1940s when.. due to rationing.. one egg cakes were very popular It tastes very good but its a heavy cake..dense and very crumbly when first cut, but does seem to get more moist as days go by.

You could put on an orange icing glaze.. but we like it as it is.. especially when served with a nice cuppa

2 cups all-purpose flour
2-½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
1-¼ cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1 cup orange juice

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees
• Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening, sugar, egg, and orange peel.
• Add the dry ingredients alternately with the orange juice, beating well after each addition.
• Begin and end with dry ingredients.
• Pour batter into a greased loaf pan
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until cake tests done when a tester is inserted in the centre
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack

Salmon Cakes

Im not sure what I was thinking with this recipe yesterday! Actually, yes I do! Growing up back in Wales, Friday night was always fish night, normally provided my grandad whose little village shop sold fish on Tuesdays and Fridays. So I thought.. its Friday, which means fish, and its economical using items I have in my store cupboard.

This recipe from "My Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book 1940" is incredibly quick, easy and uses very little ingredients. It wasn't terrible, and they all got eaten,  but it was a little dry and it could use a bit more flavour from a few herbs and spices and maybe a squeeze or two of lemon or lime juice 

As for being served on pineapple. Well I guess it works, and I love pineapple, but I ended up eating them separately

1 No. 1 can Libby's salmon
½ cup cracker crumbs.
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper

Can of pineapple slices

• Flake and bone salmon.
• Mix with cracker crumbs, eggs and season- ings.
• Form into patties and brown in pan.
• Serve on grilled slices of Libby's Pineapple.
• Serves 8

Irish Italian Spaghetti

Im always on the look out for a good pasta recipe and I found this in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, January 1940. Im a bit puzzled about the name... I get the Italian part, but not sure what makes it Irish

I must say it was an easy recipe, pan browned ground beef and onions in a sauce made from a mixture of mushroom and tomato soup with added chili powder, tabasco sauce and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, served on a bed of spaghetti. The only change I made to the recipe was to add some chopped green pepper and sliced mushrooms that had been looking very sorry for themselves in the fridge

I must say I was a bit dubious, as the meat mixture was very thick and looked more like a stroganoff, rather than one made from jarred pasta sauce

But it was really tasty and my hubby helped himself to seconds.. something he normally doesn't do. So this was another winner that I will be making again..

1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp salad or olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 dash red pepper
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
10 ½ oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 ½ oz can condensed tomato soup
1 pound long spaghetti
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Brown onion in hot fat
•  Add meat and seasonings and brown lightly. 
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes. 
• Add soups; cover and simmer 45 minutes. 
• Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until tender. 
• Drain and rinse with hot water. 
• Arrange on hot platter.
• Pour over sauce. 
• Sprinkle with cheese. 
• Pass additional sauce and cheese.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
January 1940

The National Loaf

I was planning to make my weekly baking of bread and I thought... I think the time has come, and I must make the British National Loaf from WW2.  As most of the flour used to make “white” bread was imported from abroad there was a great shortage. So a ban on commercially baked white bread went into effect on April 6, 1942 and The Ministry of Food introduced a grey and gritty bread that was to be the staple of British eating. It was even  dubbed “Hitler’s Secret Weapon,” 

So you can imagine I was quite dubious. But, I must say I am pleasantly surprised. Although it didnt rise as much as I thought (but that could be my fault) the taste and texture is pretty good. It was particularly good spread with homemade strawberry jam and I will be making it again next week

Maybe the rise will be better

1 ½ lb wholemeal bread flour

1 ½ tbsp salt
1 ½ tbsp dried yeast
1 dsp honey or treacle (two teaspoons)
450 ml tepid water (about 2 cups)

• Mix together all the ingredients 
• Knead for about 10 minutes until you have a soft dough.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel
• Leave until dough has doubled in size (around 2 hours).
• Knock back the dough, give a short knead 
• Cut into two equal pieces. 
• Place in 1.5 litre loaf tins (8 X 4 X 3 loaf pans) and allow to rise for a further 2 hours.
• Pre-heat oven to 200°C (400° F) 
• Bake loaves for 30 min. 
• To test the loaves, turn them out of their tins and give the base a tap; if it sounds hollow, they are ready. 
• Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Spiced Chicken

This flavourful chicken recipe comes from the Wyandotte County Gas Company’s 1940 "Your Gas Range Cookbook" cook book.

It calls a whole chicken cut up for frying, but I used chicken breasts because that’s what I had. The chicken came out moist, tender and juicy and the aroma was mouth watering. Delicious! Its a dish I will be making again

2 cups of flour
2 Tbsp seasonings ( I use garlic salt and black pepper )
4 chicken breasts

Sauce:
1/2 cups prepared mustard
1/2 cup. prepared horseradish
1/2 small box of Mexican Chili powder (I used 1 heaped Tbsp)
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp salt
1-2 garlic cloves minced

• Pound the chicken breasts flatter for an even bake
• Mix together the flour and seasonings and dredge the chicken
• Place the flour coated breasts in a baking pan
• In a seperate bowl mix the sauce ingredients together
• Spread it evenly over the chicken breasts.
• Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
• When done, place each piece on a bed of rice and with more of the sauce from the baking dish

Your Gas Range Cook Book
Home Service Department of the Wyandotte County Gas Company. Kansas
1940

Loredo Rice

This rice recipe is one of our favourites as its so easy and flavouful, and a great way of using any leftover vegetables. We eat it as a side dish to many different entrees, but I could quite easily eat it as is.  The directions say to put the egg, carrots, and peas around the rice, but we added it to the rice mixture instead.

The recipe is from "Your Gas Range Cook Book" published by the Home Service Department of the Wyandotte County Gas Company, Kansas in 1940.

1 cup rice

1/4 teaspoon garlic

1 tablespoon onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup canned tomatoes.

2 cups soup stock

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoon chili powder

2 carrots, cooked.

1 hard-cooked egg

1/4 cup cooked peas

• Wash rice thoroughly until all loose starch is removed. 
• Mince garlic and onion and fry in butter with rice until light brown. 
• Add tomatoes, stock, salt and chili powder. 
• Simmer over low flame about 20 minutes, or until rice is done and liquid has evaporated. 
• Dice carrots, slice egg and use for decoration with peas around the rice.

Your Gas Range Cook Book
Home Service Department of the Wyandotte County Gas Company. Kansas
1940

Brownie Pudding

Oh my gosh! This indulgent, self saucing dessert from the January 1944 Better Homes and Garden Magazine is just scrummy. It is a shining example of wartime ingenuity, making a pudding so delicious whilst skimping on sugar and using no butter or eggs.

 A rich, fudgy brownie layer with a velvety chocolate sauce, that is not overly sweet and easy to put together

The family loved it.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbs cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cup boiling water

• Grease an 8x8x2 in. baking pan; set aside. 
• In a medium bowl stir together the flour, granulated sugar, the 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. 
• Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. 
• Stir in the nuts, if using.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan. 
• In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar and the 1/4 c. cocoa powder
• Stir in the boiling water. 
• Slowly pour water mixture over batter.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. 
• Cool on a wire rack for 45 to 60 minutes. 
• Serve warm. 
• Spoon cake into dessert bowls; spoon sauce over cake. 
• If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
January 1944

Baked Eggs in Bacon Rings

This bacon and egg dish is so quick and easy to make and perfect for breakfast or light lunch. The recipe is found in the 1942 publication of "The Modern Family Cook Book" by Meta Given

5 round pieces toast

5 slices bacon
5 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

• In bottoms of greased muffin tins place rounds of toast. 
• Pan-broil bacon slices until about half done, 
• Drain, and line sides of muffin pans with them. 
• Break an egg into each and season to suit taste. 
• Bake in a moderatly slow oven (300 to 325 degrees) about 20 minutes, or until eggs are firm. 
• Remove with spatula so that toast, bacon and egg all retain shape. 
• 5 servings

The Modern Family Cook Book
by Meta Given ~ 1942

Fried Rice with Shrimp

This recipe is from the 1943 edition of Adventures in Good Cooking, by travelling salesman and food critic Duncan Hines, and featuring recipes collected from around the USA. This recipe is from Trader Vic's in Oakland, California. 

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely diced celery
1⁄2 cup chopped mushroom
16ounces cooked shrimp
4 cups cooked long grain rice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
4 eggs, well-beaten

Heat oil in a skillet over low heat.
Add onion and cook until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes.
Add celery, mushrooms and shrimp, and cook about 5 minutes.
Stir in rice, soy sauce and salt, and cook about 2 minutes.
Add eggs and stir well.
Cook, stirring, until eggs are cooked, 2-3 minutes

Easy Spaghetti Dinner

This pasta dish from the "Better Homes and Gardens" Magazine, November 1940, turned out to be a flavourful one pan meal. They call it a Spaghetti Dinner, but it uses what we would call today elbow pasta

I did amend the recipe slightly. As with a lot of 1940s recipes, it used a lot of salt and, for me, more than two teaspoons of salt seemed too much. 1 teaspoon was plenty and I added some garlic powder for good measure. If you make it, adjust the seasonings to your own taste

Plus, it says it serves 6? Not in this house Im afraid

8 link sausages
1 No. 2 can (2½ cups) tomatoes

1 cup diced celery 
1 cup diced green pepper
1 cup sliced onion
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper sauce
1 cup elbow spaghetti 

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup grated American cheese

• Brown sausages. 
• Add celery, green pepper, and onion; brown. 
• Add uncooked spaghetti, carrots, tomatoes, and seasonings
• Cover; simmer 35 minutes. 
• Add cheese; cook 5 minutes. 
• Serves 6. 

Better Homes and Garden Magazine
November 1940

Potato and Bacon Cakes

This week I'm starting a new group of recipes, under the heading.. Wartime Wednesday. All of the recipes will come from the rationing leaflets of World War Two. They are a great source for making economical and tasty meals and to begin with is one of our favourites... Potato and Bacon Cakes

When I boil a pan of potatoes for mash, I always cook more than I need as I love to use the leftovers for another dish.. eg topping for a pie, mixing with turnips for a traditional 'Ponchmipe'..or to make a few potato cakes to freeze for later. Plus having extra potatoes, which can easily be reheated, saves on time, fuel and money.

These Potato and Bacon Cakes come from the wartime Ministry of Food leaflet No #.. Potatoes. All the MF leaflets are in the great little book Eating for Victory. Three rashers of bacon went into leftover mashed potatoes, with onions and some of the marmite that I got from the Uk (I knew I would find a use for it).

The recipe said to oven bake them, but I pan fried them in some of the bacon grease I save. Because of this I didnt add any salt as bacon, bacon fat and marmite add enough. My dear hubby wanted a bit of cheese in his... so thats what he got.

They were very good, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.. and very much like the Bubble and Squeak Cakes I made a few weeks ago. A delicious breakfast.

1lb Cooked Potatoes.
6 Tablespoons chopped onions
1 1/2 - 3 oz Bacon.
2 teaspoon of Meat or Vegetable Extract 
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt.
Pinch of Pepper  
Milk and Bread Crumbs for coating.

• Mash the potatoes well while still hot.
• Chop the bacon
• Fry with the onion until both are golden brown.
• Add to the mashed potato with the extract salt and pepper.
• Mix well together and form into 8 cakes.
• Coat with milk and breadcrumbs and bake in a moderately hot oven till firm.

Eating For Victory