When looking for a vintage recipe that sounds delicious and one that I’ll hopefully be able to create with a delicious taste, according to today’s cooking standards, I feel like an archeologist.
Digging through my treasure trove of old cookbooks, I’ve found that not every recipe sounds appealing. This week I saw a recipe for a cake with an entire pound of uncooked sausage baked inside!
Ugh!
But then there are the gems.
This recipe for 1937 All-Bran Muffins get top marks. It was simple to make (assembled in under 10 minutes), used ingredients from my shelves, including a bag of leftover raisin bran cereal, and were fluffy and flavorful. Terrific!
It is from a small pamphlet entitled ‘The Housewife’s Year Book of Health and Homemaking.’ This 36-page, staple-bound booklet is adorned with beautiful bright covers. That alone is unusual as most cookbooks I’ve seen from that decade used little color ink –probably to save cost. Remember this was during The Great Depression. It was most likely distributed freely to homemakers as no price is printed on the covers.
The front cover shows a man, woman and two children—probably reflecting a family – all of whom appear to be glowing with good health. Even the recipe illustrations inside are in full color.
It was published by the Kellogg Company of Battle Creek, Michigan. This company, as we all know, has produced dozens (maybe hundreds?) of cereals that most of us grew up on.
So, this recipe which calls for raisin bran makes sense. I believe that is one of their most popular cereals. It was a staple in our house.
The first page of the pamphlet clarifies the purpose:
“A calendar for the year with important historical events, astronomical data and sun and moon rise and set times; valuable advice on food and its relation to health; new recipes; meal planning; housekeeping; how to gain weight; how to reduce; horoscopes; games for children; home entertainment; first aid, and much other useful information.”
It sounds more like a Farmer’s Almanac than a cookbook. To be fair, the recipes inside only amount to a half-dozen.
But this is a gem of a muffin recipe with variations suggested:
pecans (1/2 cup chopped added to dry ingredients);
bacon (1/4 cup cooked, diced added to dry ingredients);
raisins (1/2 cup added to dry ingredients);
dates (1/2 cup chopped added to dry ingredients);
orange (2 tablespoons grated rind added to dry ingredients).
This recipe is economical, delicious, quick to make and a good way to use up cereal leftovers lurking in your cupboards.
Make some this weekend for a lazy summer morning!
Enjoy!
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This week’s Farmer Market Find:
After rinsing, I snapped them on my back porch while listening to an audio book. It was clear skies and a tolerable temperature. Yay! I’ll boil them in salted water and then eat them heated for the next several days with butter. Yum!
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My Notes:
- A variation included in the pamphlet suggests, if using buttermilk in the recipe: Substitute ½ teaspoon baking soda and only 1 teaspoon baking powder.
2. An equal amount of raisin bran cereal, instead of all-bran cereal, produces fantastic results! The bran flakes disappear when soaked in milk and the raisins get plumped.
3. The recipe calls for using two tablespoons of ‘fat.’ I used 2 tablespoons oil. You could probably use 2 tablespoons of butter or shortening as a fat.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top before baking for extra sweetness.
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1937 All-Bran Muffins
2 tablespoons fat (I used 2 tablespoons oil)
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-bran cereal
¾ cup milk
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
In small bowl combine cereal and milk; let soak until moisture is absorbed– 4 minutes. Set aside.
In large bowl cream oil and sugar.
Add egg and stir until creamy.
Add cereal mixture.
In separate bowl sift flour with salt and baking powder.
Add to first mix and stir only until flour is mixed.
Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Yield: 8 large muffins (3 inches in diameter) or 12 small muffins.
Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser 
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