Potato Pan-Burger

June 20, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 5 Comments

A Recipe from Pillsbury’s 13th Grand National Bake-Off Cookbook (1962)

About the Recipe

I have never in my life bought potato flakes – until this recipe came along. And I’ll admit, I’m kind of blown away by them. One minute you have these weird flakes in a box… BAM! Mashed potatoes. Life changing.

This is a great recipe, especially for a crowd. It’s like a busy person’s shepherd’s pie. I can see this being a kid-pleaser for sure with all of the meat and butter and potato-y goodness. It was super simple to make. The thing that took the longest was adding the potatoes a tablespoon at a time, but worth the effort to get something that kind of looked like a bun when it was spooned up.

My only adjustment to this is to maybe play with the spices a little bit, or have some common condiments on hand for a “make-your-own pan-burger” buffet.

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

The recipes seem to be getting better and better as we come up into the ’60’s. We’re still using butter and full fat milk, and the time saving substitutions haven’t moved too far into processed food yet. My favorite thing on this one is the absolutely gorgeous full color photos of the grand prize winners.

Really just stunning. And the little illustrations to go along with them are to die for. I can tell already that this is one I’ll come back to over and over again.

About the glassware

My husband found this Pyrex Snowflake Casserole dish at a flea market, where it had come straight from an estate sale. It was an absolute steal when I got it, barely used, in perfect condition. I have the lid that goes along with it, which I’ll make sure to feature in the future. It’s my husband’s favorite color (which I’m sure is why he grabbed it) and it’s such a great size for all of these big family-sized dishes.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c flour
1 T catsup
3/4 c beef broth
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c sour cream

Potato Puff Topping:
1 1/2 c water
1/4 c butter
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 c milk
2 c potato flakes
2 eggs
1 c flour
2 t baking powder

Directions:

Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet, stirring occasionally. Drain. Blend in flour and catsup. Add beef broth, salt, and pepper. Cook until thick, stirring constantly.

Stir in cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Reheat, and if your skillet measures less than 2 1/2 quarts, transfer filling to a 2 1/2 quart casserole or two 1 1/2 quart casseroles.

Make the potato puff topping. Drop the topping by rounded teaspoonfuls to cover the filling. Bake at 425* for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Potato Puff Topping:
Heat water, butter, and salt to boiling in saucepan. Remove from heat. Add milk. Stir in potato flakes. When flakes are soft and moist, whip lightly with fork.

Add 2 unbeaten eggs, beating well after each. Stir in flour and baking powder. Beat well.

Sesame Peanut Drops

June 18, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Pillsbury’s BEST 11th Grand National Bake-Off Cookbook (1960)

About the Recipe

Who doesn’t love a peanut butter cookie? And this one is super nutty and delicious with the sesame seeds. YUM! I used crunchy, natural peanut butter for a really savory result. If you like a more crunchy cookie, give it a smash with the fork. If you’re into something more chewy, use a drop method and just leave it be. Either way, these are sure to please any peanut lover’s palate.

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

Another book that was gifted to me, this one had so many great recipes that it was difficult to choose just one! I’m trying for some variety though, so we landed on the cookies. That said, this is for sure one I’ll revisit when all is said and done.

About the glassware

This little Butterprint bowl is one of my favorites! It’s the perfect size for a bowl of cereal or soup, and I use it like that often. One of the few pleasures of being quarantined at the moment is getting to use that bowl on a regular basis. And it wasn’t too shabby for displaying the cookies either!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sesame seed
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Directions:

Toast sesame seeds at 375*F for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Cream together shortening and peanut butter. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar, creaming well. Blend in half of the dry ingredients, then the eggs, then remaining dry ingredients; mix well. Add vanilla and sesame seed.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. If desired, flatten with fork, criss cross fashion. Bake at 375*F for 10-12 minutes.

Berry Pie

June 14, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Praise for the Cook (1959)

About the Recipe

Okay, so technically this is berry pie and not specifically strawberry pie. The good news is, that means I have plenty of opportunity to make it again this summer as different berries come into season. The better news is that – oh my goodness, this pie is amazing. I’ve included the recipe for the fail-proof Crisco Crust below as well so that you can make the whole thing from scratch. It’s well worth the extra effort.

This recipe is part of the Strawberry Season collection.

About the Book

Praise for the Cook was released in 1959 by the Proctor and Gamble company specifically to promote the use of Crisco. I found this little gem hiding on a shelf in my favorite antiques barn, and it’s been in regular rotation.

Keep the recipe for this crust and use it liberally. It’s so easy to make and spot on when it comes to the bake… just like most other things in this handy booklet.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

3 cups drained canned berries OR 4 cups fresh fruit
2/3 cup berry juice or water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 t salt
4 T flour OR 3 T minute tapioca

Crisco Pastry for 9″ double crust:
2 cups sifted enriched flour
1 t salt
3/4 c Crisco
4 T water

Directions:

Combine berries and juice in saucepan and bring to boil. Stir in sugar, salt, and flour. Cook over low heat until thickened. Cool while making pastry. Line 9″ pie plate with bottom crust and pour in filling. Place top crust over filling, trim and seal. Prick to allow for escape of steam. Bake in hot oven, 400*, about 30 minutes or until crust is nicely browned.

Crisco Pastry for 9″ double crust:
Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in Crisco with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is uniform. Sprinkle water over the mixture, a tablespoon at a time, tossing lightly with a fork. When all water has been added and mixed, work dough into a firm ball with the hands.

Strawberry Shortcake

June 13, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from How to get the most out of your new Deluxe Sunbeam Mixmaster (1957)

About the Recipe

Confession time – I’ve never made strawberry shortcake from scratch before. Growing up, we used to get strawberries, whipped cream from a can, and those little yellow mini sponges that tasted just a little bit like actual yellow sponges. I don’t mean any offense to my parents, because as a kid it was great – but oh my goodness is this cake delicious.

It’s really a very savory cake until you decide how much sugar you really want in it. The shortcake itself is very crumbly and savory, and I used minimal sugar to coat the berries and even less in my whipped cream. The result is a light, fluffy cake that had the whole table going back for seconds.

This recipe is part of the Strawberry Season collection.

About the Book

Brand name booklets are my favorite. That said, this one is so so specific to this particular Sunbeam mixer. There’s a certain amount of know-how that you have to bring to the table for these recipes… unless of course you have the actual mixer. That said, it’s a great little booklet so far, and the photographs and illustrations are so fun. Can’t wait to dip into it again!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 c sifted all-purpose flour
3 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 egg
1/3 c plus 1 T milk
2 pts. strawberries, crushed and sweetened
1/2 pt. heavy cream, chilled

Directions:

Clean strawberries, mash lightly, sweeten. Save a few pretty ones for garnish. Set oven at 450*F to preheat. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into large Mixmaster bowl. Add shortening. Put egg into small Mixmaster bowl. Beat on No. 12 speed 1/4 min. Add milk. Remove from Mixer. Blend shortening and flour on No. 1 speed until like cornmeal, then add milk mixture. Beat only until blended. Pat dough into greased 9″ layer pan. Bake about 15 min. or until browned. Split shortcake, brush with melted butter. Put strawberries between and on top. Pile on the whipped cream or pass the cream pitcher. Garnish with whole berries.

Can also be baked as individual – pat dough out on floured surface, cut with 3″ cutter, put on cookie sheet. Bake 12 min.

Strawberry Jam

June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook (1950)

About the Recipe

This is a delightfully simple strawberry jam recipe. It’s a little bit on the sweet side for me, but other than that, sheer perfection. Put it on a little bit of fresh or crusty bread and you’ve got a breakfast fit for a king!

This recipe is part of the Strawberry Season collection.

About the Book

This was actually the first vintage cookbook in my collection. It’s still my go-to and favorite. I am the third person to own it, having met the second person at the yard sale from which I bought it. I love this book so much. There are several editions, this one is from 1950.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

3 cups large firm berries
3 cups sugar

Directions:

Wash strawberries carefully, hull and measure. Crush berries in large kettle. Heat slowly to boiling, stirring constantly. Add sugar and continue cooking rapidly until mixture gives sheeting test for jelly or spoon leaves a mark across the center of pan. Pour into sterile glasses and seal. Makes about 3 (6-ounce) glasses.

Gourmet Spinach

June 12, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 1 Comment

A Recipe from Quick Dishes for the Woman in a Hurry (1955)

About the Recipe

This is a delightful creamed spinach recipe, and as it says a truly quick dish. A friend of mine compared it (much to my delight) to the creamed spinach at Peter Luger’s. While I’m not that talented in the kitchen, this was a lovely way to eat spinach.

One quick note – really really drain that spinach. I didn’t drain it enough and the end result was a little liquid-y for my taste. But the flavor was good, and I’ll make it again, especially given as quick and easy as it was.

About the Book

I happened upon this book in a set called Cooking Magic released by the Culinary Arts Institute at a flea market here in High Falls. The set I have includes several booklets, clearly lovingly collected over time. While the recipes themselves can be a challenge, I’ve not yet had one that’s turned out poorly.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 lb. spinach
1/4 cup cream
2 T butter or margarine
1 T minced onion
1 t prepared horse-radish
1/2 t salt
1/4 t monosodium glutamate
1/8 t pepper

Directions:

Remove stems, roots, and bruised leaves from spinach. Wash thoroughly by lifting up and down in cold water. Lift leaves out of water each time. When free from sand and gritty material, place spinach in heavy saucepan. Cook in a partially covered pan with only the water which clings to the leaves after final washing for 8-10 minutes.

Drain cooked spinach and chop. Return spinach to saucepan. Add cream, butter, onion and horse-radish, and the mixture of the salt, monosodium glutamate, and pepper, and stir to blend. Return to heat; cook until heated thoroughly.

Olive Cheese Nuggets

June 11, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from 100 Grand National Recipes Collected for You at Pillsbury’s Best 8th Grand National (1957)

About the Recipe

Quick confession – I love weird recipes. And this one falls into the “this is very odd, but it just might be delicious” category. The cheese crust is so tender and yummy. And it provides the perfect wrap for the olives (I used ones stuffed with pimentos, but trying different stuffings would work well).

A few quick notes if you give this one a try – the dough wraps around the olives way better if you take some time to really work it with your hands and give it a few kneads. I chose to put them in the oven right away, however if given the option I would definitely make these ahead of time and refrigerate them before the bake. If nothing else, it gives the butter time to reconstitute, so that you end up with even more flake when it comes out of the oven.

All in all, this was actually a really fun recipe, and a total hit at the socially distanced barbecue!

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

This book was a gift from a very generous fellow member of a cookbook group I belong to. Every day I marvel at these humans all around the world who preserve and enjoy these old books and recipes. We come from all walks of life, but really do come together over food, and it’s just so amazing.

Of note on this one – there was one male senior contestant and four teenage boy contestants! The recipes they entered with were a little outside of what I was looking for this time around, but I’ll circle back and try them in the future.

About the glassware

Spring Blossom is my favorite Pyrex pattern, and this little guy came from my mother. She got it as a gift, and when she saw my passion for the old glassware growing she decided to gift it, along with two others to me. It’s a little odd, but it hold memories of crab dip and steamed greenbeans and late night dinners and snacks. Thanks, mom!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup soft butter
3/4 cup flour
1/8 t salt
1/2 t paprika
medium sized stuffed green olives

Directions:

Blend together cheddar cheese and butter in mixing bowl. Sift together flour, salt and paprika into cheese-butter mixture. Mix together to form a dough. Shape around olives, using about a teaspoonful of dough for each olive. Place on ungreased baking sheet.**

Bake in moderately hot oven (400*F) 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Cranberry Whirl Ham Dinner

June 7, 2020June 7, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Pillsbury’s 7th Grand National Cookbook (1956)

About the Recipe

At first glance, this is a very complicated recipe. But then, if you start getting into the 1950’s of it all, it’s not so bad. And let me tell you, I quarantine cooking / 1950’s post war’d the heck out of this thing! I used canned everything and it was freakin’ delicious. 10/10 will make again.

This recipe is like Christmas dinner in a casserole. To Mrs. Frank J. Neeley of New York, NY – you are a mad casserole genius. The biscuit came out perfectly flaky and tender, and with all of the juices and flavors bubbling up around it as it baked, they absorbed some of that flavor. Sheer perfection.

If you’re looking for a yummy, tender biscuit this might just be the one to try. It’s going in the “experiment with me” bank for sure.

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

This was the other Pillsbury book from the wonderful Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks in the East Village, Manhattan. There’s absolutely nothing that can replace a good, independent book seller and cookbook enthusiast. The more I speak to these fantastic humans, the more my passion for cooking out of the old books grows.

One note of interest on this one – Pillsbury starts going through a bit of an identity crisis with what to call the contest itself. This is the first year that they’ve shortened it to “Grand National.”

About the glassware

This 2.5 quart Pyrex Butterfly Gold casserole dish came to me from a friend as part of a set. The dishes belonged to their grandmother and you can feel all of the love that’s been baked into them over the years.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 No. 2 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks or tidbits
3 c (2 lb.) cubed cooked ham
2 c sliced cooked sweet potato (canned or 4 medium potatoes)
1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t ground cloves
2 T butter

Cranberry Whirl Biscuits:
3/4 c fresh cranberries, ground or chopped fine
3 T sugar
1 T + 1 1/2 c flour, divided
3 t double-acting baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/3 c Crisco
1 beaten egg
1/3 c milk

Directions:

Drain the pineapple, reserving juice. Measure 1 cup pineapple; add ham. Prepare the sweet potatoes if not canned. Alternate layers of the ham-pineapple mixture and sweet potato in greased 2-quart casserole, starting with the ham mixture.

Combine brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in medium saucepan. Add 1 cup of the reserved pineapple juice and butter. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Pour over mixture in casserole.

Bake in moderately hot oven (400*F) 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare Cranberry Whirl Biscuits.

Cranberry Whirl Biscuits:
Combine cranberries, sugar, and 1 T of the flour. Set aside.

Sift together remaining flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in Crisco thoroughly until particles are fine. Add egg and milk. Stir until dough clings together in a ball. Knead lightly 10 strokes on floured pastry cloth or board.

Roll out to a 12″-square. Spread with the cranberry mixture. Roll as for jelly roll. Cut into 1 1/4″ slices; arrange cut side down on hot mixture in casserole. Bake 25-30 minutes at 400*F until biscuits are golden brown.

Peach Sour Cream Coffee Cake

June 6, 2020April 15, 2022 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Grandma Jones’ recipe box

About the Recipe

I visited my grandma recently, along with my husband and my dad. She let me go through her recipe box, and when she pulled this recipe out she said, “This one is very old… and very good.” So good in fact, that she had it written down on 3 different scraps of paper stuffed in the box!

I had no choice but to make it for dessert that night. As I banged around my grandma’s kitchen, I could see her struggling with letting me do it alone. Eventually she just sat and watched, but every now and again a little tip or trick would pop out of her mouth.

When my dad saw it coming out of the oven, he said – “OH! Is that the peach cake? It’s very old, and very good.” And so it is.

For more of my family recipes, click here!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cinnamon & sugar
1 large can of peaches, drained

Directions:

Mix the sour cream and the baking soda. Set aside and let bubble.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add 2 eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.

Sift together flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture & sour cream mixture alternatively.

Butter square cake pan (9×9). Put half of batter in pan, sprinkle 2/3 cinnamon mixture on top, then add rest of batter, peaches on top of that and rest of cinnamon & sugar. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350*

Banana Luncheon Bread

June 6, 2020June 7, 2020 by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from 100 Prize-Winning Recipes from Pillsbury’s 2nd Grand National $100,000 Recipe and Baking Contest (1951)

About the Recipe

Okay – I know the last thing everyone needs at this point is yet *another* banana bread recipe, but hear me out! For the 2nd Grand National Contest, Pillsbury allowed junior contestants for the first time. So when I selected a recipe, it had to be a junior winner.

To top it off – this is actually really superb banana bread recipe. Even though it’s on the more complicated side of the quick breads equation, it’s extremely forgiving. A little too much banana? No problem. A little too much baking powder? It’ll do fine. A little longer than necessary in the mixer? You’ll still get a nice, crumbly quick bread.

The long, slow baking time allows for some of that give and take. It also makes the entire house smell so yummy that you can hardly wait to take it out of the oven. Sorry, junior winner Gracy Zeppenfield – we cut it before it cooled!

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

As my grandmother would say – the best laid plans never seem to work out. This book came to me slightly later than the rest of the books in the challenge, so we’re going a little bit out of order here. I’m sure you’ll forgive me.

This book came from the wonderful Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks in the East Village, Manhattan. To keep curious cooks busy during the pandemic, she’s doing mystery boxes that she’s shipping all over the country. I was fortunate enough to have this gem hidden inside.

As an early book, there a tons of basics in this one, including obviously the banana bread. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend it!

About the glassware

This Fire King Anchor Hocking loaf pan came from an antiques mall in North Caroline where I was visiting a friend. It’s one of many little treasures that I grabbed that day and every time I use it I think of day. The pattern is Meadow Green, I believe from the 1970’s. Certainly the avocado hue seems to fit that time.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 t double-acting baking powder
1/2 t soda
1 t salt
1/2 c shortening
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 c chopped nuts

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.

Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually, creaming well.

Blend in 2 eggs, one at a time. Beat well.

Add mashed banana. Mix well.

Blend in sifted dry ingredients. Fold in chopped nuts.

Pour into greased 9x5x3-inch pan. Push batter up into corners of pan, leaving the center slightly hollowed. For well-rounded loaf, allow to stand 20 minutes before baking.

Bake in moderate oven (350* F) 60-70 minutes. Cool thoroughly before slicing.