Gingerbread Surprise

Everyone loved this c. 1930 gingerbread -- everyone except Jennie, the granddaughter of Mrs. W. L. Honsinger, the recipe's author. Jennie, my personal trainer (I swapped therapy for weight lifting two years ago, best decision ever), recently shared with me a charming book containing the handwritten recipes of her grandmother, a native of rural Vermont. Its pages are filled with old-fashioned treats like icebox cookies and rhubarb wine.

Jennie is a fantastic cook and loves to eat (though you wouldn't know it by looking at her), so I was surprised by her reaction to the gingerbread. She did concede that it had a nice aftertaste.

My other tasters -- the staff at Henry Street Settlement -- devoured the gingerbread in a matter of minutes, while asking, "What's the surprise?" The answer: There is none! (My friend Jay, however, said he was surprised that the piece I brought him was so small.)

This is an unusual gingerbread, dark and moist (dare I say toothsome?). It contains no sweetener other than molasses and is very easy to make.

I neglected to photograph the baking process; it's so simple to put together, requiring but two bowls. When the batter is mixed, pour it into a prepared pan.

Bake until done, and the edges come away from the pan slightly.  The center will sink a bit.

Let it cool a while, then turn out of the pan.  And have a taste, as I did. (Purely for quality control purposes, I assure you.)

Cut it into squares. A serrated knife is best for this task.

All that remained of the baking.

Here's a slice without confectioner's sugar.

Inside the book. I'll be making a few more recipes from this enchanting collection!

The handwritten recipe is below. And my easy-to-follow directions are below that.

Gingerbread Surprise

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease and flour an 8 x 8 inch square pan

1 cup molasses
1/2 cup boiling water
1 egg well beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup melted butter or shortening

In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
Place molasses in a large bowl.
Add the boiling water.
Mix and add the well beaten egg and the dry ingredients.
Mix well.
(Add raisins or nuts if desired.)
Add the butter or shortening and blend well.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake about 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. (I confess that I didn't time this.)
Cool for about 10 minutes and turn out onto a rack.
Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

High Tea Blueberry Scones

At work last week, my colleague Allison (aka a Mennonite in Manhattan) was treated to a high tea birthday party in Henry Street Settlement's historic dining room. There was quite the spread -- fancy teas and finger sandwiches and small cakes. I was asked to bring scones. And so I did, even though they did not come out as lovely as I'd hoped.

The recipe for sour cream scones was in the collection I received recently from Arthur Schwartz. They were full of promise ("These scones are very moist," wrote the recipe's contributor.) I found that the dough was too moist to work with, though the end result was pretty good (if not very pretty). Despite competition from a lot of tempting buffet items, the scones were gone -- everyone liked them!

Start by combining the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.

Add cold butter and process until it's incorporated. The mixture should be crumbly.

Transfer it to a large bowl, and add in the nuts and blueberries (or dried apricots or raisins).

Meantime, mix the egg yolk with the sour cream.

Fold this into the batter.

Now, the "fun" begins. As you can see below, the batter is difficult to work with, i.e., simultaneously too wet and too crumbly.

But I persevered; it was late at night and I hadn't the time nor energy to start over.

I cut the rounds into wedges, brushed the tops with egg white and sprinkled on sugar, said a prayer and popped them in the oven.

Production notes: I followed this recipe exactly as written. This would work better with the apricots or raisins -- I think the blueberries added too much moisture to the batter.

Below is the high tea birthday party. The birthday girl is on the right, smiling at the camera.

 
Pinkies in the air!

Pecan Crunch Pie

 

Can one improve on tradition? Or at least tweak the expected? Yes, we can!

If you're looking for a pecan pie alternate, but still want to give a nod to Thanksgiving tradition, then this Pecan Crunch Pie may be just the ticket. This unusual dessert is a meringue enriched with nuts and graham cracker crumbs, and topped with a layer of whipped cream. It's pretty darn good and contains no butter (if that's your thing). This is a sweet pie (from a vintage Texas family recipe) and quite addicting (even if you've sworn off dessert).

Is this easier than traditional pecan pie? I'd say it's a toss up: It doesn't require making a pie crust, but it does require whipping egg whites.

Start by crushing the graham crackers, which can be done like this, below, or in a food processor.

Chop the nuts. I used pecans but walnuts would also be nice.

Whip the egg whites (use an electric mixer for this), and add in the sugar gradually until the mixture is thick, glossy and holds a peak when the beater is lifted. Be sure your egg whites, the bowl and beaters are completely clean and grease-free; if not, your whites won't whip.

Carefully fold in the graham crackers, nuts and vanilla.

Turn the mixture into a well-greased pie plate. Spread evenly.

Bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown. The meringue will be firm.

After the pie is completely cool, whip heavy cream, with or without adding sugar, and cover the pie entirely. It's better to whip the cream until fairly firm for this pie. Whipping cream is easier if the bowl and beaters are very cold -- just pop them in the fridge or freezer for a while.

The original recipe is below, but because it's difficult to read (a recipe for Impossible Pie is on the reverse), I've written out instructions below.

Pecan Crunch Pie

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease a nine-inch pie pan.

3 egg whites
1/2 t baking powder
1 c white sugar
11 graham crackers crushed
1 c chopped pecans
1 t vanilla extract
1 pt heavy cream

Beat egg whites with baking powder. Slowly add sugar and beat until the mixture is thick and forms a peak when the beater is lifted.

Fold in the graham crackers, pecans and vanilla. The batter will be quite thick.
Spoon into the prepared pie pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool completely.
Whip cream until firm peaks form. You can add in some confectioners sugar if you want the topping sweeter.
Spread evenly over cooled pie.

Mrs. Griffin's Chocolate Pudding

Remember that chocolate pudding your mother used to make? Yeah, this is it, but better, especially if your mother (like mine) made chocolate pudding from a box. Despite being raised on instant pudding, it is still my weak spot. Even when I swear I'm not getting dessert in a restaurant, if any type of pudding is on the menu, my resolve disappears. It is the ultimate comfort food.

This vintage recipe, from a Texas collection I recently purchased, uses not only milk, but also eggs and butter to enrich the pudding. Mrs. Griffin's children were mighty lucky to have this as an after-school snack. It's smooth and delicious. It is pretty easy to prepare (even though I screwed it up the first time -- details below.)

To do it right, combine the dry ingredients -- flour, sugar and cocoa -- in a saucepan.

Blend them together first (I didn't) and add the milk.

Add in the tempered egg mixture (instructions below), cook until thick and then add in the butter.

If you fail to temper the eggs as I did on my first try, you can still save the pudding by putting it through a sieve.  Those solid bits below are scrambled eggs -- something you definitely don't want in chocolate pudding!

My first attempt, and the subsequent "save the pudding" attempt, albeit successful,left quite a mess.

Production notes: Because the recipe is so vague, and to save you the fate I faced the first time I made it, I've written out more detailed instructions.

Mrs. Griffin's Chocolate Pudding

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 c. whole milk
4 Tbs. butter
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla

In a two-quart saucepan, combine sugar, flour and cocoa.  Add 1 1/2 cups milk and cook until slightly thickened, stirring almost continuously.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add 1/2 cup milk.
When the cooked mixture has thickened, slowly add it to the egg mixture, whisking all the while. (This is tempering, i.e., bringing the eggs to temperature, so as not to have scrambled eggs in your pudding.)
Pour this back into the saucepan and cook until a bit thicker.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
Pour through a sieve (to ensure there are no lumps) and into a bowl, ramekins or whatever and place in the refrigerator for at least four hours. If you don't want a skin on your pudding, place plastic wrap directly on the surface.
Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. And enjoy a taste of your childhood.

Gold Rush Brownies

I made these the other night for several reasons, chief among them their ease of preparation (one bowl! five ingredients!) and their intriguing name. Gold Rush Brownies conjure images of get rich quick, hidden treasures and the like. But for me, it was also a reminder of a fabulous -- as in get thee there immediately -- exhibition at the New-York Historical Society called Chinese American: Inclusion/Exclusion. For while many people flocked to California after 1848 to search for gold, a large number of Chinese immigrants were among them. (There's a whole lotta intriguing history that followed, but this is a baking blog. I urge everyone to see the exhibit, especially if you like your well-researched history presented with the engaging bells-and-whistles of sophisticated video installations and more.)

The Gold Rush Brownies recipe is from a Texas family's collection, purchased recently on eBay. The recipe itself originally appeared on a can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk in 1951.  (My local bodega carries Magnolia brand.) It's as easy as it is sweet and the brownies are even better the second day.

Below are all the ingredients required. Notice the lack of butter and eggs.

Place the chocolate, pecans and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl. You can crush the graham crackers in a food processor or sealed plastic bag, using a rolling pin or wine bottle.

Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and combine.

The batter will be sticky!

Spoon into a greased (or parchment-lined) 8 x 8 inch pan. You can use a spatula, spoon or knife to spread the thick batter evenly. I put on non-latex gloves and used my hands.

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Remove from the pan and cut into squares.

Production notes: I followed this exactly, except baked it for closer to 35 minutes.