November 14, 1955 Turkey Talk, Quick Raisin Buns, Plum Pudding

This week on Home Cooking we are devoting most of our time to Thanksgiving ideas. We want all of our friends to have recipes and instructions in time to be of some value and help. Thanksgiving this year will be celebrated at the McNalls on Sunday. It will be a triple celebration -- Thanksgiving, my sister's birthday, our 14th wedding anniversary. Dinner will be for 13. Lucky.

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Tomato Juice      Crackers
Roast Turkey      Pilgrim Father's Dressing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans Almondine      Squash
Assorted Relishes, Celery
Icicle Pickles, Watermelon Rind
Cranberry Sauce      Giblet Gravey
Raisin Buns 
Perfect Pumpkin Pie - Eleanor's Birthday Cake
Coffee

Turkey Talk

How to Buy: Weights: 4 to 25 pounds ready to cook weight:

• Hen Turkeys: 8 to 15 pounds. The broad breasted turkey yields a large proportion of white meat. Excellent for smaller families.
• Tom Turkeys: 13 to 25 pounds ready to cook weight. Excellent for larger groups.

You should understand two terms when buying turkeys:(1) Ready to cook. (2) Dressed (formerly called New York or Market Dressed.) Ready to cook means the whole turkey is fully drawn and ready for cooking. Because of its convenience and quality, this style is rapidly gaining favor. Dressed means turkey, bled and feather dressed but with head, feet and viscera intact.

How Much To Buy: Determine number of servings (not number of persons) remember that a person may eat more than one serving. Allow about 3/4 pound of ready to cook turkey per serving. (Larger turkeys will yield slightly more meat in proportion to the bone.) The number of servings depends on the quality of the turkey, proper cooking and carving skills. Plan on second servings and leftovers. A 12-pound turkey can be used to serve 8 people with leftovers. For 12 to 14 people I will buy a 16 to 20 pound turkey.

Remember when buying a ready to cook turkey that all of it goes to the table. When buying a "dressed" turkey you must allow for a 15% loss in weight due to removal of head, feet, and entrails. BUY EARLY. Buy frozen turkey and store in freezer. Frozen turkeys will thaw 2 to 3 days in refrigerator -- will thaw in a day at room temperature (editor's note: please don't thaw at room temperature). Store fresh turkey in refrigerator, loosely wrapped in aluminum foil, waxed paper or parchment. Cook within 2 or 3 days.

Do you have a freezer?  You can prepare much of the dinner and freeze. For my Thanksgiving dinner the following can be prepared and frozen: Squash, Raisin Buns, Eleanor's Birthday Cake. Cranberry sauce can be made anytime and stored in refrigerator.

Quick Raisin Buns

2 packages yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
3 1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. shortening
1 t. grated orange rind
1 egg
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. seedless raisins

Soften yeast in warm water. Add half the flour, sugar, shortening, orange rind, egg, cinnamon and salt. Mix well until blended. Add remaining flour with raisins. Stir until flour disappears. Cover bowl and let dough rise until double in bulk (30 to 40 minutes). Stir batter down. 


An Extra Dessert

Plum Pudding

1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. mace or nutmeg
2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. ground suet
3/4 lb. seeded raisins
3/4 lb. seedless raisins cut in pieces
1/4 lb. mixed candied peel
4 eggs, well beaten
1 c. molasses

Sift flour, cinnamon, mace and salt. Add bread crumbs, sugar, suet and fruit. Combine eggs and molasses. Combine liquid and dry ingredients and stir just enough to thoroughly mix. Grease individual molds or large mold, fill 2/3 full. Cover tightly with mold cover or tie 2 thicknesses of heavy waxed paper. Steam 3 or 4 hours depending on the size of the mold. Test pudding with cake tester or toothpick to make certain it is cooked through. To steam place pudding on a rack in a pan with about 2" of water. Keep water boiling at all times, adding additional water when necessary. Serve warm with Hard Sauce. Allow to cool thoroughly before storing in covered container. Will kep several months. To reheat warm in the same manner as it was steamed for about 3/4 hour.

Note: 1 c. warm brandy may be poured over the hot pudding and ignighted just before you take the pudding to the table.

Hard Sauce: Cream 1/3 c. butter with 1 c. confectioners sugar and 1 t. vanilla.