Cheese and Bacon Quiche Recipe

This recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

I needed to take a dish to a writers meeting. Since this quiche can be served hot or cold, I decided to try it.

Prepare a tart pastry.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Fry 10 slices of bacon until crisp. Crumble the bacon into pieces. When cool, arrange these over the bottom of the partially-baked tart pastry shell. Then layer 1 ¼ cups of shredded Swiss cheese over the bacon.

Combine together 4 eggs, 2 cups of light cream (I had heavy cream on hand so I used that), ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne. (I didn’t have any cayenne so I omitted it.) Stir the custard.

Ladle the custard over the bacon and cheese.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle is clean.

Serve in wedges, hot or cold.

I thought this quiche was good cold and even better hot. Delicious breakfast/brunch dish. For me, the amount of bacon could be reduced about 25%, but it was really good as written.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

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Chicken Fricassee Recipe

This recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

To my knowledge, I’ve never eaten chicken fricassee so I decided to try it.

The original recipe serves 6. I halved the portions but am giving you the ingredients for 6.

Slice 1 onion and set aside. Cut 2 celery ribs into large piece and set aside. Slice 1 carrot and set aside. You will need 2 tablespoons of lemon juice later. If using fresh lemon, prepare the juice now.

Boil a few cups of water, enough to cover the chicken.

Rinse and pat dry 5 pounds of chicken. Cut into large pieces. (I cut the chicken in smaller pieces.)

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the chicken on all sides.

Reduce heat to low. Pour enough boiling water over the chicken to cover it. Then add the onion, carrot, celery and 1 bay leaf. Cover and simmer 40-45 minutes.

Remove chicken and keep warm. Strain the broth.

The fricassee sauce requires the broth to reduce to 1 ½ cups. I had way more chicken stock than this (great to freeze for future recipes!), I placed 2 cups of the broth back in the Dutch oven to boil and then reduce to 1 ½ cups.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in 4 tablespoons of flour. Slowly add the broth and 1 cup of heavy cream to the saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer 4-5 minutes, until the sauce is thick and smooth.

Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt to taste (I used ½ teaspoon), and freshly ground pepper. Spoon over the chicken and serve.

Delicious! I gobbled this down. I loved this chicken dish—so happy to find a new chicken meal for my family. The creamy sauce melted in my mouth, perfectly enhancing the flavor of the chicken.

I will make this again. I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

 

Chicken Gumbo Soup Recipe

This recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

I love chicken gumbo soup and am always on the lookout for recipes. This makes 4 servings.

Chop half of an onion and set aside.

Chop 1 sweet red pepper. You will need ½ cup for this soup.

You will need either 1 can of diced tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes.

Prepare 1 cup of cooked rice.

Boil 3 cups of water.

Rinse and pat dry 3 pounds of chicken. Cut into 8 pieces. (I prefer smaller pieces, so I cut them in about 2-inch cubes.)

Melt 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in a Dutch oven and brown chicken on all sides. (The recipe called for a large skillet but my largest skillet didn’t hold all the ingredients.) Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add onion, 4 cups of okra, and red pepper to the Dutch oven. Over medium heat, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of basil, and 3 cups of boiling water. Add chicken and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Reducing heat to low, cover and simmer 30-40 minutes. Mix in the rice and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Serve in soup bowls.

Delicious! I really like this soup. My mom made it differently when I was a child, but this was very good, too. It’s a spicy, comforting soup.

I will make this again. I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

 

Quick Graham Bread Recipe

The author of 1877 Cookbook Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping included meal suggestions. A springtime breakfast meal suggestion is: fried ham, scrambled eggs, fried mush, potatoes boiled in jackets, Graham bread, radishes, coffee, tea, and chocolate. Sounds like a lot of food!

The cookbook includes recipes for some of these. Today I’m sharing one for Quick Graham Bread. This recipe from Mrs. E.J.W. makes 2 loaves. Next time I will halve the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a bread baking pan or use cooking spray.

The first ingredient is 3 cups of sour milk. To make this, stir 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk so I added 3 tablespoons of vinegar and set it aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a small amount of hot water and set aside.

Stir ½ cup molasses into the sour milk. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the dissolved soda. Stir. Add “as much Graham flour as can be stirred in with a spoon.” I used about 6 ½ cups.

Immediately pour into prepared bread pan and bake about 45 minutes.

Molasses gives this bread a sweet flavor, but not sweet like banana bread or blueberry bread. I ate it with salami and cream cheese, which gave the whole sandwich an unusual flavor that I enjoyed. I think it would taste good with chicken salad or ham salad.

This makes a hearty bread.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

 

Tart Pastry Recipe

This tart pastry recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

I was making following a cheese and bacon quiche recipe that called for a tart pastry.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Separate 1 egg and set aside the yolk. You won’t need the egg white for this recipe.

Mix 1 cup of flour and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a medium mixing bowl. (If you want sweet dough, add 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar. Since I needed for quiche, I did not add sugar.)

Cut 6 tablespoons of cold butter into small pieces. Then blend the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles tiny peas or coarse meal. (You can use a pastry blender if you like but I used my fingers.) This takes several minutes.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water. Add it to the flour mixture. With your hands, work this dough together until smooth and it forms a ball.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. I gave it about 40 minutes.

The recipe says that this can be rolling with a rolling pin, but the cook suggested patting it, piece by piece, into place into a springform pan or pie pan with your hands. I used the latter method and a springform pan.

Take pieces of dough and pat it in place on the pan using the heel of your hand. Work it over the bottom and then up the sides. Try to get it even. It should be thick enough to hold the filling but not too thick around the bottom edge. This takes a few minutes.

Follow the recipe for the filling you will add from here. Or, after using a fork to add tiny air holes to the bottom, bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. If using a springform pan, remove the sides when ready to serving.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

 

Beef and Corn Casserole Recipe

This recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

I like making meat and vegetable casseroles for my family and this one did not disappoint me.

Chop 1 onion and set aside. Chop 1 green pepper and set aside. Peel and slice 2 firm, ripe tomatoes and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the green pepper and onion in 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. (I used my cast iron skillet.) Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft. Add 1 pound of lean ground beef, breaking it into small pieces. Cook meat in the onion until no longer pink.

Drain and return to the skillet.

To the beef mixture, add 1 can cream-style corn and salt to taste. (I used ½ teaspoon salt.) Mix well.

Prepare a 2 ½ quart baking dish with cooking spray and pour in the beef mixture. Arrange the tomato slices over the top.

The recipe calls for a topping of buttered bread crumbs. I used plain, store-bought crumbs and drizzled melted butter on top.

Bake until the crumbs are lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

I enjoyed this meal. The flavor of green pepper stood out, enhancing the whole dish. I like fresh tomatoes so I didn’t know how I’d like the cooked tomatoes on top, but I did. It worked well with the other ingredients. The only thing I didn’t really taste is the corn. Maybe add a second can of corn to the recipe.

This casserole is delicious. If your family doesn’t like to eat plain vegetables, I think it would also work to add another vegetable, such as peas, to the dish.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

 

 

Corn Pone Pie Recipe

This cornbread recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

I remember my dad talking about eating corn pone pie so when I found this recipe, I was intrigued.

Chop 1 onion and set aside. Chop 1 garlic clove and set aside. (I used ½ teaspoon of chopped garlic.)

Melt 3 tablespoons bacon fat in a large skillet over medium heat. (Cast iron skillets work well for this.) Saute the onion until soft. Add 1 pound of lean ground beef, breaking it into small pieces. Cook meat in the onion until no longer pink.

Drain and return to the skillet.

To the beef mixture, add 1 can chili beans, the chopped garlic, 1 can (or 2 cups) diced or stewed tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon chili powder. Salt to taste. (I used ½ teaspoon salt.)

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

While the beef mixture simmers, prepare a topping of cornbread batter  and set aside.

Select a shallow 2 ½ quart baking dish and prepare it with cooking spray.

After simmering, pour chili mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spoon cornbread batter over the top and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

This was delicious. It was similar to eating a bowl of chili with a serving of cornbread. I was surprised what a “comfort food” dish this turned out to be.

I will plan on making this for a family gathering soon.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

 

Cornbread Recipe

This cornbread recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

I was making a corn pone pie recipe and it called for a cornbread batter topping.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 square baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix together ¾ cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add 1 cup milk, 1 beaten egg, and 2 tablespoons of melted shortening or bacon fat. Mix well.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake about 20 minutes.

Since I was using this batter for another recipe, I didn’t bake it. I set it aside until needed. It made a delicious topping for the corn pone pie.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

 

Sugared Pecans Recipe

This Sugared Nuts recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

I needed to take something to share at a recent writers’ meeting. Because it travels easily, this recipe caught my eye. You can use either pecan halves or walnut halves. I chose pecans.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

I used a pound of pecans since I was taking these to a meeting. You may need less depending on the size of the crowd.

Mix together ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon in a flat bowl and set aside.

Take 1 egg white (room temperature works best for beating) and add 1 tablespoon of water. The recipe did not say how long to beat the egg white mixture, so I beat it until stiff, frothy white peaks formed.

It worked best for me to set up an assembly line: beaten egg whites next to the sugar mixture and then the cookie sheet.

Dip the pecans into the egg whites. Roll it in sugar and then place it on the cookie sheet. One by one grew tedious quickly. I put a handful of pecans into the egg whites and then placed them on a separate plate. I added pecans to the plate until the excess egg whites were absorbed. Then I rolled them by small bunches into the sugar.

I had to make a second batch of cinnamon sugar to finish a pound of pecans.

Bake the sugared pecans for 1 hour at 225 degrees, stirring them every 15 minutes. They smell heavenly!

Delicious! Baking made the pecans a crunchy dessert that later softened. The aroma made me hungry. I like cinnamon so I will double it the next time I make these.

A pound of pecans filled the whole cookie sheet, so let that guide you in guessing how many you will need to serve. These make a delicious appetizer for a party.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.

 

 

 

 

Corn Crisps Recipe

I bought The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which was originally published in 1896.

A recipe for corn crisps caught my eye. I’d never eaten them. The recipe is quick and easy so I decided to try it with two different corn meals.

The first batch was made using a coarse grind corn meal.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray. (The original recipe says to use butter on the baking pan. That probably enhances the buttery flavor of the crisp.)

Set aside a ½ cup of yellow cornmeal and ¼–½ teaspoon of salt.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter and ¾ cup of water to a small saucepan. Bring this to boil and then immediately stir in the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

The batch with the coarse grind corn meal lightly browned in 12 minutes. They tasted good but very salty.

I then made the recipe using some cornmeal milled in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These took longer to bake. I took them out at 16 minutes. The bottom was lightly browned but the top was still pale. These retained their shape. They still tasted salty, so I think reducing salt by half may be better.

Leave them in the oven longer for a crispy consistency.

All in all, an easy salty snack that can be cooked and served within a half hour.

I halved this recipe and it made 6 crisps each time.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.