Grandma's Vintage Recipes (2024)

2 pkgs active dry yeast
2 cups warm (105-115 degrees) water, divided
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp molasses
2 cups rye flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening, melted
2 tsp salt

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of the warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Combine the remaining 1 cup of water, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl then add the yeast mixture, mixing well. Add the rye flour, mixing well. Gradually add the all-purpose flour. Add shortening and salt, mixing well.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface nd knead until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, until doubled in bulk. This should take about an hour.

Punch the dough down and divide in half; shape each half into a loaf. Place in two well-greased loaf pans. Cover loosely and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free area for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

file photo

Those of you who follow this blog know I was born and raised in Indiana where native hickory trees were prevelent. Hickory nuts were our favorite nut of choice for baking and making candy. It was a Fall tradition to go pick up hickory nuts and spend long cold evenings around the heater cracking the nuts and picking the meats out. We didn't mind or consider it work. It was just something my sister and I knew we were expected to do. Dad would use his smaller hammer to crack the nuts on a rock. My mother, sister, and I would pick out the nutmeats. And then we would get some special treats such as a hickory nut pie (like a pecan pie), fudge with hickory nuts and sometimes wonderful Hickory-Nut Bread. If you don't have hickory nuts in your area, use pecans. That is what I do now that I live in Texas which is pecan country.

1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. margarine, melted (you know I now use butter)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup hickory nut pieces

Beat the egg and mix with the brown sugar, margarine, and milk. Add the flour and baking powder. Stir in vanilla and mix well. Add the nuts and stir. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes. Bake in loaf pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Hickory Nuts

2 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups warm buttermilk
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp salt
1 cup shortening
melted butter

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the buttermilk and set aside.

Lightly grease a baking sheet; set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the buttermilk/yeast mixture and mix well. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly 3 to 4 times. Roll to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Cut using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place cut biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 11/2 hours. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter.

Yield: Approximately 30 biscuits.

3 pkgs active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm (105-115 degrees) water
1/2 cup molasses
3 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp solid shortening
2 tbsp caraway seed
2 3/4 cups rye flour
2 3/4 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
cornmeal

In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water. When yeast is dissolved, stir in the molasses, salt, shortening, caraway seed, and rye flour. Beat mixtureuntil smooth. Mix in enough of the all-purpose flour to make the dough easy to handle.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Knead dough about 5 minutes until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn once so the greased side is up. Cover dough and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about an hour. Punch down the dough; re-ball, cover, and let rise again until double. This will take around 40 to 45 minutes.

Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Punch down the dough again, then divide into two equal parts and shape into loaves. Place loaves in the opposite corners of baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

After about 45 minutes, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned.

Yield: 2 bread loaves.

2 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tsp onion flakes
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
hot fat (in the interest of health, I recommend updating toa healthy oil)

Combine the cornmeal, salt, onion flakes, and baking soda together in a mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk to the cornmeal mixture and mix well. Heat canola oil (1-inch deep) until hot. Drop the batter by spoonfulsinto the hot oil an cook until browned. Cooking should take a couple of minutes.

Yield: Approximately 2 dozen hush puppies.

Excellent served with fish.

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

In a large mixer bowl combine 2 cups of the flour with the yeast. Heat the milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm - 115 to 120 degrees, stirring constantly. Add to the flour mixture. Add eggs.Beat at lowest speed of mixer for about 30 seconds. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon.On a floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. (About 6 to 8 minutes time) Shape dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Turn once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Punch down the dough, divide in half, cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Filling:3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup raisins

Roll 1 one of the dough balls into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Melt butter and spread half over the dough. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half over the dough. Sprinkle half the raisins over the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up from a long side. Seal well and cut into 12 even slices.Place the slices on a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling. Cover pans and let rise until almost double (about 30 minutes).Bake rolls in a 375-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from pans and drizzle with the icing.

Icing:1 cup sifted powdered sugar1/4 tsp vanilla

milk

1 1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup persimmon pulp
1/3 cup cold water
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup raisins
2/3 cup chopped pecans or hickory nuts

Cream sugar and butter. Add the eggs, persimmon pulp, and cold water. Sift the dry ingredients together an add to the persimmon mixture. Add the raisins and nuts. Pour into a well-greased loaf baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Cool and drizzle with glaze.

GLAZE: 3 tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp lemon juice. Mix together.

3 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sugar
2 pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/4 c. oil or melted shortening
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans

Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Mix remaining ingredients and pour into the well. Stir just enough to dampen all ingredients and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups oil (I recommend cor olive for health purposes)
2 cups persimmon pulp
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cups raisins
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans well and set aside.

Into a medium bowl sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the sugar. Set mixture aside.

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and the persimmon pulp, mixing together well. Add the flour mixture into the persimmon mixture, beating together until well blended. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool completely before slicing.

Growing up in Southern Indiana we often visited friends and relatives in Kentucky. I don't know which ones had this recipe but it makes a good "corn" bread.8-oz creamed-style corn8-oz whole-kernel corn8-oz sour cream1 egg1 stick butter, softened1 pkg (box) Jiffy cornbread mixPreheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a glass baking pan. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl using a spoon (not a mixer!). Pour into the baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

FILE PHOTO

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup milk

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter flavored shortening into the flour mixture until crumbly. Add the milk and stir to blend. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass. Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Yield: 10 biscuits

This is an old church cookbook recipe.1 box Jiffy brand white cake mix1 pkg dry yeast1 1/4 cups warm water3 cups flourMix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Set in a warm place and let rise until double in size. Punch down and shape into rolls. Dip into vegetable oil and let rise again. Put into greased muffin cups or arrange in a pan. Bake at 375 degrees until browned.

Jiffy Photo

This is a recipe that came in an old mailing from the American Heart Association many years ago.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 1/2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs or egg substitutes (or 8 egg whites)
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped pecans

Sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add sugar to flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all at once the following ingredients: oil, eggs, water and pumpkin. Mix well then add in the pecans. Pour batter into 4 8x4-inch loaf pans, filling each pan about half full. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Yield: 4 loaves 1/16 of a loaf equals approximately 85 calories

White Bread Batter:
1 1/4 cups warm (not hot)water
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 tbsp soft shortening
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
3 cups sifted flour

Pour warm water into large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water; stir until dissolved. Add shortening, salt, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer or 300 vigorous strokes by hand. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Stir in remaining flour and beat with a spoon until smooth, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape batter from sides of bowl. Cover dough with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until double in bulk, about 30 minutes. When batter has risen, stir down by beating about 25 strokes. Spread batter evenly in a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Batter will be sticky. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until edge of batter reaches 1/4" from top of pan, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes, or until brown. When done, immediately remove from pan. Brush top with margarine or butter, cool. Makes 1 loaf.

Whole-Wheat Bread Batter:
Use above recipe but substitute firmly packed brown sugar for white sugar. Substitute 1 cup whole-wheat flour for 1 cup of the white flour. Add 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour with the first addition of flour. Add the remaining whole wheat flour with the second addition of flour.

Rye Bread Batter:
Use recipe for white bread batter. Use firmly packed brown sugar for white sugar. Use 1 cup sifted rye flour for 1/2 cup of the white flour. Add 1/2 cup rye flour with the first addition of flour. Add the remaining rye flour with the second addition of flour. If desired, add 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds with the first addition of flour.

Herb Bread Batter:
Use recipe for white bread batter. Add 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon powdered sage with the first addition of flour.

1 cup chopped dates1 cup boiling water1 tbsp vegetable oil1 cup packed brown sugar1 egg1 tsp vanilla extract2 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt1 cup chopped walnutsIn a mixing bowl, combine the dates, water, and oil. Let stand for 10 minutes; do not drain. Add the brown sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into the date mixture just until combined. Do not beat. Fold in walnuts. Transfer batter into a greased 8-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool ten minutes before removing from pan. Finish cooling on a wire rack.I believe this is an old recipe from California.

photo from funfoodfrolic.com

5 cups flour
3/4 cup shortening or lard
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 pkg yeast
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift dry ingredients together into large bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture. Add buttermilk and yeast that's been dissolved in the warm water. Mix with a spoon until all the flour is moistened. Cover and set in refrigerator till ready to use. Take out as much dough as needed. Roll out on a floured board to 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Cut using a biscuit cutter or small glass. Bake 12 minutes until browned. Keep unused dough in refrigerator for use the next day.

A favorite of the children.

1 pkg choc. chips, broken
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat shortening with sugar until creamy. Add eggs and beat into sugar mixture. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt; combine milk and vanilla. Combine flour mixture with milk mixture and add to the sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Bake one hour in two greased bread pans.