Seriously, I am looking through my vintage cookbooks more and more these days, especially those published around the time of the Depression through World War II. Those women had to feed their families on limited funds and limited ingredients. More and more, as grocery prices seem to swing out of control I find that these old recipes work great for me.

I was skeptical about this rice tart. It seemed a little weird to me but I had several cups of left-over rice that needed to be used up and it seemed a good way to do it. Since it was leftovers there was not much to lose on this one.

I made pate sucre for the crust.  I was afraid that the tart would not be sweet enough. A lot of vintage recipes use much less sugar, palates were more refined and less glotted with high fructose corn syrup back then so you will find you often need to add a little more sugar for today’s tastes. I needn’t have worried. It was plenty sweet, although not overly so. I liked this, and so did the family. The thing I had to get past was the texture of rice…I am not a big fan of rice pudding because of texture issues.

This tastes a lot like an egg nog flavored rice custard. The meringue would not stiffen…the day was a bit too humid and the house was a bit too hot..and then I was talking while I was using the torch to brown the meringue quickly..so it isn’t beautiful.

If you like rice pudding you will probably like this a lot. It is a great way to get rid of leftover rice. Use what you have..I had brown rice and jasmine white so I mixed them. It was fine. I also used a ten inch pie plate for this.

Pate Sucre

• 2 1/3 cups  pastry flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

1. In a food processor  combine the flour and sugar.
2. Add the butter and process until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of the cream.
4. Pour  it in the food processor and process until a ball begins to form.
5. Use the other tablespoon of cream if necessary.
6. Remove the dough from the machine, and on a lightly floured surface, press down into a circle.
7. Wrap  and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
8. Roll and fit into pie plate.
9. Prick with fork and bake at 350F until done – about 15 to 20 minutes.

Rice Custard Filling

• 3 cups of cooked rice
• 3 cups of whole milk
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup rum (or 1/2 tsp rum flavor)
• Freshly grated nutmeg

1. Heat the milk,  rice, flour, salt and sugar stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
2. Spoon a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, beating well until the temperatures of the milk mixture and the eggs are about the same.
3. Pour the yolks into the milk mixture simmer for about three minutes.. stir constantly.
4. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup unsalted butter.
5. Stir in the vanilla and the rum and pour into the baked crust.
6. Grate nutmeg over the top.
7. Chill overnight.
8. You can use the egg whites to make a meringue or top with whipped cream.

serves 8-10

images-Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I love raisin bread. I love it toasted and buttered, or just plain. I love it as the bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches. It has an old fashioned goodness that is just fantastic.

Seriously, If you have never tried chicken or turkey salad sandwiches on raisin bread you should. It is awesome. It has to be the good chicken salad though. Chicken breast, pecans, mayo, celery, and grapes. Mmmm.

Anyway.  Raisin bread is fairly easy to make. Normally I don;t put cinnamon and sugar in the middle of it because I want it for sandwiches and so don’t want it to be too sweet. You can, however, put a layer of butter, cinnamon and sugar on it before shaping into a loaf for the Pepperidge Farm type of cinnamon bread.

Yesterday I was making bread and decided to knead in a couple of cups of raisins to one section so that we would have raisin bread for breakfast this morning. It is pretty much gone I think.  Big hit, huh?

You can use this to make all three loaves, or only knead the raisins into part of it.  You can use white, whole wheat or a combination of flours, add nuts, sunflower seeds, or other dried fruits. You can just let it rise once or you can allow it a traditional processing, and let it rise twice.  I told you.  This one is a keeper.

Raisin Sandwich Bread 

Makes 2 Loaves

2 pkgs yeast

1/4 c warm water

1 c milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter

1/3 c sugar or honey

up to 6 cups flour

1 1/2 c raisins

Scald milk. Pour over salt, sugar, and butter and let cool.

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add to milk mixture with 2 1/2 c flour.  Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Beat in raisins and then add flour 1/2 c at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Knead for about 8 minutes or until elastic and smooth.  You can shape into loaves at this point or allow to rise until doubled for a more delicately textured product.

If you have allowed  it to rise: Punch down and shape into loaves.

Place loaves in greased loaf pans.  Rub tops with melted butter.

Allow to rise until the tops are just over the loaf pans.  Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes in pans, turn out and allow to cool before slicing.

Images: Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

I have looked at these a number of times in one of my vintage cookbooks and just passed over them..They seemed too simple, too average, too mediocre. A little flour, a few eggs..some butter…yadda yadda yadda.

But something whispered to me the other morning and I thought that I would. I mean, why not? So what if they were mediocre. Some families eat cheerios every morning, surely mine could limp along on mediocrity in the form of a muffin, right?

So I shrugged, made them…and was amazed. Because there was absolutely nothing mediocre about these. They were delicately sweet with a very tender crumb..buttery and cinnamon-y.

SO see? You can’t judge a recipe by it’s ingredients. Sometimes the synergy of the ingredients creates a magic that is totally unexpected.

French Breakfast Puffs

• 1/3 c butter
• 1 c sugar (divided use)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/ 2 c milk
• 1/3 c melted butter
• 2 tsp cinnamon. I used a mixture of three different types from Penzeys and it was awesome.

Preheat oven to 375. Put the silicone liners in the muffin cups

Beat butter, 1/2 c sugar, and egg until light.

Sift dry ingredients together. Add alternately with the milk to the butter mixture.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes.

Immediately remove from muffin cups and dip in melted butter. Roll in mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Serve warm.

Makes 12

Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

  This morning I decided to treat everyone to doughnuts. I used my normal recipe with some adjustments and these were really good. The kids said they tasted like that candy, Circus Peanuts, but I don’t think so.    Do you spell it donut or doughnut? Both are correct but I am seeing the first spelling more and more! Donut,doughnut…as long as they taste great who cares?

  The only trick to making really good doughnuts is a clean oil, temp 375F, and a dough that is so soft it is nearly, but not quite, impossible to work. Oh! And cut straight through the dough, twisting deflates it some even though it is not yeast risen.

 Banana Cake Doughnuts

      about 3 dozen plus doughnut holes (or donut holes if you are making donuts)

4 eggs beaten

2/3 c sugar

1/3 c buttermilk

1/3 c butter-melted

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp banana flavor (Frontier does a good one)

3 1/2 c flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg (FRESHLY GRATED!!!)

Combine eggs and sugar, beat until smooth and light. Add  buttermilk, cooled butter, vanilla, and banana flavor.  Sift dry ingredients. Add egg mixture and beat until smooth. Chill ( don’t chill the dough…it does make it MUCH easier to work. I just never have time)

  Roll out about 1/3 inch thick. cut with floured cutter. Let stand about 10 minutes.

   While waiting make icing:

1 c confectioners

1/4 c butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp banana

mix thoroughly and ad a little buttermilk to thin if needed or add more confectioners to thicken.

Drop doughnuts in 375 oil. Fry only a couple at a time. I have a large fryer and I do 4-5 at a time.  Turn when one side is golden.  Fry until done. Drain and place on absorbant surface (this is how I recycle my brown paper bags..) Glaze while still warm.

Post from: Baking Delights

Post from: Baking Delights

  This is a bar cookie that I really don’t see much anymore. It is wonderful…close to the candy bar in flavor AND would be perfect for the Blog Bake Sale. You ARE doing that right? You HAVE gotten involved?

  Good. I knew you would.

Oh Henry! Bars

4 c oats

1/2 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c melted unsalted butter

6 oz chocolate chips

1 c peanut butter (crunchy is best)

Preheat oven to 350

Grease 13 x 9 ” pan. Mix oats, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl. Pour melted butter over and mix well. Press into pan firmly and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool.

  Melt chocolate and peanut butter together stirring to blend. Spread over cooled cookie base. Chill 1 hour…IF you can wait that long. Cut into 2 dozen bars.

I have computer at home again AND that means that as soon as I get my photo program loaded I can do pictures again…YAY!!!!!!!

 Seriously, do try to remember about the Nation wide bake sale..It is such an excellent cause.

Post from: Baking Delights

3/4 c shortening
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1/4 c water
1 tsp vanilla
1 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 c uncooked Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

Beat shortening, both sugars, egg, water, and vanilla together until creamy.
Stir in dry ingredients except the oats. Mix well.
Stir in oats and optional ingredients if you are using them
Drop by tsp on greased cookie sheet or silpat
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Do NOT overbake.
Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to cool completely.
Yield:5 dozen cookies unless you picked at the raw dough…If so, you are on your own.

Now…in the summer my mom used to make ice cream sandwiches with oatmeal cookies and some vanilla ice cream. If you are going that route then make the cookies bigger.

Post from: Baking Delights