Jam Squares

Jam Squares from the July 1943, Toronto Star. In the Marie Holmes Cooking Chat column, she posts a recipe for these small cakes and says this is an energy saving recipe that complies with rationing and other restrictions. 

Well I say the recipe is easy and delicious...though the batter, which is quite thick, should be spread thinly or you may not have enough, I will be making the squares again, and  trying a different jam.

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup fine granulated sugar 

1/4 cup cold water

1 3/4 cups sifted pastry flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

1 egg, well beaten                            

3/4 cup raspberry, raspberry and currant or black currant jam 

• Cream shortening well. 
• Add extracts, sugar and water. 
• Cream together well.
• Sift together flour, baking powder. salt, cinnamon and cloves.
• Add to shortening and sugar mix-ture.
• Beat egg and add, blending well. 
• Spread half the batter in bottom of greased and floured baking pan (8" x 8").
• Spread jam over the batter within ½ inch of the edges. 
• Drop the remaining batter in spoonfuls over the top of the jam 
• Spread over so that jam is covered.
• Bake in moderately hot oven (400 degrees F.) 25 to 30 minutes. 
• Cool slightly.
• Sprinkle lightly with icing sugar and when completely cool cut in squares.

Spaghetti and Meat Balls

I dont know what it is about 1940s recipes, but they are really tasty. These meatballs from Better Home and Gardens Magazine, September 1942, are no different. Using Italian seasoning, garlic and parmesan cheese the flavours really hit the spot. 

There were plenty of meatballs so I froze some for a later date and there was enough sauce leftover to mix with pasta for another meal.

1 onion, chopped 

3 tablespoons fat
1 No. 2 can (2 1/2 cups) tomatoes
2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bay leaf
3/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 sprig parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
Salt and pepper
18-ounce package long spaghetti

• Brown onion in hot fat
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, sugar, and bay leaf. 
• Cook slowly 1 hour. 
• Combine remaining ingredients except spaghetti
• Mix thoroughly; form in small balls. 
• Brown in hot fat.
• Add to sauce and cook over low heat 15 minutes. 
• Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until tender
• Drain and rinse with hot water. 
• Pour sauce and meat balls over spaghetti in serving dish. 
• Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Magazine illustration

Better Home and Gardens Magazine, 
September 1942

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 20 minutes.
• Serve with hot rice or Chinese noodles.
• Serves 6.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
August 1942

Chicken Fricassee

For such simple ingredients.. this chicken dish from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, September 1944, turned out delicious. Quick, easy and flavourful. I made no amendments to the recipe which resulted in empty plates all round

1 4-pound chicken
1 10 or 11-ounce can  condensed mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 pimientos, chopped 
3/4 cup water

• Cut chicken in serving pieces. 
• Rub with seasoned flour (2/3 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper). 
• Brown in hot fat. 
• Remove. 
• Cook celery and onion in the hot fat until golden. 
• Drain off excess fat. 
• Add pimientos, soup, and water. 
• Stir lightly to blend. 
• Add chicken. 
• Cover. 
• Bake in slow oven (300°) until tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 
• Arrange on platter surrounding mound of hot fluffy rice.
• Serves 6.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
September 1944

Wartime Potato and Bacon Cakes

Rationing leaflets of World War Two are a great source for making economical and tasty meals. With food prices the way they are, they are full of tips for stretching the budget. This recipe for  Potato and Bacon Cakes is one of our favourites...

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 last years trip home to 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

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

Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches

In an attempt to widen my horizons away from my usual ham sandwich lunch... Im going to sample some suggestions from the 1940s... 

So today is Sandwich Saturday...and I will try so you dont have to. 

You can thank me later

Todays offering is off to a gentle start... Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches from my 1941 copy of The American Womans Cook Book... which has a large section on sandwiches. I may have to work my way through..

1½ cup peanut butter
1/4 cup cream or hot water
1½ cup chopped pickle

• Cream peanut butter and water together and add chopped pickle. 
• Use between thin, buttered slices of bread.

As for this one...I was surprised at the flavour...and they actually worked together. However... I did not add cream.. or water (yuck) as I can only imagine they were used as thinners.. and my peanut butter was easy to spread.

Surprisingly...I will probably eat this again.

The American Womans Cook Book
1941

British Wartime Flapjacks

Not to be confused with American pancakes, British Flapjacks are a baked goodie made from a mixture of oats, sugar, butter and golden syrup. The thinner you spread the mixture the crispier they get... so an 8x8 tin gives the perfect chewy crunch

8oz oats
2oz butter or margarine (plus extra for greasing)
2oz golden syrup
2oz light brown sugar
optional extras: coconut, dried fruit

The Ministry of Foods Recipe for Flapjacks

• Put the butter or margarine and the golden syrup into a saucepan and melt gently. 
• When the mixture becomes liquid mix in the sugar and stir.
• Remove from heat and add in the oats.plus any additional ingredients you want to add 
• Grease an 8x8 pan and press in the flapjack mixture with the back of a spoon.
• Place in a pre-heated oven at 350F for 30-35 minutes until edges are golden brown.
• Remove from oven and set aside. 
• Cut into square or rectangular pieces immediately
• Leave in the tin until completely cold before removing.

Baby Ruth Cookies

Baby Ruth Candy Bars have been around since the 1920s.This 1940s recipe incorpotates them into a delicious cookie that is so easy to make. But here's a tip thats not in the original recipe. Roll the chilled dough into balls. Its stops them spreading so much

1/2 cup butter or other shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Baby Ruth candy bars, cut in small pieces

• Cream butter and sugar until smooth. 
• Beat in egg. 
• Stir in other ingredients. 
• Chill and drop by half teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. 
• Bake in a moderately hot oven (375˚F) for 10 to 12 minutes. 
• Makes 75 cookies.

 

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

 

Fannie Farmers Banana Bread

This incredibly easy recipe is from Fannie Farmer’s The Boston Cooking School (1942)

It is adaptable You can also replace some of the banana in this recipe with apple sauce and some of the sugar with honey. I even like to add chocolate chips to the mix. Whichever way you choose, it will be delicious

3 ripe Bananas
2 Eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Cups Flour, sifted
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Mash your bananas with a metal fork 
• Sift together flour, salt and baking soda
• Beat together sugar and eggs
• Mix in mashed bananas
• Add the dry ingredients mixture garadually
• Stir together
• Fold in the nuts
• Put in a buttered 9 x 5” pan. 
• Bake for 1 hour

The Boston Cooking School

By Fannie Farmer ~ 1942

Wartime 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