Cookbook of the Week: Baker's Cut-Up Cake Party Book, circa 1973

The cookbook of the week is Baker's Cut-Up Cake Party Book, a little paperback cram-packed with ideas for celebrations and fancy, funny cakes around which to build parties.

Here's the front cover:

Tune in to the Cookbook Love page on Facebook for pictures, commentary, and recipes from this book all week long!

Cookbook of the Week: Magical Amazing JELL-O Desserts (1977)

The Cookbook of the Week is Magical Amazing JELLO-O Desserts, circa 1977!

Here's the title page:

Here's a video preview:

Want to see more? Check in with the Cookbook Love page on Facebook to see photos and recipes all week. Enjoy!

Cookbook of the week for April 2, 2021: Quick and Easy Meals for Two (1952)

The cookbook of the week for April 2, 2021 was this little cutie, Quick and Easy Meals for Two, published in 1952! Here's our kickoff video for it:

The title page offers a preview of the adorable illustrations. Animals are always happy to be consumed in old cookbooks.

Each section opens with an illustration like this one, in which the woman apparently has an actual menu board in her home and yet tries to convince us menu planning is easy.

The whole book is structured around the idea of menus, which is actually kind of handy. And several sections are organized by season, featuring what's fresh during that time of year. Here we are, thinking about summer, for example:

The idea of crunchy devilled eggs confused me slightly. Here's the recipe, which was significantly less bad than it could have been.

So, what are we having for dinner?

Let's start with salad. This one seems like a LOT of work.

Maybe just an easy tossed salad instead. With a special home-enhanced dressing.

Or if you prefer, we can go straight to dessert. For once you can eat with your fingers. Sort of.

I'm always leery of recipes including baby food, but what do I know?

This actually sounds straight-up delicious.

The book offers helpful tips for those who are just starting out in the kitchen.

Like this tip for feeding men wieners.

Can't speak for good old boys, but I'd eat this!

Is this one man-friendly? Cabbagey chili with plops of mashed potatoes?

There's a section for what I call "desperation dinners."

Luckily, I rarely get THIS desperate:

Happy hubby seems to like what he sees in this opener to the appetizer section:

Here's one reason why:

Wondering if these dishes end up being a mood killer though:

If all else fails, put on a pretty apron, and let your pressure cooker sing you a happy tune.

Quick and Easy Meals for Two is a lovely, fun little book, and a great addition to any cookbook collection. 

 

My Latest Love, In all it's Psychedelic Glory!

Check out this fabulous find from a recent library book sale:

 

It's a far out promotional piece which Cool Whip published in 1969. And just to make it that much hipper, check this out:

That's right. It stands up! 

Here's a close up of Miss Psychedelic Cupcake Girl:

Something tells me her name might be Lucy.

This is just the beginning of the awesomeness. Stay tuned for more love to come from this special book.

Chocolate Fluffernutter Cake

DiDi asked me to make a cake yesterday. She'd bought a Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix and a container of Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White Frosting.

  

Being a self-sacrificing sort, I complied.

I'd feel like a poser if I made a cake from a box without kicking things up a notch, so I substituted sour cream for the oil in the recipe and threw in 1/4 bag of mini chocolate chips.

She'd asked for coconut in the icing. Unfortunately I didn't have any, which is a mystery, because the last I knew there were two bags in the cabinet. Is shredded coconut like socks in the laundry, disappearing without a trace?

I wouldn't think so. But I can't explain it.

After accepting my apologies graciously, DiDi's second request was that I melt some peanut butter flavored chocolate chips and spread it around on top.

(I don't suppose I should call them chocolate chips when they aren't chocolate. But "baking chips" sounds a bit snooty, and this way you all know what I mean.)

Turns out the Whipped Fluffy White frosting is rather marshmallowy, and reminds me of Fluff.

I melted the chips with a bit of oil to help with consistency, and poured it in stripes atop the frosted cake, then pulled a spatula through in an attempt to make it look fancy. The peanut butter goo was a bit thick to cooperate fully, but the marbling wasn't bad. And the flavor combo is an absolute winner!

Yum! DiDi's suggestion was brilliant!  It was like a fluffernutter sandwich with chocolate cake as the bread!

Next time I might just mix peanut butter with confectioners sugar and milk to make a softer consistency... the chip goo hardened back up so that the prettiness factor is disrupted in the cutting. But other than that, the combination is fabulous.

Luckily we had guests last night so we aren't forced to eat the whole thing ourselves. Because that would be sad.

Wouldn't it?

Jell-o Cranberries -n- Cream?

I think I'm going to turn this into a holiday recipe by adding a can of cranberry sauce:

I might substitute raspberry Jell-o though. Or cranberry.

And I don't dig the shape, so I'd probably make them in foil mini cupcake papers instead of an ice cube tray.

Now what could I use as a garnish?

12 Eggs and a Glass Full of Brandy Means it's Time for Divorce. I Mean, Dessert.

Time for dessert!

First off, apologies for the skewed image. It's a book, after all. An old book. I don't want to press it too flat, nor get my fingers in the shot.

While I'm on the subject, apologies generally for the horrible photography in my blog. I'm no Pioneer Woman. It's true.

Back to the recipe.

Having recently wrapped up a very painful and drawn out divorce, I can't help but love love love (translate <3 <3 <3) the name of this recipe.

I so get it.

With luck, in time, I will view marriage in a more favorable light. I believe in it intellectually,10,000%. Maybe even a million percent.

But.

Given where I am, so recently post-married that my flesh still stings and my emotions wince, the name of this cake is completely logical to me.

Not to mention the brandy. Though I would have included at least three wineglass fulls.

Better stock up on eggs.

Aunt Jenny Gems: Calvin's favorite shortcake

Calvin just can't get enough... SPRY that is!

Pork Cake. Let Mikey Try It.

In case the Sea Moss Pudding didn't cut it for you, perhaps you'll be a bigger fan of this recipe.

Just look at all the prettily decorated petit fours on the adjacent picture! Don't they look yummy?

Surely the recipes must be delicious. Surely.

Where the heck is Mikey when we need him???

Potency Pudding: the Sea Moss Advantage

I know that I've been advocating for homemade puddings, but I think I might have to draw the line at this one:

I like the part about removing discolored pieces. No one wants wrongfully colored moss bits in their parfait dish.

Sea moss must have a gelatinous quality, given that their are no eggs, corn starch, or other thickeners in the pudding.

Here's a delicious looking picture. It does look pretty gelatinous to me.

I wanted to know more about sea moss desserts, and so I Googled it. (Viva la Google!)

This provider's page includes a puzzling comment. It says that when rinsing the moss you shouldn't leave it in water too long or it will lose nutrients. Think about it. The stuff GROWS in water. How could rinsing it remove nutrients?

Another online article says "Most Caribbean men are not afraid to admit that sea moss is one of their secrets to sexual potency and virility."

Apparently there's more to this recipe than meets the eye...

What's for dinner May 31, 2011

Last night's menu included salad, discount strip steaks (surprisingly tender, so I'm guessing the bones remaining in each one contributed to the low price), Hawaiian garlic toast, "Ranch Rings", and sautéed mushrooms and onions.

Dessert was a small handful of chocolate chips, eaten slowly.

I had the quasi-brilliant idea of making lower fat onion rings (aka Ranch Rings) by baking them in a coat of potato chips. Given that nearly a quarter bag of chips was used in the creation of the dish, I'm not sure that the lower fat concept was a success. I ran out of chips and patience before I ran out of sliced onions (hence the mushroom sauté).

Turns out making onion rings is tedious. It's exactly the kind of cooking I dislike.

I sliced the onions in thick rings, powdered them with flour, dredged them in beaten egg, and then pressed crushed onion-and-sour-cream potato chips on them. I think I needed the crumbs to be smaller, because they put up a fight and didn't want to stay on.

Next time--if there IS a next time--I will pulverize the suckers.

Luckily I have only one baking sheet, because by the time it was full, I'd had my fill. I generally don't mind tedious tasks because I go into a zone of semi-consciousness that is rather pleasurable. I'm not sure why coating things for frying doesn't put me there. It must take too much concentration.

Which seems weird.

But into the 400 degree oven they went. After about 20 minutes they came out.

(Apologies for the bad image quality...)

The onion was nicely cooked, and the coating had browned, but unevenly. I should have turned them over sooner than I did.

DiDi thought they were delish. I still held a grudge, so initially gave them an "OK" rating, but they grew on me.

Now I'm thinking of variants, not that I'm eager to enter back into THAT battle. I wonder how they would come out using ranch dressing mix in place of the flour, and regular chips instead of flavored? Possibly too salty?

DiDi's a southern girl. Maybe I could do the mise en place and she could take care of all the dredging.

I'll keep you posted.

There's always room for Prune Jello

Now I've got nothing against prunes. I even rather like them; fresh out of the package, in my friend Nancy's prune cake, or even stewed. This recipe from Meals for Small Families however, does not appeal. Wonder how it went over with the author's family?

Were prunes not the butt of jokes then as they are now?

And more importantly, did Jell-o brand ever offer prune flavored gelatin? If not, why not?

Prune Loaf

1/2 lb. prunes soaked in cider overnight

1 stick of cinnamon

1 tablespoonful sugar

Cook prunes in juice in which they were soaked. Remove pits. Save 1 cup of juice, heat and add the following:

3 tablespoonfuls gelatine

1/2 cup ice water

1 orange (juice)

1 cup chopped almonds

1 orange rind, grated

1 cup prune juice

Add the gelatine--soaked in ice water--to the hot prune juice. When dissolved add the fruit juice, orange rind, and chopped nut meat. Pour into wet mold and chill. When set, unmold and serve with whipped cream. This serves 6.

Not your Grandmother's Orange Jello

There are a few recipes in Meals for Small Families that I really have to try. Take this little gem for example.

Orange Jelly

1 Orange rind (grated)

2 cups sugar

4 oranges (juice) (sic)

6 tablespoons gelatine (sic)

2 cups ice water

2 cups boiling water

Soak the gelatine in the ice water for 5 minutes. Pour the boiling water over the grated orange rind and dissolve the gelatine in this. Add sugar and orange juice. Pour into wet mold and chill. Serve with whipped cream. This serves 8. The jelly will remain fresh 2 to 3 days if kept on ice.

Pineapple Pan Cake (aka upside down cake)

Here's a recipe that my Dad would probably love. Wish he lived closer so that I could have him taste test it!

Pineapple Pan Cake

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 can pineapple

Melt the butter in a skillet, add sugar and cover the bottom with slices of pineapple. Allow this to brown a few minutes; remove from fire and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes so that the fruit may absorb the sugar and butter.

To this mixture add the following batter:

1 cup sugar

2 eggs (separate)

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoonfuls baking powder

Cream sugar and add beaten yolks, fruit juice and the flour sifted with the baking powder, then fold in stiffly beaten whites. Pour this mixture over the pineapple--which has been cooling--and bake (in the frying pan or skillet) in a slow oven about 45 minutes.

Remove from over and let cool about 15 minutes.

Place a large platter on top of pan and turnout cake. In each one of the pineapple holes place a red cherry. Serve with whipped cream.

Canned peaches may be used in place of the pineapple.

This makes 6 portions.