30 Vintage Recipes of Delicious Dairy Delights

Wisconsin dairy farmers share their home-cooked recipes. Find crumb cake, cream cake, strawberry punch, and more from America’s Dairyland, circa 1949.

A calendar from June 1949 with dates featuring recipes.
The June 1949 Diary Calendar from The Country Gentleman. (Click to Enlarge)

Dairy Foods Calendar

Originally published in The Country Gentleman, June 1, 1949

June is National Dairy Month. These recipes featuring milk and milk products come from dairy-farm homemakers in Wisconsin and give you 29 good ways to serve your family nature’s best food.

1.         Cottage Cheese Jam Tarts

(Makes about 2 dozen)

Sift together 1 cup of sifted flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cut in 1/3 cup of shortening until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Add 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, and work into a smooth ball. Chill 1/2 hour, or until firm. Roll out on a floured pastry cloth 1/8 inch thick. Cut in 3-inch squares. Place a teaspoon of cranberry sauce, or fruit marmalade, in center of each square. Fold over and pinch edges together. Bake on ungreased baking sheet in a hot oven (425° F) 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

2.         Uncooked Salad Dressing

(Makes 1 quart)

With a rotary beater or electric mixer, beat together 2 beaten eggs, one 15-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup of melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 cup of vinegar. Store in a quart jar in the refrigerator. Thickens overnight and keeps well.

21st-century tip: Sub in coddled (gently cooked) eggs for raw ones.

3.         Beets in Sour Sauce

(Serves 4 to 6.)

Add 2 tablespoons of flour to 1 cup of thick sour cream. Cook in top of double boiler until thickened, stirring constantly. Add 1 tablespoon of prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 cups of sliced, cooked beets, drained. Reheat, stirring occasionally.

4.         Bunnies

Trim the crusts from sliced bread. Spread with butter and nippy spreading cheese. Roll up as for jelly roll, wrap each roll with a slice of bacon, and fasten with toothpicks. Broil in oven or over an outdoor fire. Good for Saturday-night supper, picnic style.

5.         Butter Crunch

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour. Add 1/4 cup of water. Cook over low heat until a drop of the mixture forms a soft ball in cold water (236° F). Quickly pour mixture over 4 cups of corn flakes, mixing thoroughly until well coated. Spread out on large pan to cool. Form into balls and chill. Serve in place of cake or cookies with ice cream.

 

Flakey cheese pastries on a plate
(Shutterstock)

6.         Ham-Cheese Turnovers

(Makes 9 turnovers)

Combine 1 1/2 cups of ground cooked ham, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped dill pickle, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard, 1 teaspoon of onion juice, and 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. Sift together 2 cups of sifted flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Cut in 5 tablespoons of shortening. Add 2/3 cup of milk and mix to a soft dough. Turn out on a floured board and roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut into nine 4-inch squares. Brush with melted butter. Place a triangle of thinly sliced cheddar cheese on half of each square. Top with a spoonful of the ham mixture. Fold dough over to form a triangle, and press edges together. Bake on a greased baking sheet in a hot oven (425° F) 25 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

7.         Frozen Pineapple Salad

(Serves 6)

Set temperature control on refrigerator at lowest point. Combine 2 cups of thick sour cream with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in 1 cup of drained, sweetened, crushed pineapple and 1/4 cup maraschino cherries. Pour into freezing tray of refrigerator and freeze until firm. Cut into squares and serve on lettuce or other greens.

8.         Butterscotch Squares

(Makes about 1 dozen squares)

Cook 1/2 cup of butter and 2 cups of brown sugar over low heat until bubbly around edges. Cool. Add 2 eggs, beating well after each addition. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 cups of sifted flour, sifted together with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Stir in 1 cup of dry, shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped nuts. Spread in a greased shallow pan (10 1/2 by 15 inches), and bake in a moderate oven (350° F) 25 minutes.

Rhubarb dessert in a glass.
(Shutterstock)

9.         Rhubarb Cream Mousse

(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

Set cold control of refrigerator to coldest point. Mix together 1 cup of mashed, cooked rhubarb and 1/2 cup of sugar. Cool thoroughly and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Fold in 1 cup of heavy cream, whipped. Pour into freezing tray. Freeze until firm (2 to 4 hours). Serve with topping of sweetened whipped cream.

10.      Cheese Ring

(Serves 6)

Mix together 3 cups of cooked noodles, 1 cup of grated sharp cheese, 4 beaten eggs, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of tomato catsup, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a well-buttered and floured ring mold. Set in a pan of hot water and bake in a moderate oven (350° F) 40 minutes, or until firm. Unmold on a hot platter; fill center with buttered June peas or creamed mixed vegetables. Garnish with deviled eggs around the ring.

11.      Gingerbread with Cheese Filling

Combine 1 cup of cream cheese, 1 cup of chopped dates, 1 cup of chopped nuts, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add enough cream to make mixture of a spreading consistency. Split open hot gingerbread. Spread cheese filling between layers. Serve at once.

12.      Dairyman’s Delight

(Makes 6 servings)

Stew a 4-to-5-pound hen until tender (2 to 3 hours). Cut meat from bones, cube, and brown in butter. Add 1/2 pound of cooked noodles, 1/2 of a large green pepper, chopped, 1/3 cup of chopped pimiento, and 1 cup of cooked whole-kernel corn. Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn into a buttered baking dish, and cover with 1/2 pound of sharp cheese, cut in cubes. Bake in a moderate oven (350° F) 30 minutes.

13.      French-fried Cheese Sandwiches

(Makes 4 sandwiches)

Spread 8 slices of white or whole-wheat bread with butter. Lay slices of American cheese on half the slices of bread. Press on top slices, and cut sandwiches in half. Beat 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt together until well-blended. Dip sandwiches in egg-milk mixture and fry slowly in butter until golden-brown, and cheese is melted.

Peppermint ice cream with candy canes poking out.
(Shutterstock)

14.     Peppermint-Marshmallow Ice Cream

(Makes 1 quart)

Set temperature control on refrigerator to coldest point. Scald 1 cup of milk. Add 14 marshmallows and stir until dissolved. Cool. When cold, stir in 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 cup of finely crushed peppermint-stick candy, and 1 cup of heavy cream, whipped. Add a few drops of red food coloring to give a delicate pink color. Blend coloring carefully.

Pour into freezing tray. When partially frozen (about 1 1/2 hours) return mixture to bowl. Beat with rotary beater until creamy. Return to refrigerator and freeze until firm. Ground sweet chocolate may be used in place of peppermint for chocolate ice cream.

15.      Buttermilk Cupcakes

(Makes 12 large cupcakes)

Cream together 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add 1 beaten egg and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon flavoring. Blend thoroughly. Sift together 1 1/2 cups of sifted cake flour and 1/2 teaspoon of soda. Add to egg mixture alternately with 1 cup of buttermilk, stirring just enough to blend after each addition. Pour into greased cupcake pans and bake in a moderately hot oven (375° F) 25 minutes.

16.      Cheese-Stuffed Potatoes

(Serves 4)

Bake 2 large potatoes in a moderately hot oven (375° F) 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until done. Cut in half, lengthwise. Scoop out insides and mash with milk. Add 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon of chopped chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Fill potato shells with mixture. Dot with extra butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375° F) 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and thoroughly heated.

17.      Scalloped Salmon

(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

Drain and flake one 1-pound can of salmon. Reserve liquid. Fry 2 cups of 4-inch bread cubes in 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring constantly until evenly browned. Remove from pan and spread half of the cubes in the bottom of a buttered, shallow baking dish. Cover with salmon. Melt 2 more tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Add 1 1/4 cups of milk. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in salmon liquid. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/3 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over salmon and cover with remaining bread cubes. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375°F) 25 minutes.

18.      Refrigerator Butter Rolls

(Makes 2 to 3 dozen rolls)

Combine 1 cup of scalded milk, 1/2 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cool to lukewarm. Add 1 cake of yeast, crumbled fine, and 2 beaten eggs. Add 2 cups of sifted flour and beat well. Blend in 2 more cups of sifted flour. Cover and chill in refrigerator several hours, or overnight.

Roll out on a floured board to 1/3-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter and brush with melted butter. Fold each roll in half Aid place on a greased baking sheet. Cover lightly and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Brush with melted butter. Bake in a hot oven (425°F) 10 to 15 minutes. (This dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days and may be used for coffee cake, sweet rolls, or tea rings.)

19.      Sour Cream Potato Soup

(Makes 6 servings)

Cook 3 cups of diced potatoes, 1/2 cup of chopped celery, and 2 tablespoons of chopped onion in a small amount of boiling, salted water until just tender. Do not drain. Press through a sieve. Heat 3 cups of milk in double boiler until warm. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the sieved potatoes. Mix 1 cup of thick sour cream with 1 tablespoon of flour until smooth. Add to soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

20.      Lettuce with Sour Cream Dressing

(Serves 4 to 6)

Mash yolks of 3 hard-cooked eggs. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Mix thoroughly. Makes about 1 cup of dressing.

To serve, tear a medium head of lettuce into small pieces. Sprinkle with salt and mix with desired amount of dressing. Garnish with finely chopped hard-cooked egg.

Vanilla ice cream in pods
(Shutterstock)

21.      Eddie’s Ice Cream

(Makes 2 quarts)

Set temperature control of refrigerator at lowest point. Scald 2 2/3 cups of milk. Combine with 1 1/3 cups of sugar, 1 1/3 tablespoons of flour, and 2 beaten eggs. Mix well and cook in the top of a double boiler 20 minutes, or until mixture coats a spoon. Cool. Add 2 2/3 cups of light cream and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Pour into 2 freezing trays. Freeze until mushy, about 1 hour. Turn ice cream into a large bowl and beat with rotary beater until smooth. Return to refrigerator until firm.

22.      Buttermilk Biscuits

(Makes 2 to 3 dozen biscuits)

Sift together 4 cups of sifted flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of soda. Cut in 1 cup of shortening until the consistency of coarse meal. Add 2 cups of fresh buttermilk, and mix well. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth and easy to handle. Roll out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter and bake on an ungreased baking sheet in a hot oven (425° F) 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

23.      Chocolate Sundae Sauce

(Makes about 1 cup of sauce)

In top of double boiler melt 1/4 cup of butter and 1 square of bitter chocolate. Stir in 1 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of cocoa, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 cup of light cream. Cook over hot water until smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream.

24.      Spoonbread

(Makes 8 servings)

Stir 1 cup of corn meal into 2 cups of milk, and cook over low heat until a mush is formed. Cool. Add 3 well-beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup of milk. Beat well and turn into a buttered baking dish. Bake in a moderate oven (350°F) 40 minutes, or until well-browned. Serve from baking dish while hot. Use butter liberally.

25.      Chocolate-Chip Pie

Combine 12 finely crushed graham crackers, 2 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. Press into the bottom and sides of an 8-inch pie pan. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375° F) 5 minutes.

Heat 1/2 cup of milk. Add 15 marshmallows and stir until dissolved. Cool. When cold, fold in 1 cup of heavy cream, whipped, and one 2-ounce square of unsweetened chocolate, shaved fine. Pour into cooled crust and chill until firm. Makes one 8-inch pie.

26.      Breakfast Crumb Cake

(Makes 8 servings)

Sift together 2 cups of sifted flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of soda, 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/3 cup of sugar. Cut in 1/3 cup of butter until consistency of coarse meal. Add 1 slightly beaten egg to 1/3 cup of buttermilk. Combine quickly with dry ingredients. Spread in a 9-inch square buttered cake pan and cover with crumb topping.

To make topping, combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 1/4 teaspoons of cinnamon. Cut in 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake in hot oven (400° F) 25 to 30 minutes.

27.      Veal and Peas in Cream

(Makes 6 servings)

Brown 1 1/2 pounds of cubed veal steak and 1 chopped onion in 3 tablespoons of butter in a heavy skillet. Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup of light cream, and 1 cup of milk. Cover and simmer until tender (45 minutes to 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of cooked peas and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 2 to 3 minutes longer. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.

28.      Eggnog Pie

(Makes one 9-inch pie)

Heat 1 cup of rich milk and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg in the top of a double boiler. Beat together 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Add to milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture coats the spoon. Soak 1 tablespoon of gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold water and add to custard. Let cool. Add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Fold in the 3 stiffly-beaten egg whites. Pour into a 9-inch graham cracker crust, chill, and top with 1/2 cup of cream, whipped. Sprinkle with grated semisweet chocolate.

21st-century tip: Sub meringue powder for egg whites.

29.      Sour Cream Cake

Cream together 1/2 cup of butter and 2 cups of brown sugar. Add the yolks of 3 eggs, and beat. Sift together 2 cups of sifted cake flour, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cloves, 1 teaspoon of allspice, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of soda. Add to creamed mixture alternately with 1 cup of sour cream. Fold in the 3 stiffly-beaten egg whites. Bake in a greased loaf pan in a moderate oven (350°F) 45 to 50 minutes.

Strawberry cocktail in a glass, with strawberries, on a wooden table.
(Shutterstock)

30.      Strawberry Punch

(Makes 4 servings)

Clean and sieve 2 cups of strawberries. Mix in 1/3 cup of sugar. Chill. Add 2 cups of milk and 1/2 pint of strawberry ice cream, stirring until the ice cream is partially melted. Pour into glasses. Garnish with whole berries.

Menus for a Christmas Dinner, 1913 Style

 

Carl Larsson, National Museum, Stockholm / Wikimedia Commons

Looking for last-minute Christmas dinner ideas? Here are two full-course holiday meals — and a few choice recipes — circa 1913.

—

A Christmas Dinner

Originally published in The Country Gentleman, December 20, 1913

Menu No. 1

 

Menu No. 2

 

These Recipes Are from Grandmother’s Cookbook

PLUM PUDDING — 1 cupful of molasses, 1 cupful of milk, 1 cupful of suet chopped fine, 2 eggs, 2 cupfuls of flour — or enough to make a batter as stiff as cake — 1 cupful of raisins, 1 cupful of currants, cupful of citron sliced, a tablespoonful of candied orange peel, a tablespoonful of candied lemon peel, 2 teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoonful of cloves, 1/2 teaspoonful of nutmeg, 3 teaspoonfuls of mace, and a rounding teaspoonful of soda.

Before starting to mix this it is well to have the fruits prepared and floured, ready to mix in. When making follow the rotation of ingredients as given. Save a little of the milk to mix with the soda, which is added last. Steam three hours in an old-fashioned pudding mold with hole in center.

WALNUT STUFFING — Boil and mash a pound of white potatoes. Season them well with salt, pepper and butter, then add pint of chopped walnuts and the dressing is ready for use.

CANDIED SWEET POTATOES — Boil medium-sized sweet potatoes until done. When cold pare and cut in half lengthwise. Place the potatoes in a skillet in which a generous piece of butter and a little lard have been melted. Sprinkle the potatoes thickly with brown sugar, and fry on all sides an even brown. Watch closely, as they burn readily.

PUMPKIN CUSTARD — Three cupfuls of pumpkin, a cupful of milk, a cupful of sugar, a tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful each of ginger, cinnamon and finely sifted bread crumbs, and 3 eggs. Salt and nutmeg to taste.

Boil and drain the pumpkin well. Press through the colander and to 3 cupfuls of pumpkin add the melted butter, sugar, spices and crumbs. Mix thoroughly, add the well-beaten yolks of the eggs and the milk, and lastly the whites, beaten stiff.

BAKED SQUASH — Cut in half a large oval squash, remove the seeds and, after par-boiling, scrape out the pulp and put it through the ricer. Then into a buttered baking dish place the squash in layers, dredge each layer lightly with flour, add generous pieces of butter, season with paprika and salt, and moisten with cream. Cover the top layer with bread crumbs and dot liberally with butter. This recipe should take about a cupful of milk and 2 tablespoonfuls of flour. Bake until brown.

OYSTER STUFFING — Melt a cupful of butter on the top of the stove and add 50 good-sized oysters drained from the liquor. Cook slightly until the gills begin to curl. Then add the oyster liquor and enough crumbed bread to fill the turkey. If this mixture is dry add sufficient milk to make it pretty moist. Season with salt and pepper and about 2 tablespoonfuls of minced parsley. Last of all add 4 or 5 well-beaten eggs. Cook this mixture until it is well thickened before putting it into the turkey.

FROZEN CUSTARD — Make a boiled custard with 3 cupfuls of milk, the yolks of 4 eggs and the whites of 2. Sweeten to taste. Let the custard cool and then add a teaspoonful of vanilla and a cupful of good cream. Freeze. Just before packing it away fold in the whites of 2 eggs which have been beaten light with 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar.

HOT SLAW — Chop fine a small head of cabbage. Beat together a cupful of sour cream, an egg, a tablespoonful of sugar and half a teaspoonful of mustard dissolved in cupful of vinegar. Have a pan hot, pour in the mixture and when the boiling point is reached add the cabbage well-floured and salted. Heat through and serve with a dash of paprika on the top.

Click to Enlarge