Meat Pie with Biscuit Topping

I have a large collection of 1940s cookery books and recipe clippings... the majority being the authentic publications from that era. I'm always excited when I find a new addition to my bookshelf.. especially if its good condition and in my budget. 

This week I found the a copy of "57 Ways to Use Heinz Condensed Soup" from 1944.. and of course I gad to try a recipe straight away. This Meat Pie with Biscuit Topping was a good choice

I made a couple of changes. I used ground beef because thats what I had in the freezer. I made smaller biscuits as they fit my dish better.. so I made 12.  And I topped it with some Italian herbs 

A lovely flavour and a homely dinner... which hubby thoroughly enjoyed..so I will be making it again

1/2 lb. raw beef, diced, or 1 cup diced, left- over meat
2 tablespoons fat
1 11-oz. can Heinz Condensed Vegetable Soup with Beef Stock
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper 
Dough for 1/2 standard recipe for baking powder biscuits

• Brown meat in fat. If raw meat is used cook thoroughly. 
• Combine meat, Soup. water and seasonings 
• Pour into a well- greased casserole (5" x 81/2" x 3"). 
• Pat biscuit dough to 1/4" thickness and cut with a 2" biscuit cutter. 
• Arrange 8 biscuits on top of meat mixture. 
• Bake in a hot oven (400° F.) for 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. 
• Serves 2 to 3.

57 Ways to Use Heinz Condensed Soup
1944

 

Stuffed Peppers

Another lovely meal from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, this time September 1941. The only changes I made to the recipe were I halved it (easily done) and replaced the butter crumb topping with a little cheese. Although, I guess you could use both

8 green peppers

1 small onion, chopped 

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons fat

4 medium-sized tomatoes (2 cups), chopped

1½ cups cut, fresh corn

Salt and pepper 

Buttered crumbs

• Cut tops from green peppers; remove seeds. 
• Precook peppers 3 minutes in boiling water and invert to drain. 
• Brown onion and beef in hot fat 
• Add tomatoes, corn, and seasonings 
• Stuff peppers with this mixture and top with butter crumbs, 
• Place each stuffed pepper in greased muffin pan containing 1 tablespoon hot water or
• Stand peppers in greased baking dish; add ½ inch hot water. 
• Bake in moderate oven (325) 1 hour. 

 Better Home and Gardens Magazine 
September 1941

Grandma Mary's Corned Beef Pie

This family favourite has been shared for quite a few years.. and I know for a fact that corned beef was around in the 1940s as my auntie still has the small scar on her chin where her older brother threw and an empty can at her instead of a ball.. Their Grandma, Mary, was not happy. Thats another story.. but those can edges are sharp!!

Anyway..this is a really tasty pie thats quick and easy to throw together...as long as you make sure the filling is completely cool before putting in the dish..as it can make the pastry soggy... and no one needs a soggy bottom...right? Its delicious eaten hot or cold

Also, the recipe says salt to taste but it really doesnt need much because corned beef is already salty

Shortcrust Pastry:
12 oz plain flour 
6oz butter 
cold water 
pinch of salt

Filling:

1 12oz tin of corned beef, cut into small cubes
2 to 3 potatoes, peeled and diced 
1 large onion, chopped
4oz cups carrot diced
2 stalks celery diced

2 teaspoons garlic minced

1/2 pint beef stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2  teaspoon English mustard such as Colman's

1 egg, beaten for the glaze
Salt and pepper to taste

• Make a basic Short Crust Pastry by sifting flour and salt in your mixing bowl
• Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Using a knife to cut and stir, mix with cold water to form a stiff dough. 
• Do not over mix
• Put dough in the fridge to chill for at least 30 mins and start your filling
• In a large pan melt the butter over a medium heat 
• Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. 
• Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
• Stir in the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes
• Mix in the corned beef, stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and seasoning
• Mix until combined, cover and bring to a boil.
• Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked through.
• Pour the filling bowl and allow to cool throroughly
• When the filling is cold, preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until about ⅛ inch thick. 
• Grease a 10 inch pie plate  and line the base with the pastry, trimming off any excess.
• Evenly spread the filling in the pastry-lined dish
• Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg.
• Roll the remaining pastry and cover the pie with it. 
• Press down the edges to seal, then trim off the excess pastry. 
• Crimp the edges as desired, brush the top with beaten egg and cut a few vent holes in the top.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp;
• Cover the edges with aluminum foil if they brown too quickly.
• Let the pie stand for about 15 minutes before serving.

Auntie Jeans Apple Sauce Cake

This Apple Sauce Cake recipe is the legacy of Auntie Jean, my grandmothers sister. She was the village school teacher, whose husband was killed in action in the early days of the war. She never remarried and continued to live in her little cottage on the outskirts of the village with her cat Seymour. In her garden she had two big apple trees, and for many years she made baked goods with their fruit and gift them to family and friends. One of her best was this Apple Sauce Cake, which is deliciously moist and full of apple flavour

Auntie Jean died in 1969, her cottage was demolished, and her trees cut down to make way for a new road bypass. How sad, but at least we still have wonderful memories...and her recipe

This  recipe makes two good size loaves, but can also be divided into muffins. A cup of shredded apple can be added to the mix to make it a bit different. Its also freezable.

It can be eaten as is but I like to use a sugar drizzle using just icing sugar and water. And if we are having it hot as dessert, I glaze the top with apple jelly

1 1/2 cup (12oz) margarine or butter

1 1/2 cups (10oz) soft brown sugar

3 eggs

2 3/4 cups (12oz) plain flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

2 cups (12oz) applesauce

• Cream together butter and sugar
• Blend in eggs
• Sift together the dry ingredients
• Add to creamed mixture, alternating with the applesauce
• Beat after each addition
• Divide into two greased 8x4 loaf tins
• Bake for 50 minutes, 180C, 350F
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tins

Apple Jelly

Apple week is coming to an end... and after today just one more dish, for now,  which will incorporate todays recipe

All the peeling, chopping, slicing, baking has produced some delicious dishes. But what to do with all those peelings and cores. I guess the chicken would love them, and I guess I could share a bit. But, in the spirit of "Waste Not Want Not, I made some sweet  Apple Jelly

My Grandmother used this recipe, and the smell in my kitchen is amazing and brings back so many memories. Now I must admit this jelly, like most preserves, uses a lot of sugar, but you dont use much of it at once and it lasts a long time. It tastes just like toffee apples, and its wonderful as a glaze or served warm with a pudding or ice cream

The recipe is simple and it has three ingredients;

Apple Peelings and Cores

Lemon Juice

Sugar

• In a large bowl, cover the peels and cores with water
• It can be left overnight in the fridge or used straight away
• Pour into a pan
• Boil for an hour.
• When slightly cooled, strain through a muslin cloth
• Measure the liquid in a large pan
• For every cup of that golden liquid add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 3/4 cup of sugar.

• Boil til temperatures reach setting point (220℉) 
• Pour into warm sterilized jars. 
• If canning..process for 10 minutes

Rock Buns

Fifty years ago, when Home Economics was a 'thing' in Secondary Schools, I made Rock Buns for the first time, Rock buns are similar to a scone but not rolled but dropped on baking parchment, and when baked have a rough surface resembling a rock! I cant remember the recipe we used back then, but the buns definitely came out bigger than these buns from the Ministry of Food during the Second World War. 

This recipe requires less eggs and sugar than ordinary cakes, which are important savings during the strict rationing. They were very quick to throw together and baked in about 15 minutes. They really did look like little rocks when they came out of the oven, but once the hard outer layer was broken they were soft and scone like. The raisins and golden raisins (sultanas ) I used added a little moistness and the mixed spice added a subtle flavour.

 

Delicious eaten warm or cold with a dollop of your favourite preserve

8 oz wholemeal/wholewheat flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice/all spice
2 oz margarine
2 oz sugar
2 oz sultanas or dried mixed fruit
1 egg or 1 reconstituted dried egg
milk
2 teaspoons sugar for topping

• Sift the flour, baking powder and spice
• Rub in the margarine
• Add the sugar, dried fruit and the egg
• Gradually add enough milk to make a sticky mixture
• Put spoonfuls onto parchment paper on baking tray 
• Sprinkle with the sugar
• Cook in a hot oven for 12-15 minutes

Eating For Victory
Collection of Official WW2 Recipe Leaflets

Fannie Farmers Apple Pie

Apple week continues with the obligitory Apple Pie... and thie recipe from Fannie Farmer never fails me.Its packed to the hilt with fruit and not too sweet, Delicous with a dollop of cream, a scoop of ice cream, or my favourite.. a drizzle of home made custard

Basic dough for 9" 2 crust pie

3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tbls flour
6-8 large, firm, tart apples (about 10 cups)
2 tbls butter

• Preheat over to 220/425. 
• Line a pie plate with half the pastry dough. 
• Mix the sugar, salt cinnamon, nutmeg and flour in a large bowl. 
• Peel, core and slice apples and toss them in the sugar mixture, coating them well. 
• Pile them into the lined pan and dot with butter. 
• Roll out the top crust and drape it over the pie. 
• Crimp the edges and cut several vents in the top. 
• Bake 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 180/350
• Bake 30-40 minutes more or until the apples are tender when pierced with a skewer and the crust is browned.

The Boston Cooking School

By Fannie Farmer ~ 1942

Canadian Potato Salad

Summer is coming to an end, which means the days are getting a little shorter, breezes are blowing cooler and the Victory Garden is looking a little empty. There's still enough time for the odd salad or two before the warming, comforting dinners begin. 

This Potato Salad from the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, August 1942,was lovely, though Im not sure why its a Canadian one. Creamy potoatoes, with simple crunchy vegetables and seasoned with a little pepper (not in the recipe) makes for a side dish which the family enjoyed. One little amendment to the original recipe though. I only used 1/2 a cup of mayo. For us, 1 cup was far too much.

2½ cups diced, cooked potatoes
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 cup chopped spinach
½ cup mayonnaise

• Season potatoes with salt. 
• Add onion, celery, and spinach. 
• Add mayonnaise and toss lightly until mayonnaise coats all vegetables. 
• Serve on spinach. 
• Garnish with crisp carrot and turnip sticks. 
• Serves 6.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
August 1942

Apple Sauce

Ive been tackling all the apples from our neighbours tree. The first thing on my list was apple sauce which has to be the easiest, and most delicious thing to make. You can make it with our without cinnamon. I go without as I love it with roast pork ( a must in the uk) and I have to use it in my Auntie Jeans Apple Sauce Cake, which I will share at a later date

3lb apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup water
2-4 Tablespoon white sugar (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

• Combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan
• Cover and cook over medium heat until apples are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove lid and cook for another 5 minutes to thicken
• Allow the apple mixture to cool
• Mash apples with a masher for a chunky consistency or puree with an immersion blender for a smooth consistency.
• Serve warm or chilled.

Baked Apples

This recipe has been passed from generation to generation in my family, and Im sure there are lots of variations out there. I remember my grandmother telling me that she remembers her mother making them during the depression...and they have remained a family favourite ever since

Apples
Sugar
Cinnamon
Butter
Dried fruit of your choice (optional)
Water

• Pre-heat the oven on to 375F.
• Wash and core your apples
• Make a small cut around each one so they split evenly.
• Place in a baking dish.
• Put a blob of butter in the bottom of the cored hole.
• Mix together some sugar and cinnamon 
• Fill the hole with the mixtureand as much dried fruit as you like
• Make sure it’s well filled!
• Put another blob of butter on the top.
• Add a cup of water to cover the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t burn.
• Bake for 45-60 minute until completely soft and cooked, basting occasionally during the cooking time