Roasted Pepper Soup

Broth
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 leek top, washed and chopped
1/2 t dried marjoram
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 t whole black pepper
3 whole allspice
1 whole clove
1/2 t salt
1 qt water

Pepper mixture
4 medium to large green or red peppers
1 dried chipotle pepper
1 shallot, sliced
1 leek root, trimmed, clean, sliced lengthwise, and coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 - 8 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 T sugar
2 T cider or white vinegar
2 T tomato paste

Broth

1. In a soup pot, saute the onion on medium heat in 1 T olive oil until the onion is quite brown.
2. Add the celery, carrot, and leek top. Cook until the vegetables are soft, stirring the mixture often.
3. Add the spices and the water, and simmer over low heat for a half hour or more.
4. Strain the broth, and discard the solids. Set aside

Pepper Mixture

1. While the broth is simmering, wash the green pepper and lay on a broiling rack. Roast the peppers under the broiler, turning them as the skin chars. When the you have finished roasting them, put them in a paper bag and close it tightly, then set aside.
2. In a small dish, cover the chipotle pepper with boiling water, and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat, and saute the shallot, leek root, and celery just until the vegetables are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the potato and garlic.
4. While the vegetables continue to cook, in a small saucepan, cover the tomatillos with cold water, bring to a boil, and cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes. Drain the tomatillos and add to the vegetables.
5. While the tomatillos are cooking, remove the skin and seeds from the green peppers. Coarsely chop them and add to the sauteed vegetables.
6. Reserve the liquid from the chipotle pepper, finely chop the pepper, and add it to the vegetables.
7. Simmer for the vegetables for another three or four minutes until the peppers are well heated.
8. Add the pepper mixture to the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, and reserved liquid from the chipotle pepper.
9. turn the heat to low, and simmer the mixture for thirty minutes, or until the peppers are very soft.
10. In four or five batches, puree the soup in a food processor. Return the soup to a soup pot, and heat to serving temperature.

Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and chopped cilantro. This soup is very thick. It can also be served as a cooked salsa with tortilla chips.

7-Can Chili

3 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 T chili powder
2 t cumin seed
1 t dried oregano
1 stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
1/4 c raisins
1-15 oz can white beans
1-15 oz can black beans
1-15 oz can kidney beans
1-15 oz can red beans
1-8 oz can corn
2-14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 pt chicken stock
1 lb ground turkey

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, carrots and peppers, and cook over medium heat until the onions are browned and soft (stir often). Add the garlic and cook an additional one or two minutes.

Add the spices (except the cloves, allspice, and cinnamon stick) to the vegetables, mix well, and cook over low heat for another couple minutes. Put the cloves and allspice in a tea ball, and add to the pot.

Add the cinnamon stick, raisins, beans, corn, tomatoes, and chicken stock. Stir well. Raise the heat to medium, and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.

In the skillet, heat 1 T olive oil, and brown the turkey. Season with salt, if desired. Add the turkey to the chili, and continue to simmer the soup over very low heat for at least a couple of hours. Stir every so often.

This chili tastes better the next day, but you probably won't be able to resist the temptation to eat it immediately.

Happy's Chicken Barbeque

4 large chicken thighs, skinned and boned
1 onion, chopped
olive oil
1 c red wine
salt
pepper
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 t oregano
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T barbeque sauce
1 T ketchup

Heat the olive oil in an iron skillet on medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until brown and carmelized. Remove from the skillet.

Add some more olive oil to the skillet, and raise the heat to medium-high. Place the thighs, skinned side down in the skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. Brown the meat each side for three or four minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the meat from the skillet. Put the skillet back on the heat, and deglaze with the wine. Add the onions and the meat back to the skillet. Add the crushed garlic. Sprinkle in the oregano. Turn the heat to very low, cover the skillet tightly, and cook very slowly for an hour or so, adding more liquid if necessary (but not too much!).

Set the skillet off the heat, and remove the meat from the skillet. Use a couple of forks to shred the thighs. Return the meat to skillet. Add the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, and barbeque sauce. Simmer for 15 or 20 minutes on low heat. Serve on hamburger buns, or any other way you like your barbeque.

Date No-Bake Cookies

2 c graham cracker crumbs
2-1/2 c small marshmallows
1 c chopped dates
1/2 c chopped nuts
1 can Eagle brand condensed milk

Mix well and form into small balls and roll in Angel flake coconut.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2-1/4 c flour
1/2 t soda
1 t salt
1 c shortening
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 t vanilla
1 c chopped nuts
1 c chocolate chips

Sift flour, soda, and salt together. Cream shortening, brown and granulated sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat thoroughly. Add sifted dry ingredients. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake in moderate oven (350°F) about 10 minutes.

Soft Sugar Cookies

5 c flour
2 c sugar
1 c sour cream
1 c shortening
1 t soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t salt
4 eggs

Mix as little as possible. Chill. Roll out. Bake at 400°F.

Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 c shortening
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c milk
2 c oats
2 c flour
3/4 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 c raisins

Mix in order given. Drop by teaspoonfuls on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.

Note: Cost of ingredients approximates 7¢ per dozen cookies (1944).

English Cookies

2 c brown sugar
1 c shortening
1 t baking powder
1 t soda
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 c cold coffee
2 eggs
3 c flour
2 c raisins
1/2 c chopped nuts

Sift together dry ingredients. Mix in the other ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased pan. Bake in a medium oven (350°F) for 10 minutes.

Toffee

Norma Dobler

1 c butter
1 c sugar
3 T water

Boil rapidly 10 minutes on high.

Add 1 t vanilla. Pour into two 9-inch pie pans. As soon as slightly set on surface, place 1-1/2 Hershey bars on each. Spread to cover surface, cool, and break into pieces. ou can spread surface with chopped nuts.

Note: This recipe was from my mother's best friend, Norma Dobler. This was always a Christmas treat, and we often received a box of toffee from the Doblers.

Uncooked Fudge

4-1/2 c sugar
1 can evaporated milk

Boil five minutes. Remove from heat and add:

3 large (5 oz) Hershey bars
2 packages chocolate chips
1 pint marshmallow creme

Add quickly to sugar mixture, stir, pour out into pan.

Peanut Brittle

2 c sugar
1 c light corn syrup
1 lb unroasted peanuts
1 t vanilla
1 t water
1 t soda
1/4 t salt

Combine sugar and syrup in heavy skillet, stir until sugar dissolves. Heat slowly to boiling, stiring constantly. Cook to hard crack stage (290°F). Add peanuts and continue cooking until peanuts are a light tan color, stirring constantly - about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla, water, and soda. Stir slightly. Pour into well-greased pan or platter.

Chocolate Waffles

1 c sugar
1/2 c butter
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 c chopped walnuts
1-1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
2 squares chocolate, melted

Mix in order given. Drop by tablespoon, one in each section of a waffle iron. Bake three minutes. Do not substitute shortening for butter.

Note: These were a special dessert when we were kids. Mom served them with whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Fudge

4 c sugar
1/2 lb butter
1 large can evaporated milk
1/8 t salt
14 oz chocolate chips
1 pint marshmallow creme
1 t vanilla

Cook to a soft but firm ball, stirring most of the time. When it has reached the right consistenc, add the chocolate chips and the marshmallow creme. Beat until cool, and add the vanilla. Optionally add nuts, raisins, coconut, or peanut butter.

Fudge Squares

3/4 c sifted cake flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1/3 c shortening
2 oz (squares) chocolate
1 c sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1 t vanilla

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Melt shortening with chocolate. Beat sugar into eggs, add chocolate mixture and blend. Add sifted ingredients, nuts, and vanilla, and mix well. Bake in a greased 8"x8" pan in a moderate oven (350°F) about 35 minutes

Cool and cut into squares. Makes about two dozen

Date Nut Balls

2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c white sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c dates, chopped fine
1-1/3 c corn flakes
1-1/3 c rice krispies
1 c walnuts

Cook eggs, sugars, vanilla, and dates about 6 minutes, stirring all the time. Stir in corn flakes, rice krispies, and walnuts. Form in balls and roll in powdered sugar or chopped nuts.

Yummy Balls

1 c butter
6 round T sugar
2 c flour
2 c nuts
2 t vanilla

Shape in round, small balls. Cook in slow oven 325° 20 - 30 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar. Keep in cool place. Keeps for months.

Divinity Fudge

2-1/2 c sugar
1/2 c corn syrup
2 egg whites
1/2 c water
1 t vanilla
3/4 c chopped walnuts

Cook sugar, syrup, and water until it spins a thread. Slowly pour 1/2 mixture on egg whites which have been beaten stiff. Cook other half until it will form a hard ball in cold water. Add this to other half of mixture. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and nuts and stir in thoroughly.

Caramels

2 c sugar
1-1/2 corn syrup
1 c butter
2 c cream or evaporated milk
2 t vanilla
1 c nuts

Put sugar, syrup, and butter and 1 c cream on stove, stirring constantly. When it boils stir in second cup of cream. Continue stirring. When it forms a brittle ball in water, take from stove and beat at once until thick. Add nuts and vanilla, and pour into greased pan. When solid turn out of pan and cut with a sawing motion.

For chocolate caramels add 2 squares chocolate at the first.

Meringue

3 or 4 large egg whites, beaten stiff (including a pinch of salt)

Fold in:
1 c sifted sugar
10 small soda crackers crushed very fine
1 t baking powder
1/2 c chopped nut meats
1 t vanilla

Bake for 30 minutes in ungreased pie pan at 335°.

Oatmeal Cake

Add 1 c quick oats to 1-1/3 c boiling water. Set aside.

Cream:
1/2 c shortening
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 eggs

Mix together:
1-1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon.

Mix the dry ingredients with the creamed shortening mixture. Stir in the oatmeal. Bake in greased 9-inch pans at 350°.

Frosting:
1 stick margarine
1 c brown sugar
2 T condensed milk

Boil 1 minute. Add 1/2 c nuts and 1/2 c coconut. Mix well, pour on hot cake, and brown under the broiler.

Walnut Meringue Torte

I'm sure that my Mother never made this recipe, at least never made it after I was born.

3 egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar
32 California walnut halves
2 c heavy cream
1 to 2 pt of slightly soft butter pecan ice cream

Day before:

1. On two pieces of wax paper draw a 9-inch circle; place each on a greased cookie sheet. Heat oven to 300°.

2. In a medium bowl, with mixer at high speed beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. With mixer at low speed, beat in 1 c sugar, 2 T at a time. Beat at high speed until very stiff and glossy.

3. With half meringue mixture in decorating bag and pastry tube no. 5, make a ring around inner ring of one of the circles. Then top entire circle quickly with parallel lines of meringue in one direction, then three more, crisscrossing them.

Repeat step 3 on the remaining circle. Bake both meringue rings in the same oven for 30 minutes or until light brown, exchanging lower sheet for upper in 15 minutes. When done, peel wax paper from meringues at once on cake rack.

5. In small skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 c sugar until it forms a golden syrup. Drop walnuts a few at a time, into syrup, coating all sides. With fork, place 2 walnut halves together.

Next day, about 15 minutes before serving:

1. Whip cream until stiff. On large cake plate, spread a thin layer of cream in same circle as meringue. Place one of the rings on the whipped cream.

2. Now spoon ice cream evenly over meringue. Then top with second ring. With some remaining whipped cream, in decorating bag with pastry tube no. 5, fill each of the 16 holes in lattice pattern with a mound; top each with a glazed walnut.

3. With rest of whipped cream make rosettes around sides. Serves 12

Substitute raspberry sherbet for butter pecan ice cream, and fresh raspberries for glazed walnuts.

Coffee Cake

2 c flour
1/2 t salt
4 t baking powder
2 T sugar
1/2 c milk
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c shortening
1 egg

Mix as you would for biscuits. Pat dough into pan (8 x 8) and top with:
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
2 T butter

Bake in hot (400°) oven.

Chocolate Angel Food

11 egg whites
2/3 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1-1/2 c sugar
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 t cream of tartar
1 t vanilla

Beat whites, before stiff add salt and cream of tartar. Add sifted sugar and baking powder. Add flour and cocoa which are sifted together. Vanilla. Bake as other angel food cakes.

Note: Beware of the pitfalls of this recipe. Usually the flour is folded into the whites in angel food recipes. This looks like an interesting cake, though - chocolate angel food?

Applesauce Fruit Cake

Boil 5 minutes, stir, cool:
3 c applesauce
1 c shortening
2 c sugar

1 lb dates
1 lb raisins
1 lb nuts
1/4 lb candied cherries
1/4 lb candied pineapple
1/4 lb citron
4-1/2 c sifted flour
4 t soda
1 t nutmeg
2-1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1 t salt

Line 4-1lb coffee cans with waxed paper. Mix fruit and nuts. Sift together flour, soda and spices over fruit, mixing until each piece of fruit is coated. Stir in cooled applesauce mixture. Turn into cans. Bake at 250° for 2 hours. When cakes are brown as desired, cover with brown paper. Remove cakes from pans. Store in moisture proof wrapping in a cool place or freeze.

Glaze for Fruit Cake

1 c sugar
1/2 c corn syrup
1/2 c water

Boil to soft ball (230°). Cool slightly. Spread on cakes. While moist arrange garnish of candied fruits and nuts. Makes enough glaze for 3 fruit cakes.

Light Fruit Cake

Mrs. Mildred McIlvaine

1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1/2 c honey
3 c flour
1/4 t soda
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c milk
1 c apricot jam
1 c coconut, chopped
1 jar fruit mix
grated rind 1 orange
grated rind 1 lemon
4 eggs, separated
1 c white raisins, chopped
1/2 c citron, chopped
1 c candied cherries
1/2 c candied pineapple
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c almonds
1/2 c cherry juice
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c orange juice

Cream shortening and egg yolks. Add sugar, gradually, then honey and jam. Beat well.

Sift 2 c flour with soda, baking powder, and salt. Use remaining c of flour to flour fruits and nuts.

Add the sifted flour alternately with milk to the creamed shortening mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in the coconut and grated rinds.

Whip egg whites until they hold shape, almost stiff, and fold in. Stir in flour fruits and nuts.

Bake in slow oven (300°) for 1-1/2 hours. This will make 3 small cakes or 2 large ones.

Pour fruit juice over dake while still warm.

We made this fruitcake many times over the years. This is mother's version of Mrs. McIlvaine's recipe. You can tell it's a popular recipe, because the card is spattered with many years of cake batter.

Orange Jello Angel Cake Dessert

Lois Skoog

1 package orange jello. Add 1 c boiling water, juice of 1 lemon, and 1 c orange juice. Allow mixture to thicken in refrigerator (about 25 minutes). Whip. Whip 1 c of cream, fold this whipped cream with the whipped jello. Pour over 1 large angel food cake broken in pieces. Add 2 c small marshmallows. Top with whipped cream (and a cherry, if desird). Will serve 12 to 15. 9" x 13" pan. (It took my jello a lot longer to jell than this said.)

Francis Records Fresh Apple Cake

This probably came from Alura Dodd, with her suggested changes to the recipe.

Mix liquids:
1-1/2 c sugar
1/2 c oil
2 t vanilla
2 eggs beaten

Mix dry ingredients:
2 c flour
2 t soda
2 t cinnamon
4 c diced apples
1 c nuts

Mix wet and dry ingredients. Mix will be lumpy and dry looking. Bake 1 hour 325 - 350° in a buttered glass baking dish.

Alura's changes included: use raw sugar instead of white sugar. Add 1/2 c water to the liquids. Use whole wheat instead of regular flour. Substitute 1 T baking powder for the soda. Add 1/2 c powdered milk to the dry ingredients.

Spicy Applesauce Cake

1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 c light corn syrup
2 well beaten eggs
2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 c raisins
1/2 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t allspice
1/2 t cloves
1 c thick, unsweetened applesauce
1 T grated orange peel
1 t baking powder
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar. Gradually add corn syrup. Beat thoroughly. Add eggs. Beat well. Stir in sifted dry ingredients alternately with applesauce. Mix just until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake in greased 8 x 12 inch pan in moderate over 350° about 60 minutes.

Applesauce Cake

1-1/2 c applesauce
1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 c nut meats
1 c raisins
1 t cloves
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
2 c flour
2 t soda in 1/4 c boiling water

Chocolate Applesauce Cake

2/3 c butter
2 c sugar
4 egg yolks
3/4 c cold applesauce
1/2 c milk
2-1/2 c cake flour
3 t baking powder
1 t cloves
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t allspice
4 T cocoa
1 t vanilla
2/3 c raisins
1/2 c nut meats
4 egg whites

Cream butter; add sugar; add egg yolks & applesauce. Beat until smooth, then add milk alternately with cake flour, which should be sifted 4-5 times with baking powder, cocoa, and spices. Add vanilla, raisins, and nuts. Fold in whites. Turn into greased layered cake tins and bake in moderate overn for 40 minutes.