Helen's Fruit Cake

It seems fruit cake has gotten a bad rap. People make fun of it all the time, yet tens of thousands are sold every Christmas and millions are made at home with traditional family recipes. I don't care for citron, otherwise, this one sounds good. This is also another recipe with few directions. I will improvise.

Helen's Fruit Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups Swan's Down flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 pound white raisins
1/4 pound dates, chopped
1/4 pound currants
2 ounces orange peel
1 ounce lemon peel
1 ounce citron
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 pound candied cherries
1/2 pound candied pineapple
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder

Roll all candied fruits and nuts in flour. Bake in a roaster on rack for 3 hours. Slow fire 275 degrees.
I would combine the flour, spices, soda and baking powder; set aside. Combine all fruits and nuts; set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and sour cream; blend well. stir in extracts to blend. Fold in fruit/nut/flour mixture. Pour into greased pan and bake in a roaster as directed.

Helen's Black Walnut Cake

This is another recipe that did not have any directions except for the most vaguest, which says, "Cook till thick", which I believe is for the filling. I will try my best to make this recipe work.
Helen's Black Walnut Cake

2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cloves
1 Tbls. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups sifted flour with spices
1/2 cup black walnuts

Filling: 1 cup sugar
            2 eggs
            2 heaping Tbls. cornstarch
            1 cup black walnuts
            1 pint boiling milk

Sift flour with spices, as directed; set aside. cream brown sugar with room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Stir soda in with the sour cream and add to creamed mixture; blend well. Remove 1/4 cup of flour and blend with walnuts.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and blend well. Fold in walnut/flour mixture. Pour into two greased 8" or 9" pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or till tests done with a toothpick.  Rmove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks. Cool completely before adding cooled filling.
For filling: Scald milk. In top of double boiler combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk and cook until thickened. Beat two eggs in a bowl and add a bit of the hot custard to temper the eggs and then add them to the milk mixture. Cook until incorporated and thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add black walnuts. Place between layers of cake.

Helen's Orange Delight Cake

This is one of those recipes that was written out in paragraph form. It sounds delicious, though a lot of work.

Helen's Orange Delight Cake

Boil 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 6 Tbls. water in a saucepan until it spins a 8" thread. Pour hot syrup in a fine stream over stiffly beaten egg whites of 6 eggs. Continue beating until mixure is cool and stiff enough to hold shape. Beat 6 egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, then beat them into whites mixture. Beat in grated rind of one orange (2 tsps.) and juice of one orange (1/4 cup). Sift flour once before measuring. Sift 1 1/2 cups cake flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt together. Fold in egg mixture. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake one hour in slow oven. Invert cake until cake is completely cool.
*A slow oven is 300 degrees.
Keep the cake upside down while cooling (inverted) and in pan until completlely cool, just like an angel food cake. You may have to use a sharp knife run around cake like an angel food in order to remove it from pan.

Helen's Icing Orange Custard

Beat 5 egg yolks until thick. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice, and grated rind of one orange. Cook over hot water, stirring contantly until mixture thickens. Cool. Beat 1/2 pint whipping cream until stiff. Fold into mixture. Blend 1 tsp. lemon juice.
*Use double boiler when cooking the custard.

Helen's White Nut Cake

Helen's White Nut Cake

3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups GM Soft as Silk cake flour or
2 2/3 cup GM flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 cup broken nuts
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Method: Cream shortening, add sugar gradually and cream thoroughly. Sift flour once bfore measuring. Sift flour, baking sod, and salt together, and add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Add nuts in the last addtition of flour. Add flavorings. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry and fold into batter. Pour into well greased bread loaf pans (bottom and two sides of pan lined with *white paper to make it easier to remove cake). Bake one hour at 350 degrees. Use 2 3/4"x4 1/2"x8 1/2" loaf pans.
*Use parchment paper for the white paper.

Helen's Crumb Spice Cake

"This recipe won first prize in 1954" was printed with the recipe. I don't know who won the recipe contest, or where the contest was held, though I don't think it was Helen who won. But who knows?



Helen's Crumb Spice Cake

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup sour milk
1 tsp. soda

Mix first ingredients as for pie crust until well blended. Remove 1/2 cup mixture and save for topping. Combine egg, milk, and baking soda to remaining crumbs. Beat until smooth. Pour into greased 8x8" pan and sprinkle crumbs over tops. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Helen's Treasure Chest Cake

Another recipe without directions so I will do my best to make this work for you.

Helen's Treasure Chest Cake

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs, beaten light

1 tsp. soda in

1/2 cup sour milk*

3 Tbls. cocoa in

1/2 cup hot water

2 cups sifted flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Icing, follows

Sift together the flour and baking powder; set aside. Cream the brown sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mix well. Combine the cocoa with the hot water; set aside. Combine the soured milk with the soda and set aside. Add some flour mixture to the creamed batter and blend well, then add some of the soured milk mixture and blend well. Alternate the flour with the liquids, starting and ending with the flour so it won't curdle until it is all incorporated. Blend well. Pour cake into greased and floured pans (13"x9" or two 9" rounds) and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes, depending on which pans are used. Test for doneness using a toothpick. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pans before removing to wire rack to cool. When cool, ice with the glaze and serve.

*To sour milk add 1/2 Tbls white vinegar to measuring cup then add milk to get half cup. Allow to set for 3-5 minutes until soured.

Glaze Icing for Cake

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbls. cocoa

Cream, to moisten

1/2 Tbls. melted butter

Sift together the powdered sugar with the cocoa. Add the melted butter and enough cream to make a glaze. If too thick, add more cream. If too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar until you have the right consistency. 

Helen's Coconut Seven Minute Frosting

Helen must have worked awful hard at making this frosting as she used a rotary egg beater the entire time! You can make life easier by using your electric mixer in place of the egg beater. I don't know if Baker's even sells coconut in cans anymore, let alone the "Southern-Style" kind, but I am sure that any coconut would do for this recipe. It has been a few years since I've seen coconut in a can. I can remember selling a lot of Baker's canned coconut for the holidays back when I worked in a grocery, and I can even remember buying it myself when this exact amount was needed (7 ounces).

Helen's Coconut Seven Minute Frosting

2 egg whites, unbeaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 Tbls. water
1 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can Baker's Southern-Style coconut*

Combine egg whites, sugar, water, and corn syrup in top of double boiler, beat with rotary beater until thoroughly mixed. Place over rapidly boiling water, beat constantly with rotary egg beater, and cook seven minutes, or until frosting will stand in peaks. Remove from boiling water; add vanilla; beat until thick enough to spread. Spread on cake; sprinkle with coconut while frosting is soft. Makes enough frosting to cover tops and sides of two 9" layers.

Helen's Seven Minute Icing

This is one recipe Helen obviously made often. If you've ever made Seven Minute Icing you know that it is gooey just like melted marshmallows, but it is also light and fluffy and goes well on just about any cake, especially chocolate. If this recipe is too vague for you then look up a similar one in just about any cook book and use their directions. This is just how Helen had the directions written in her cook book.

Helen's Seven Minute Icing

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 egg white
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Put sugar, water, and unbeaten egg white in double boiler over hot water. Cook 7 minutes, beat constantly. Add vanilla.

Helen's Pumpkin Pie II

Helen's Pumpkin Pie II

2 cups pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp.cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup cream
1 cup milk
Unbaked 9" pie shell

Mix in order given. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 425 degree oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake until a silver knife inserted in side comes out clean. About 45 minutes.

Helen's Pumpkin Pie I

This is not your standard pie recipe, but a chiffon pumpkin pie which is fuller and fluffier than a conventional pie. It is something a bit different and might add a surprise to your holidays. Make sure you read through this recipe before making as the steps are not as clear as they could be.

Helen's Pumpkin Pie I

1 Tbls. gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 1/3 cup pumpkin
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
1- 9" baked pie shell
3 egg whites*
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6Tbls. sugar

Soak gelatin in cold water till soft, then mix sugar, salt and spices together in top of double boiler. Stir in pumpkin. Beat egg yolks and milk together, then add to pumpkin mixture. Place over boiling water and cook until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in gelatin. Cool until it begins to thicken. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar until stiff. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into pie shell. Chill.
*If you do not want to use raw egg whites then buy pastuerized ones from the store.

Helen's Hard Sauce

I obviously was not around when Aunt Helen would have made this sauce, but I do remember grandma making a mince pie or two at every holiday, though she never made this sauce. Most likely because grandpa didn't like it. I don't care for mince pie, though I remember most older people loved it when I was a kid. People must still love mince pie as you see the containers of mince pie filling disappear from grocery shelves at Christmastime. This hard sauce just might be what it needs to give it some pizzaz.

Helen's Hard Sauce

1 Tbls. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup instant dry milk
1/4 cup softened butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Mix water, vanilla, and dry milk until smooth. Stir in and beat until smooth the butter and sugar. Chill until needed. Makes about 3/4 cup. Serve over warm mince pie.

Helen's Butter Rum Chiffon Pie

Helen's Butter Rum Chiffon Pie

2 cups milk

2 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tbls. gelatin*

1/4 cup cold water

2 tsp. rum flavoring extract

1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped

Crushed Butter Rum candies for garnish

Scald milk in double boiler. Beat egg yolks with sugar and add slowly to milk and cook constantly unil mixture coats spoon.  remove from heat and add gelatin (soften gelatin in 1/4 cup water first). Stir until dissolved. Cool until almost set. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites, flavoring, and half cup whipped cream. Pour into cooked pastry shell and chill till firm. Decorate with whipped cream and candies.

*Use the Knox Unflavored Gelatin brand.

If you are worried about consuming raw egg whites then buy pastueized egg whites sold in groceries.

Helen's Meringue

Helen's Meringue

6 egg whites

2 cups sugar

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

This recipe has no directions except to bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour.

For your convenience I have searched for a similar recipe and added the directions below.

Please note that this recipe is probably enough for 2 pie shells as the recipe that came with the directions below had half the ingredients as listed above.

Directions: In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add vanilla, and slowly beat in sugar until very stiff and glossy. Spread mixture into a 9 inch pie plate to form a shell.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 minutes. Turn oven off, and leave meringue in oven for 1 hour. Cool.
You can fill these meringues with fresh fruit, similar to the one pictured above.

Helen's Pie Crust

Helen's Pie Crust

1 cup lard*
3 cups flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

pour boiling water over lard and beat until creamy. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir mixture together thoroughly to cool.  Put on well-floured board and roll out.
*Make sure you use pure lard. Most lard sold in the store is hydrogenated and very bad for you. The lard in my picture above was purchased at Ashery Farms, Heath, Ohio. It is a pure lard.
This recipe would make enough for 2 -10" pie crusts. Any leftover can be used to make cinnamon rolls.

Helen's Bing Cherry Salad

This would be a good recipe to use in the heat of summer when cherries come into season. Bing cherries usually come ripe in July just in time for family reunions, cookouts in the backyard, and entertaining the neighbors. Since I know that Helen enjoyed entertaining, I am sure this one was on her list of summer treats to razzle and dazzle her friends. I think it will also razzle and dazzle your family and friends.
I can see Aunt Helen with her shimmering Bing Cherry Salad on beds of lettuce, served on china plates, and passed around to all of her high society friends. I am sure they were more than impressed.

Helen's Bing Cherry Salad

6 1/2 ounce Cherry Jello (2 boxes)
1/2 pint grape juice*
1/2 pint cherry juice
1/2 pint pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups bing cherries stuffed with nuts
Juice of one lemon
Add 1/2 cup cherry juice

This recipe has no directions and so I am going to hoof it here and give you what I think the correct directions would be. Make sure that you use real fruit juices in this recipe. Please try to avoid juice "cocktails" that are full of high frcutose corn syrup. Only real juices will do. These juices can be purchased in the produce section of your local grocery. Pineapple juice saved and frozen from canned pineapple will do.
* A half pint equals 8 ounces or 1 cup.
Stuff the cherries with your choice of nut (walnuts or pecans would be good). Pit and stem the cherries and stuff a halved nut meat into the center of each one; set aside.
Bring the grape, cherry, and pineapple juices to a boil in a 2 quart sauce pan. Stir in gelatin to dissolve; stir about 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and half cup of cherry juice. Place into a large pan and chill until almost set. Stir in cherries and return to refrigerator to continue to set up until fully set. You can add all ingredients at once and allow the cherries to settle in bottom of your mold, if you want. Cut into slices and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry half, if desired.

Helen's Frozen Fruit Salad

I made a very similar recipe to this one quite a few years ago. The recipe I had said to use the old metal ice cube trays as a mold. The recipe amount fits in one of these old cube trays perfectly. Personally, I don't care much for the taste of the Miracle Whip in this recipe and think I would prefer either mayonnaise or even some sour cream with a bit of powdered sugar to sweeten it up some. Without digging out all of my recipes and checking the one I used against this one, I am positive they are about identical. At one time, this was a very desirable and popular dessert in many homes around the country, and it still may be today. Give it a try, it is not bad. It just might be the highlight of your Bridge or Euchre club.

Helen's Frozen Fruit Salad

1 1/2 packages cream cheese*
1/4 cup Miracle Whip dressing
1/2 pound miniature marshmallows
1/2 pint whipped cream
1 can crushed pineapple

Mix cheese and Miracle Whip together. Drain pineapple. Stir in cream, pineapple, and marshmallows. Chill.
*Use 12 ounces of cream cheese and soften it to room temperature before combining with other ingredients.
Though this recipe is not very well-written you need to be aware that when it says to "Chill" that it means you need to freeze the salad for a few hours before slicing and serving. Maraschino cherries added are a nice touch, and you can also garnish with additional whipped cream and a cherry as in the picture.