Tag: Better Homes & Gardens

Brownie Pudding

Brownie Pudding

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Dessert Cook Book (1960)

About the Recipe

My friend Antonella had a birthday last week. As such, she had a (Covid responsible) birthday party yesterday. I asked two questions: Hot or cold? Fruit or chocolate? Her answer: Hot, and chocolate! So, I dove into my favorite dessert cookbook and BEHOLD! Brownie Pudding.

Now I know, it kind of looks like poop on a plate. That happens with chocolate dishes sometimes. But with that out of the way, holy crow is this a delicious dessert. It’s kind of like a sponge cake on top and that wonderful, gooey Jello chocolate pudding (not the instant, the one you actually have to cook) from childhood. Just check out Antonella’s very enthusiastic first taste:

And all in all, this wasn’t that hard to make. There are a lot of parts and pieces to the ingredients, so read the recipe carefully. But from there, go forth and enjoy, because this one’s a winner.

About the book

The Better Homes & Gardens series of cookbooks was, and continues to be, one of the best. The recipes are designed for the home cook, and I’m not sure that I’ve had one so far that hasn’t turned out fantastically. This dessert cook book is a particular favorite. On top of the winning recipes, the illustrations and tone of the book always make me smile.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted enriched flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T cocoa
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup milk
2 T salad oil
1 t vanilla
3/4 to 1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups hot water

Directions:

Sift together first five ingredients. Add milk, salad oil, vanilla; mix smooth. Add nuts. Pour into greased 8x8x2-inch pan. Mix brown sugar, and 1/4 cup coca; sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over entire batter. Bake at 350*F about 45 minutes.

Perfect Potato Salad

Perfect Potato Salad

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Salad Book (1958)

About the Recipe

When friends are coming over for a beach picnic, what do you do? You make potato salad, of course! I went to this book right away looking for a recipe, knowing that it was one of my grandma’s go-to’s. When I saw the 3x math on the page, I knew this one had to be a winner!

My husband doesn’t like celery, so I left it out. The onions and pickles give it plenty of crunch and flavor, and in the end it’s exactly as described – a perfect potato salad.

For potato salad newbies (like me!), don’t miss the step by step instructions on how to cook the perfect potato for a salad.

About the Glassware

I found the cradle and the Fire King rectangular baking dish together at a vintage store just outside of Palm Springs on a recent visit. It’s not clear on whether they might have been originally purchased together or not. Many sets like this seem to have a clear dish instead of an opaque one. Either way, it’s a great little serving piece, and I can’t resist the opportunity to make potato salad look fancy.

About the Book

I went to visit my grandma this past weekend, who is getting ready to move out of the house that she’s lived in for… well a very long time. It’s no secret to anyone following my posts that she’s a big inspiration for a lot of the work I do on this blog. While I was there, she told me to take the cookbooks. Any of them that I wanted, including this Salad Book. I cried.

This book is so clearly well loved and well used. There’s a page covered in plastic wrap, because a recipe was used so often, she was trying to keep the splatter off it (a Caesar salad, for the record!). There are splotches on most, if not all of the pages. The edges are torn. I could not love this book more.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cubed or sliced cooked potatoes
1 t sugar
1 t vinegar
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced celery (if desired)
1/4 cup sliced sweet pickle (if desired)
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t celery seed
3/4 c mayonnaise
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

Directions:

Sprinkle potatoes with sugar and vinegar. Add onion, celery, pickle, seasonings, and mayonnaise; toss to blend. Carefully “fold in” egg slices. Chill. Serve in lettuce-lined bowl. Trim with egg slices.

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water, peel and cube — they’re salad-ready

1. Scrub potatoes thoroughly with a firm vegetable brush. Choose potatoes of equal size so all will get done at the same time.

2. Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water. Begin fork testing after 25 minutes of cooking. When just tender, remove from heat and drain. Shake in pan over low heat to dry.

3. Peel potatoes while hot, holding on long fork or on paper towel. Salad secret: Mix salad with warm potatoes — they absorb seasonings.

4. Halve potatoes lengthwise. With flat side down on cutting board, slice each potato half in 3/4-inch strips. Then cut it crosswise to make bite-size cubes.

Eggs, Eiffel Tower

Eggs, Eiffel Tower

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 6 Comments

A Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Lunches and Brunches (1963)

About the Recipe

If you’ve been reading my blog for any period of time, you probably know by now how much I love an overcomplicated but delicious breakfast / egg dish. Here’s another one to enjoy!

When I was looking at the recipe on paper, my first thought was that it sounded like a croque Madame – egg, ham, cheese, bread. Simple! But it’s clearly more complicated than that – and the flavor profile you get out of it is more complex as well. It tastes kind of like a quiche Lorraine or an egg hash when all is said and done. The texture is really lovely and surprising. It’s a very light, fluffy dish and everything just comes together when you dig in with a fork.

I used a rustic French sandwich bread for the toast, and a sharp cheddar cheese. This is a recipe that would also be really easy to substitute in other kinds of cheeses and meats with success. Just make sure that your meat can be broken up or speared easily as it gets buried in the ramekin. And of course, if you want a true Parisian taste to go on, go with the deviled ham and some good gruyere.

About the Book

These little Better Homes & Gardens books are such great resources in a kitchen. In the case of this one, you simply pick the lunch or brunch that you’re planning for and there’s a menu ready to go! I’ll go into more details the next time I post on it. For right now, just to give you the flavor of the book, here’s some of the contents:

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

4 rusks or slices dry toast
1 4.5 oz can deviled ham
3/4 cup shredded process cheese
6 egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar
10 drops bottled hot pepper sauce
Dash salt
1 t prepared mustard
6 egg yolks

Directions:

Cut rusks or toast in rounds to fit in bottom of 4 ramekins or 6-oz custard cups. Butter each rusk; spread with 1 T deviled ham, place in ramekin and sprinkle with 1 T cheese.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, hot pepper sauce, and salt till soft peaks form. Place on top of cheese in each ramekin. Top with egg yolks (place 2 egg yolks in 2 of the ramekins). Dot layer with bits of deviled ham (about 1/2 T on each) and sprinkle with 1 T cheese. Top with egg-white mixture.

Repeat layers of ham, cheese, and egg white, building up a peak of egg white mixture. (See picture, above)

Bake in slow oven (325*F) about 30 minutes, or till golden and yolks are of desired doneness. Makes 4 servings.