If you love to cook, historical newspapers are a great place to find recipes. But we’ll admit that sometimes the ingredients and flavor combinations in old recipes can be less than appealing to the modern palette. So we searched the newspapers on our site to find 5 vintage recipes you’ll actually want to try this autumn.
Beneath the original recipe, we’ve written it out in a way that’s a bit easier to follow. We’ve also used brackets to indicate our best estimates for cooking times, temperatures, and measurements when not provided by the original recipe.
Pumpkin Waffles – from 1919
Recipe: Pumpkin waffles, 1919 Sun, Oct 5, 1919 – Page 80 · New-York Tribune (New York, New York) · Newspapers.com
Ingredients
- 1 scant cupful cooked and sifted [pureed] pumpkin
- 1 tsp molasses
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 large cupful flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 cupful milk
- 2 Tbsp melted shortening
- 2 egg whites, stiffly whipped
Directions
- Mix the molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and lightly beaten egg yolks into the pumpkin.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and sugar.
- Gradually combine the mixtures, beating in the milk and melted shortening.
- Fold in the stiffly whipped egg whites last of all.
- Cook in hot, well-greased waffle irons.
Sponge Gingerbread – from 1905
Recipe: Sponge gingerbread, 1905 Sun, Nov 26, 1905 – 32 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar (light brown recommended)
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup milk (either sweet or sour)
- 3 cups pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2-4 tsp ginger
- 1 scant tsp cinnamon
Directions
- Combine ingredients. [Likely, mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine.]
- Pour into a 2-inch-deep 9×12 pan [or a 9×13 cake pan].
- Bake in a moderate oven [around 350 degrees] for about 30 minutes.
Note: If you do not like a decided ginger taste, use only 2 teaspoons.
Apple Slump – from 1916
Recipe: Apple slump, 1916 Sat, Oct 7, 1916 – 14 · Norwich Bulletin (Norwich, Connecticut) · Newspapers.com
Ingredients
- [8] tart apples [e.g., Granny Smith, Pink Lady, etc.]
- Water
- 1 cup sugar
- Nutmeg, to taste
- Pinch of salt
- Rich biscuit dough, already prepared and cut out into biscuits
- Hard sauce or cream
Directions
- Pare and quarter enough tart apples to fill a 4-quart stewpan half full. [Likely, about 8 apples, though it will vary depending on size of the apples.]
- Add the apples to the pot and cover with water.
- Add sugar, nutmeg, and salt and let come to a boil.
- Lay cut-out biscuit dough over the boiling apples.
- Cover the pan and steam for 25 to 30 minutes, without lifting the cover. The pan must not be placed over a very hot fire, as the apples will scorch. [I.e., reduce heat to a simmer.]
- Serve hot with hard sauce or cream.
Sweet Potato Soup – from 1921
Recipe: Sweet potato soup, 1921 Wed, Nov 16, 1921 – 32 · Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) · Newspapers.com
Ingredients
- ½ Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 pint [2 cups] milk
- 1 pint [2 cups] stock [chicken or vegetable are typically used]
- ½ tsp onion juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Small stick of cinnamon
- Sweet potatoes [already baked and then pureed; amount can vary according to preference, but likely about 2 cups]
- Chopped parsley
- Grated nutmeg
- Croutons
Directions
- Put butter and flour into a saucepan or double boiler and blend [i.e., make a roux].
- Add milk, stock, onion juice, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- Stir carefully over the fire until the mixture is hot and beginning to thicken. [Be careful the soup does not boil as this can curdle the milk.]
- Add the sweet potatoes, stir well, and cook for 10 minutes longer.
- Strain into soup dishes, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top, and add a dash of grated nutmeg.
- Serve very hot with croutons.
Ham Sandwich Biscuits – from 1914
Recipe: Ham sandwich biscuits, 1914 Sun, Oct 25, 1914 – 42 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com
Ingredients
- Biscuit dough, prepared stiffer than usual
- Minced ham
- Butter
Directions
- Roll biscuit dough out thin [likely, about ½-inch thick] and cut into rounds.
- Spread half of the dough rounds with a mixture of minced ham and butter, then cover with a second round. [Consider pinching the edges closed to prevent filling from leaking.]
- Bake far apart in a hot oven. [Likely, bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.]
Note: In baking biscuits, always place them far apart on the baking sheet so as to ensure crisp baking all round.
Let us know if you try any of these recipes! Are any of them similar to ones handed down in your family?
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