Rediscovering an old recipe is like finding a family heirloom in your attic that you never knew existed before. The excitement of the discovery is equally as fun as uncovering the story behind the found treasure. I’ve been exploring vintage Betty Crocker recipes lately and have found some little treasures with lovely old stories surrounding them. Here are a few I’ve made recently:
This simple egg and gravy dish was a commonly taught dish in home ec classes around the turn of the century. Ladies had to learn how to hard cook an egg, make a white gravy, fold ingredients, slice toast into perfect points, and shred or grate egg yolks making them into a finishing garnish. After learning these standard cooking procedures women would be more ready to take on breakfast for their future families.
Though I must say the dish isn’t typical of what I enjoy for breakfast, the era tale behind it made it just delightful one Saturday morning. I could imagine my great grandmother perfecting all of these little cooking tips and getting excited to jump more into the adventures of cooking. Or maybe she was more like me and preferred something sweet and fruity in the mornings 🙂 Either way, making this recipe inspired me to jump back into my vintage cookbooks for ideas. You can find this recipe on BettyCrocker.com.
Love the idea of vintage recipes!
I love those day-glo colored photos from the old Betty Crocker books as well.
I was so surprised to this recipe. I found it in a vintage cookbook by Meta Givens. At 13 it was one of the first recipes I mastered, many years later I cooked it for my son, it has always been comfort food. It is a gem. I still have the cook book. It had stuff like a prune shake. Tried it, very sweet,!
It’s so fun to hear that someone else has heard of this recipe. I’ll have to try a prune shake.
This looks so great!
It kinda makes me sad that we are no longer taught how to make such dishes. I think HomeEc should be taken by both boys & girls, because so few people know how to cook these days! I guess Food Network is filling the gap and teaching people?
I agree! So many people don’t learn to cook until the leave college and are completely out on their own. I had a girl friend who had never opened a can before leaving college. Crazy!
I love how old-school this recipe is. My father-in-law always talks about eating this as he grew up.
Great writing too, I can totally picture all these future homemakers steadily creating the dish.
I’d eat this dish for sure.
Been meaning to tell you what a great fit you are for this project. I read this post right when it went live but hadn’t left a comment.
Becky, you’re the very first person who has said they’ve heard of the dish!! That’s so fun that your father in law enjoyed it. You’ll have to make if for him sometime! Thanks for the nice words too 🙂
Speaking of vintage recipes, I’m looking for a Finnish cookie which was included in the 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook. The name of the cookie is “Finska Kakor.” It’s a type of sugar cookie, cut in a diamond shape and has chopped almonds sprinkled on top. Thank you for whatever help you can provide. Your site is wonderful.
I haven’t heard of that recipe Judy but if I find out anything I will get back to you!! I love investigating old recipes!
Hello,
I am searching for an old favorite recipe , from my Mothers Betty Crocker book , it was a hardbound issue and barn red in color.
The recipe was called Golden Egg Cake . I grew up enjoying this dessert and would love to find it , once again.
P.S.
My Moms’ book fell apart and many great pages were lost and or misplaced. I only hope you can find this one for me.
Thank you for your efforts !!!
Hi Walt, I will look around and see if I can find anything for you!! Take care, Becky
Walt, I asked the folks at Betty Crocker and they found a cake in Big Red (the barn-red edition cookbook), called an Egg Yolk Sponge Cake, that is indeed classified as a gold cake (thanks for 11 egg yolks!). Does this sound right, do you think? If not, I’ll look into later editions of Big Reds, just let me know! Here’s a link the to Beg Red Cookbook – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764565486/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=14JE9272BPVCQ1NZ60B4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
Walt, I got the wrong link for the cookbook. Here is the correct one – http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Betty-Crocker-Picture-Cook-Book-Red-White-Binder-Early-Edition-Color-/291267302564?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item43d0e254a4
I don’t have a comment on this particular recipe, but I am looking for a specific recipe. It is made with brown sugar and nutmeg. No white cane sugar. It is rolled into a ball like peanut butter cookies, and you put a walnut half pressed into the top. I used to make them, but don’t remember all the ingredients or directions. If you can help me find this recipe, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Hazel, I will be looking for what you’re talking about and get back to you if I find it! Thanks for commenting and I hope I can help soon!
I received a Betty Crocker cook book, good sized, in 1959, it had a recipe for beet borscht i’d love to have that recipe
I can remember some of it but sketchy om some of it, any help ? Thank you
When I took Home Ec almost 50 years ago Eggs ala Goldenrod was one of the first dishes I cooked.
I love hearing stories like that! It was a fun one to make because I felt like I was going back in time!
I am searching for 50 yr old cake recipe. JC Holifield’s chocolate pound cake.It was in my great grand mothers red barn betty Crocker book