Wartime Coffee Potato Scones

Good Morning Lovelies..

Well the bread is rising... but its going to be a very busy couple of days. 

Photo: 1940

Its time to get my kitchen organised for the upcoming holiday season.. So every cupboard is going to scrubbed and tidied.. and if I feel motivated enough.. give the pantry a lick of paint..

Photo :Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
October 1940

However... the laundry still has to be done...

Photo: Lucille Ball 1944

and the bedrooms have to be cleaned

So tonights dinner will be a quick family favourite.. Chicken Fricassee.. 

using up the leftover chicken from last nights dinner

My recipe for today is Wartime Coffee Potato Scones. They sounded intriguing.. they were Ministry of Food... and I did have some leftover mashed potatoes from last night...so I thought "why not"??

Well they were unusual... but they wern't terrible. They were moist and soft but to me were better eaten warm. The coffee flavour needed to be a bit stronger...but a little spread of butter helped.

6 oz plain flour

2 level teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon salt 

4 oz mashed potato

2 oz fat 

¼ teacupful strong, milky, sweetened coffee. 

• Preheat oven to 425° F
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
• Mix thoroughly with mashed potato
• With fingertips, rub in the fat to make 'breadcrumbs'
• Add coffee and and blend to a soft dough
• On a floured board, roll out to ½ inch thickness
• Cut into rounds
• Glaze tops with a little milk
• Bake on greased baking sheets for 15 minutes

Ministry of Food Leaflet

Wartime Beachburg Pudding

Happy Sunday Lovelies

Finally recovering from the long bout of bronchitis.. we actually made it to church this morning.. and I didnt disturb the congregation too much with my occasional coughing 

and I had enough energy to walk home with hubby in the Autumn sunshine.

It was a rather pretty day.. with many flowers still in bloom.. 

including the occasional rose.

Photo: 1940

We spent the afternoon relaxing..in anticipation of a busy week ahead...

"I Hear a Rhapsody" by Dinah Shore with Orchestra

and listening to some of our favourite music artists.. like Miss Dinah Shore

Dinner was simple Stuffed Peppers followed by a delicious dessert..

Beachburg Pudding

This delicious Self Saucing Dessert comes from Prince Edward Island Home Recipes, a WWII-era Canadian wartime cookbook compiled by the Islands Women's Institute,  filled with both practical and surprisingly aspirational baking recipes. 

This recipe uses pantry staples like flour, brown sugar, corn syrup, raisins, and milk, topped with a rich, bubbling brown sugar sauce that forms during baking. No eggs, no spices, and yet... it tastes just like a warm, cozy spice cake. A lovely pudding that I will make again

1 Tbsp Butter
¼ cup Sugar

¼ cup Corn Syrup 

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt 

½ cup Milk.

½ cup Raisins 

½ tsp Vanilla 

Sauce : 

1/3 cup Brown Sugar 

1½ cup Boiling Water

1/3 cup Corn Syrup 

1 Tbsp Butter 

• Beat the butter
• Add the sugar, and syrup and cream together
• Sift and measure flour and sift again with the dry ingredients. 
• Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk.

• Add the raisins and vanilla and pour the batter into a greased baking dish. 
• Combine the brown sugar, syrup, boiling water and butter

• Pour this sauce over the top of the batter. 
• Bake in moderate oven - 350 deg. F. for 30 to 40 minutes. 

• Leave to cool for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken
• Serve as is or with a dollop of ice cream

 Prince Edward Island Home Recipes
1943

Peanut Butter Apple Crumble

Sunday Blessings Lovelies..

For breakfast we had a a traditional plate of Bacon... Egg.. Fried Green Tomatoes.. and good old British Baked Beans... which hubby is still puzzled by.

Photo:1943

It was a chilly start to the day though in the warm sunshine it was quite pleasant so we walked home from church. This mornings sermon was one of my favourites.. The Sermon on the Mount. I remember as a child hearing it for the first time and feeling wow! I remember my Nana looking at me as we sat together.. and by the smile on her face... she knew I got it!

Back home I laid the table as I always do. Even though there are only two of us at home now.. we still sit at the table to eat.. and there's always room for any unexpected.. but welcome guest. I miss our children and grandchildren so much.. but relish the moments we have together.. and look forward to us being closer when my MrD retires in a couple of years

Photo: 1945

We then had a relaxing afternoon .. listening to the radio.. and for me working on a cardigan for our youngest granddaughter for Christmas

Dinner was easy... Leftover Victory Medley... a delicious pasta dish that MrD loves.. But I didnt escape that easy... a fresh, from scratch and delicious dessert was needed

With a change in the weather,  hubby is full of sniffles So, a filling, comforting dessert was called for. I had considered a rice pudding, but a few apples in the fridge swayed me..so a quick and easy crumble came to mind. 

This Apple Crumble recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, September 1948 is a twist on the original and has peanut butter in the topping...only a 1/4 of a cup but it made a difference  to the flavour. Also, the recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of sugar in the topping, Even the thought made my sweet tooth go Eeeek!! So I dropped it to a good cup of brown sugar and it worked well for hubby and me

Absolutely delicious.. especially served with some of that creamy custard I had in my birthday parcel.

5 apples, pared and sliced (about 3 cups)
cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons en- riched flour
3/4 cup quick- cooking oats
2½ cup brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or fortified margarine

Original Magazine Photo

• Arrange sliced apples in baking dish.
• Sprinkle with water, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
• Combine remaining ingredients; mix well.
• Spread on apples.
• Bake in slow oven (300°) about 50 minutes.
• Serves 6.

Original Magazine Recipe 

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
September 1948

Wartime Christmas Cake

Happy Saturday Lovelies...

And I must say.. I do love weekends as I get to have breakfast with my dear hubby.. no rush.. no fuss and lots of conversation... The perfect start to a busy day!

For breakfast we had some tasty Potatoes O'Brien made with our stored potatoes an peppers from  our Victory Garden. I'm so grateful that our garden is still producing... and topped with poached eggs from our Girls... it really was a home grown meal

So the prepping for winter continues and MrD has finished splitting and stacking all the wood we will need for the coming months. We were so blessed to be gifted with logs earlier this year when we helped our friends clear a fallen tree. It should see us through... and some.

As for me it was time to make our Christmas cake... and oh my goodness the kitchen smells amazing

I know for some it may be too early to even think about Christmas... but when you  do your own baking you need a head start. Especially with the rich, fruit cake. It needs plenty of time to be 'fed' weekly and let the flavours mature before icing at the beginning of December

This is a recommended Christmas Cake recipe from the Ministry of Food in the mid 1940’s and the rationed ingredients make a very acceptable cake. For me..it always turns out well... and is a family favourite.

1 lb. mixed dried fruit
6 tablespoons of brandy (or alcohol of choice)

3 oz. sugar
4 oz. margarine
3 level tablespoons warmed treacle or syrup
8 oz. plain flour
Level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt.
1 level teaspoon cinnamon,
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
2 eggs, fresh or dried
3 tablespoons cold tea.

• The day before baking, put the dried fruit in a bowl
• Mix them with the brandy
• Cover with a cloth and leave them to soak for a minimum of 12 hours.

• Line a 7 inch cake tin with greaseproof paper.
• Pre-heat oven to 150 C, 300 F, Gas Mark 2.
• Cream the sugar and margarine together
• Beat in the treacle or syrup.
• Mix the flour, soda, salt and spices together.
• Add alternately with the eggs to the creamed mixture
• Beat well.
• Add the fruit and mix in the tea.

• Put the mixture into the tin, lined with greased paper
• Bake in a very moderate oven for 2½ hours.
• You may need to cover top with foil half way through cooking
• Cool in the tin.
• When cool remove from the tin and place in airtight container.
• Feed weekly by poking holes over the cake with a skewer
• Then pour a couple of Tablespoons of Brandy over the surface.
• This is not mandatory.. but it will keep the cake moist and develop a richer taste

Original Ministry of Food Christmas recipe

Spicy Apple Coffee Cake

Well Lovelies.. another Friday has arrived

Photo: 1942

This weeks grocery shop was an easy one as I just need some fresh produce. We have a fabulous market just down the street .. great quality for low prices... and opens really early in the morning so I was done quite fast

Photo 1942

It gave me a bit of time to do a bit of window shopping for Christmas gift ideas. Its less than ten weeks to the big day and I would like to be organized by the beginning of December so I can enjoy the season'.. And dont tell anyone...but the first gift is bought!

 Back home.. 

1Ib of dried fruit mixed with 6 Tablespoons of Brandy...

Its that time of year again...

Del Monte Dried Fruit Ad
1940

The winter prepping continues as we make sure we will be warm and toasty in the cold weather. The chimney is nice and clean thanks to my own darling Errol Flynn... 

Movie Still from 
"The Egg and I" 1947

And with the last of the wood to be cut and stacked tomorrow.. we will be all set

Now all that running around is out of the way... a nice cup of coffee and a piece of cake is in order..

Spicy Apple Coffee Cake

I found this recipe in a couple of places. Firstly, in the  Victory Cookbook, published in 1943, and again 

in The American Woman’s Cook Book 1945

There is nothing cake-like about this recipe. The dough is pressed into an ungreased (yes I said ungreased) cake pan. It is dense,  a bit bland and not very sweet or spicy. The spiciness comes from the cinnamon sugar sprinkled over the apple topping

Having said that.. it was very quick to make and tasted ok... and Hubby actually said it was good with a cup of coffee... and a dollop of vanilla ice cream. But its not top of my list for making again

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons shortening
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk

2 to 3 apples (your favorite type)
1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter
½ cup nippy cheese optional

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and set aside.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. 
• Cut in shortening (and cheese, if using it). 
• Add milk to make a soft dough. 
• Turn onto lightly floured board and knead for about 30 seconds. 
• Pat the dough into an ungreased 9-inch cake pan. 
• Pare and core the apples. Slice them into 1/4” slices. 
• Arrange apples in petal design on top of dough. 
• Sprinkle with brown sugar/cinnamon mixture and dot with butter.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.