January 10, 1955 Good Beef Stew, Tapioca Cream Pudding, Applesauce Bran Cookies

Good Beef Stew

1 pound boneless beef
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. paprika
2 T. shortening
1 c. water
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t. Kitchen Bouquet
1 T. ketchup
4 medium potatoes, pared and cut into pieces
4 medium onions, peeled
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
1/2 c. sliced celery

Cut meat into 4 - 6 pieces. Roll in blended salt, pepper, paprika and flour to coat each piece. Brown meat in shortening in heavy kettle. (If you do this in your deep fat fryer use a temperature of 375 degrees.) Add water and seasonings. Cover and simmer about 2 hours. Add prepared vegetables. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve piping hot. Serves 3 to 4.

Trudy's Tips

• Cuts suitable for stewing: Beef shoulder (chuck), Beef round (the less tender part of the round is often sold for stew. It is boneless, lean and fine flavored.) Neck beef needs longer cooking to make it tender, delicious flavor. Shank beef, this is coarse meat with considerable connective tissue. It is, however, lean and flavorful, it needs long cooking time to make it tender. Buy cuts without too much bone.
• In making stew, a good rule to follow is to allow 1 pound of boneless meat for 4 servings.
• Remember, stew is good reheated, make a double recipe and make a repeat appearence in a new form, for example, reheat in a casserole, top with rounds of biscuit dough. You may sprinkle shredded cheese and paprika over the biscuits. Bake in a hot oven 400 degrees 20 minutes until biscuits are brown.

Tapioca Cream Pudding

1 egg yolk
2 c. milk
3 T. quick cooking tapioca
3 T. sugar
1/8 t. salt
1 egg white
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Mix egg yolk with 2 T. of the milk. Place remaining milk in saucepan, add tapioca, sugar and salt. Heat slowly to boiling. Add egg yolk and cook until mixture thickens slightly, stirring frequently. Beat egg white until stiff, add sugar and beat until egg white holds a stiff peak. Pour hot mixture over beaten egg white. The hotter the tapioca mixture and the faster it is blended in the thicker the custard will be. Add vanilla. Cool. Stir once after 15 or 20 minutes.

Trudy's Tip: Serve topped with orange sections. Serves 4.

Applesauce Bran Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 t.salt
1 t. cinnemon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cloves
1 t. soda
1 c. sweetened applesauce
1 c. seedless raisins
1 c. All-Bran

Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Sift flour with salt and spices. Add soda to applesauce and combine well. Add applesauce mixture and dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix well. Add raisins and All-Bran last. Drop by teaspoonfuls on well greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

January 4, 1955 Basic Cookery Lesson No. 1 Muffins Quick muffins

Today and every Tuesday for a time, I thought we might have some lessons in BASIC COOKERY. Let me know how you like this idea. Lesson One today is on muffins.

EVERY MONTH.............IS MUFFIN MONTH

Quick muffins

2 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. milk
1/3 c. Planter Peanut Oil

Combine dry ingredients in sifter and sift into a bowl. Make a well and add remaining ingredients. Stir only enough to dampen flour -- you WANT a lumpy batter. Fill greased muffin pans only 2/3 full. Bake in hot oven (400 F.) about 30 minutes.

YOUR MUFFIN CALENDAR

JANUARY: SWISS CHEESE MUFFINS. Mix 1 c. grated cheese with dry ingredients. Sprinlke tops with a few shavings of coarsely grated cheese.

FEBRUARY: BACON MUFFINS. Add 1/3 c. crushed bacon bits (cooked, drained and crushed).

MARCH: PINEAPPLE MUFFINS: Add 3/4 c. crushed, drained pineapple when stirring in milk.

APRIL: DATE MUFFINS.  Add 2/3 c. chopped dates, maybe a few nuts.

MAY: CHERRY MUFFINS. Add 1 c. pitted, chopped cherries. Increase sugar by 2 T. Fresh cherries may be used in May. Frozen or canned cherries may be used. Frozen cherries must me thawed. Frozen or canned cherries, well drained.

JUNE: BLACKBERRY MUFFINS. Increase sugar by 2 T. Sprinkle berries with 3 T. flour, just before filling muffin tins. Use 3/4 c. berries.

JULY: BLACKBERRY MUFFINS. Increase sugar to 1/2 c. for blueberry muffins are always sweet. Sprinkle 3/4 c. berries with 3 T. flour, stir in just before filling muffin tins.

AUGUST: BING CHERRIES. Seed, chop. Sprinkle with 3 T. flour. Add last. Use 3/4 c. chopped cherries.

SEPTEMBER: PEACHES, ripe this month. Peel, seed and chop, enough to make 2/3 c. Stir in with milk.

OCTOBER: CRANBERRY MUFFINS. Double sugar, add 1/2 c. whole fresh berries.

NOVEMBER: PECAN MUFFINS. Double sugar, add 2/3 c. chopped nuts. Sprinkle sugar and more nuts on top of muffins before baking. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon when they come out of oven.

DECEMBER: SALAMI MUFFINS.  Tear 3 thin slices of salami into dime sized bits. Add to muffin batter. Result? A pleasant surprise in a month where all surprises are good ones.

A Very Special Muffin Recipe -- Good

2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. soda
1 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. bran
2 eggs well beaten
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. melted shortening
4 c. thinly sliced ripe bananas (6 to 8)

Sift together flour, soda, salt and sugar. Add bran and mix well. Combine eggs, milk, shortening and bananas. Add to dry ingredients, mixing only enough to dampen the flour. Turn into well greased muffin pans. Bake at 375 degrees 30 to 35 minutes. Makes 16 large muffins.

Trudy's Tips:

1. Never over beat muffin batter, it makes tough muffins.
2. Remove muffins from pans immediately after baking.
3. Always serve muffins PIPING HOT.
4. If you bake muffins in advance you may pop them into the oven for 5 minutes before serving.
5. If you have a home freezer, bake muffins, cool, wrap in aluminum foil. When needed, place in oven frozen for about 30 minutes. They taste like freshly baked ones. Do not remove foil while heating.