The recipe title made me raise my eyebrows, what dark secrets was this author hiding? The newspaper clipping is from the The Rhode Islander newspaper and was in a recipe box originally purchased at an estate sale in Rhode Island. The box contained several similar recipe clippings from this same newspaper, each one dated 1951, so I assume this clipping comes from the same timeframe.

I like the included photograph of the author which makes it so much more personal. Mrs. Howard Johnson looks rather pure and without secrets, but then again her name is the same as the Howard Johnson's motel chain ... so maybe there is more to her than meets the eye.

Dark Secrets
5 tablespoons sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 sugar
1 cup dates, cut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add dates, nuts, vanilla and eggs. Blend well. Bake in shallow greased pan, 8x10 inches, at 325F for about 45 minutes. When cool, cut in squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Personally, I have a love affair with dates and this sounds like it makes a sweet and chewy bar cookie, probably similar to a brownie texture. This is definetly something I would like to try the next time I purchase dates. Maybe the secret is that you need to hide them from your family because they are so dang good?

Update 8/19/08: I discovered another blogger who wrote about her family connection to the Dark Secrets cookie bar. You can read more about it at Dish 'n' That.

This is my first (and likely not my last) purchase of a recipe collection I found on eBay. I am discovering how intrigued I am by old recipes, the recipe cards or clippings that contain them, the handwriting, the personal notations of 'very good' or 'made for Christmas', the frayed edges, and unraveling the mystery of who collected them. The person from who I bought this recipe box had purchased it this summer at an estate sale in Rhode Island. Beyond this, I had no other information.

Fortunately, the recipes themselves provided clues. Several were written to 'Gladys' and newspaper clippings from the Providence Journal showed that Gladys had lived in or near Providence, Rhode Island. I googled and googled until I discovered an obituary announcement noting a Gladys, age 84 who had passed away on May 30th. The timing matched well with when the recipe box was originally purchased in Rhode Island to when I next purchased it on eBay.

I studied the box and its simple design. A nicely crafted wood box, it is simple yet sturdy with a red emblem on the front. The emblem says "Weis". Beneath this name is the tiniest print, I had to put the box under a bright light and to squint really hard to read, "Monroe, Mich.". Being born and raised in Michigan, I am familiar with Monroe and found this to be an interesting coincidence. A bit more googling and I discovered that Weis Manufacturing operated in Monroe from 1906-1968 making a variety of office products from binders to bookcases. And, apparently a few recipe boxes.

The recipe box contains over 200 recipes and has a pungent smell of 'old paper'. Many of the recipes are handwritten on recipe cards or scrap paper, but there are a few newspaper clippings, recipe booklets/inserts from various products, and one recipe written on the back of an ice delivery receipt dated July 27th, 1931.

Gladys focused heavily on baked goods of all types. Dates seem to be a common theme in many recipes and I'm not sure if that was a popular product of the time or whether Gladys really liked dates. In later years, I can only assume she also took an interest in bran muffins, since there are quite a few versions filed away in this box. There are also interesting recipes for things I haven't heard of before, like English Monkey, Potato Candy, or Pineapple Pie.

In the coming days and weeks as I read through the recipes, I will share the ones that catch my eye.

This recipe is my great-great-grandmother's cake which my mother often made during my childhood. I confirmed that some of the notes around the edges of the card were written by my mother (i.e. 5 times to fill 10" - 4" pan). My mother often made wedding and graduation cakes and often turned to this recipe when making cakes from scratch.

Mother's Cake
1 scant cup of sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter melted (about 3/4 cup)
Sweet milk
nuts (optional)

Sift dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Break the egg into a cup measure, then add the melted butter. Fill the remainder of the cup with sweet milk. Add to dry ingredients and beat by hand for 4-5 minutes (or 2 minutes in a mixer). If you wish, fold in 1/2 cup nuts. My family used hickory nuts which grew on our farm.

No directions on how to bake it but I would suggest baking at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until it tests done. Top with a dollop of whipped cream or your favorite frosting.

I don't remember ever having this pie but my mother said that shed liked it quite a bit. The taste is similar to mincemeat. Apparently, my mother also used to preserve her own green tomato mincement but I don't remember this either. I assume it's because I didn't like it as a child and wouldn't ever try it :-)

 

 

Green Tomato Pie
5 medium green tomatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour

Slice tomatoes and place into a small pot. Cover with water and cook for 30 minutes. Drain well. Mix all of the ingredients into a pan, along with the tomatoes. Cook until it thickens, set aside and allow to slightly cool. Place into a pie shell and cover with a top crust. Remember to cut slits in the top of the pie crust to allow the filling to vent while baking.

I would suggest baking at 425 for 30-35 minutes or until pie is golden color and pie filling is lightly bubbling through the vents.

I'm not as squeamish now that I'm all grown up. The pie sounds interesting and I'd like to give it a try sometime. I assume the tomatoes give a nice tart flavor (like rhubarb), but are mellowed by the sugar and sweetness of raisins.

The recipe sounds very southern to me although my family lived in the north (i.e. Michigan). I do remember though that my grandparents loved fried green tomatoes, so why not make a pie from them too.