Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking Part 10

WALNUT GINGERBREAD

1 cup light brown sugar cup shortening cup black mola.s.ses 1 cup boiling water 3 cups flour 2 tsp. baking soda tsp. ginger tsp. cinnamon tsp. cloves 2 eggs cup chopped black walnuts

Cream the sugar and shortening in a bowl. Add the mola.s.ses and pour the cup of boiling water over it. Mix well. Combine the flour, soda and spices, sift and add to the mola.s.ses mixture, beating well. Add the eggs one at a time and blend thoroughly. Next add the chopped nut meats. Pour into a well greased loaf pan and bake in moderate oven (350-f) for 40 minutes.

APPLE SAUCE CAKE

1 cup light brown sugar cup b.u.t.ter 1 cup apple sauce 1 tsp. soda 2 cups flour 1 tsp. cinnamon tsp. cloves, ground a little nutmeg 1 cup raisins pinch of salt

Cream together b.u.t.ter, sugar and spices. Add apple sauce, flour and soda dissolved in a little warm water. Add the raisins (or currants). Beat thoroughly and pour into a loaf tin. Bake in moderate oven (350-f) for approximately 50 minutes.

ICING

1 cup pulverized sugar, piece of b.u.t.ter size of a walnut. Moisten with a little water and spread over cake.

NUT CAKE

1 cups sugar cup b.u.t.ter 3 eggs, separated 2 cups flour 1 cup nut meats, chopped 2 tsp. baking powder cup milk a little salt

Rub b.u.t.ter and sugar to a light, white cream. Add egg yolks and beat until smooth. Sift flour, salt and baking powder and add, together with milk, a little at a time, beating well. Fold in chopped nuts and stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into 2 nine inch cake pans or 1 loaf pan. Bake in medium oven (350-f) for 30 minutes for layer cake or 1 hour for loaf cake. Use hickory nuts, black walnuts or sh.e.l.lbarks.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Cookies

ANISE COOKIES

6 eggs, separated 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup flour, sifted 3 tsps. anise seed

Beat egg yolks until thick and foamy. Beat egg whites stiff and combine with egg yolks. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix lightly. Sift flour and add to the egg mixture together with the anise seed. Drop from teaspoon on greased cookie sheet, s.p.a.cing about 1 inch apart. Chill in refrigerator over night. Bake in slow oven (300-f) for about 12 minutes.

FRUIT _and_ NUT COOKIES

1 cup shortening 1 cups sugar 3 eggs 3 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. soda 1 tblsp. hot water cup raisins, chopped cup currants, chopped 1 cup nuts, chopped

Cream shortening and sugar, add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Sift flour add salt and cinnamon and sift again. Dissolve the soda in the hot water and add to the creamed mixture. Add half of the sifted dry ingredients mixing well. Fold in the chopped fruit and nuts and the remaining flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly blended. Drop teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart and bake in moderate oven (350-f) for 15 minutes.

CINNAMON WAFFLES (Zimmet waffles)

lb. b.u.t.ter 1 cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 3 eggs flour

Cream the b.u.t.ter and sugar. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time and add cinnamon. Work in enough flour to make a soft dough. Form into small b.a.l.l.s. Place several in a hot waffle iron, suitably s.p.a.ced, press down top and bake. This is an old recipe which the "dutch" brought over from Germany.

MORAVIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

cup shortening 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup mola.s.ses 1 egg 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon cloves teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon soda

Blend shortening, sugar and mola.s.ses. Add beaten egg. Sift dry ingredients and combine. Mix well, roll out and cut in fancy shapes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. When cool decorate with boiled icing.

DUTCH ALMOND COOKIES

1 cup shortening cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs teaspoon vanilla 3 cups flour teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon nutmeg teaspoon soda teaspoon salt cup ground blanched almonds

Cream shortening with white and brown sugar. Add 2 eggs and work in the sifted dry ingredients. Then add the chopped blanched almonds. Shape dough into long rolls. Roll in wax paper and store in cold place for 12 hours. Slice thin and bake in hot oven.

SAND TARTS

2 cups sugar 1 cup b.u.t.ter 4 eggs flour

Work b.u.t.ter and part of the sugar together, then the remainder of the sugar and the eggs should be mixed in. Use flour enough to make very stiff. Roll thin, cut out in small squares, wet top with two eggs beaten, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and chopped almonds. Bake in moderate oven, 10 minutes.

WALNUT KISSES

1 lb. sugar 6 egg whites 3 tablespoons flour 2 cups walnuts chopped

Beat egg whites until stiff and dry. Mix flour and sugar and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Add walnuts and bake in moderate oven, 375 degrees.

WALNUT ROCKS

1 cup b.u.t.ter 1 cups brown sugar 3 eggs, beaten 1 tsp. soda 1 tblsp. hot water 3 cups flour tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon tsp. cloves 1 cups chopped raisins 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream b.u.t.ter and sugar and add the beaten eggs. Dissolve soda in the hot water and add to the creamed mixture. Sift flour, salt and spices twice and add half of it to mixture and mix thoroughly. Combine chopped raisins and nuts with the other half and add to the dough. Mix thoroughly and drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets s.p.a.ced a couple of inches apart. Bake in moderate oven (350-f) for 12 to 15 minutes.

LEBKUCHEN

1 cups flour 1 tblsp. cinnamon tsp. nutmeg tsp. cloves, ground tsp. cream of tartar 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup dark brown sugar ? lb. citron, chopped fine ? lb. almonds, chopped

Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cream of tartar. Mix the sugar and beaten eggs thoroughly. Combine with the flour mixture, add citron and the almonds. Roll out on floured board, inch thick. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake in moderate oven (350-f) for 15 minutes. Cut into squares or diamonds while still warm. Ice thinly with plain white or lemon frosting. This is an old recipe for an oldtime Christmas favorite.