RED, WHITE AND BLUE SHORTCAKES

This recipe is from a 1971 Bisquick Recipe Flyer Give-Away.

Click on photo to enlarge for easier reading.

CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR FROSTING

This recipe is on the back page of the pamplet shown below. This is from my Sophomore high school home economics class. My, how times have changed since 1963!

1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound (3 1/2 to 4 cups) sifted confectioners' sugar
About 1/4 cup cream or other liquid

Cream and thoroughly beat together butter or margarine, vanilla and salt. Add confectioners' sugar and liquid alternately, adding sufficient liquid to give the frosting proper spreading consistency. Beat thoroughly after each addition, since the velvety smoothness of the frosting is influenced by sufficient beating. Spread between layers, on top, and on sides of cake. Yield: Enough frosting for two 8-inch or 9-inch layers.

FOUR-BEAN SALAD

This recipe is from my 1967 Better Homes and Gardens cooking with HERBS and SPICES cookbooklet.

EASTERN CURRY DIP

1/2 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 cup green onion slices
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Combine salad dressing, sour cream, onions and curry powder; mix well. Chill. Serve with vegetable dippers. 1 cup

This recipe is from the 1977 recipe flyer below.

JEAN'S PICKLED EGGS

Jean Evans was one of the special ladies in the community where I went to school - grades 1 thru 12 in one building. Her recipes were so popular she and her daughter made a cookbook and this is one of the recipes from that book. As you can see from the picture below I have used her cookbook to the point of it losing the front cover! This cookbook was so popular they even made a second one. Special memories of Needmore and the friends there.

ITALIAN CREME CAKE

This is my recipe for Italian Creme Cake that I have had for many years. It probably doesn't qualify as vintage but it is old. And it is delicious.

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BOSTON BAKED LIMA BEANS

This is a depression era recipe that has been handed down through generations.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can (16-oz) butter beans
1 can (16-oz) lima beans
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 or 6 slices bacon*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large skillet brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain well in a colander and add the tomatoes with juice. Cook mixture 5 minutes to heat through.

Combine the beans, sugar, and pepper in a bowl then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Place the beef/tomato mixture over the beans. Top with the bacon slices.

Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes until beans are bubbly and bacon is crisp. Skim any fat from the top before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

*I have typed this recipe as it was given to me a few years ago. Personally, however, I fry my bacon about halfway browned then transfer to paper towels to drain. This keeps some of the excess fat out of the dish.

THREE BEAN RICE SALAD

This probably doesn't qualify as vintage but I have had it since the 1980s.

1 can cut wax beans, drained
1 can French-style green beans, drained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups minute rice
Lettuce leaves for serving

In a large bowl, combine the beans, salad dressing, onion, half the salt, and the pepper. Set mixture aside to allow the flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, bring water and remaining half of the salt to a full boil in a medium saucepan that has a lid; stir in the rice. Place lid on pan, remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Fold the rice into the bean mixture; cover and chill thoroughly.

Serve in a lettuce leaf lined bowl.

Yield: 6 servings

DATE BARS

I remember my mother making date bars when I was a child and I loved them. I believe this recipe is one from a Quaker Oats box in the 50s. Oh so yummy!

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter
2 1/2 cups chopped dates
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts + extras for garnish, if desired
Whipped cream for serving, if desired

In a large bowl, combine eats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture into a greased 13 X 9-inch baking pan. In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar and water. Cook for 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in walnuts. Spread over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Top with whipped cream and additional chopped walnuts, if desired.

BLUE RIBBON BUTTER CAKE

This cake recipe is from an old cookbook and I have probably had this recipe around 10 years. I found the picture through bing on TOH.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Butter Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 65-70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, including the center, to loosen cake. Turn upside down on a wire rack setting on waxed paper.

For the sauce, cook the butter, sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the two extracts.

Poke holes in the top of the warm cake and pour 1/4 cup of the sauce over the cake. Allow to set for a few minutes; repeat process twice. Poke holes in sides of cake and brush remaining sauce over the sides.

Allow cake to cool completely before cutting to serve.

COCONUT LOAF CAKE - A REMINDER OF THE PAST

How many of you remember eating at a Howard Johnson's, once the mainstay of travelers? Do you remember the coconut loaf cake? I recently found this recipe on King Arthur Flour that is really close to that cake. Take a trip down memory lane with this recipe and see what you think.

3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coconut flavor, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9 X 13-inch loaf pan; set aside. 

Beat the butter at medium speed, using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, for about 10 seconds. Gradually add the sugar, beating all the while. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl midway through, until the mixture has lightened in color and is fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating each in completely before adding the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly, just until combined; the mixture will look curdled. This curdling isn’t a problem; but if you simply don’t like the looks of it, do as Susan Reid does: “I’ve taken to putting a spoonful or two of dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture after egg 1; it keeps things from curdling when egg 2 is added.” Thanks, Susan!

Stir in the salt, baking powder, coconut flavor, and vanilla. Add the flour to the bowl in three portions, alternating with the cream, and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat at low speed, just to combine, after each addition.

Stir in the flaked coconut.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing its top surface.

Bake the cake for about 70 to 75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center/top of the loaf comes out clean. Tent it gently with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes of baking, if it appears to be getting too brown.

Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.

FROSTING:

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (8-ounce package) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk powder, optional; for enhanced flavor
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon coconut flavor, optional; for enhanced flavor
3/4 to 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Mix the butter and cream cheese at low speed, until thoroughly combined. Gently beat in the sugar, coconut milk powder, salt, and coconut flavor, until smooth.

Place the cake on a large piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Spread the frosting all over the cake.

Pat the flaked coconut onto the frosting. This will be sticky work; use the paper or wrap to help.

Serve the cake in 1/2″ to 3/4″ slices. Store any leftovers, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for 24 hours; freeze for longer storage.

While it’s counter-intuitive to refrigerate cake, it’s clear from the photo of the cake box that HoJo’s sold their cake frozen. And chilling this cake prior to serving isn’t a bad thing, so long as you’ve wrapped it securely – it helps reduce the stickiness factor.

Sources: Recipe from KAF, picture by Jason Liebig, Flickr