2 pounds firm, ripe raspberries
2 pounds sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Rinse the fruit and place in a large saucepan, add the lemon juice and simmer until the fruit is soft and pulpy. Add the sugar and boil for about 3 minutes.
Test the jam after this time by lifting a little out of the pot with a wooden spoon; if a blob of jelly forms the jam has reached settign point. This recipe should make about 3 jars.
Carrots
Clean and trim ends. Boil them two hours; they are very nice in soup or broth. Cut them in slices lengthwise, or dress them as potato fricassee, or serve plain.
Squash Pie
To a quart of boiled milk put a pint of strained squash, two cups of sugar, four eggs, a little salt, ginger or nutmeg to the taste, and a small piece of butter melted in the hot milk. To mix it, pour the milk over the strained squash, then add the salt and suagr, then the spice and lastly the, the eggs, which should be well beaten.Two or three eggs and a pounded cracker may be used.Bake with a bottom crust only.
Roly Poly
1 c sugar
1/3 c butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tblsp flour
Make a rich biscuit dough. Spread with a favorite fruit or jam. Roll up, jelly roll style. cover with above mixture. Bake until done. Serve with cream of favorite sauce.
Rich Cream Biscuits
2 c flour
3 tblsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tblsp butter
3/4 c heavy cream
Sift together in wooden mixing bowl flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with fork or finger tips. Mixture should resemble coarse corn meal. LAstly stir in cream, again using fork. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Knead for about 30 seconds. Longer kneading will ruin the bisuits. The roll out to 1/2 inch thick sheet. Cut with floured biscuit cutter or appropriate size upside down drinking glass. Bake in a very quick oven (450°F) for 12 to 15 minutes. Yields 12 to 16 biscuits.
Note: If using this recipe for the Roly Poly, bake according to the Roly Poly directions... John...
Flaming Plum Pudding
One pound of beef suet chopped fine
one pound of stale bread soaked in a pint of hot milk
one pound of flour
one teaspoonful of salt
two teaspoonfuls of baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
6 eggs beaten very lightly
one pound washed seeded raisins
one pound of currants, (floured)
1/4 pound each of citron
mixed lemon and orange peels
blanched almonds
one ground nutmeg
one teaspoonful each of cinnamon and cloves
one cup spiced syrup
1/2 cup rum or bourbon whiskey, heated before serving
Mix together with one cup milk and pour into cloth that has been scalded and sprinkled with flour. Tie the cloth into a ball, leaving room for the pudding to swell; boil for 6 hours adding water as it boils out of kettle. This recipe makes enough for three medium size puddings. English plum pudding can be kept in good condition for months.
Pour the hot rum or whiskey around the pudding. Either ignite it in the kitchen and rapidly bring it forth, or flame it at the table.
Spiced Syrup
1 c maple-flavored syrup
2 tblsp margarine or butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice or nutmeg
In a small saucepan combine syrup, margarine or butter, cinnamon, and allspice or nutmeg. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat; boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat; beat with a wire whisk until well combined. Serve warm. Cover and refrigerate remaining syrup for up to 1 week. Makes 1 cup.
Eggnog
Beat the yolks of six eggs to a froth, with a half pound of sugar; then add half a pint of rum (brandy or whiskey), the whites of six eggs beaten to a froth, and three pints of cream whipped into a froth. Serve immediately.
Spiced Nuts
1 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tblsp milk
Cook to a soft ball stage.
3 c mixed nuts
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix with sugar mixture.
Turn nuts onto a waxed paper to cool.
Seperate the nuts and serve.
Hand Lotion
1 egg yolk
3 tblsp glycerin
3 tblsp lemon juice
In a small saucepan, mix all together. Cook over low heat until thickened. Do not boil. Cool and place in a jar. Use regularly as hand lotion and skin softener.
Pioneer women were very clever in finding ingredients for their cooking. They rarely had sugar because it was to expensive, so they used honey or molasses. If they had none of these, they would make pumpkin sugar, which was more of a syrup than a sugar. It was used in making cakes, pies, cookies, etc.
Cut a hole in the top of a ripe pumpkin. Take out all the seeds, pith and stringy parts through the hole. Set the pumpkin outside for several frosty nights. A liquid will rise inside of the pumpkin. Boil the liquid until it is syrupy and sweet.
Pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin were washed off. While still damp salt them on both sides. Put them in a thin layer in a shallow pan and place in a slow oven until they turn white and then a light tan. With your teeth, take the outside hard layer off the seed and eat them like nuts. This is a real pioneer treat.
Pioneer Hardtack
Hardtack is an old-fashioned flatbread or sea biscuit that was popular with pioneers and sailors because it was lightweight, compact, tasty, and stored well. And it is just as delicious today and handy, too, for hiking, backpacking, or snacking. Here is a recipe for hardtack
4 c flour (white, whole wheat, graham, rye, barley, or any combination of flours you like)
1 c rolled oats
1/2 c shortening
2 c sweet milk (or cream)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Measure into large bowl.
Mix well and form dough into a ball, then divide dough and roll out a small portion (about the size of a tennis ball) at a time.
Roll dough on lightly floured surface as thin as you can. The thinner you roll it, the better the hardtack will taste.
Sprinkle rolled-out dough lightly with salt if you wish, cut to any shape desired, and place pieces close together on greased shallow pan.
Bake in rather quick oven (400°F) until edges begin to brown. Remove cookie sheet from oven, turn hardtack over, and bake until it is crisp and dry and lightly browned.
As soon as the hardtack is baked, put on rack to cool. Store hardtack in airtight container, and it will stay fresh as long as it is kept dry.
This pioneer hardtack is delicious served plain or with jam, peanut butter, cheese, meat spreads, or whatever you like. Try seasoning the crackers by adding onion powder, cheese, barbecue sauce, bacon bits, herbs, or spices to the dough.
