Cookbook Collector and Meringue Tarts

I am a collector. Some might think I am a hoarder-in-training but no, I am a collector. Trouble is I collect many different things and my organizational skills are somewhat wanting. That’s another story though, and would probably take a lifetime to figure out. This is about old cookbooks, or more specifically, old recipes. I love looking at old recipes. There is something about the old cookbook and recipes that captivate me. Deep down inside me I think “if only I have the right recipe the food will be wonderful.” Not always the way it goes but I keep trying….and looking and every so often I do good. Today was one of those days.

Not too long ago I went to this auction house down in Ocala and found, among other treasures, a loose leaf binder. After getting it home I started exploring the book and, lo and behold, it was full of recipes! Some looked like they were cut from magazines in the 60’s and 70’s.

One recipe, Bonnie Meringue Tarts, caught my eye. The recipe is on the back of a June 1954 calendar. The thought of meringues is a little special to me. When my daughter was little I made meringues and she loved them. Only did it once but for some reason she brings them up like I made them everyday. Special place in her heart I guess.  I thought they tasted sort of like marshmallows but they are low calorie (compared to other cookies). These meringues are made into a shell and I though with strawberry filling they would be the bomb! Strawberry season is upon us in Florida so the timing is right. I tried them out and they are pretty good. They look great and would make a fantastic presentation. Here’s the Original recipe:

Bonnie Meringue Tarts

the writing is small so I copied it so everyone could see it better.

4 egg whites 

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 cup quick rolled oats uncooked

Add vinegar, vanilla and salt to egg whites and heat to a soft foam. Add sugar gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition and continuing until the mixture stands in moist peaks. Fold in rolled oats lightly and pile in 8  mounds on a lightly greased baking sheet, using a spatula or spoon to hollow out the centers and build up the sides to make shells. Bake in a 275 degree oven about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then cool slightly and remove from pan with a thin bladed spatula. Fill with sweetened strawberries or other fruits in season and top with slightly sweetened whipped cream. This will make 8 tarts.

I modified the recipe a little:

for the 1 cup sugar I used 1/2 cup Splenda (everyone I know is on a diet)

for the salt I added cream of tartar

I left out the oats

Instead of a lightly greased pan I used parchment paper. Good thing. Meringues can be a little sticky depending on the humidity. I live in Florida. Enough said. The parchment paper also cuts down on clean up. Yippee!

Here’s how the shells looked before baking:

and after baking for 1 hour at 275 degrees.

And here’s mine before I ate it. Yummy! The strawberries were lightly sweetened with Splenda, too.

I hope they look as pretty when I get them to work for my team mates.

Give them a try and let me know what you think. They’re pretty, and tasty, too.

 

Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff.etsy.com and GoofingOff.artfire.com.

Household Searchlight Recipe Book

Cookbooks are special. They spark interest in cooking, eating, and are a favorite of collectors. Every year there are cookbooks written and sold throughout the world. Just when I think every cooking idea has been covered, someone comes up with a different way to make soup, dessert, and entrees. There are special cookbooks and recipes handed down in families that are prized and held dear. That is the way of a cookbook, an unspoken promise to create fabulous food.

I’ve been a cookbook collector for years. I bought the Grand Diplome Cooking Course books back in the 70’s. Under the tutelage of the master chefs of the Grand Diplome I learned to filet a fish, make pie crust, and create a pot roast. I learned the importance and value good knives, how they should feel in the hand, how to sharpen the knife, and how to store a knife so it would last for a lifetime.

My favorite cookbook of all time, and one I refer to often is the Searchlight Recipe Book. My copy was left to me by a friend and I treasure it. The Recipe Book is a wealth of knowledge from Household Magazine of Topeka, Kansas. The book was first published in 1931, copyrighted in 1931, 1937, and again in 1952. My book is from the 1952 copyright. By that time it was in the 23rd edition. It is thumb tabbed with categories that include Canning and Preserving, Fish and Wild Game (a necessity if you are married to a hunter or fisherman…or fish yourself), and Candies. The recipes are practical, easy to follow, and tried-and-true hard-to-find bits of American history from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. Recipes that have almost disappeared from everyday life like mincemeat (not in the jar), squirrel stew, and watermelon pickles are in the Searchlight Recipe Book.  It is a remarkable book.

Imagine my surprise when I found a Searchlight in a thrift shop. It isn’t in the greatest shape but it is still a great book. I’ll be offering it for sale in GoofingOff.Etsy the next few days. I just have to share this book with someone. It is wonderful.

Well, got to get on. Happy collecting to all.

Post written by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff.etsy.com and GoofingOff.artfire.com.