Torte Fruit Cake

Torte Fruit Cake...

From the recipe boxes on display at the Canton Township Historical Museum.

Raisins, white, 3 cups (1 lb.).3
Cherries, candied, chopped 2 cups.
Pineapple, candied, chopped, 1 and 1/2 cups.
Citron, candied, chopped, 1 cup (1/4 lb.).
Orange peel, chopped, 1 cup (1/4 lb.).
Lemon peel, chopped, 1 cup (1/4 lb.).
Angelica (?), chopped, 1/2 cup.
Coconut, 1 and 1/2 cups (1/4 lb.).
Almonds, blanched, chopped, 2 cups.
Flour, all-purpose, 2 and 1/2 cups.
Baking powder, 1 teaspoon.
Salt, 1 teaspoon.
Butter, 1 cup.
Sugar, 1 cup.
Eggs, 3, separated.
Fruit juice, 1 cup.

Wash raisins, dry. Combine the remaining fruit and nutmeats. (?) Flour, measure and sift twice with baking powder and salt. Cream butter, gradually add sugar and continue creaming. Add well-beaten yolks. Alternately add flour mixture with fruit juice. Add fruits and nutmeats. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into 2 buttered loaf pans lined with unglazed paper and butter again. Bake at (?) ° F for 2 hours. Note; wine may be used instead of fruit juice.

Note: This recipe needs revising.

Economical Spice Cake

Economical Spice Cake...

From the recipe boxes on display at the Canton Township Historical Museum.

Brown sugar, 2 cups.
Hot water, 2 cups.
Shortening, 2 tablespoons.
Salt, 1 teaspoon.
Seedless raisins, 1 package.
Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon.
Cloves, 1 teaspoon.
Bread flour, 3 cups.
Soda, 1 teaspoon.

Boil together the sugar, water, shortening, salt, raisins and spices for five minutes. When cold, add the flour and the soda dissolved in a teaspoonful of hot water. This makes two loaves. Bake about 45 minutes in medium oven. This cake will keep moist for some time.

Fruit Cake

Fruit Cake...

From the recipe boxes on display at the Canton Township Historical Museum.

Butter, 1 pound.
Sugar, 1 pound.
Flour, 1 pound.
Eggs, well beaten, 10.
Currants, cleaned, 1 and 1/2 pounds.
Raisins, 1 and 1/2 pounds.
Citron, cut in small pieces, 3/4 pounds.
Walnut meats, coarsely broken, 1 cup.
Nutmeg, 1 teaspoon.
Allspice, 1 teaspoon.
Cloves, 1/2 teaspoon.
Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon.
Mace, 1/2 teaspoon.
Orange, grated rind and juice, 1.
Lemon, grated rind and juice, 1.
Cocoa, 1 tablespoon.
Pineapple, candied, 2 slices.
Cherries, candied, 5.
Almonds, 15.
Brazil, nut meats, 10.

Sift flour, measure, add spices and cocoa and sift together 3 times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually and cream together until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs, mix well. Add grated rinds and juices of lemon and orange. Mix well. Place in greased paper lined pans. Decorate with pineapple, cherries, almonds, and Brazil nuts. Bake at 275° F for 2 and 1/2 to 4 hours, depending upon size of pan used. Remove from pans after cooling and store in closed containers. This cake is better for aging. No leavening needed.

Snow Cake

Snow Cake...

From the recipe boxes on display at the Canton Township Historical Museum.

Shortening, 1/2 cup.
Granulated sugar, 1 cup.
Cold water, 1/2 cup.
Vanilla, 1 teaspoons (or same amount almond extract).
Flour, 2 cups.
Baking powder, 2 teaspoons.
Egg whites, 3.

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add water very slowly while beating constantly. Stir in flour and baking powder which have sifted together twice; add flavoring. Fold in whites of eggs which have been beaten stiff. Bake in 2 buttered cake tins in a moderate oven 18 to 20 minutes. Put together with fresh strawberry icing. To make the strawberry icing place 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup diced strawberries and 1 unbeaten egg white in bowl and beat for 20 minutes, then spread on cake.

Priscilla Plum Pudding

Priscilla Plum Pudding...

From the recipe boxes on display at the Canton Township Historical Museum.

Raisins, seeded, chopped, 1 lb.
Figs, chopped, 1 cup.
Citron, sliced, 1/3 cup.
Preserved chopped ginger, 2 tablespoons.
Raw carrot, grated, 2 - 3 cups.
Suet, finely chopped, 3/4 cup.
White corn syrup, 1/2 cup.
Flour, 1 and 1/4 cups.
Salt, 3/4 teaspoon.
Mixed spices, ground, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons.
Bread crumbs, dry, fine, 1/4 cup.
Sugar, 4 tablespoons.
Eggs, well beaten, 2.
Soda, 1/3 teaspoon.

Mix all ingredients, except dry materials, in the order given. Add salt, soda and spices through a sifter. Blend well, and steam in (greased?), covered pudding mold for 4 hours. Serve with a hard sauce or plum pudding sauce. Chopped watermelon rind may be substituted for the preserved ginger.

(Note: this recipe may need some revising).

Lobster a la Newburg

Photo by Marzk

Lobster a la Newburg...

FROM: The American Pure Food Cook Book and Household Economist (The Marguerite Series, No. 141, Feb. 1899, Subscription Price $ 6.00/year) © 1898, Geo. M. Hill Co., Publisher, Chicago, Il.

Split two good-sized, freshly boiled lobsters. Pick all the meat out from the shell, and cut into one-inch length pieces. Place it in a saucepan on the hot range with one ounce of butter. Season with one pinch of salt and a half salt-spoonful of red pepper, adding two truffles (!) cut into small pieces. Cook for five minutes; then add a wineglassful of Madeira wine. Reduce to one-half, which will take three minutes. Have three egg yolks in a bowl with a half pint of sweet cream, beat well together, and add to it the lobster. Gently shuffle for two minutes longer, or until it thickens well. Pour it into a hot tureen, and serve hot.

Fried Soft-Shelled Crabs

Photo by stu_spivack


FROM: The American Pure Food Cook Book and Household Economist (The Marguerite Series, No. 141, Feb. 1899, Subscription Price $ 6.00/year) © 1898, Geo. M. Hill Co., Publisher, Chicago, Il.

(NOT RECOMMENDED!) Use six good-sized, live, soft-shelled crabs; cleanse and wash them thoroughly, and dip each one in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in bread-crumbs of pulverized crackers, dusting them very lightly. Fry in very hot fat (PLEASE WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES AND SO ON, WATCH FOR SPLASHING AND BE VERY CAREFUL - DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED!) for five minutes, drain, season with one pinch of salt, and serve on a hot dish.

Oyster Omelet

Photo by roboppy

Oyster Omelet...

FROM: The American Pure Food Cook Book and Household Economist (The Marguerite Series, No. 141, Feb. 1899, Subscription Price $ 6.00/year) © 1898, Geo. M. Hill Co., Publisher, Chicago, Il.

Oysters are sometimes regarded as a symbol of misery. Perhaps this is due to the fact that you can acquire hepatitis from eating raw oysters. (A business associate of ours did just that some years ago). So avoid the raw oysters, and perhaps try one of these recipes instead? Once again, no guarantees are offered. But, try to be certain of the source and quality of your oysters. Please verify that they are uncontaminated.

Six eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately; one tablespoonful of cream, one-half teaspoonful of salt, and dust of pepper; a dozen fine oysters broiled. Beat yolks well, adding the cream and corn-starch; stir in the stiffened whites lightly; have ready a teaspoonful of butter in a frying pan, hissing hot, but not browned. Pour in the omelet, and as soon as it sets at the edges, loosen with a knife and shake gently with a uniform motion from side to side, until the center is almost set. The oysters should have been broiled before you began the omelet. To do this, roll them in fine cracker dust, salted and peppered, broil quickly over a clear fire, transfer to a hot dish, put a bit of butter on each, cover, and keep hot while the omelet is cooking. When this is done, line one-half of it, as it lies on the pan, with the oysters, fold the other over dexterously, and reverse the frying pan quickly upon the heated dish in which it is to be served.

Oyster Stuffing

Oyster Stuffing...

FROM: The American Pure Food Cook Book and Household Economist (The Marguerite Series, No. 141, Feb. 1899, Subscription Price $ 6.00/year) © 1898, Geo. M. Hill Co., Publisher, Chicago, Il.

Oysters are sometimes regarded as a symbol of misery. Perhaps this is due to the fact that you can acquire hepatitis from eating raw oysters. (A business associate of ours did just that some years ago). So avoid the raw oysters, and perhaps try one of these recipes instead? Once again, no guarantees are offered. But, try to be certain of the source and quality of your oysters. Please verify that they are uncontaminated.

(NOT RECOMMENDED!) One pint of oysters, one cup of seasoned and buttered cracker crumbs. Put in the oysters, and sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs over the oysters. (Toast, bake or cook as desired).

Oyster Patties

Oyster Patties...

FROM: The American Pure Food Cook Book and Household Economist (The Marguerite Series, No. 141, Feb. 1899, Subscription Price $ 6.00/year) © 1898, Geo. M. Hill Co., Publisher, Chicago, Il.

Oysters are sometimes regarded as a symbol of misery. Perhaps this is due to the fact that you can acquire hepatitis from eating raw oysters. (A business associate of ours did just that some years ago). So avoid the raw oysters, and perhaps try one of these recipes instead? Once again, no guarantees are offered. But, try to be certain of the source and quality of your oysters. Please verify that they are uncontaminated.

Make a rich paste, roll it out one-half inch thick, then turn a teacup down on the paste, and with the point of a sharp penknife, mark the paste lightly round the edge of the cup. Then with the point of the knife make a circle about one-half inch from the edge; cut this circle one-half way through. Place them on tins, and bake in a quick oven. Remove the center and fill with oysters seasoned and warmed over the fire.