Irish Soda Bread, Peach Custard Pie, Depression Dinner, Broccoli Salad, Congo Squares, Pineapple Nut Cake

Irish Soda Bread         Helen Humes
2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 TB sugar
3 TB shortening
1 TB caraway seed
1/2 c raisins
1 c buttermilk
Sift dry ingredients. Cut shortening into dry ingredients. Add seeds, raisins, and buttermilk and mix to blend. Knead a few strokes. Bake in greased pan at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Peach Custard Pie          Mary Seaman
1 9in pie shell chilled
 3 c sliced fresh Jersey peaches
1 c milk or light cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 c sugar
2 TB butter
Put peaches in crust. Dot with butter. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over peaches. Bake at 350  for 1 hour.

Depression Dinner
3 lb ground beef
4 large carrots grated (3 cups)
1 large onion grated
2 potatoes grated (1 1/2 cups)
2 eggs
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
14 slices bacon
parsley
Mix beef, carrots, onion, potatoes and egg, garlic, salt and pepper. Divide and form 14 patties. Wrap a slice of bacon around each patty and secure with toothpicks. Broil on both sides to desired doneness. Remove toothpick. Garnish with parsley and serve with mixed salad.

Broccoli Salad      Marilyn Merritt
Florets of 1 head of broccoli
1/2 red onion diced
3/4 c diced cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon fried crisp
Dressing:
1/2 c Miracle Whip dressing
1/4 c sugar
1 TB vinegar
Mix all together and chill.

Congo Squares       Kathryn Wickward
Really good, especially if you like blond brownies.
Melt 2/3 c margarine and add 2 1/4 c brown sugar. Set aside and let mixture cool.
Mix together:
2 3/4 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Beat 3 eggs into brown sugar mixture. Add dry ingredients and 1 c chopped walnuts and 1 small bag of chocolate chips.
Grease a 10x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Pineapple Nut Cake           Judy Gentile
2 beaten eggs
2 c flour
1 c sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped walnuts
1 c crushed pineapple (20oz unsweetened, undrained)
Mix all ingredients. Bake in an ungreased 10x13 pan at 350 for 40 minutes.

Pepper Steak, Corned Beef Barbecue, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Apple Sauce Cake, Raisin Cake, Banana Pie

Pepper Steak              Walt Konschak
1 1/2 - 2lb round steak
1 c flour
salt and pepper
1 medium can tomatoes
1 package brown gravy mix
Worcestershire sauce
1 large green pepper
Cut round steak into strips. Put flour, salt and pepper in a gallon size plastic bag. Add the steak strips and shake. Cover the bottom of electric frying pan or good sized skillet with oil and brown steak. Pour in juice of 1 can of tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups water (2 cups total liquid). Add 1 package of any brown gravy mix. Simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add Worcestershire sauce to taste and add tomatoes somewhere near the end. Add green pepper strips during the last 15 minutes. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Corned Beef Barbecue               Mary West
1 onion chopped
1 gree pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
1 bottle catsup (ketchup)
2 cans corn beef
Put small amount of oil in large pot. Fry onion, green pepper and celery just enough to soften. Add bottle of catsup and two cans of corn beef which have been broken into small pieces. Simmer with lid off for 2 hours. Serve on rolls.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese           Paula McCormack McLaughlin
1 lb macaroni or shells
4 TB butter or margarine
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 TB parsley flakes
1/4 tsp onion salt
2 1/2 c milk
3/4 lb cut or grated american or sharp cheese
1 TB grated parmesan cheese
Place butter or margarine in skillet. When melted, add flour, salt, pepper. Stir until blended. Add milk to flour mixture stirring until ingredients are blended well. Add cheese and cook until thickened. When cheese is completely melted into a thick sauce, pour cheese over cooked macaroni and stir until blended. Top with a layer of bread crumbs and dot with some butter. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes

Apple Sauce Cake         Frances Prohowich
1/2 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 jar apple sauce (15oz)
2 c flour
1 c raisins
1/2 c black walnuts
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and then apple sauce. Add flour that has been mixed with baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Soak raisins and walnuts in warm water and drain. Add to mixture. Bake in greased and floured tube pan at 375 for 1 hour.

Raisin Cake        Jimmy Friant
1 box raisins
1 box brown sugar
1/2 c shortening
2 c water
Boil these 4 ingredients for 10 minutes and cool.
Sift together:
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
 Add mixtures together and then add 2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. For good fruit cake, add nuts, candied fruit, cherries and pineapple.

Banana Pie      Minnie Garton
1 c milk
1/2 c sugar
3 egg yolks
2 TB flour
Cook until thick. Allow to cool.
Slice as many bananas as needed to nicely fill BAKED pie crust. Pour filling over bananas. Beat egg whites with 2 tsp of powdered sugar. Spread over top. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Funnel Cake, Cheese Cake, Blueberry Buckle

Funnel Cake        Ellen Diehl
Ellen "Bobbie" Diehl was known in Ocean Grove, NJ for her wonderful funnel cakes. The daughter of a Methodist minister, she and her family had a "tent" house next to the Great Auditorium for years. Traditionally, Bobbie would make her funnel cakes and serve them in the back yard - piping hot.

Sift together:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
Beat together:
2 eggs
2 c milk (whole or skim)
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Fill iron skillet or electric frying pan 2/3 full with vegetable oil and heat to 375-400. Pour batter thru funnel into hot oil controlling flow with finger over bottom of the funnel. Make pinwheel circles or crisscross designs so that it all holds together. Brown, then turn and brown on the other side. Drain and serve hot with confectioners sugar.

Cheese Cake           Mary Corson

Best cheese cake ever!
Crumb Crust:
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c sugar
Place in a small bowl and blend in 1 stick melted butter. Press firmly on bottom and 2 1/2 inches up sides of a heavily buttered form pan. Chill.
The Filling:
3 8oz packages of cream cheese
1 1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Let cream cheese soften in bowl. Blend in the sugar and salt. Beat until fluffy with mixer. Add eggs one at a time beating after each. Beat in vanilla.
Wrap aluminum foil around bottom of pan to prevent dripping. Pour chream cheese mixture on top of graham cracker crust and bake at 350 for 50 - 55 minutes or until firm in the center. Remove cake from oven. Let stand 15 minutes and reset oven to 450.
Topping:
2 c sour cream
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Combine these three ingredients and spread on top of cake. Return to 450 oven for 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack. Then cover and refrigerate.
This can be served plain or any fruit topping can be spooned on top.

BlueBerry Buckle        Jeanne Rechsteiner

Cream: 1/4 c shortening
            3/4 c sugar
            1 egg
Add:    1/2 c milk
            2 c flour
            2 tsp baking powder
            1/2 tsp salt
Mix in 2 cups of blueberries, drained well. (Stir in blueberries. Don't use a mixer.) Pour into greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Sprinkle with topping.
Topping:
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c shortening or 1/2 stick butter
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
       

Cold Oven Pound Cake, Cooked Salad Dressing, Bisquits, 1-2-3-4 Cake, and Cream Puffs,

Cold Oven Pound Cake    by way of Walda Passaro

I found this in a very old cookbook and had to try it because I never made a cake where the directions told you to start with a cold oven. This is a very moist, buttery pound cake. Very good and easy. 

1cup butter
1/2 cup crisco
3 cups white sugar ( not 10x)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk
3 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

Do not preheat oven. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.

In a large bowl, using medium speed on electric mixer, cream together the butter, crisco, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each egg. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla. Alternately blend in the flour and milk. Pour batter into greased and floured pan.

Place cake in cold oven, then set the temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake for 90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Set on wire rack and let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Cooked Salad Dressing

I also found this recipe in a very old cookbook. It will give you the taste of potato salad that you remember as a child. It's a long process, but most recipes back then were. No shortcuts!

2 Tb flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

2 eggs

1 cup milk

¼ c cider vinegar

1 Tb butter or margarine

¼ tsp celery seed

Stir flour, sugar salt and mustard together thoroughly in top part of double boiler. Add milk gradually, stirring until smooth. Add eggs. Beat with long handled two-tined fork until combined with other ingredients.

Stir in vinegar a tsp at a time. Cook over simmering (not boiling) water stirring constantly until thickened. This will take 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and celery seed. Makes about 1 2/3 cups. Cool and use as potato salad dressing.

Baking Powder Biscuits
From the same old source as the above recipes. I'm sure the lard could be replaced with either more butter or crisco.

2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt
1Tb butter
1 Tb lard
¾ c milk and water in equal parts

Mix flour, baking powder and salt and sift twice. Work in butter and lard with tips of fingers then add gradually the liquid, mixing with knife until the consistency of soft dough. Toss on floured board, pat and roll lightly to ½ inch thickness. Cut and bake in hot oven for 15 minutes.

Cream Puffs

I found this recipe when cleaning out my Aunt Emily's house. She worked at Wheaton's for years and was always asking friends for their recipes. They usually had names with them, but this one didn't.

1/2 c butter

1 c boiling water

1 c sifted flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

Melt butter in boiling water. Add flour and salt all at one time and stir vigorously. Continue cooking and stirring constantly until mixture forms a ball that doesn't separate.

Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time beating hard after each addition until mixture is smooth. Form cream puffs 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 325 for 25 minutres.

Remove from sheet and cool on wire rack. When cream puffs are cold, cut a hole in the side of each. Fill with sweetened whipped cream.

1-2-3-4 Cake

My mother made this cake for every occasion. First cake I ever made. Mom always made it in a turks head pan, but in recent years, I've been making it in a 9x13 pan and sprinkling the top with chocolate morsals before I bake it. When it comes out of the oven, dot it with butter and sprinkle with 10x sugar while still hot.

1 c butter or crisco

2 c sugar

3 c flour

4 eggs

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 c milk

Cream butter and sugar together. Separate eggs. Beat yolks and add to the sugar mixture. Combine flour and salt and alternately add to mixture with milk. Add vanilla. Stiffly beat the egg whites and fold them in. Add baking powder. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

A Few Sweet Things

Chocolate Mint Brownies     Cindy Fox

Base:
2 oz (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
½ c butter
2 eggs
1 c sugar
Pinch salt
½ c flour
½ tsp vanilla
½ c walnuts
Crème De Menthe Layer:
1 ½ c 10X sugar
2 Tb butter softened
2 Tb crème de menthe or 2 tsp milk and ½ tsp peppermint extract
Rich Chocolate Glaze:
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 Tb butter
For base: Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler or over hot water. Cool. Beat eggs with sugar and salt and beat into chocolate mixture. Beat in flour on low. Beat in vanilla and nuts. Bake in greased 9” pan at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Place in refrigerator or freezer to cool to room temperature. Spread crème de menthe mixture over top and place in freezer for 5 minutes. Melt remaining squares of chocolate and butter over hot water. Pour hot glaze over cool base and tilt to cover. Refrigerate until glaze looks dull. (about 30 minutes) Makes 36 bars.

Chocolate Fudge         Mildred Passaro

2 c sugar
3 Tb cocoa
1 c milk
Hunk of butter (1/2 stick to a stick)
Drip of vanilla
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until soft ball forms in cold water. Turn into greased 9x9 pan.

Hand Me Down Chocolate Cake
¾ c butter
1 ¾ c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
¾ c cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 1/3 c water.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 1 minute on medium. Combine next 4 ingredients and add them alternately with water. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8” pans. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.

 

Never Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies     Walda Passaro

1 ½ c butter Crisco

1 box dark brown sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla

2 eggs

4 Tb milk

3 ½ c flour

1 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp baking soda

Cream Crisco, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together. Blend flour, salt and baking soda together. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to creamed mixture. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Imperial Pound Cake          Judy Lokey

½ lb butter (can use margarine)

2 c sugar

6 eggs

2 c flour

½ tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar and add 1 egg at a time beating after each. Blend in rest of ingredients. Bake in turk’s head pan at 350 for 1 hour. May add nuts, raisins, apples and cinnamon.

Molasses Cakes         Lillian Kurth

1 pt molasses

½ c sugar

½ c Crisco

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ginger

2 eggs

3 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 c boiling water.

Flour enough to stiffen (4 cups)

Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes
  

Lemon Bars      Leslie Hurley

1 c butter

½ c powdered sugar

2 c flour

Cream these three ingredients and press into 9x13 greased pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Mix together:

4 eggs

2 c sugar

4 Tb flour

Rind and juice of two lemons

Pinch of salt

½ tsp baking powder

Pour over prepared crust and bake again for 30 minutes.

Cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

Applesauce Cake, Brer Rabbit Gingerbread, Pineapple Upside Down Cake and more!

Applesauce Cake     Deni Finch-Frederick
Mom's note: I always serve this cake plain or with a little 10x sugar sprinkles on top.
Deni's note: I'm not sure if this is a Millville-specific recipe, but it was a standard in our house as we grew up in the 1950s-60s.
1/2 c shortening
2 eggs
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 c applesauce
2/3 c raisins
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c molasses
1 tsp baking soda
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating after each. Add molasses. Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add alternately with applesauce to the mixture. Add raisins and mix well. Grease pan. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Brer Rabbit Gingerbread       Deni Finch-Frederick
Mom's note: I use a package of "Lem" for the lemon sauce for the topping on gingerbread.
Deni's note: This might have been my forever favorite cake and is certainly the source of my everlasting preference for lemon over chocolate.
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 c sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 c Brer Rabbit molasses
1 c hot water
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Sift together next 6 dry ingredients. Combine molasses and water and add alternately with flour mixture to creamed mixture. Line 8x8x2 greased pan with greased wax paper and pour in batter. Bake in moderate over (350) for 50-60 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Rice Pudding     Nanny Konschak
1 quart milk
1/3 c rice
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Add a small can of cream and 1 beaten egg last.
Simmer on stove for 1 1/2 hours.

Rice Pudding     Minnie Garton
4 TB rice
1/2 c sugar
Pinch of salt
1 can of cream added to enough milk to make 1 quart, plus 1 quate of extra milk. Bake in 2 quate casserole at 350 until it turns brown.

Banana Cake
1 1/2 c cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk
1 c mashed banana
Stft flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cream shortening and add sugar gradually. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Add dry mixture alternately with milk and banana to shortening mixture, stirring only enough to blend thoroughly. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch pans. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

5 Cup Salad     Dot Breslin
1 small can mandarin orange slices drained
1 c coconut
1 c or small container of sour cream
1 c miniature marshmallows
1 small can pineapple tidbits or chunks drained
Mix together well and chill.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake     Mary Hampton
1/3 c shortening
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 c pineapple juice
Mix all above ingredients. Grease pan and put 3/4 c brown sugar and pineapple rings and halved cherries in pan. Dot with butter. Pour cake mixture over pineapple rings. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before inverting on to dish.

Recipes from Donna McCafferty Kalita

Dip For Fresh Fruit                      Donna McCafferty Kalita
1 jar fluff marshmellow
1/4 c sour cream (add sour cream slowly)


Lemon Butter (for seafood)     Donna McCafferty Kalita
1 stick butter
2 tsp lemon zest
2 TB finely chopped Italian parsley leaves.
pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
(can freeze also)

Pineapple Cake       Donna McCafferty Kalita
yellow cake mix
1/2 c sugarless applesauce
1 small can mandarin oranges including juice
4 egg whites
Mix above ingredients with mixer for 2 min. Pour into 9 x 13 lightly greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees according to cake mix directions.
Topping:
1 pkg sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 20oz can crushed pineapple including juice
1 8oz cool whip
Hand mix the pudding mix and pineapple until pudding starts to set, add cool whip. Frost cooled cake..Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Corn Casserole      Donna McCafferty Kalita
16oz kernal corn (drained)
16oz creamed corn
1 pkg jiffy corn muffin mix
1 stick melted butter
1 egg
1 c sour cream
salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients. Bake @ 350 45-55 minutes. or until center is firm or toothpick comes out clean.

Filled Sugar Cookies              Great Grandmom Baileys
Filling: (make filling first and let it cool)
1 c chopped raisins
1 c sugar
1/2 c of water put on stove. When boiling, add 1tsp flour mixed with a little cold water. Cook until it thickens and add 1 tsp. lemon extract and chopped black walnut meat. Bake at 450 degrees (doesn't say how long) till done.
Cookie:
1 c sugar
1/2 c of butter & lard mixed
2 eggs
3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c sweet milk  (sweet milk is regular milk)
1 tsp cake soda ( baking soda dissolved in milk)
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 TB vanilla
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs well beaten, then milk & soda mix. Sift the flour and cream of tartar and add to the above mixture with the vanilla. Roll thin and cut out (with round cookie cutter) and place 1tsp full of filling (can use little bit more)on one cut out and cover with another cake and press the edges together. Bake at 450 degrees. (doesn't say how long so I guess when bottoms are light brown.)

Pepper Cabbage                   Janice McCafferty

6 c. shredded cabbage
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 c sugar
1 c vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp celery seed
1 stalk celery, chopped
Mix sugar, vinegar, pepper, salt and celery seed. Pour over vegetables and mix well....chill.

Vegetable Soup                       Janice McCaffery
1 soup bone
1 1/2 lb lean beef cubes
1 large onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 bunch fresh pot herbs
1/4 c sugar salt&pepper
1 qt tomatoes (in can) I put them in blender for a few seconds.
2 c each carrots, lima beans, green beans, peas,corn
2 c sliced cabbage or so...
1 c potatoes diced (I also use a yellow turnip diced.)
1 1/2 cup or so of medium egg noodles
Cook meat, bone, onion, celery, pot herbs, salt and pepper, cabbage, tomatoes and sugar about 2 hours. When that is done, add veggies and cook until done. Keep plenty of liquids in the soup. When everything is done, add noodles and turn off, but let it stay on the burner to finish cooking the noodles.

Cry Babies                      Frances Brandriff (granny)
1 c molasses
1 c sugar
1 c shortening
1 egg
1/2 c. boiling coffee
1 heaping tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger and cinnamon
5 c sifted flour
Mix sugar, shortening, egg and molasses. Put soda in boiling coffee and mix well then add to creamed mixture. Sift dry ingredients and add to first mixture and blend well. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 min. at 420 degrees. Raisins or nuts may be added.

Pineapple Sauce                      Irene Sharpless (moms friend)
1 large can crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c dark rum
1/2 c raisins
8 whole cloves
12 maraschino quartered
1 tsp white vinegar
1 TB corn starch
Combine first 7 ingredients and bring to boil. Cook 5 min. Mix corn starch with 2 TB water and add slowly to mixture. Cook until clear and thickened. Very good on baked ham.