Vintage: Raspberry Tapioca Sunset

My niece found this refreshing dessert in her Great Grandmother's recipe book from 1938, Miss Dine About Town, Marvelous Meals with Minute Tapioca.

You can find the Raspberry Tapioca Sunset recipe on page 18, under Matinee Luncheon in Miss Dine About Town, Marvelous Meals with Minute Tapioca.

Its has only six ingredients plus water.

It calls for Sugar, Tapioca, Salt, heavy whipping cream, Lemon juice, and water. 

And Fresh Raspberries!

You add the fresh crushed berries and lemon juice to the hot tapioca mixture after it comes to a boil.  

Once it cools down you pour the mixture about 1/3 in to each of your serving dishes and Chill. Saving the remainder of the mixture to fold in your whipped cream and chill. Once chilled you add the tapioca and whipped cream mixture on top and top with whipped cream and garnish with some fresh raspberries.  

I picked up these cute mini cups and spoons at my local dollar store. 

Bottom layer is the raspberry tapioca, next is the raspberry, whipped cream tapioca, topped with fresh whipped cream and berries!

This vintage recipe is a refreshing, not-too-sweet dessert you're going to love. 

I would serve this for Easter, Mother's Day or even a spring brunch.

Don't discard those old recipe books without checking them out. I overlooked the black and white photo (yes, I eat with my eyes) my niece pointed it out  while going through her great grandmother's books.  

Let me know if you have this vintage cookbook in your family cooking library. 

Have you tried any of these vintage treasures? 

Maggie

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What's old is new again - Mother's Day treat

 While going through family boxes, I came across my grandmother's 1937 Royal Cookbook. Within these well-loved pages were notes from my grandmother. Reading them was like I was in her kitchen again. 

  

So, with Mothers Day around the corner, I thought I'd honor Mothers past and present and make one grandma had notes beside: an Orange Tea Donut.  Due to the copyright, I can't share the recipe, but if you're lucky to have a copy of the Royal Cook Book you can find it on page 15, minus grandma's notes. 

I followed the Orange Tea Donut recipe, grandma noted she changed the nutmeg spice to cinnamon.  It's an easy recipe to follow even to this day. 

 Once I had all the ingredients and the dough was formed, I floured my board and rolled out the dough.  I also prepared two cookie sheets with parchment paper to set off to the side.

I also came across grandma's biscuit/donut cutter, you can see in this photo how well used/loved it was. 

I kept the cutter in a cup of flour to keep the dough from sticking in between cutting out the donuts. 

I had no issues with sticking dough.  

The recipe stated it made 24 donuts, Grandma's notes said she made 5-6 dozen.  I think grandma didn't stick to the 1/4" thickness.  I rolled the dough out to a 1/4" thickness and came up to 24 donuts and, give or take, some scraps.

I separated the hole's from the rings and laid them on the parchment lined cookie sheets. 

 

Once I had all the dough rolled and cut out, I heated up my oil on the stove top.  As a safety precaution, I kept a lid nearby.  In the meantime, I took another cookie sheet and placed a cooling rack in it.  

Once my food thermometer read the required 400 degrees I began frying my dough. Using a mesh spoon, I lowered my holes and rings into the hot oil.  I started with the holes first to test the readiness of the oil. I didn't mind if I didn't get the hole right.  My family would tell you this is a good thing. 

As the color began to golden, I would flip them over. Once the other side was done, they were transferred to the cooling rack. As soon as they were all done frying, I turn off the heat and placing the lid over the hot pot of oil to cool.  

This recipe didn't say anything about glazes or icings, so following grandma's tradition I did my own thing. I made a vanilla bean glaze and since these were orange tea donuts I toped each glazed donut with light sprinkle of fresh orange zest.  

Check out those brown vanilla bean bits in the glaze!

The orange zest gave it some freshness you don't find in todays donut shops.

Don't over look those old treasured recipes, you could be missing out!

Happy Mother's day 

I would love to hear about your family recipes.

*No fire alarms went off during this recipe. 

Heirloom Confections - Sponge Candy

With Michigan getting hit with it's first major storm of the year, I thought it was a great time for some heirloom confections.  Yes, Sponge candy also known as Honeycomb candy, whichever name your family recipe was handed down by.  This is a sweet, crunchy, honeycomb-texture treat with hints of delicate toffee and molasses flavor. You can leave it plan or dress it up with chocolate which is what  my niece and I did for a Valentines day treat.  

You can find many recipes online or in your heirloom recipe books.  They only vary by dark or light corn syrup and white or dark brown sugar.  If you use the dark corn syrup or sugar you get a deeper toffee/molasses flavor. Whatever you choose this confection only has four ingredients and is super easy.  

Sponge Candy/Honeycomb Candy

1 cup (white or brown) sugar

1 cup (light or dark) corn syrup

1 tablespoon Distilled white vinegar

      1 tablespoon baking soda (Sifted)     

Equipment needed: 

Sifter

Large saucepan

Candy thermometer with clip

9 x 13 pan 

Pam non-stick cooking spray

Note:  Be sure to do these on a dry day or they become sticky.  

Before you start pre-measure your ingredients, doing this lets you focus on the candy temperature and timing.  Next foil line a 9 x 13 dish with 2" sides (a casserole dish works) extending the foil over the sides.  Spray the foil lined dish with Pam generously and set aside.  Combine corn syrup, sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until sugar crystals dissolve, once dissolved clip your candy thermometer to the saucepan about halfway into the syrup. Being careful not to touch the bottom of the pan.  Wait unit it comes to a boil.  Continue cooking without stirring until the thermometer reaches 300 degree, swirling the pan occasionally. This should take 18 to 20 minutes.  

Now remove from heat and add the sifted baking soda, stirring rapidly.  When you add the baking soda the mixture will puff up. This is where it goes for a transparent amber like color to an opaque color. 

Once its combined, immediately pour your opaque mixture into the prepared foil lined dish.  Don't spread it out or thump the dish to distribute the mixture.  You will only deflate the air bubbles and they are what gives this candy its honeycomb texture.  You are almost there, now let it cool to set.  

Once the candy is cooled and set lift it out of the dish using the foil.  Pull the foil slowly from the candy. Once it's been remove break the candy in small bite size pieces.  Now you can leave your candy as is or dress it in chocolate.  

We dressed ours in chocolate and added Wilton Valentine sprinkles.  You can customize this treat for whatever holiday when you submerge it in melted milk chocolate or candy white coating and adding sprinkles. 

Finish your candies off by adding holiday paper cups and box or bag them up.  By using a hole punch, and adding two holes to a folded top of a treat bag, loop a string through and tie bow.   

Store these treats in air tight containers or jar to keep fresh.  

 Notes:

It's really important to sift the baking soda of any little clumps.  

If you don't you will get clumps of soda in your candy. 

Photo credits: G. Smith