CRANBERRY MERINGUE PIE

1 pkg (12 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries (thaw frozen berries)

1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup quick cooking tapioca
2 tsp grated orange peel, optional
1/4 tsp salt
MERINGUE:
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

Place cranberries in a food processor; cover and pulse until coarsely chopped. In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, orange juice, water, sugar, tapioca, orange peel and salt. Let stand for 5 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Keep warm.

In a clean, cold mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon the warm filling into the pie shell. Spread meringue over filling being careful to seal the edges to the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 hour. Chill, covered, in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

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CREME DE MENTHE PIE

 

1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup melted butter
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup green creme de menth
1/4 cup white creme de cacao
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
chopped pistachio nus
chopped maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make the crust, mix the chocolate wafer crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and the melted butter; press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes then allow to cool.

In a medium saucepan combine the gelatin, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt.  Beat the egg yolks together with the cold water and stir into the gelatin mixture.  Cook the mixture over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened and all the gelatin is dissolved.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir the creme de menthe and creme de cacao into the mixture.  Set into a pan of cold water to chill while stirring occasionally, until the mixture is the consistency of unbeaten egg white.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar gradually and beat until very stiff.  Fold the egg white mixture into the gelatin mixture.

Whip 1 cup of the heavy cream until stiff and fold into the gelatin mixture.  Pour the filling into the cooled crumb crust and chill until firm.

Whip the remaining half cup of heavy cream until stiff and use to garnish the pie.  Sprinkle the pistachio and maraschino cherries over the whipped cream to garnish.

This is a very old recipe I found in a small pie booklet in my late mother's things. To the best of my knowledge, she never made it.

BANANA CRANBERRY BREAD

Spending my earlier years in Indiana where we had black walnut trees, we always used them.  We never bought nuts back then as we always had black walnuts and hickory nuts.  It was always a treat at Christmas to get a bag of mixed nuts!  If you don't have black walnuts, you can use English walnuts just as easily. 

2/3 cup solid shortening
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/4 tsp soda
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped black walnuts*
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour 2 5x9-inch loaf baking pans; set aside.

In mixer bowl cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy; beat the eggs into the mixture.  Add the bananas, soda, flour, and black walnuts, mixing well.  Fold in the cranberry sauce.  Pour the mixture evenly into the two pans.

Bake breads for an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool.

*If you don't have black walnuts, use English walnuts.

file photo for reference

DURBIN INN'S EASY DEVILED EGGS

 The Dubin Inn was a beloved restaurant in Indiana in the 1920s until the late 1970s. This was their beloved deviled egg recipe.

6 large eggs, hard boiled

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp prepared mustard

1/2 tsp salt

Paprika for garnish

Slice eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolks to a small bowl and set the whites aside. Mash the yolks in the small bowl, using a fork. Add the sugar, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and salt. Spoon or pipe yok mixture into the whites. Sprinkle with the paprika and refrigerate until serving time.

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DELICIOUS LASAGNA

 

8 oz lasagna noodles, prepared according to pkg directions

1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (6-oz) tomato paste
1 egg, beaten
1 container (15-oz) ricotta cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sliced ripe olives
1 lb Mozzarella cheese, grated
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Drain the cooked lasagna.

Cook the sausage and ground beef; drain excess fat.  Add the onion and garlic, cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.  Add next seven ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.

While the above simmers, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, parsley flakes, and salt.

To assemble lasagna, spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of 9 x 13-inch baking dish or pan.  Layer a third of the lasagna noodles over the meat sauce.  Top with 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the sliced olives, 1/3 of the Mozzarella, and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.  Repeat layering to use remaining ingredients.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake uncovered another 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

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ORNAMENTAL FROSTING FOR COOKIES

Please note this is not a vintage or even old fashion recipe.  I only put it here because it works so well to decorate sugar cookies, that I thought some of you might want to use it with the old cookie recipes.

1 lb powdered sugar
3 tsp meringue powder
1/3 cup warm water
assorted food colorings (paste colors work the best)
In a mixing bowl with the mixer at medium speed, beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder and water until blended and the mixture is so stiff that a butter knife drawn through it will leave clean-cut path.  This will take about 5 minutes.

If you wish to use different colors, separate out into separate bowls and mix in colors to desired shades.

If needed, you may add drops of warm water to make a smooth spreading consistency.

file photo for reference

LAYERED MAPLE NUT TWIST

This recipe is from an old Indiana church cookbook.  Church cookbooks have always been a great source of good recipes!  Does your church still have socials and 'pitch-in' meals?  Folks have always seemed to enjoy church socials.

Basic Sweet Dough:
2 pkg yeast
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water; set aside.  In a small pan, heat milk, shortening, sugar, and salt until warm (shortening does not need to melt).  See below for addition for this recipe.  Pour in large bowl; beat in 2 cups of flour until well mixed.  Add the yeast mixture and eggs.  Beat, scraping bowl.  Add enough flour to make a soft dough.  Knead; add only enough flour to keep from sticking.  Place in a greased bowl.  Turn to grease top.  Cover and let rise.

To make the twist:
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple flavoring
1/2 cup sugar
1 Basic Sweet Dough

When making the Basic Sweet Dough above, add the maple flavoring in the milk mixture on the stove.  Roll out the dough in 3 pizza shapes.  Put 1 on a greased pizza pan; butter top, then sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture on top.  Put another pizza shape dough on top of the butter and nuts.  Repeat layering with nuts on top.  Using a pizza cutter, cut like pie into 16 pieces.  Pick up all 3 layers and twist 2 or 3 times.  Do not let rise.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

This is a file photo used for reference only.

ORANGE PINEAPPLE BUTTERMILK SALAD

1 can (20-oz) crushed pineapple, do not drain

1 pkg (6-oz) orange gelatin
2 cups buttermilk
1 tub (8-oz) whipped topping, thawed

In a saucepan bring the pineapple to a boil; remove from the heat.  Add the gelatin and stir to dissolve completely.  Add the buttermilk, mixing well.  Allow to cool to room temperature then fold in the whipped topping.  Pour into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.  Refrigerate overnight.  Cut into 12 squares to serve.

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PINEAPPLE FLAVORED WASSAIL

 

6 cups apple cider or apple juice

1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 (18-oz) can unsweetened pineapple juice
1 small can frozen orange juice, diluted according to container directions
1 orange sliced into thin rings

In a large saucepan heat the cider and cinnamon stick to boiling.  Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes are up, remove the lid and add the nutmeg, honey, lemon juice and peel, pineapple juice, and the orange juice.  Simmer another 5 minutes.

To serve, arrange the orange slices on the top and serve in a heat-proof punch bowl.

Yield: 16 servings of 1/2 cup or 8 servings of 1 cup.

Note: A crock-pot or slow cooker is a great way to keep the Wassail warm, if desired.  Just pour the hot wassail into the cooker and set on the Keep Warm setting.

file photo for reference

1970s JACK-O'-LANTERN TEACAKES

2 1/3 cups Bisquick baking mix

3 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup milk

Stir the baking mix, sugar, butter, and milk to a soft dough.  Gently smooth the dough into a ball on a floured cloth-covered board.  Knead 8 to 10 times.

Roll the dough into a 1/4-inch thick.  Cut with a floured 2-inch round dough or cookie cutter.  Form the rounds into pumpkin shapes, using the extra dough for stems.

Bake the pumpkins on an ungreased baking sheet for around 8 minutes or until tests done.

Cool the pumpkins completely then frost with the icing recipe below.

Jack-O'-Lantern Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
green food coloring
orange food coloring*
Candy for decorating the faces

Blend the powdered sugar with enough milk to make of spreading consistency.  Stir in the orange extract until blended.

Remove 1 tablespoon of the frosting to a cup or small bowl and add green food coloring for the stems.  Frost the stems of the Jack-O'-Lanterns.

Add the orange food coloring to the remaining frosting.  Frost the faces of the Jack-O'-Lanterns.
Add a piece of candy corn for the nose and make eyes and faces with thin licorice candy (or reserve a tablespoon of the frosting and use black food coloring.)

*If you do not have orange food coloring use red and yellow to make orange.