AcknowledgmentsandCredits
ManyOldOrderAmishfriendsandacquaintancesdelvedintotheirmemories
andrecipeboxestoanswerhoursofmyquestions.Thereisalwaysworktobe
done,yetthesefolkssatpatientlyattheirkitchentablesoronnearbysofaswhile
Igatheredfacts,impressions,andrecipes.Iamdeeplygrateful.
Stillotherfriendsprovidedthesettingforphotographyintheirkitchensand
basements.TheHansHerrHouse,theoldestremainingdwellinginLancaster
County,builtin1719byaMennoniteleader,graciouslyallowedusto
photographthecoverandseveralothershotsonthatproperty.Thankyouall.
Copyright©2014byPhyllisPellmanGoodAllrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedin
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PhyllisPellman
ThebestofAmishcooking.
Bibliography:p.
Includesindex.
1.Cookery,Amish.2.Cookery—Pennsylvania.
I.Title.
TX715.G6471988641.5’088287
88-82138
TableofContents
—WhoAreThesePeople?
—WhatIsTheirFoodTraditionintheNewWorld?
MainstaysandOne-PotDishes
SoupsandStews
Meats
Vegetables
SaladsandGreens
PickledRelishes,SweetsandSours
Breads
Pies
CakesandCookies
Puddings,Dumplings,andDesserts
FruitButters,Jellies,andJams
Cheese
Beverages
Candies
MenusforSpecialOccasions
—AWeddingDinner
—AWeddingSupper
—SundayChurchLunch
—AFuneralDinner
AnIntroductiontotheAmishand
TheirFood
The Amish have captured the interest of the modern world because of their
quaintclothing,homes,andbuggies,theirstrikingquilts,theirlustyfood.These
peopleprefertoberegardedasacommunityoffaithwhodeliberatelyseektolive
in a way that honors God and the creation. They purposely refuse many
conveniencestobetterfoster theirlifetogether; theychooseto livecloseto the
landinanefforttocarefortheirfamiliesandtheearth.
WhoAreThesePeople?
TheAmishareaChristiangroupwhotracetheirbeginningstothetimeofthe
ProtestantReformationin16thcenturyEurope.
In1525agroupofbelieverspartedcompanywiththeestablishedstatechurch
for a variety of reasons. Among them was the conviction that one must
voluntarilybecomeafollowerofChrist,andthatthatdeliberatedecisionwillbe
reflectedinallofone’slife.Therefore,baptismmustsymbolizethatchoice.The
movement was nicknamed “Anabaptists,” meaning re-baptism, since the
believerswantedtobebaptizedagainasadults.
Eventually the group were called Mennonites after Menno Simons, one of
their leaders who had formerly been a Roman Catholic priest. Over the years
these people grew into a strong faith community, concerned with the nurture
anddisciplineofeachother.
Basic to their beliefs was a conviction that if one was a faithful follower of
Christ’s, one’s behavior would clearly distinguish one from the larger world.
These people saw themselves as separated unto God because of their values of
love,forgiveness,andpeace.Becausetheyweremisunderstoodandbecausethey
appeared to be a threat to the established church and government, the people
wereoftenpersecutedandmanybecamerefugees.
In 1693, a magnetic young Mennonite leader believed that the church was
losing some of its purity and that it was beginning to compromise with the
world. And so he and a group who agreed with him left the Mennonites and
formed a separate fellowship. They were called Amish, after their leader, Jacob
Amman.TodaytheAmishidentifythemselvesasthemostconservativegroupof
Mennonites.
The movement which Amman began reached into Switzerland, Alsace, and
thePalatinateareaofGermany.Asearlyas1727Amishfamiliesbegantoresettle
inNorthAmericawheretheyfoundfarmland,spacetoliveasneighborstoeach
other, and a climate that nurtured their growth as a church family with a
distinctivelifestyle.
Thetinycommunitiesstruggledtosurviveintheearlyyears.Aswastruefor
otherpioneers,theAmishinvestedmostoftheirtimeandenergyinclearingthe
land,establishingtheirhomesteads,andgettingalongwiththenativeAmericans.
Most of those who arrived from the 1720s through the mid-1760s settled in
eastern Pennsylvania, yet they did not live in sequestered communities.
Frequently they had neighbors who were not Amish. With that came the
opportunityforinterchangewithfolksfromthelargerworld.NorwastheAmish
church as defined in terms of distinctive practices nor as organized under
recognizedleadersasitbecamefollowingtheAmericanRevolution.Thatevent
crystallizedmanyoftheconvictionsthesepeopleheldandunitedthemintheir
refusal to join the War, since they were (and remain today) conscientious
objectors.
TheAmishintendtogivetheirprimaryattentionandenergytobeingfaithful
disciples of the teachings of Jesus Christ. They believe they can do that best as
members of a community who together share that desire. Consequently they
have tried to withstand acculturation into the “worldly” society surrounding
them.Theyhaveremainedclosetotheland,preferringtofarmifatallpossible.
They believe hard work is honorable, that church and family provide one’s
primaryidentity.Theiridealinlifeisnottopursuecareersthatleadtoprosperity
andprestige,buttobecomeresponsibleandcontributingmemberstotheirfaith
community.
TheAmishhavechangedthroughouttheirnearly300yearsofhistory.Their
intent,however,istobedeliberateaboutchange,tomanageitcarefullysothatit
doesnoterodetheirconvictions.
TheAmishcontinuetogrow.Todaytheylivein20statesandoneCanadian
province, totaling about 100,000 adults and children. There are twice as many
Amish persons today as there were only 20 years ago. They are a living and
dynamicpeople.
WhatIsTheirFoodTraditionintheNewWorld?
Because they are highly disciplined, the Amish are often perceived as being
grim,austerefolkswholiveasascetics.Theydoliveorderedlivesand,ingeneral,
arerestrainedintheiroutwardexpression.Butintwoparticularareastheyhave
exercised color—in their quilts and in their food! In both areas they
distinguishedthemselvesonlyafterbecomingestablishedinNorthAmerica.By
themid-1850sandduringthenextseveraldecadesafoodtraditionevolvedthat
includedanamalgamofdishesfromavarietyofsources:theybroughttheirown
culturaltastepreferencesfromSwitzerlandandGermany;thataffectedwhatthey
copied and adapted from the diets of their English and native American
neighbors;thegeographyandclimateintheareaoftheNewWorldwherethey
made their homes also shaped their eating. In those ways, however, they were
littledifferentfromtheotherGermanfolkwhosettledinWilliamPenn’scolony.
How, then, did the Amish develop and retain a food tradition that is
identifiable? With their sustained rural base, the Amish have continued a
productiverelationshipwiththeirgardensandfields.Withtheirlargeextended
familiestheyhavenotonlybeenabletoconveytheloveofcertaindishestotheir
children,buttheyhavealsobeenabletoshowtheirdaughtershowtomakethose
specialties,manyofwhicharelearnedbestby“feel”thanbyreadingacookbook.
In addition, their active community life supports the continuation of a food
tradition—at gathered times, favorite dishes appear, undergirding the event,
whetheritbeaschoolpicnic,afuneral,orsisters’day.
Several principles prevail among these people with as much strength now as
theydidwhenthefirstAmishbuilttheirhomesteadinPennsylvania:towasteis
to destroy God’s gift. To be slack, work-wise, is to be disrespectful of time and
resources.Togohungryistoignorethebountyoftheearth(furthermore,there
isnoreasonthateatingshouldn’tbeapleasure!).
Manymythsexistaboutthesepeopleandtheirfood.SeparatedastheAmish
arefromthelargerworldintheirdressandtransportationchoices,theyarenot
immune to the many food options in the grocery stores of their communities.
Theyshop,andsotheypickuppackagedcereal,boxesoffruit-flavoredgelatin,
and cans of concentrated soup. Although tuna noodle casserole and chili con
carne turn up on the tables of Amish homes, and chocolate chip cookies and
lunchmeatarepackedintothelunchboxesofAmishschoolchildren,cornmeal
mush and chicken pot pie are still favorites. Because the Amish are a living
group,despitetheirregardfortradition,theirmenuscontinuetochange.Their
foods are influenced by their neighbors and the recipes they find on boxes
containing packaged foods or in the pages of farm magazines and local
newspapers.
The Amish are hard workers whose efforts on the land have been rewarded
withfruitfulfieldsandgardens.Andsotheyhaveeatenwell.Infact,theirland
has been so productive that Amish cooks have undertaken massive “pickling”
operations, preserving the excess from their gardens in sweet and sour syrups.
Likelyoneamazedguest,whosatatthetableofanAmishcookorwhowitnessed
her well-stocked canning shelves, began the tale of “seven sweets and seven
sours.”Thatexaggerationofwhatistypicallyservedhasabitoftruthatitscore
—hardworkhasitspayoffandallfoodismadetobeenjoyed.
Desserts are eaten daily in most Amish homes. But multiple desserts at one
mealaregenerallyeatenonlywhenthereiscompany.Thusthestoryofmanifold
pastriesavailableateverymealhasonlyashadeoftruthinit.
WhatDoesthisCookbookContain?
Thiscookbookisacollectionofthosedishesthatgobackasfaras80-year-old
membersoftheAmishchurchcanrecallordiscoverinhandwritten“cookbooks”
whichbelongtotheirmothers,andthatarestillpreparedtoday,eitherintheold-
fashioned way or by an adapted method. These foods are ones that were—and
stillare—eaten(perhapsnowinamodifiedform),ineasternPennsylvania,most
oftenintheLancasterarea.ItwasinthatgeneralcommunitythatthefirstAmish
settlementstookrootandgrew.AlthoughLancastergavebirthtomanydaughter
colonies, it is today the second largest Amish community (Holmes County,
Ohio,isthelargest).
Typically those handwritten and food-spattered cookbooks included only
ingredientswithoutany,oronlyminimal,referencetoprocedures.Furthermore,
the measurements were far from precise! Most Amish folks recall that their
mothers seldom consulted a cookbook anyway. Experience kept their skills
polished.InkeepingwiththeAmishtraditionoflivingasextendedfamilies,an
elderlymotherorauntwasusuallynearbytoofferhelp.
The Best of Amish Cooking contains old recipes, but they are written to be
understoodandusedbythosewithoutthebenefitofthesepeople’shistoryorthe
presence of an experienced cook. Recipe sizes have also been adapted, in most
casestoyieldsixtotenservings.
Throughout the book, pronoun references to the cook in Amish homes are
consistentlyofthefemininegender.Thiswasdonedeliberately,sinceinAmish
society, roles are clearly defined. Women are solely responsible for food
preparation, apart from butchering and related processes such as drying and
smoking,certaingardeningchores,andmakingappleorpearbutter.Amanwho
carriesprimaryresponsibilitiesinthekitchenisarareexception.
Here,then,isthepossibilityofmakinggoodfood—notfancy,butsubstantial;
moreheartythandelicate;intunewiththeseasons.
PickledRelishes,SweetsandSoursThe
PennsylvaniaGermanpalaterequiresa
sweetandsouraccompanimenttoits
richmeatsassurelyasitdemandsgravy
withmashedpotatoes.That
combinationisanhistoricalpractice;it
isalsoadigestiveprinciple.
Intheearly19thcenturytheflavoringusedincombinationwithmarbledand
fatty meats was primarily acidic and tart. Unsweetened fruits, pickles in sharp
vinegar dressings, and sauerkraut were served side by side with salted and
smokedmeats.
Awomaninhermid-80sexplainedtheeasyaccessthecookhad
to vinegar. “We made cider and whatever didn’t get drunk we would put in a
barrelanditwouldturnsour.Sometimesitwouldn’twork;thenwe’daddalittle
oldvinegarandthatwouldturnit.Wekeptitupinthebarninabarrelwitha
spigotonit.Itwouldgetsostrongwewoulduseonlyabouthalfofwhatarecipe
calledfor.”
Acculturationmayexplainthegradualinfluxofsweetenedfruitsandvinegars
into the Pennsylvania German diet at the beginning of the 20th century.
Influencedbythewealthy,urbansocietyinPhiladelphia,thesepeddlerfarmers
learned about sweetening the syrups in which they preserved their fruits and
vegetables. Sugar in a more refined form became increasingly available at
economicalpricesfollowingtheSpanish-AmericanWar,whenPuertoRicoand
thePhilippinescameunderUnitedStatesgovernmentjurisdiction.
Thatdevelopment,coupledwiththesepeople’sabundantlyproductivegardens
and orchards and historical taste preferences, has kept pickled relishes on the
tablesofmanyAmishhouseholdseversince.The“sevensweetsandsevensours”
mythisanexaggeration,however,ofthispracticewhichcarriesontoday,yetina
muchmoremoderatemanner.
One woman in her mid-30s explains, “When we had company, or when we
went away, there was always a greater variety of pickled dishes served than we
had day-to-day. At home we often had pickles or cole slaw or stuffed peppers,
butwedidn’tnearlyalways.Forchurchlunchnowwealwayseatredbeetsand
pickles,oftentwokindsofsweetones.”
An elderly woman, born at the turn of the 20th century, reflected on the
changesshehasbeenapartof.“Whenwehavecompanyweliketohavepickles
orsomethingsour.Butordinarilyduringtheweekwedon’thaveitbecausewe
use more mayonnaise. We can get lettuce year around so we eat many more
salads. Years ago we always had pickles or red beets or chow chow. Or
applesauce.Youjustfeltbetter.”
Anotheroldpracticewastokeepacruetofvinegaronthetablesothatafew
splashescouldbeaddedtothecookedvegetablesaftertheyhadbeendishedonto
individuals’plates.“Alittleisgood,”smilesonemiddle-agedwoman.
Horseradish, that powerfully flavored root, also appeared regularly on the
tableasafoiltotherichestmeatsortobringsomezesttocertainblanddishes.
Older people still relish it. A man in his early 70s recalls, “We grew our own
horseradish. It made you cry twice—once when you grated it and prepared it;
againwhenyouateit!Weputitonsausage,mushandpuddin’s,scrapple.That’s
justthewayitwasalwaysdone!”
A hearty grandmother remarked, “We like horseradish. But it’s so hard to
process; grinding it makes you cry! I like it, though, on most anything—
sandwiches,mushandpuddin’s.Weateitalittlelikeketchup.”
Onewomaninherearly40s,whostillgrowsherownhorseradish(although
many today buy it already processed), uses it on eggs and meat. When mixed
withvinegarandspices,horseradishwithitssharp,acidicflavor,isreminiscent
ofthoseearlytartfruitsandvegetablessavoredincombinationwithheavymeat
dishes.Thetradition,althoughtempered,continues.
FourteenDaySweetPickles
2gallonssmallcucumbers
1½cupssaltto1galloncoldwater
2Tbsp.powderedalum
8cupsgranulatedsugar
8cupsapplecidervinegar
3cupswater
1Tbsp.celeryseed
2Tbsp.mixedpicklingspices
1Tbsp.wholeallspice
2oz.cinnamonsticks
Washcucumberswell.Cutoffthestemendsintothefleshofthecucumbers,
sothebrineandsyrupcanpenetratethemthoroughly.Placeinlargedishpanor
crock. Dissolve salt in water and pour over cucumbers, being sure that all are
fullysubmerged.Weightthecoverinordertokeepcucumbersunderthebrine.
Letsetfor6days.
Onday7drainthecucumbers,thenprickeachone3timeswithasharpfork
orparingknifetip.Thisallowsfurtherpenetrationofthepickleswiththebrine
topreventshrivelingandwrinkling.Coverwithfreshboilingwater.
Onday8drainthepicklesandcoveragainwithfreshboilingwater.
On day 9 drain the pickles. Mix the alum with fresh boiling water and pour
overpickles,beingsuretheyarecovered.
Onday10,drainthepicklesandcoverthemwithfreshboilingwater.When
themixturereachesroomtemperature,drainthepicklesagain.
Mix together 2 cups of sugar, all the vinegar, and all the spices (place in a
cheesecloth bag to make removal easier). Bring to a boil, then pour over the
pickles.
Onday11drainthepicklesandreservethesyrup.Stirin2morecupsofsugar
intothesyrup,bringtoaboilandpouroverthepickles.Repeatthisprocesson
days12and13,eachdayadding2morecupsofsugar.
Onday14drainallthesyrupintoasaucepanandbringtoaboil.Meanwhile
spoonthepicklesintohotsterilizedjars.Pourboilingsyrupintoeachjartocover
thepickles.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
SevenDaySweetPickles
7lbs.medium-sizedcucumbers(about3”long)
boilingwater
1quartapplecidervinegar
8cupsgranulatedsugar
2Tbsp.salt
2Tbsp.mixedpicklingspices
Scrubthepickles,puttheminalargedishpanorcrockandcoverthemwith
boiling water. Let stand for 24 hours. On day 2 drain them, then cover them
againwithfreshboilingwater.Repeatthatprocessondays3and4.
Onday5drainthepickles,thencuttheminto¼”slices.Combinethevinegar,
sugar,andseasoningsandbringtoaboil.Pourovertheslicedpickles.Onday6
drainthesyrupintoasaucepan,bringtoaboilandpouroverthepicklesonce
again.Repeatthatprocessonday7,thenspoonthepicklesandsyrupintohot,
sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Makesabout7pints
SweetPickles
(shortprocess)
1gallonmedium-sizedcucumbers,cutin1”chunks
½cupsalt
boilingwater
3cupsgranulatedsugar
3cupsapplecidervinegar
1cupwater
½tsp.turmeric
1tsp.drymustard
1tsp.allspice
1tsp.mustardseed
1tsp.celeryseed
Combinecucumberchunksandsalt.Placeinlargedishpanorcrockandadd
boilingwatertocover.Letstandovernight,thendrain.
Mixtogethersugar,vinegar,andspicesinalargesaucepan.Whenitcomesto
aboiladdthepicklesandreturntotheboilingpoint.
Spoonintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Makes8pints
BreadandButterPickles
1 gallon thinly sliced, medium-sized cucumbers, unpared 6–8 medium-
sizedonions,thinlysliced
2greenpeppers,chopped
⅓cupsalt
4½cupsgranulatedsugar
2Tbsp.mustardseed
1½tsp.turmeric
1½tsp.celeryseed
4½cupsvinegar
Gently mix together the cucumbers, onions, green peppers, and salt. Cover
with crushed ice and let stand for 3 hours. Continue to add ice as it melts so
cucumbersbecomecrispandcold.
Drain well. Meanwhile, combine sugar, spices, and vinegar in a large kettle
andbringtoaboil.Adddrainedvegetablesandheattoboilingpoint,butdonot
boil.
Spoonintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Makes8pints
ChowChow
Thiscanningprojectworkswellinlatesummerasgardeningbeginstowind
down.Chowchowdoesnotrequiretheyoungest,tiniestvegetables,soitisaway
tousethelastoftheseason’syield.
Insomefamilies,sistersgettogetherforchow-chowmaking.Thatrelievesthe
tediumofchoppingandcookingthenumerousvegetablesthatgointothemost
subtlyflavored,variouslytextured,andbrightlycoloredchowchow.
4cupslimabeans
4cupsgreenstringbeans
2cupsyellowwaxbeans
4cupscabbage,chopped
4cupscauliflowerflorets
4cupscarrots,sliced
4cupscelery,cutinchunks
4cupsredandgreenpeppers,chopped
4cupssmallwhiteonions
4cupscucumbers,cutinchunks
4cupscornkernels
4cupsgranulatedsugar
3cupsapplecidervinegar
1cupwater
1Tbsp.picklingspices
1Tbsp.mustardseed
1Tbsp.celeryseed
Cook each vegetable separately until tender but not mushy. When each is
finishedliftoutofhotwaterwithaslottedspoon,andrinsewithcoldwaterto
stopitscookingandpreserveitscolor.Drain,thenlayerintolargedishpan.
Combinethesugar,vinegar,water,andspicesintoa15-quartstockpot(ordo
halfabatchatatimeinan8-quartkettle)andbringtoboil.Makesurethesugar
isfullydissolved,thenspoonallthevegetables(orhalfofthem,dependingupon
thesizeofthekettle)intothesyrupandboilfor5minutes.Stirgently,onlyto
mixthevegetableswell.
Spoonintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
CornRelish
2quartscornkernels
1quartcabbage,chopped
1cupsweetredpeppers,chopped
1cupsweetgreenpeppers,chopped
1cuponions,diced
2cupsgranulatedsugar
4cupsapplecidervinegar
1cupwater
1tsp.celeryseed
1tsp.mustardseed
1Tbsp.salt
1tsp.turmeric
1tsp.drymustard
Cookcornoncobssubmergedinboilingwaterfor5minutes.Plungeintocold
watertostopcookingandpreservecolor.Drain,thencutfromcobs.Mixgently
withothervegetables.
Combine sugar, vinegar, water, and spices (making sure sugar is dissolved).
Pour over vegetables and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender
butnotmushy.
Spoonintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Makesabout6pints
TomatoRelish
18ripefirmtomatoes
1stalkcelery
4medium-sizedonions
2greensweetpeppers
2redsweetpeppers
⅓cupsalt
2¼cupsgranulatedsugar
½tsp.groundcloves
2tsp.cinnamon
½tsp.blackpepper
2Tbsp.mustardseed,incheeseclothbag
1½cupsapplecidervinegar
Peeltomatoes,thenchopintosmallpieces.Chopcelery,onions,andpeppers
finely.
Mix together the vegetables and salt. Place in refrigerator overnight. Drain
thoroughlyinthemorning.
Combine sugar, spices, and vinegar, making sure the sugar is dissolved, in a
largesaucepan.Bringtoaboilandsimmer3minutes.Addvegetablesandreturn
toboil.Simmerfor10moreminutes,stirringoccasionally.Removecheesecloth
bag.
Spoonintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Ketchup
4gallonsripetomatoes
2onions
5stalkscelery
2greensweetpeppers
3cupsgranulatedsugar
2cupsapplecidervinegar
¼tsp.groundcloves
½tsp.allspice
½tsp.cinnamon
3Tbsp.salt
Cook tomatoes, onions, celery, and peppers together until soft and mushy.
Forcethroughfoodpressorstrainer.
Placestrainedmixtureinsoupkettleandaddremainingingredients.Boil10
minutes.
Pourintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Makesabout6pints
GardenRelish
2gallonscucumbers
12medium-sizedonions
4greenpeppers
2medium-sizedcarrots
¼cupsalt
6cupsgranulatedsugar
4cupsapplecidervinegar
12wholecloves
1Tbsp.mustardseed
2Tbsp.turmeric
Grindcucumbers,onions,peppers,andcarrotstogetheruntilfine.Stirinsalt
andletsetovernight.
Drain well. Mix in remaining ingredients. Place cloves and mustard seed in
cloth bags. Bring to boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove bag of
spices.
Spoonintothehot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Makesabout12pints
PepperRelish
6redpeppers
6yellowpeppers
6greenpeppers
6smallonions
½cupcelery,chopped
boilingwater
½cupbrownsugar
½cupgranulatedsugar
2tsp.salt
1½cupsapplecidervinegar
½cupwater
Grindpeppers,onions,andceleryuntilfine.Coverwithboilingwater,letset
for5minutes,thendrain.
Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients, being sure sugars are
completely dissolved. Bring to boil, add ground vegetables and simmer for 12
minutes.Spoonintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
PickledPeppers
3lbs.green,red,andyellowpeppers
2½cupswhitedistilledvinegar
2½cupswater
1¼cupsgranulatedsugar
8clovesgarlic
2tsp.salt
Combinevinegar,water,andsugar.Heattoboiling.
Washpeppers.Cutinto½”strips.Placepepperstripsinbowlandaddenough
boilingwatertocoverthem.Coverbowlandletstandexactly5minutes.Drain.
Packpeppersintohot,sterilizedpintjars.Place1garliccloveand¼tsp.saltin
eachjar.Pourhotliquidoverpeppers.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
SandwichSpread
(tocanorfeedfreshtoacrowd)
6cupscucumbers
4cupsonions
3redsweetpeppers
3greenpeppers
½cupsalt
2cupsapplecidervinegar
½cupbutterormargarine
3cupsgranulatedsugar
3Tbsp.flour
4eggs,beaten
1tsp.mustardseed
1tsp.celeryseed
1cupcream
Grind cucumbers, onions, and sweet peppers until fine. Mix salt thoroughly
withvegetables.Letsetfor2hours.
Mix salted vegetables and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Drain
(reservingvinegar)andpressuntildry.
Blendbutterormargarine,sugar,flour,eggs,spices,andreservedvinegar.Stir
invegetablesandsimmerfor5minutes.Addcreamandbringmixturetoaboil.
Packintohot,sterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
PickledRedBeets
20medium-sizedredbeets
2½cupsapplecidervinegar
2½cupsbeetjuice
1cupgranulatedsugar
2tsp.salt
10wholecloves
2cinnamonsticks
Scrubbeetsandremovetops.Cookbeetsuntiltender.Drainandreservebeet
juice.Removeskinsandcutbeetsintochunks.
Combinevinegar,juice,sugar,andspices.Bringtoaboil.Removespices.
Add beet chunks and boil again. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Process in a
boiling-bath(see
).
RedBeetEggs
6hard-boiledeggs,peeled
2½ cups leftover sweet and sour red beet juice syrup Pour cool syrup over
cookedandpeeledeggs.Letstandovernightinrefrigerator.
Toserve,slicetheeggsinhalf,lengthwise.
SpicedCantaloupe
2lbs.ripefirmcantaloupe
3cupswater
1½cupsapplecidervinegar
2¼cupsgranulatedsugar
½tsp.salt
¼tsp.oilofcinnamon
¼tsp.oilofcloves
Peelcantaloupe,removeseedsandcutintochunks.Packgentlyintosterilized
pintjars.
Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Let cool to room
temperature.
Poursyrupintojarsofcantaloupe,fillingto1”fromtop.Placeself-sealinglid
andscrewringoneachjar.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
SpicedWatermelonRind
5poundswatermelonrind,cutin2”chunks,eachwithabouta¼”stripof
pinkwatermelonfruit½cupsalt
2quartswater
5cupsgranulatedsugar
2cupsapplecidervinegar
1½cupswater
⅛tsp.oilofcloves
⅛tsp.oilofcinnamon
Place watermelon chunks in large dishpan or crock. Combine salt with 2
quartsofwaterandpouroverthewatermelon.Letsetovernight.
Drain,rinsewithfreshwater,anddrainagain.
Place watermelon in large saucepan, add fresh water and cook until tender.
Drain.Meanwhile,combinesugar,vinegar,water,andspices.Bringtoaboiland
pouroverthecookedanddrainedwatermelon.Letsetovernight.
Drainwatermelon,reservingsyrup.Bringtoboil,pouroverwatermelon,and
letsetagainovernight.Repeatthisprocessfor3days.
Onday3,cookthewatermelonandsyruptogetherfor3minutes.Thenpour
intohotsterilizedjars.Processinaboiling-bath(see
).
Makes6pints
Boiling-WaterBathProcessing
Place the metal jar-holding rack in your canner. Add enough water to cover
thejarsby1-2inchesonceyou’veputthemallinthecanner.
Bringthewaterinthecannertoasimmer.Fillateakettlewithwaterandbring
ittoaboil.Keephotsothewaterisavailabletomaintainthewaterinthecanner
attheproperlevel.
Usingatongswithastronggrip,lowereachjarintothesimmeringwateruntil
thecannerisfullofjars.Addwaterfromtheteakettleifneededsothatthewater
coversthejarsby1-2inches.
Coverthecannerandincreasetheheatunderitsothewatercomestoafull
boil.
When the water has reached a full boil, continue a rolling boiling for 20
minutes.Checkperiodicallytoseeifyouneedtoaddmorehotwaterfromthe
teakettleinordertomaintainthedesiredwaterlevel.
Whenthe20minutesareup,useatongstoliftthejarsoutandontoacounter
coveredwithatowel.Besurethehotjarsarenotinadraft,andthatthereisat
leastaninchofspacearoundeachone.
Letthejarscoolfor12-24hours.Donotmovethemduringthistimeortouch
thelidsortightentheringsaroundthelids.
Attheendofthecoolingperiod,checkthatalljarshavesealed.Removethe
rings from those that have. Refrigerate or re-process any that haven’t, starting
overwithacleanjar,andnewlidandcleanring.Followthefullprocessabove.
Breads
Breadbaking is on its way back, at least among many Amish women today.
When home-delivered, “bought” bread became available, the Amish were as
eagercustomersforitasweretheirnon-Amishneighbors.Thereason?“Inthe
outdoor bakeovens, as well as in the ovens of ranges, you couldn’t control the
temperature,”recallsoneAmishcook.“What’smore,theflourwasn’tasgoodas
itistoday.Andtheyeastcertainlywasn’t!”
Immediatelyafteritsbaking,thebreadfrombakeovensandrangeswastasty
and pleasing in its texture. “But they used a lot of flour and it got dry pretty
quickly.Iworkwithalotstickierdoughthantheyusedto,”commentsanAmish
womaninhermid-thirties.Shelearnedtobakebreadfromhergrandmother-in-
lawbecausehermotherboughttheirfamily’sbread.
Fewoutdoorbakeovensremaintoday.Thoseearlystructureswerebuiltwith
their own chimneys and drafts and were often covered with a roof. Their size
madepossiblethebakingofmanyloavesofbreadatonce,anefficiencymeasure
foracookwithmanychildrenandfrequentlyafarmhandortwotofeed.Italso
meantthatbakingneededtobedoneonlyonceaweek,usuallyonFriday,sothat
there was fresh bread for the weekend. The bread that remained until the next
bakingday,however,wasnoone’sfavorite!Perhapssomeweary,dry-breadeater
firstdiscoveredboththepleasuresof“dunking”(see
)andColdBread
Soup(page42)!
Inthelate1800ssomebakeovenswerebuiltwiththeiropeningsinthewash
houses which were attached to the farmhouses. Others were part of the farms’
shopbuildingswheretoolswerekept.Thosefewpeoplewhorecallthepresence
ofbakeovensrememberthattheywereusedinalimitedway,ornotatall.“We
did our baking for church in the bakeoven,” a woman born in the mid-1940s
explained. (The fact that so many loaves could be baked at once, and that they
wereeatenwithinadayoftheirbaking,madetheuseofthebakeovenacceptable
for that function.) “After the oven had cooled down somewhat, Mother would
put field corn in there on racks to dry (in preparation for cornmeal) and also
snitzforpies.”
Another woman, born in 1904, remembers that a bakeoven stood on her
grandparents’farm,butwasnotusedwithinhermemory.“IknowthatwhenI
wasachildwewouldopenthegateinourfrontyardforthebakerwhowould
giveeachofusacookie!Itwassomuchworktobakebreadthen.Irememberthe
5¢loaf.Itwasnowonderpeopledidn’tmaketheirown!”
Furthermore,duringthesummertimewhenbreaddidn’tkeepaswellbecause
oftheheat,andwhenthereweremorehelpersaroundbecauseoftheextrafield
work, baking needed to be done twice a week. That task, even using the more
modern range, was a steamy chore. There was simply little incentive for home
breadbaking.
Intheearlytomid-1950s,numbersofAmishwomenbeganmakingtheirown
bread. An Amish historian believes that change may have been related to the
developmentof“wrappedboughtbread.”Theloavesheremembershismother
buyingwhenhewasachildweremadewithyeast,wereunsliced,andwerebaked
fasttotheloavesoneithersideofit.Butalongwiththepackagingofbreadsome
yearslatercametheuseof“unusualingredients”insteadofyeast.Thatchange,
alongwiththeavailabilityofimprovedyeastforhomebaking(nomoretripsto
theoldneighborwomanwhogrewandkeptthehomemadeyeast!),moreevenly
textured flour, and stoves with refined calibration, triggered an interest in
breadbakingamongmanyAmishcooks.
The women may have been ready to swing into baking bread, but the men
werenotreadytoeatit.Recallsonecook,“Whenwestartedbakingbreadwehad
to train the men to eat something other than bought white bread! We had all
learnedthatasandwichwithhomemadebreadatschoolwasnotsomethingwe
appreciated.”
Another remembers, “When we were first married I wanted to bake all our
own bread. But my husband said, ‘Nothin’ doin!’ My dad always preferred
boughtbread,too,”
IntimetheAmishcookswhowantedtobakeyeastbreadshaveproventheir
skill.Theirfamilies’tasteshavebeenconverted.
WhiteBread
TheOldOrderAmishmeetinhomesfortheirSundaymorningservices.The
hostingfamily,withtheassistanceofneighborsandextendedfamily,preparesa
lunchforallwhohaveattended.
AnAmishmotherofninegrownchildrenexplains,“Nowforchurchweuse
homemade bread. Years ago we bought it. But it’s cheaper to make our own—
andbetter.Wehelpeachothersothatwhoeverhaschurchdoesn’tneedtomake
itall.”
½cuplukewarmwater
1packageyeast
1tsp.sugar
2cupslukewarmwater
1¼tsp.salt
⅓cupsugar
1¾Tbsp.shortening
7–8cupsflour
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the ½ cup lukewarm water. Mix the 2 cups
water,salt,sugar,andshortening.Thenaddtheyeastmixtureand,gradually,the
flour.Kneaduntilsmoothandelastic.Placeinagreasedbowl,coverandsetina
warmplacetoriseuntildouble.
Punchdown.Letriseagain.Putintwolargeloafpansorthreemediumones.
Letriseuntildoubleagain.Bakeat350°for½hour.
Makes2largeor3mediumloaves
WholeWheatBread
Reflecting the more health-conscious attitude of many Amish cooks today,
thisrecipeuseshoneyinplaceofsugarandwholewheatflourinsteadofallwhite
flour.
2packagesdryyeast
4cupswarmwater
½cupmargarineorbutter,softened
¼cupmolasses
½cuphoney
2tsp.salt
6cupswholewheatflour
4cupswhiteflour
Dissolveyeastinwarmwater.
Combine margarine, molasses, honey, and salt and mix well. Add yeast
mixture.
Graduallyaddflour.Turndoughontoflouredboardandkneaduntilsmooth,
about7–10minutes.
Placeingreasedbowlandletriseuntildouble.Punchdown.Letdoughresta
fewminutes.
Shapeinto4loaves.Placeingreasedbreadpansandletriseabout1hour.
Bakeat375°for35–40minutes.
YeastBuns
3packagesdryyeast
1cuplukewarmwater
2cupsmilk
½cuplardorvegetableoil
½cupsugar
7–8cupsflour
1Tbsp.salt
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Set aside. Scald milk and add the
shorteningandsugartoit.Letcooltolukewarm,thenaddyeastmixturetoit.
Beatin3½–4cupsflour.Letrestinwarmplacefor½hour.
Beat in salt and remaining flour. Knead on lightly floured surface until the
doughisnolongersticky.Letriseuntildoubleinbulk.
Punchdown,thenformintoballsthesizeofalargewalnut.Placeinagreased
bakingpanandletriseagainuntilnearlydouble.
Bakeat400°for15–20minutesoruntilgoldenbrown.
Makes3–31/2dozenrollsCornBread
“Mothermadeashortcake—notayeastbread—withcornmeal.Weateithot
and always with canned sour cherries for our snack meal or Saturday
dinnertime.”
¾cuproastedyellowcornmeal
1cupflour
¼cupsugar
¾tsp.salt
3½tsp.bakingpowder
1cupmilk
1egg,beaten
¼cupvegetableoilorlard,melted
Stirtogetherdryingredients.
Mixliquidingredientstogether.Makeawellinthedryingredients,thenadd
liquidallatonce.Beatthoroughly.
Pourintogreased8”squarecakepan.Bakeat400°for25–30minutes.Serve
warm.
Makes18-inchpan
PotatoBread
3½cupsmilk
6Tbsp.sugar
6Tbsp.butter
2tsp.salt
½cupmashedpotatoes
2packagesdryyeast
½cuplukewarmwater
3cupswholewheatflour
7–8cupswhiteflour
Scaldmilk.Addsugar,butter,salt,andmashedpotatoes.Cooltolukewarm.
Meanwhile,dissolveyeastinwater.Addtocooledmilkmixture.
Addwholewheatflourand1cupwhiteflour.Beat2minuteswithmixer.Stir
in6–7morecupsflouruntildoughleavessidesofbowl.
Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently until dough forms a smooth
ball.Placeingreasedbowl.Turnoncetogreasetopofdough.Coverandletrise
inawarmplaceawayfromdraftsuntildoubled,1½–2hours.Punchdownand
letriseagainuntildouble.
Turnontoflouredsurfaceanddividedoughinto3equalparts.Coverandlet
rest10minutes.
Forminto3loavesandplaceingreasedbreadpans.
Bakeat350°for40–45minutes.Removefrompansandplaceonracktocool.
Makes3loaves
PotatoBunsandDoughnuts
Someone learned that adding mashed potatoes to the dough for rolls and
doughnuts created an appetizing softness in the finished delicacy. Now the
Amishbakermakesmoremashedpotatoesthanshebelievesherfamilycaneatat
themainmeal—“planned”leftovers,withapleasingdestination!
1cupsugar
1cupmashedpotatoes
½cuplardorshortening
3eggs,beaten
1½tsp.salt
1½–2packsyeast
1cupwarmwater
5cupsflour
Mixtogetherwellthesugar,potatoes,lard,eggs,andsalt.
Dissolvetheyeastin1cupwarmwater;thenaddthattotheabovemixture.
Stirinabout3cupsofflour.Addtheremaining2cupsflourwhilekneading.
Kneaduntilthedoughisnolongerstickybutmoist.
Letriseuntildoubled.
ForPotatoBuns:
Roll out dough to a ¾”–1” thickness. Cut into bun shapes with a jar or
doughnutcutter(orcloverleaf—orcrescent-shapedcutter)andputongreased
cookie sheets about 2-inches apart. Let them rise until puffy but not doubled
(theyshouldnotbetouching).
Brushwithmilk.Bakeat325°untillightlygoldenbrown,about12minutes.
Makesabout3dozen
ForDoughnuts:
Rolloutdoughtoa½”thickness.Cutoutwithadoughnutcutter;thenplace
on clean towels laid over cookie sheets or boards. Let rise until almost double;
then fry in fat, heated to 350°–375°, about 4 inches deep. Keep fat at that
temperature throughout the frying. Turn doughnuts once while frying, when
theyturngoldenbrown.
Makesabout31/2dozenDoughnutGlaze
1lb.10xsugar
½cuprichmilk(orabitmore)
1Tbsp.softbutter
1tsp.vanilla
Heat together just until butter is melted and milk is warm. Glaze while
doughnutsarehot.
CinnamonFlop
1cupsugar
2cupsflour
2tsp.bakingpowder
1Tbsp.meltedbutter
1cupmilk
brownsugar,cinnamon,andbutterfortop
Sift sugar, flour, and baking powder together. Add butter and milk and stir
untilwellblended.
Dividemixturebetween29”pieorcakepans,wellgreased.
Sprinkle tops with flour, then brown sugar, then cinnamon. Push chunks of
butterintothedough.Thismakesholesandlatergetsgooeyasitbakes.Bakeat
350°for30minutes.
Cutintowedgesandservewarm.
Makes29”pies
GlazedDoughnuts
Onetraditionthatcontinuedamongthosewomenwhomasteredtheearlier,
lessdesirableflourandyeast,wasdoughnut-making.Theymixedyeastdoughs,
thenshapedthemwithaholeinthemiddle.AnelderlyAmishmanremembers,
“We’d have doughnuts at Christmastime or during butchering season when
there was lard around. But I didn’t know anything of fastnachts because we
didn’t keep Lent.” In that, the Amish stand in contrast to their neighboring
PennsylvaniaGermanswhoarefromahigherchurchtradition.Thosefolks,on
ShroveTuesday,bakefastnachts(adoughnutwithoutacenterhole,thatisfried
inlard)inasymbolicefforttoridtheirhomesofleaveningagents,andtofeast
beforeLent.
A 40-year-old Amish woman fears that homemade doughnut-making may
becomealostskill.“Mymothermadegooddoughnuts.She’dbeaskedtomake
the kind with holes in the middle for weddings. But now the young folks buy
filledones.”
1cakeyeast
1cupwarmwater
1cupscaldedmilk
½cupsugar
1tsp.salt
7cupsflour,sifted
½cupmeltedlardorshortening
2eggs
1tsp.vanilla
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix milk, sugar, and salt together. Cool to
lukewarm.Addyeastmixturetomilk.
Add4cupsflour,onecupatatime,beatingwellaftereachaddition.
Stirinlard,eggs,andvanilla.Add3morecupsflour.Kneaduntilsmooth.
Let rise until doubled, about 2½ hours. Punch down, then roll to ½-inch
thicknessonflouredsurface.
Cut out doughnuts with doughnut cutter. Lay on clean towels over cookie
sheetsandletriseagainuntilnearlydouble.Deep-fryinfatat350°–370°.Glaze
whilewarm.(SeeGlazerecipeonpage107.)Makesabout5dozen
CreamFilledDoughnuts
¾cuplardorshortening
¾cupsugar
1cuphotwater
1cupwarmwater
2packagesdryyeast
2eggs,beaten
1tsp.salt
6ormorecupsflour
In large bowl combine shortening, sugar, and hot water. Add yeast to warm
waterandsetasidetodissolve.
Whenshorteningmixturehascooled,addeggs,salt,yeastmixture,andflour.
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Cover
andsetinawarmplace.Letriseuntildouble.Rolldoughabout½”thickandcut
with drinking glass or doughnut cutter without the hole. Let rise again until
double.
Fry doughnuts in deep fat until browned, turning once. Force filling into
doughnutwithacookiepressorcakedecorator.
Filling
4cups10xsugar
1½cupsshortening
2eggwhites
2Tbsp.flour
2tsp.vanilla4
Tbsp.milk
Combineallingredientsandbeatuntilsmooth.
Makes21/2dozenStickyBuns
ThesebreakfastfavoritesarealsocommonlyknownasSweetRolls,Cinnamon
Rolls,orPecanStickies.Thebasicsweetrolldoughadaptseasilytovariedglazes
andfillings.
These buns have made satisfying snacks before the late afternoon milking.
Theyalsopackwellintoschoollunchboxes.
1packagedryyeast
¼cupwarmwater
¼cupshortening
¼cupsugar
1cupmilk,scalded,or1cupwarmwater
1tsp.salt
1egg,beaten
3¼–4cupsflour
Dissolveyeastinwarmwater.
In large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Pour hot milk or water over
mixture.Cooltolukewarm.Add1cupflourandbeatwell.Beatinyeastmixture
andegg.
Graduallyaddremainingflourtoformasoftdough,beatingwell.
Brush top of dough with softened margarine or butter. Cover and let rise in
warmplaceuntildouble(1½–2hours).
Punch down and knead. Form rolls. Let rise again until doubled. Bake
accordingtoinstructionsbelow.
ForCinnamonRolls:
Dividedoughinhalf.Rolleachhalfintoarectangle,approximately12”x8”.
Spreadwithbutterandsprinklewithamixtureof½cupbrownsugarand1tsp.
cinnamon.Rollasajellyroll.Cutinto1–1½”slices.Placerollsingreasedpans
about¾”apart.Letriseandbakeat350°for30minutes.Coolandspreadwith
doughnutglaze(see
).
ForRaisinCinnamonRolls:
Makerollsasabove,butsprinklewithraisinsbeforerollingup.Bakeasabove.
ForPecanStickies:
Place½cuppecansinbottomofeachoftwogreased9½x5x3”pans.Make
syrupbyheatingslowly:½cupbrownsugar,¼cupbutter,and1Tbsp.lightcorn
syrup. Pour half of syrup over each pan of pecans. Prepare Cinnamon Rolls,
usingonly¼cupbrownsugar,andplacerollsontopofpecansandsyrup.
Let rise until double and bake at 375° for about 25 minutes. Remove from
ovenandturnpanupsidedownuntoaflatplate.
Syrupwillrundownthroughtherollsandpecanswillbeontop.
Makes2dozen
Waffles
Wafflesareararetreat;afterall,howcanonecookkeepmanyhungrymouths
happy with only one waffle iron? Some women tried, under less than ideal
conditions!
“IrememberMothermakingwafflesontherange,”onegrayinggrandmother
smiled. “She would take the lid off and fit a round waffle iron down into the
‘burner’openingabovetheflameontherange.Itwasamessybusiness,andhard
tohavethefirejustright,soshedidn’tdoitveryoften.Andthosewereheavy
waffles!”
Hereisalighterversionthatholdsupunderchickengravyforamainmealor
thickenedfruitsauceforbreakfastorasnack.
4eggs
2½cupsmilk
¾cupmeltedshortening
3½cupsflour
6tsp.bakingpowder
1tsp.salt
Combineallingredientsandbeatfor1minute.
Bakewafflesinhotwaffleiron.
Makes10–12waffles
BreadFilling
Bread crusts or stale bread is not a problem to the resourceful Amish cook.
Saidone,“IjustturnthecrusttotheinsidewhenI’mmakingsandwichesandit
doesn’tmakeadifferencetoanyone!”Butwhenbreadpassesitsprimeforeating
asfreshslices,itisoftendriedtoacrisp,thenrolledintobreadcrumbs,orcubed
andfashionedintoBreadFilling.
Awatchfulcookcanmakethissuccessfullyontopofthestove.Infact,asone
experiencedAmishwomanexplained,“Youdon’tevenneedgravywithitifyou
haveitrealmoist.”Thedishislesslikelytoscorch,however,ifitisbakedinthe
oven.
4eggs
2cupsmilk
2quartssoftbreadcubes
4Tbsp.meltedbutter
1tsp.onion,minced
1tsp.salt
1Tbsp.parsley,chopped(optional)
1tsp.sageorpoultryseasoning(optional)
Beateggs.Addmilk.Pouroverbreadcubes.
Combinebutterandseasonings.Addtobreadcubesandmixwell.
Fillingcanbebakedinacasseroledishat350°for45minutesormaybeused
asstuffingforfowl.
If baking in a casserole, cover tightly for the first 30 minutes, then remove
covertoallowbrowningduringthelast15minutesofbaking.
Makes6servings
MashedPotatoFilling
Almost a vegetable dish, this soft filling was likely invented by a cook who
wantedtouseupleftovermashedpotatoesandstalebread.Thefinalconsistency
ofthistraditionalfoodispudding-like.
½cupbutter
½cupcelery,chopped
2Tbsp.onion,chopped
4cupssoftbreadcubes
½cupboilingwater
3eggs,beaten
2cupsmilk
1½tsp.salt
2cupsmashedpotatoes
Meltbutter.Addceleryandonion.Cookuntiltender.Pouroverbreadcubes
andmixwell.
Addboilingwatertobreadandmixwell.Addremainingingredients,mixing
wellaftereachaddition.Thefinishedproductshouldbeverymoist.
Turninto2wellgreasedcasseroledishes.Bakeat350°for45minutes.
Makes10servings
Pies
TheGermansettlersbroughttheirloveofpastriestoPennsylvania.Whatthey
learnedfromtheirEnglishneighborsintheNewWorldwashowtofashionthat
fondnessintopies.AndpieshavebeenonAmishmenuseversince.
Considerednearlyasessentialasbread,pieswerepartoftheweeklybaking.A
womanborninthe1920sremembersthathergrandmotherregularlybaked20
pieseveryFriday.“Thereweresixchildrenathome,plusahiredman.Shealways
made shoofly and the rest were two-crust fruit pies. That’s what they filled up
on!”
Anotherwomanofsimilarageexplains,“Iwasthefiftholdestof16children,
thesecondgirl.MyoldersistergotmarriedwhenIwas14soIhadtotakeover
the cooking. It took three pies for each meal. So when I baked, I’d make eight
shooflypies,eightpumpkin,andeightcrumbpies.”
In the Amish food tradition, pies have always defied confinement to one
particularcourseoronemealortimeofday.An80-year-oldgrandmothersays,
“We ate our pies hot as a main meal.” She also acknowledges that change has
come.“Wedothatnowwithappledumplings,butthat’saboutall.Weatemore
starchthenthanwedonow.”
Pie is still commonly eaten as a breakfast food. Shoofly is often served, and
withit,cannedorfreshfruitandmilk.
Pies are kept on tap as an accompaniment to soup, for dessert, for a pre-
milking pick-up, for a bedtime snack. Pie is a tradition that has proven its
adaptability through the years, even into this more health-conscious age. Most
fruit pies can be made without a top crust, for example. Vegetable oil can be
substitutedforlardinthecrustandthesugarcontentreducedinthefilling.Too
much tampering, however, can frustrate both the memory and experience of
eatinggoodpie!Here,then,aretheoldrecipes.
PieCrust
The batter-stained, hand-written old cookbooks, stashed in the kitchen
drawersofmostAmishcooks,seldomcontainedinstructionsabouthowtomake
pie dough. If anything was there it was a list of ingredients rather than a
procedure.Thosedirectionssimplyweren’tneeded.Mothersandgrandmothers
taught their daughters by showing them, and urging them to “feel” when the
doughwasright.Butasonemotherlamented,“Anumberofourgirlsworkaway
fromhomenow.WhenIlearnedtocookIwasbetween11and15.Itellourone
daughter,who is a schoolteacher, that she mustmake at least one main meala
week so that she gets practice, and so she learns from me what she can before
she’sresponsibleforcookingforherownfamily.”
4cupsflour
¾tsp.salt
1cuplardorvegetableshortening
1egg,beaten
5Tbsp.coldwater
1Tbsp.vinegar
Mixflourandsalt.Cutinshorteninguntilmixtureresemblessmallpeas.
Combineremainingingredientsandstirintoshorteningandflour.Letstanda
fewminutes.
Rolloutdoughonflouredboard.
Makes69”pieshellsor39”double-crustpies
ApplePie
“Wehadourownapplessoweatealotofapplepie.”Itisacommontheme
when one probes the subject of the kinds of pies most often baked in Amish
kitchens. Another woman in her mid-30s explains, “We ate a lot of apple pies;
Mommadethemwithatopcrust.Forafullmealwewouldeatapplepiewith
potatoes alongside that were covered with brown butter. We’d eat it on a flat
platewithalittlebitofmilkontheapplepie.”
6cupsapples,peeledandsliced
½–¾cupsugar(dependingupontheflavoroftheapples)
2Tbsp.flour
¾tsp.cinnamon
2Tbsp.lemonjuice
19”unbakedpieshellandtopcrust
Tossappleslicesgentlywithsugar,flour,cinnamon,andlemonjuice.Spoon
into unbaked pie shell. Top with crust, folding its edge under the top of the
bottom crust. Crimp to seal. Bake at 425° for 40–50 minutes, or until crust is
goldenbrown.
Makes19”pie
SourCherryPie
Sweetened sour cherries have a pungent tartness that makes them a favorite
forpies.CherrytreesgrowbothwildanddomesticallyineasternPennsylvania,
sotheirnaturalpresencehasmadetheirfruitaneasilyavailabledessertormain
dishforasnack-meal.Sincecherriesretaintheirdelectablequalitiesevenwhen
canned,cherrypiesarepreparedyear-round.
3cupssourcherries,drained
½cupcherryjuice
1cupsugar
2Tbsp.tapioca
⅛tsp.salt
1Tbsp.butterormargarine
19”unbakedpieshellplustopcrustorlatticestrips
Mixtogethercherries,juice,sugar,tapioca,andsalt.Letstandfor15minutes
toallowthickeningtobegin.
Pour fruit mixture into pie shell. Dot with butter. Top with crust or lattice
stripsofpastry.
Bake at 425° for 15 minute, then reduce temperature to 350° and bake an
additional35–40minutes.
Makes19”pie
Variations:TopwithCrumbs(page128)insteadoftopcrust.
RhubarbPie
Sticking around an out-building on most Amish farms is a stand of rhubarb
thatputsinanappearanceeveryspring.
Its sweetened tartness makes it a favorite in the Amish diet. Rhubarb is one
moreexampleofthesepeople’spleasureinazestyflavorthatoffsetsanotherrich
food,orwhoseown“bite”isonlypartlymaskedbytheadditionofsugar.
Rhubarbmustbebelovedinpartbecauseitisoneofthefirstgreenstoflourish
afteralongwinterwithoutfreshfood.
3cupsdicedrhubarb
1¼cupssugar
¼tsp.salt
2Tbsp.water
3Tbsp.flour
1Tbsp.lemonjuice
2eggs
19”unbakedpieshell
Placerhubarbinunbakedpieshell.
Combine remaining ingredients and stir to form a smooth paste. Pour over
rhubarb.
Coverwithcrumbsmadebymixing3Tbsp.flour,3Tbsp.sugar,and2Tbsp.
butter.
Bakeat425°for10minutes;thenat325°for30moreminutes.
Makes19”pie
SchnitzPie
Since apple trees, which grow abundantly in eastern Pennsylvania, produced
moreapplesthancouldbeeatenfreshinmosthouseholds,theGermansettlers
driedmuchoftheirfruit.Itwasahomeoperation.Theappleswerepeeledand
cutintoslices(“schnitz”meanstocutintopieces),thenlaidonarooforonracks
aboveaheatsourcetodry.
Mostapplesdriedin24–48hours,dependinguponthethicknessoftheslices,
the temperature of the heat source, and the temperature and humidity of the
weather.Oncedried,thesweetsliceswerestoredinadrycontainerforuseatany
timeoftheyear.
Today, schnitz pie is usually served at the lunch which follows the Sunday
morningchurchservice.Itistraditionallypartofthemaincourseatthesnack-
mealofthedaywheneitherpotatosouporbeansoupisonthemenu(see
page
36
).
Schnitz is now prepared commercially in Pennsylvania, so it is available to
thosewithouttheirownsourceoffreshapples.
3cupsdriedapples
2¼cupswarmwater
1tsp.lemonextract
⅔cupbrownsugar
19”unbakedpieshellplustopcrust
Soakapplesinthewarmwater,thencookoverlowheatuntilsoft.Mashapples
andaddlemonandsugar.
Pourintounbakedpieshell.Coverwithtopcrust.Sealedges.
Bakeat425°for15minutes;thenat350°for30minutes.Servewarm.
Makes19”pie
Half-MoonPies
A variation on schnitz pie developed in the Big Valley area of Pennsylvania,
whereanAmishsettlementbeganin1790.TheAmish,wholivewestandsouth
ofLewistowninthecentralpartofthestate,fashionedaschnitzpiethattravels
well—inthehandorinlunchboxes!Itsnameisdescriptiveofhowthefinished
delicacylooks.
2quartsdriedapples
3cupswater
1½cupsgranulatedsugar
1½cupsbrownsugar
¾tsp.cinnamon
1½tsp.allspice
¾tsp.salt
piedough(page117)for49”shells
Boilthedriedapplesinthewateruntilthewaterisfullyabsorbed.
While they are cooking, prepare the pie dough (page 117). Then drain the
apples.Blendinsugarandspices.
Toformtheindividualpies,takeapieceofdoughaboutthesizeofaneggand
shapeitintoaball.Rolloutintoacircleuntilthedoughisthin,yetabletohold
thefilling.Folddoughinhalftoformacreasethroughthecenter.Markthetop
ofonehalfwithapiecrimpertoshapetheroundededge.
Put½cupoftheschnitzfillingontheotherhalf.Wettheouteredgesofthe
dough.Foldthemarkedhalfoverthehalfwiththefilling.Pressedgestogether,
cuttingoffraggededgeswiththepiecrimper.
Brushthetopswithbeatenegg,liftontocookiesheetsandbakeat425°until
goldenbrown.
Makes2–21/2dozenindividualpiesLemonMeringuePie
juiceandgratedrindofonelemon
3Tbsp.cornstarch
1cupsugar
3eggyolks
1¼cupsboilingwater
19”bakedpieshell
Addcornstarchandsugartolemonjuiceandrind.Stiruntilsmooth.Blendin
eggyolksandthentheboilingwater.
Cookmixtureindoubleboiler,stirringconstantlyuntilthickened.
Cool, then pour into baked pie shell. Top with meringue. Bake at 350° until
lightlygolden(watchcarefully!).
Meringue
3eggwhites
4Tbsp.sugar
Beatwhitesstiffly.Foldinsugar,onetablespoonatatime.Pileontolemonpie.
Makes19”pie
LemonSpongePie
Lemon pies were a treat. Citrus fruit does not grow in eastern Pennsylvania.
Butthearea’sproximitytothecanals,thatwebbedtheirwayasfarwestasOhio
and provided waterways to the Atlantic coastal cities, made it possible to get
lemons and oranges. Some farmers sold their hay in Philadelphia and could
bringhomethetreatsavailablethere.
Inmanyhomes,lemonpiesweremadeprimarilywhencompanywascoming.
1cupsugar
2Tbsp.butter
3eggs,separated
3Tbsp.flour
½tsp.salt
juiceandgratedrindof1lemon
1½cupshotwaterormilk
19”unbakedpieshell
Creamsugarandbutter.Addeggyolksandbeatwell.Addflour,salt,lemon
juice,andrind.Addwaterormilk.Foldinstifflybeateneggwhites.
Pourintounbakedpieshell.Bakeat325°for45–50minutes.
Makes19”pie
ShooflyPie
This cakey pie, with a name that has produced a myriad of reasons for its
existence,mayhaveitsrootsintheearlybakeovensofPennsylvania.Densecakes
with heavy dough were put into the bakeovens following the weekly bread-
baking, which required the hottest fires. This hybrid cake within a pie shell
weatheredthebakeovenwell.Itwaswiththeadventofthekitchenrangeandits
moreeasilycontrolledtemperaturesthatlighterpieswithcustards,creams,and
moredelicatefruitbecamecommon.
Crumbs
1cupflour
⅔cuplightbrownsugar
1Tbsp.shortening
Mixflourandsugar.Cutinshortening.Takeout½cupcrumbsandsetaside.
BottomPart
1egg,slightlybeaten
1cupmolasses
1cupboilingwater
1tsp.bakingsoda
19”unbakedpieshell
To larger portion of crumb mixture add egg and molasses. Blend in ¾ cup
boilingwater.Dissolvesodainremaining¼cupwaterandaddlast.
Pourintounbakedpieshell.Sprinklereservedcrumbsontop.Bakeat425°for
15minutes.Reduceheatto350°andbake40–45minuteslonger.
Makes19”pie
MontgomeryPie
Pieswithcakeytopsandavarietyofsyrupyflavoredbottomsareremembered
especially by the older members of the Amish community. This cake in a pie
shell is related to the more common shoofly pie, although its lemon-flavored
bottomisreminiscentoflemonspongepie.
Bottom
juiceandgratedrindofonelemon
1cupmolasses
2cupswater
1cupsugar
3Tbsp.flour
1egg
3unbaked9”pieshells
Blendfirstsixingredientsuntilsmooth.Pourinto3pieshells.
Top
½cupbutter
2cupssugar
2eggs
1cupmilk
2½cupsflour
2½tsp.bakingpowder
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Combine flour and
bakingpowder.Addmilkalternatelywithdryingredients.
Dividebatterandpouroverthesyrupinthepieshells.
Bakeat450°for15minutes;reduceheatto350°andcontinuebakinganother
45minutes.
Makes39”pies
VanillaPie
Vanilla pie is a close cousin to shoofly pie, distinct from it mostly by the
presenceofvanillainthesyrupybottompart.
¼cupgranulatedsugar
¼cupbrownsugar
½cupmolassesorlightcornsyrup
1cupwater
1egg,wellbeaten
1Tbsp.flour
1tsp.vanilla
19”unbakedpieshell
Combinealltheaboveingredients,exceptthevanilla,inasaucepan.Bringtoa
boilandcontinueboilinguntilthickened.Allowtocoolandstirinvanilla.Pour
intounbakedshell.
Crumbs
1cupflour
½tsp.bakingpowder
½tsp.bakingsoda
½cupbrownsugar
¼cuplard,butter,margarine,orvegetableshortening
Meltshortening.Stirindryingredients.Crumbleoversyrup.Bakeat375°for
50–60minutes.
Makes19”pie
PumpkinPie
Gooseneck pumpkins grow in southeastern Pennsylvania. With some
experimentation,andlikelythroughassociationwiththeirEnglishneighbors,the
German settlers discovered the pleasure of pumpkin, in combination with
molasses, eggs, spices, and cream. It became a regularly prepared pie in Amish
homes,withlittleornoconnectiontoThanksgivingorChristmas.
1½cupsmashedpumpkinorbutternutsquash
1egg
½cupmilk,heated
½cupcream,heated
1Tbsp.flour
1Tbsp.molassesorKingSyrup
¾cupsugar
1tsp.cinnamon
dashofnutmeg
1Tbsp.brownbutter
pinchofsalt
19”unbakedpieshell
Combine all ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle additional
cinnamonandnutmegovertopofpie.
Bake at 450° for 15 minutes; then at 350° for 45 minutes. Makes 1 9” pie
CustardPie
Most Amish families’ egg supplies have come from their own flocks of
chickens.Whentherewereplentyofeggs,thecookhadarepertoireofdishesto
makesothatnoeggswenttowaste(friedorscrambledforbreakfastorlunch,in
sandwichesorontopofstewedcrackers,mixedintonoodlesorangelfoodcake,
andmore).Custardpieswereawelcomevariationtotheusualweeklyfare.
⅓cupsugar
2tsp.flour
½tsp.salt
3eggs
3cupsmilk
¼tsp.nutmeg
19”unbakedpieshell
Combinesugar,flour,salt,andeggsandmixuntilsmooth.
Heatmilktoboilingpoint.Add1cuphotmilktoeggmixture.Pourthatinto
theremaininghotmilk.
Pourintounbakedpieshell.Sprinklenutmegovertop.Bakeat350°for40–45
minutes.
Makes19”pie
PeachPie
From mid-July through the end of August, peaches are in full supply in
eastern Pennsylvania. Family orchards produce some; fruit farms raise them in
abundance.
TheAmishwomancansdozensofjarsofpeaches,butsavesmanyforeating
fresh—simplycutinslicesorovershortcakeorinpies.
4cupspeaches,peeledandsliced
½cupsugar
¼tsp.salt
2½Tbsp.tapioca
19”unbakedpieshell
Mixtogethergentlypeaches,sugar,salt,andtapioca.Letblendfor5minutes
beforespooningintopieshell.Topwithcrumbs.
Bakeat425°for45–50minutes.
Makes19”pie
Crumbs
2½Tbsp.butterormargarine,melted
¼cupflour
½tsp.cinnamon
⅓cupbrownsugar
Mixtogetheruntilcrumblyandsiftoverpie.
PearPie
Many farmsteads had a wild seckel pear tree growing somewhere on the
acreage.Itwasthedomesticatedpeartreesinthefamilyorchardoronlocalfruit
farms,however,thatprovidedthefruitfortheseasonalpearpies.Cannedpears
couldalsobeusedtobringoccasionalvarietytothefamily’spiediet.
¼cupflour
¾cupsugar
1cupcream
1Tbsp.lemonjuice
5 fresh pears, peeled and diced, or canned pears in light syrup ¼ tsp.
cinnamon
1Tbsp.sugar
19”unbakedpieshell
Sifttogetherflourandsugar.Stirincreamandlemonjuice.Mixuntilsmooth.
Add pears. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle top with sugar and
cinnamon.
Bakeat400°for45–50minutes.Cooluntilset.
Makes19”pie
Ground-CherryPie
Ground-cherries grow wild in the Pennsylvania countryside. Stewards of the
earth’sbounty,theAmishpickedthemforfood,discoveringthemtobeatasty
fillingforpies.
3½cupsground-cherries
1½cupswater
⅓cupcornstarch
1¼cupssugar
¼tsp.salt
1cupwater
2Tbsp.lemonjuice
2tsp.unflavoredgelatin
⅓cupwater
19”unbakedpieshellandtopcrust
Cookcherriesin1½cupswateruntilmixturecomestoaboil.
Meanwhile, mix together cornstarch, sugar, salt, and one cup water until
smooth.Stirintoboilingcherriesuntilfruitthickens.
Removefromheatandstirinlemonjuice.
Soakgelatinin⅓cupwater.Addtofruitmixture,stirringwell.
Spoonintounbakedpieshellandaddtopcrust.Bakeat400°for15minutes;
reduceheatto375°andbake30minuteslonger.
Makes19”pie
GrapePie
ConcordgrapearborsshademanyAmishporches.Theirsummerfruityields
gallons of juice, batches of jam, and an occasional pie. The skins and seeds are
obstaclestoovercome,butthetangyflavormakestheeffortworthwhile.
3cupsConcordgrapes
½–¾cupsugar
3Tbsp.flour
1Tbsp.lemonjuice
1Tbsp.butter
19”unbakedpieshellandtopcrust
Stem grapes, wash, drain, and squeeze from skins. Set skins aside. Simmer
remainingpulpfor5minutes.
Removefromheatandimmediatelyputthroughfoodpress(thiswillseparate
theseedsfromtheusablepulp).
Stir pulp and skins together. Blend in sugar and flour. Add lemon juice and
butter.
Spoonintopieshell.Coverwithtopcrust.
Bake at 425° for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350° and bake an
additional30minutes.
Makes19”pie
Variation:
1cupflour
½cupsugar
¼cupmeltedbutter
Mixtogetheruntilcrumbly.Sprinkleoverpieinplaceofthetopcrust.
RaisinPie
Raisin pie was not on the weekly menu. “We had to buy the raisins. It just
wasn’tascommonascherrybecausewegrewourowncherries.”
IncontrasttosomegroupsofGermanicheritage,theLancasterAmishofthis
century do not—and have no memory of—serving raisin pie at their funerals.
“Weoftenhavestewedprunes,butraisinpiesarenotafuneraltradition,”saida
minister’swife,whoseexplanationwascorroboratedbyseveralothersofvarying
ages.
The most traditional pie is one in which the raisins are stewed in water and
thatjuiceisthickened,ratherthanacreampietowhichmilkisadded.
2cupsraisins
2cupscoldwater
1½cupssugar
4Tbsp.flour
2eggs,separated
¼tsp.salt
4Tbsp.meltedbutter
1Tbsp.vinegarorlemonjuice
19”bakedpieshell
Insaucepancombineraisins,1½cupswater,and1cupsugarandbringtoa
boil.Combinetheremaining½cupwaterand½cupsugar,plusflour,eggyolks,
andsalt;addtoraisinmixture.Cookuntilthickened,stirringconstantly.Remove
fromheatandaddbutterandvinegarorlemonjuice.
Pourmixtureintobakedpieshell.Coverwithwhippedcreamormeringue.
Meringue
Beateggwhitestillstiffpeaksform.Graduallyadd2Tbsp.sugarwhilebeating.
Pileontopofpieandbakeat350°tillgoldenbrown,about10minutes.
Makes19”pie
HuckleberryPie
“Hucklepickingwasanouting,”recallsanAmishgrandfather.“We’dgetup
early,packourlunches,andgodowntotheWelshMountain.Therehadbeena
forest fire years before and huckleberry bushes grew up where the trees once
stood.
“We would pick while the day was still cool. When it got hot we ate our
lunches, picked some more, then took the berries home to can them. Often
severalofusfamilieswouldgotogether.”
Huckleberries are a kind of wild blueberry. Blueberries may be used in this
recipe;thesugarmaybeadjusteddependinguponthetartnessoftheberries.
2¾cupshuckleberries
½cupberryjuiceor3Tbsp.lemonjuicewithwateraddedtomake½cup
liquid½cupsugar
2Tbsp.flour
19”unbakedpieshellandtopcrust
Stemandwashhuckleberries.Spoonintopieshell.
Mix juice, sugar, and flour together and pour over berries. Cover with top
crust,foldingundertopedgeofbottomcrust.
Bakeat425°for10minutes.Reducetemperatureto350°andbake30minutes
more.
Makes19”pie
MincemeatPie
Mincemeat pie likely had its beginnings during medieval times when spiced
meatdishesweretheorderofthedayandservedasthemainmealratherthan
dessert.
It is probable that the Pennsylvania Germans learned this recipe from their
Englishneighbors.MincemeatpiefitswelltheneedsofGermanfarmers—itisa
hearty meal; the meat was a by-product from home-butchering; the additional
fruits could be varied according to the dried or canned supply that was in the
atticorcellar.
One grandmother remembers, “We’d eat it at butchering time. But Mom
cannedthemincemeatsowecouldhaveitanytime.NowIthinkIcan’tmakeit
because we don’t butcher. You see, Mom would cook the beef bones and then
pick off the last bits of meat. Using the bones gave the meat and broth a full
flavoryoudon’tgetotherwise,anditusedupeverycornerofthemeat!”
Beefboneyielding2cupscookedmeat,cutinsmallpieces1½cupsraisins
3cupsapples,peeledandchoppedfine
½cupbrownsugar
⅓cupfreshorangesections,cutupinsmallpieces
¼cupfreshlemonsections,cutupinsmallpieces
¼tsp.salt
1tsp.cinnamon
½tsp.cloves
⅓cupcider
19”unbakedpieshellandtopcrust
Simmerbeefboneuntilmeatistender.Cutinfinepieces.Combinebeefwith
remainingingredientsandsimmerfor10–15minutes(addbeefbrothifneeded
tokeepmixturefromgettingdry).
Pourintounbakedpieshell.Coverwithtopcrust;sealedgesthoroughly.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375° and bake
another35minutes.
Makes19”pie
GreenTomatoPie
Amishcookscanonlyspeculateabouttheoriginofgreentomatopie:“Inthe
fall people wanted to use up their excess tomatoes so they made this pie.”
Suggests another, “Maybe it was to help out in an emergency—‘What shall we
makeforsupper?!’”“Maybegreentomatopiedevelopedtosupplementtheapple
supply, which at that season of the year was nearly depleted.” Another
remembers, “Mother used to make it because she really liked it and so did my
father.Ithinkshemadeitasaspecialtreatforhim.Ididn’tcareforitthatmuch,
butwedidn’thavetoeatdessert!Itdidprovidealittlevarietyinthepiesweate.”
Ithasbeennotedthattheseasoningsthataccompanythegreentomatoesare
muchthesameasthosethatflavormincemeatpie,anotherfalldish.
4cupsgreentomatoes,slicedthin(leaveparingson)
1cupgranulatedsugar
½cupbrownsugar
3Tbsp.lemonjuice
1tsp.cinnamon
½tsp.cloves
1Tbsp.butterormargarine
2Tbsp.flour
19”unbakedpieshellandtopcrust
Sprinkleflouroverbottomofpieshell.Layerslicesoftomatoesintopieplate.
Mix sugars, lemon juice, and spices together. Pour over tomatoes. Dot with
butter.
Coverwithtopcrust.Bakeat425°for15minutes,thenreducetemperatureto
375°andbakeanadditional30minutes.
Makes19”pie
WalnutPie
Black walnut trees used to grow wild along the fencerows bordering many
Amish farms. The wood from these trees is now in such high demand that
comparativelyfewofthemremain.Despitethefactthatthenutsweredifficultto
shellandstainedthehandsoftheshellerwithablack,acidicliquid,thenutswere
freelyharvestedandmixedintocakesandpies.
Their flavor is strong and penetrating, so only a relative few are needed to
enliven the taste of the dessert of which they are a part. This is a rich dish for
specialtimes.
1cupwarmwater
¾cupmolasses
2eggs,wellbeaten
1cupsweetmilk
4Tbsp.flour
½cupwalnuts,chopped
29”bakedpiecrusts
Bringwaterandmolassestoaboil.Meanwhile,stirtogetherbeateneggs,milk,
andflouruntilsmooth.Mixintowaterandmolassesandletboiluntilthick.
Removefromheatandaddnuts.Whencool,pourintobakedcrusts.
Makes29”pies
PecanPie
Pecans were a rare treat, but not unknown to the Amish because of eastern
Pennsylvania’saccesstogoodsthatpassedthroughPhiladelphiaandBaltimore.
Pecan pie is another demonstration of the preference for a salty-sweet
combinationofflavorsfoundthroughouttheAmishdied(sweetandsourbacon
salad dressing, ham and green beans with sweet and sour cole slaw, and syrup
overmushandscrappleareotherexamples).
2Tbsp.butterormargarine
¼cupsugar
2eggs
¾cupmolasses
1Tbsp.flour
1tsp.vanilla
pinchsalt
¾cupwater
½cuppecans
18”unbakedpieshell
Creambutter,sugar,andeggs.Addmolasses,flour,vanilla,andsalt.Stirinwater
andpecans.
Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes, then reduce
temperatureto350°foranadditional25–30minutes.
Makes18”pie
CakesandCookies
Cakesandcookies,whileneveraspassionatelysoughtafteraspies,werestilla
fixtureintheAmishpantry.Theylikelyenteredthedietlaterthanpiessincethey
were more dependent upon refined flour and finely tuned temperatures than
wereavailableintheearlybakeovens.
Perhaps it was because of those “dry” beginnings that cakes and cookies are
commonly—and openly—“dunked” when served. The practice is neither
regardedaspoormannersnorasaninsulttothecook.“Dunkingisthewayto
eat cookies and cakes,” explains an elderly woman, smiling. Individual
preferences vary, of course, “We dunk cookies in milk or hot tea,” offers a
motheroffivechildren,allundertheageofnine.“Atharvest-time,”remembers
an older man, “we’d get a pretty good snack at dark and then I’d dunk that in
rootbeer.”“Ijustprefertotakeabiteandthenasip.Idon’tlikeallthosecrumbs
floatinginmycoffeeandwater,”saysamiddle-agedwoman.
Basic to many cake batters are eggs and sweet or sour milk—ingredients in
good supply on a farm. Although the Amish settlers cannot claim credit for
developing these recipes, the cakes and cookies which became their favorites
have been particularly well suited to their lives. Most are substantial; most
require few steps in their procedures and so can be whipped up in large
quantities,eitherforsizablefamiliesorforsaleatmarketstands.
These cakes and cookies make hearty breakfasts, they top off any meal, they
travelwellinschoollunches,theybrightenamid-afternoonsnackinthefields.
ChocolateCake
“Thecakeweatemostathomewaschocolate,”reportsanAmishwomanwith
slightly graying hair. “It was usually baked in a long pan, and dusted with 10X
sugarratherthaniced.”Hermemoryisechoedbymanyothers,nomattertheir
ages.
1cupbrownsugar
1cupgranulatedsugar
1cuplard(orvegetableshortening)
2eggs,unbeaten
1cupbuttermilk
2¾cupsflour
½cupcocoapowder
½cupboilingwater
1tsp.bakingsoda
Cream sugars and lard (or shortening). Mix in eggs, buttermilk, flour, and
cocoauntilwellblended.
Dissolvebakingsodainboilingwater,thenstirintobatter.
Pourintogreasedandflouredroundlayercakepansorintoalongpan,9”x
13”. Bake at 350° for 25–35 minutes. Test for doneness before removing from
oven.
Makes1longor1layercake
HotMilkSpongeCake
Awoman born at theturn of the century recalls, “Webaked a lot of sponge
cakes.”ThefavoredcakecamefromGermanyandcontinuedasaspecialtyhere.
Eggswereusuallyplentifulandcouldbeputtogooduseinthisbatter.Thecake
wasalsoadaptable—thecookcouldaddherchoiceofflavoringbeforebaking,or
she could leave it out and serve the cake with fresh strawberries (or whatever
fruitwaseasilyathand).
Notethatthiscakerequiresnoshortening.
4eggs
2cupsgranulatedsugar
2tsp.flavoring(optional)
2Tbsp.butterormargarine,melted
1cuphotmilk
2cupsflour
½tsp.salt
2tsp.bakingpowder
Beat eggs and sugar together until light. Mix together flavoring, butter, or
margarineandhotmilk.Stirintoeggsandsugarandblendthoroughly.
Sifttogetherdryingredients.Foldlightlyintobatteruntilsmoother.
Bake in either a greased and floured 9” x 13” cake pan at 350° for 25–30
minutes,orinatubepan(donotgreaseorflour)at350°for45minutes.
IceWaterWhiteCake
½cupbutterormargarine
2cupsgranulatedsugar
3½cupscakeflour
½tsp.salt
3tsp.bakingpowder
1½cupsicewater
¼tsp.almondflavoring(optional)
4eggswhites,stifflybeaten
Creamshortening.Graduallyaddsugar,beatinguntilfluffy.
Sift dry ingredients together. Add alternately with ice water and flavoring, if
desired,tocreamedshortening.
Foldinstifflybeateneggwhites.
Bakein2greasedcakelayerpansat350°for30minutes.
Makes1layercake
AngelFoodCake
Angelfoodcakesarenotanextravaganceonafarmwhereeggsareplentiful.
Infact,thecakewasoftenbakedonthesamedayasnoodlesweremade.Noodles
requiredtheyolks;angelfoodcakestheeggwhites.
An experienced cook, who learned to bake the delicacy as a 14-yearold, says
that the cake turns out best if the eggs are beaten by hand rather than with an
electricmixer.“Ifyoubeattheeggstoofast,thefoamgoesdown.Ialwaysuseda
wirewhiskathome.”
This light, mildly flavored cake is enhanced when crushed strawberries are
servedoverit.
1½cupscakeflour
2¼cupsgranulatedsugar
2½cupseggwhites(18eggs)
3Tbsp.water
¼tsp.salt
1½tsp.creamoftartar
1½tsp.vanilla
Sifttheflour.Add¾cupsugarandsiftwithflourthreetimes.Setaside.
Beat the egg whites with a rotary beater (not an electric mixer) until foamy.
Add salt and cream of tartar. Continue beating until the whites hold peaks.
Slowlyaddtherestofthesugartothebeateneggwhites,foldingitingently.Add
thevanilla.
Sift the flour and sugar mixture, a tablespoon at a time, over the beaten egg
whites.Foldinlightly.
Pourwellblendedmixtureintoa12”x14”ungreasedtubepan.Bakeat350°
for one hour. When finished, turn the cake upside down to cool. Frost with a
buttericingifdesired.
Makes1largecake
ChocolateAngelFoodCake
Recallsawomaninhermid-50s,“Wealwayslikedchocolateangelfoodcake
better than white because it has more flavor.” She was the family’s angel-food-
cakebakeronnoodle-makingdays.
¾cupcakeflour
¼cupcocoa
¼tsp.salt
1tsp.creamoftartar
2cupseggwhites(14to16whites)
1tsp.vanilla
1½cupsgranulatedsugar
Siftflour,cocoa,andsalttogether.
Blend the cream of tartar into the egg whites and beat them until they peak
softly.Gentlyfoldinthevanilla,thenfoldinthesugar,atablespoonatatime.
Pourintoanungreasedtubepanandbakeat350°for40–45minutes.When
cakeisfinished,inverttocool.
Makes1largecake
Old-FashionedCrumbCake
Amoistcoffeecakethatisenhancedwheneatenwithapplesauce,peaches,or
pears.Itneedsnoicing.
3cupsflour
2cupsbrownsugar
½cupshortening,butter,ormargarine
1egg,beaten
1cupbuttermilk
1tsp.bakingsoda
1tsp.creamoftartar
Mix flour and brown sugar together. Cut in shortening until mixture is
crumbly.Takeout1cupcrumbsfortopping.
Add to remaining crumbs the egg, buttermilk, soda, and cream of tartar, in
thatorder.Mixwellaftereachaddition.
Pourintoagreased9”x13”bakingpan.Sprinklereservedcupofcrumbsover
top.Bakeat375°for25–35minutes.
Makes1longcake
ShooflyCake
Thisclosekintoshooflypiehasnocrust;consequently,itcanbeputtogether
morequickly.Thecrumbtoppingandgooeybottommakeanicingunnecessary.
Itisbestservedwhenslightlywarm,freshfromtheoven.
4 cups flour (use 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour, if
desired)2cupsbrownsugar
1cupbutterormargarine
2cupsboilingwater
1cupmolasses
2tsp.bakingsoda
Work the flour, sugar, and butter into fine crumbs with your fingers or a
pastrymixer.Setaside1½cupscrumbsfortopping.
Mix water, molasses, and baking soda together. Then add to the remaining
crumbs.Mixuntilbatterisverythinyetstilllumpy.
Pour into greased and floured 9” x 13” cake pan. Sprinkle with reserved
crumbs.Bakeat350°for35minutes.
Makes1longcake
SpiceCake
This soft, gingerbread-like cake can vary slightly in its subtle flavoring by
interchanging the spices used, depending upon one’s own and family’s
preferences.
2cupsbrownsugar
½cupbutter
2eggs
1cupsourmilk
2½cupssiftedflour
1½tsp.bakingpower
1tsp.cinnamon
1tsp.nutmeg
1tsp.bakingsoda
1tsp.vanilla
Creamsugarandbuttertogetheruntilfluffy.Addeggsandbeatuntillight.
Sifttogetheralldryingredients,thenaddthemalternatelywiththemilktothe
creamedmixture,beatingwellaftereachaddition.Mixinthevanilla.
Pour into greased layer pans or a 9” x 13” cake pan. Bake at 350° for 35–40
minutes.
Variation:
Useclovesinsteadofnutmeg.
Add1tsp.allspicetodryingredients.
Add1tsp.clovestodryingredients.
Makes1layercakeor1longcake
1-2-3-4PoundCake
“Weoftenbakedthis1-2-3-4cake.Foravariationsometimeswewouldfillthe
last cup of flour with cocoa,” remembers an 80-year-old woman who raised—
andcookedfor—alargefamily.
1cupbutter
2cupssugar
3cupscakeflour(oruse2½cupscakeflourand½cupcocoa)
4eggs
½tsp.salt
3tsp.bakingpowder
1cupsourcream
1tsp.vanilla
Creambutter,thenaddsugargraduallyandbeatuntilfluffy.
Addeggs,onebyone,beatingwellaftereachaddition.
Siftdryingredientstogether.Mixsourcreamandvanilla.Adddryingredients
and sour cream mixture alternately to butter-sugar-egg batter, beating well
continuously.
Bakeinalarge,greasedbreadpanat350°for1hour.
Makes1largeloafcake
OatmealCake
Amoistcake,compatiblewithfreshorcannedfruit
1cuprolledoats
1¼cupsboilingwater
½cupbutterormargarine
1cupgranulatedsugar
1cupbrownsugar
2eggs
1tsp.bakingsoda
½tsp.salt
1tsp.cinnamon
1⅔cupflour
1tsp.vanilla
Mixoatsandboilingwatertogether;setasidefor20minutes.
Creambutterormargarineandsugarstogetherthoroughly.Addeggs,oneata
time,beatingwellaftereachone.Blendinoatmealmixture.
Sifttogetherremainingdryingredients.Foldintobatter.Stirinvanilla.
Pour into greased and floured 9” x 13” baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30–35
minutes.
After baking, but before the cake cools, spread the following topping over it
and broil about 2 minutes or until it browns. Watch carefully since it burns
easily!
Topping
6Tbsp.butterormargarine,melted
¼cupmilkorcream
1cupbrownsugar
½cupnuts,chopped
Mixtogetherthoroughly.
Makes19”x13”cake
MolassesCake
Molasses was sometimes more available than sugar. A favorite topping for
mush,itwasacommoningredientinthepantryorcellar.
¾cupmolasses
1egg
½cupsourmilkorbuttermilk
1½cupsflour
1tsp.bakingsoda
¼cupboilingwater
Combinemolasses,egg,andmilkthoroughly.Stirinflour.
Dissolvesodainboilingwater,thenaddtobatter.
Bakeinagreasedandfloured8”squarecakepanat375°for30–45minutes.
Makes18”squarecake
HickoryNutCake
Thesenutsfromthetreesthatgrowwildonthefencerowsflavorcakesaswell
aspies.Thebeateneggwhites(eggsweregenerallyingoodsupplyonthefarm)
makethisanairydessert.
½cupbutterormargarine,softened
1¾cupsgranulatedsugar
3cupsflour
3tsp.bakingpowder
1cupmilk
1½tsp.vanilla
1cuphickorynuts
5eggwhites,beatenuntilstiff
Creambutterormargarineandsugartogether.Mixtogetherflourandbaking
powder.Adddryingredientsalternatelywithmilktocreamedbutterandsugar.
Blendinvanilla.Stirinnuts.Foldineggwhites.
Bakein2greasedandflouredcakepansat350°for30minutes.
Makes1layercake
RhubarbCake
Rhubarb brings moistness and piquancy to coffee cake. This satisfies those
family members and guests who prefer a hint of rhubarb rather than the full
flavorofarhubarbpie.
½cupbutterormargarine
1cupgranulatedsugar
1egg
1tsp.vanilla
2cupsplus2Tbsp.flour
1tsp.cinnamon
1tsp.bakingsoda
½tsp.salt
1cupbuttermilkorsourmilk
2cupsrhubarb,finelycut
½cupchoppednuts(optional)
½cupgratedcoconut(optional)
½cupraisins(optional)
Creamtogetherbutterormargarineandsugar.Blendineggandvanilla.
Mix together flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt. Add alternately with milk to
creamedmixture.
Stirinrhubarbandanyoralloftheoptionalingredients,mixingthoroughly.
Pourintoagreased9”x13”bakingpan.Bakeat350°for45minutes.
Makes1longcake
ButterCreamIcing
Icings were traditionally prepared for special company or were simple
additionstothosecakesthatseemedtoneedsomethingextra.“Weoftenateour
cakes without icing, just dusted with 10X sugar,” commented a woman in her
early40s.Awoman10yearsolderexplainshermethod,“Justbeatmargarineor
shorteningwith10Xsugarandalittlemilkandvanilla.That’swhatweusedto
doandwhatIstilldo.”
That traditional unwritten recipe has been transcribed for those who don’t
cook“byfeel.”
3Tbsp.butter,margarine,orshortening
1½cupsconfectioner’ssugar
1Tbsp.creamormilk
½tsp.vanilla
Beatshorteninguntilsmooth.Creamin(byhandorelectricmixer)thesugar.
Whensmoothaddcreamormilkandvanilla,beatinguntilcreamy.
Icingfor1longcake
Seven-MinuteIcing
Acommonlyusedrecipethatmeasuresthebeatingtime—byhand—required
fortheicingtoreachproperconsistency.
2eggwhites,unbeaten
1½cupsgranulatedsugar
5Tbsp.coldwater
1tsp.lightcornsyrup
1tsp.vanilla
Mixtogethereggwhites,sugar,water,andcornsyrupintopsectionofdouble
boiler. Place over rapidly boiling water and beat continuously with a rotary
beaterfor7minutes.Removefromheat.
Stirinvanillaandcontinuebeatinguntilicingisabletobespread.
Icingforalayercake
CaramelIcing
“My mother liked a caramel icing made with brown sugar. She didn’t really
have a recipe.” This grandmother’s account is typical. Here is a written
approximationofwhatsheenjoyedonchocolatecake.
½cupbutterormargarine
1cupbrownsugar
¼cupmilk
1¾–2cupssiftedconfectioner’ssugar
Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar and cook over low heat two
minutes,stirringconstantly.
Addmilkandcontinuestirringuntilmixturecomestoaboil.
Remove from heat and cool. Add confectioner’s sugar until frosting reaches
spreadingconsistency.
SourCreamSugarCookies
Sugar cookies’ plain looks belie the emotion that sugar-cookie connoisseurs
carryaboutthem.
“Our favorites were sugar cookies with a little confectioner’s sugar sprinkled
ontop.”
“Weatelotsofsugarcookies,sometimeswithalittlelemoninthebatter.”
“Wemadeourbatterwithsourcream,rolledoutthedoughandputaraisin
ontopofeach.”
“Ican’tmakethemlikemymother,whousedbuttermilk!”
“Dropsugarcookiesaremuchmorecommonthanrolled-outones.”
“I make drop sugar cookies but my mother made rolled ones. Hers were
spongy soft. When they’re rolled and cut out, they rise to the same height all
over.”
Here is the first of five batters—4 family-size batters and one crowd-size to
makewithvisitors.
1½cupssugar
1cupmargarine
2eggs
1cupsourcreamorbuttermilk
3¾cupsflour
2tsp.bakingpowder
1tsp.soda
1tsp.vanilla
Creamsugarandshortening.Addeggsandbeatwell.
Addmilk,dryingredients,andvanillaandmixthoroughly.
Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 8–10
minutes.
Variation:
Use1tsp.lemonextractinplaceofvanilla.
Place a raisin in the center and sprinkled the top of each cookie with sugar
beforebaking.
BrownSugarCookies
3cupsbrownsugar
1cuplard,butter,ormargarine,softened
2eggs
2tsp.bakingsoda
2cupssourmilk
2tsp.bakingpowder
pinchofsalt
5cupsflour,sifted
Creamtogetherthebrownsugar,shortening,andeggs.
Stirsodaintosourmilk
Sift baking powder, salt, and flour together. Add milk and dry ingredients
alternatelytocreamedmixture.
Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 7–8
minutes.
Makes10–11dozencookies
DropSugarCookies
1cupshortening,softened
2cupsgranulatedsugar
2eggs
2tsp.bakingsoda
4tsp.bakingpowder
¼tsp.salt
1tsp.vanilla
1cupmilk
5cupsflour
Creamtogethershortening,sugar,andeggs.Mixinbakingsodaandpowder,
saltandvanilla.
Addmilkandflouralternatelytocreamedmixture.
Bakeat350°for10–12minutes.
Makes10–11dozencookies
Icing
6Tbsp.butter(atroomtemperature)
2tsp.vanilla
dashofsalt
1poundconfectioner’ssugar,sifted
4–5Tbsp.milk
Mixallingredientstogetherfor1minutes.Spreadoncooledcookies,orfirst
divide into several parts and add different food colors to each part, to give
variety.
RolledSourCreamSugarCookies
3cupsgranulatedsugar
1cuplard,butter,ormargarine
5eggs
2tsp.bakingsoda
2tsp.creamoftartar
1cupsourcream
7cupsflour
Creamtogetherthesugar,shortening,andeggs.
Mix baking soda, cream of tartar, and sour cream together. Add alternately
withflourtothecreamedmixture.
Refrigerateovernightorforseveralhours.Rolloutdoughandcutindesired
shapes.Bakeat400°for8–10minutes.
Makesabout13–15dozencookies
SugarCookiesforaCrowd
The Amish expect unannounced company. They are seldom caught
unprepared with their bountifully stocked canning shelves and flourishing
gardens.
Oneefficientandexperiencedcookhasfoundawaytobothentertainandfeed
her guests. “I mix a big batch of sugar cookies and only bake half of them at a
time.TheotherhalfIkeepintherefrigeratorforuptotwotothreeweeks.What
Ilikeisifsomeonecomes,thenyouhavesomethingtodo.Andthecookiesare
muchbetter,too,whenthey’refresh!”
4½cupsbrownsugar
2cupslard,melted
2cupssourcream
8eggs
3tsp.soda
3tsp.creamoftartar
9cupsflour
1Tbsp.vanilla
pinchofsalt
Creamthesugarandlard.Addthesourcreamandeggsandbeatwell.Stirin
theremainingingredientsandmixwell.
Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325° for 8–10
minutes.
MolassesCookies
Molassescookies,alongwithsugarcookies,topthelistoffondlyremembered
oldfavorites.Molasseswasacommonlyusedsweetenerinthe19thcenturywhen
refinedsugarwasatapremiumintheNewWorld.
Today’smolassescookiesalsocallforsugar,buttheyretainthesturdy,cakey
qualitythathasalwaysmadethemloved.
Variationsaboundfromhouseholdtohousehold.
“Weatemolassesspice.”
“Ourswerefatmolassescookies.”
“Wehadsoftmolassescakeswithicing.”
1cupshortening
½lb.lightbrownsugar
1pintdarkbakingmolasses
1pintbuttermilk
6cupsflour
1Tbsp.bakingsoda
Creamshorteningandsugar.Addmolassesandbuttermilk.
Stirinflourandbakingsoda.
Dropinlargedollopsfromteaspoonontocookiesheet.Bakeat375°for8–10
minutes.
Variation:
Cookiesmaybeglazedbybrushingtopswitheggyolksbeforebaking.
Add1tsp.gingerand1tsp.cinnamonwithflourandsugar.
Makes8dozencookies
RolledOatsCookies
“Next to molasses and sugar cookies we ate oatmeal cookies. We always
boughtoatmealbythe50-poundbag.”
2cupsbrownsugar
1cuplardorvegetableshortening
3eggs
1cupsourmilkorbuttermilk
1tsp.vanilla
3cupsflour
1tsp.bakingpowder
1tsp.bakingsoda
1tsp.cinnamon
½tsp.nutmeg
½tsp.salt
2cupsrolledoats
2cupsraisins
1cupnuts,chopped
Creamtogetherthesugar,shortening,eggs,milk,andvanilla.
Stirdryingredientstogether.
Combinedryingredientswithcreamedmixture,blendingthoroughly.
Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 12–15
minutes.
Makes9dozencookies
ButterscotchCookies
2cupsbrownsugar
3eggs
1cupshorteningorlard
4cupsflour
1tsp.bakingsoda
1tsp.creamoftartar
1cupnuts
Mix all ingredients but the nuts thoroughly in a mixer. Stir the nuts in by
hand.
Rollthedoughintoropesabout2inchesthick.Cutinthinslices.Crosspress
withaforktomakeadesign.
Bakeat350°for8–12minutes.
Makes7–8dozencookies
SourCreamCookies
3cupsgranulatedsugar
1¾cupslardorshortening
4eggs
1cupsourmilk
1cupsourcream
2tsp.bakingsoda
4tsp.bakingpowder
¾tsp.salt
6cupsflour
1tsp.lemonflavoring
1Tbsp.vanilla
Creamtogethersugar,shortening,andeggs.
Mixinremainingingredients,combiningthoroughly.
Rolloutandcutindesiredshapes.Sprinkletopswithgranulatedsugar.
Bakeongreasedcookiesheetsat350°for8–10minutes.
Makes12–13dozencookies
ButtermilkCookies
2cupsbrownsugar
1cuplardorvegetableshortening
1tsp.vanilla
2eggs
2tsp.bakingsoda
1cupbuttermilk
2tsp.bakingpowder
4cupsflour
½cupnuts,chopped(optional)
Creamtogethersugarandshortening.Mixinvanillaandeggsthoroughly.
Dissolvebakingsodainbuttermilk.
Stirbakingpowderintoflour.
Addmilkandflourmixturealternatelytothecreamedmixture.Stirinnuts.
Refrigerateovernightorforseveralhours.Dropbyteaspoonsfulontogreased
cookiesheet.Bakeat400°for8–10minutes.
Makes9dozencookies
Hermits
Manyvarietiesofdriedfruitandnutcookiesfilledthefarmpantries.Chewy
andsubstantial,theyalsoretainedtheirmoisturelongerbecauseofthepresence
ofthefruit.
Herearehermits,thoseold-fashionedcousinsofjumbies,iceboxcookies,date
andnut,andmincemeatcookies.
1cupshortening
1cupgranulatedsugar
1cupbrownsugar
4eggs
½cupmolasses
1tsp.bakingsodadissolvedin½cupwarmwater
4½cupsflour
¼tsp.salt
¼tsp.groundcloves
1cupchoppednuts
1cupchoppeddates
Creamshorteningandsugars.Addeggsandbeatuntillightandfluffy.
Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with water and molasses. Beat after
eachaddition.
Stirinchoppednutsanddates.
Drop by round teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10–12
minutes.
Variation:
Use½cupcooledblackcoffeeinsteadofwater.
Add1cupraisinsand1cupchoppeddriedapricotsinplaceofnutsanddates.
Makesabout10dozencookies
GingerCookies
1cuplard,butter,ormargarine
1cupgranulatedsugar
1egg
2cupsdarkbakingmolasses
2Tbsp.vinegar
6–8cupsflour
¾tsp.salt
½tsp.cinnamon
2Tbsp.ginger
4tsp.bakingsoda
1cupboilingwater
Cream together shortening, sugar, and egg. When light and fluffy beat in
molassesandvinegar.
Stirtogetherdryingredients.
Dissolvebakingsodainboilingwater.
Add dry ingredients and soda-water mixture alternately to creamed
ingredients.Addmoreflourifneededtomakeasoftdough.
Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with granulated
sugar.Bakeat350°for10minutes.
Makes9–10dozencookies
PinwheelDateCookies
Thiscookiewasnotpartoftheweeklybaking;itrequiresfartoomuchtimein
preparation!Butithastraditionallybeenpartofholidaycookie-making.
1cupshortening
2cupsbrownsugar
½cupgranulatedsugar
3eggs
4–4½cupsflour
1tsp.salt
1tsp.bakingsoda
1tsp.cinnamon
Creamtogethertheshorteningandsugar.Addtheeggsandbeatuntilfluffy.
Sift the flour; then add the salt, soda, and cinnamon and sift again. Add the
dryingredientstothecreamedmixtureandbeatuntilsmooth.Chilldoughinthe
refrigerator for a few hours. Divide the chilled dough into two parts. Roll each
¼”thickandspreadwithfilling.
Filling
1½cupsdatesorraisins,ground
1cupsugar
1cupwater
½cupnuts,choppedfine
Combine the fruit, sugar, and water and cook until thickened, stirring
constantly.Removefromheatandaddthenuts.Coolandspreadontherolled
dough.
Roll up, jelly-roll fashion, and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Slice the
rings⅛”thickandplaceongreasedcookiesheets,1inchapart.Bakeat375°until
goldenbrown.
Makes31/2dozencookiesRaisinFilledCookies
1cuplardorvegetableshortening
2cupsgranulatedsugar
2eggs,beaten
1cupmilk
2tsp.vanilla
7cupsflour
2tsp.bakingsoda
2tsp.bakingpowder
Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs together. Blend eggs and milk. Combine
withcreamedmixture.Addvanilla.
Sifttogetherdryingredientsandmixwell.Stirthoroughlyintobatter.
Chill dough in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Roll to ¼”
thicknessonlightlyflouredboard.Cutoutwithroundcutter.
Place1teaspoonofraisinfillingonthetopofeachofhalfthecookies.
Withathimblemakeaholeinthemiddleoftheremainingcookies(thehole
willpreventthefillingfromcookingoutbetweenthecookiehalves).Placethese
cookiesontopofthecookieswithfilling.Donotpresstogether.
Bakeat350°for20minutesongreasedcookiesheets.
Filling
2cupsraisins,choppedorground
1cupsugar
1cupwater
2Tbsp.flour
1Tbsp.lemonjuice(optional)
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until
thickened.
Makes5–6dozencookies
SandTarts
Although Christmas is celebrated quietly, some families have kept a few
cookingtraditions,especiallytohonorvisitorsovertheholidays.
At the turn of the century, sand tarts were baked in some homes “at
Christmastime, and usually only then. We would cut them out in different
shapes,”anelderlywomanremarks.ThetraditionalPennsylvaniaDutchCookies
—lebkuchen, pefferniss, and springerle—were not commonly eaten by the
Amish. Explained an Amish grandfather, “We had more cookies around at
Christmas,butnotreallyspecialkinds.”
Today cookie-baking is associated more with holiday activity, and sand tarts
continueasfavorites,perhapsbecausechildrenenjoybothcuttingthemoutand
choosingspecialshapestoeat.
1cupbutter
2cupsgranulatedsugar
3eggs
1tsp.vanilla
1tsp.salt
2tsp.bakingpowder
3½–4cupsflour
Creamtogetherbutterandsugar.Addeggsandvanillaandbeatuntilfluffy.
Mix dry ingredients together and beat into batter until a soft dough forms.
Refrigerateseveralhoursorovernight.
Rolldoughverythinandcutindecorativeshapeswithcookiecutters.Brush
tops of cookies with egg whites and sprinkle with colored sugar and crushed
peanuts,walnuts,orpecans.
Bakeat350°for8–10minutesongreasedcookiesheets.
Makes4–5dozencookies
WhoopiePies
Thesecookiesarearelativelynewinvention,firstappearingabout30–35years
ago.Saidonegrandmotherinhermid-50s,“Idon’trememberwhoopiepiesasa
little girl, but I do know they were around before we were married. Probably
someonejustmadethemup!”
Anothergrandmotherinherlate50sknewofthem“justsincewe’remarried,
andthatnotinthefirstyears.”
Theseindividualcakesarewellsuitedtolunch-boxtravelandfoodstandsat
farmsales.Theicingisspreadbetweenthetwocookiehalvessoitdoesn’truboff
whenwrapped,ascupcakeicingdoes.
The original—and still most commonly made—whoopie pie is chocolate.
Oatmealandpumpkinvariationshavedevelopedmorerecently.
2cupssugar
1cupshortening
2eggs
4cupsflour
1cupbakingcocoa
2tsp.vanilla
1tsp.salt
1cupsourmilk
2tsp.bakingsoda
1cuphotwater
Creamsugarandshortening.Addeggs.
Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with
sourmilk.Addvanilla.
Dissolvesodainhotwaterandaddlast.Mixwell.
Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 8–10
minutes.
Makesandwichesfrom2cookiesfilledwithWhoopiePieFilling.
Makes4dozensandwichpies
Filling
2eggwhites,beaten
4Tbsp.milk
2tsp.vanilla
4cupsconfectioner’ssugar
1½cupsshortening
Mix together egg whites, milk, vanilla, and 2 cups 10X sugar. Then beat in
shorteningandremaining2cupsof10Xsugar.
Spreaddaboffillingonflatsideofcooledcookie.Topwithanothercookieto
formasandwichpie.
OatmealWhoopiePies
2cupsbrownsugar
¾cupbutterorshortening
2eggs
½tsp.salt
1tsp.cinnamon
1tsp.bakingpowder
3Tbsp.boilingwater
1tsp.soda
2½cupsflour
2cupsoatmeal
Creamsugarandshortening.Addeggs;thenaddsalt,cinnamon,andbaking
powder.
Addsodadissolvedinhotwater.Graduallyaddflourandoatmeal.
Dropbatterbyheapingteaspoonsontogreasedcookiesheet.Bakeat350°for
8–10minutesoruntilbrown.
Use½WhoopiePieFillingrecipeabovetofillsandwichpies.
Makes3dozensandwichpies
PumpkinWhoopiePies
2cupsbrownsugar
1cupvegetableoil
1½cupscooked,mashedpumpkin
2eggs
3cupsflour
1tsp.salt
1tsp.bakingpowder
1tsp.bakingsoda
1tsp.vanilla
1½Tbsp.cinnamon
½Tbsp.ginger
½Tbsp.groundcloves
Creamsugarandoil.
Add pumpkin and eggs. Add flour, salt, baking powder, soda, vanilla, and
spices.Mixwell.
Dropbyheapingteaspoonsontogreasedcookiesheet.Bakeat350°for10–12
minutes.
Makesandwichesfrom2cookiesfilledwith½theWhoopiePieFillingrecipe
onpage161.
Variation:
Adding ½ cup black walnuts (ground) gives these cookies a special delicious
flavor.
Makes3dozensandwichpies
CheeseCheese-makingcamenaturally
onearlyPennsylvaniafarms.Most
familieshadafewcowsfortheirown
dairysupplies.Whatmilktheydidn’t
usefordrinkingtheymixedintocake
andcookiebatters.Butwhenthesour
milkgotaheadofthedemand,thecook
madecheese.Shedrewuponatradition
learnedinEurope;inthiscountryshe
madeschmierkase,eggcheese,ball
cheese,andcupcheese.
When dariying increased in eastern Pennsylvania, there were still regular
occasions when there was milk for cheese-making. An elderly woman recalls,
“Whenwewerefirstonthefarm,themilkcompanythatwesoldtodidn’thaul
milkonSundays.Inthesummerwecouldn’tshipthatmilksowe’dhaveseveral
milkcansfullandI’dmakecheesefromthat.Imadeitmostlyforourfamily.”
Alongtheway,schmierkasebegantobeservedatSundaylunchfollowingthe
church service. Cheese spread was frequently more plentiful than jam or jelly.
“It’s not something we always ate at church. If the cows went dry we couldn’t
haveit!”ButitbecamearatherregularfeatureontheSundaylunchmenu.
Change keeps altering what was once routine, however, even in the Amish
community. “There is a problem, now, with getting the crumbs to make the
cheese,” explained a young Amish woman. The reason? “I don’t know Amish
peoplewhohavejustafewcowsnow.Eithertheyhaveadairyandshipalltheir
milk,ortheyjusthaveonecowanddon’tgetenoughmilktosourforcheese.I
get my curds from a Mennonite lady whose family does have a few cows. She
makescrumbsfromtheexcessmilktheydon’tuse.”
A local store or two sells the cheese crumbs, but the Amish, who have a
tradition of producing their own, think the price is a bit high. So they make
adjustments. “For church we melt the processed orange American cheese with
some margarine, evaporated milk, and regular milk. It really tastes almost like
theoldschmierkase,”offeredamiddle-agedwoman.Anoldermancommented
that in the church district of which he is a member, “We almost always have
peanutbuttermixedwithmargarineandsomethingcreamylikemarshmallow.It
spreadseasily;it’snottoorich.”
Herearerecipesforfouroldfavorites,despitethefactthattodaytheyareonly
rarelyonthecook’sagenda.
Schmierkase
2½gallonsmilk,skimmedofitscream2tsp.bakingsoda
1¼–1½cupswarmwater
⅓cupbutter
2tsp.salt
1cuphotwater
Letmilksouruntilitbecomesverythick,thenheatto115°–120°.
Pourhalfofmilkintoacoarseclothbagtodrain.Squeezeoutasmuchliquid
as possible. Empty curds into a bowl and crumble. Repeat process with
remainingmilk.
Letcrumbssetatroomtemperaturefor2to3days(upto5daysifastronger
flavorisdesired).
To crumbs (should be about 4 cups) add baking soda and mix well. Pour in
doubleboilerandletstandfor30minutes,thenadd1¼–1½cupswarmwater.
Bringtoboil,stirringconstantly.Mixinbutterandsaltandfinallythecupof
hotwater,addingit¼cupatatime.
Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring to dissolve crumbs. Allow to cool, then
spreadonbreadandserve.
Makesabout1½quartscheese
CottageCheese
1½gallonsmilk
1tsp.salt
½cupfreshcream
Let milk sour until it is very thick. Heat to 115°–120°, then put into coarse
clothbagandallowtodrainovernight.
Whencurdsaredry,crumbleuntilfineandmixinthesaltthoroughly.
Whenreadytoserve,stirinthefreshcreamandcombinewell.
Makesabout3½cupscheese
EggCheese
2quartsfreshmilk
5eggs
2cupsbuttermilkorsourmilk
1tsp.salt
1tsp.sugar
Heatfreshmilktotheboilingpoint.
Beat eggs until lemon-colored. Add buttermilk or sour milk, salt, and sugar.
Beatjustuntilmixed,thenpourslowlyintothehot,freshmilk.Coverandletset
for5minutes.
Stirmixtureuntilcurdsandwheyseparate.Withaslottedspoonliftthecurds
into a mold with drainage holes on the bottom. Layer the curds into the mold
lightly to prevent the cheese from packing heavily together. When thoroughly
cooledthecheesecanbeslicedoutofthecontainerorunmoldedontoadishand
servedasaspreadforbread.
CupCheese
2½gallonsmilk
1½tsp.bakingsoda
1½tsp.salt
½cupwater
Letmilksouruntilitisverythick.Heatto120°,pourintoacoarseclothbag
andletdrainovernight.
Crumble curds until they are fine, then mix soda with cheese thoroughly.
Placeinbowl,coverwithaclothandletsetatroomtemperaturefor3days.Stir
everymorningandevening.
At the end of the third day, place the bowl of cheese in the upper part of a
double boiler. Over heat, stir in salt and water until smooth. Cheese should be
thickandyellow,andhaveasharpsmell.
Pour into cup-size containers. Cool, then spread on bread to serve. (Some
folksliketodrizzlemolassesorhoneyoverthecheesebeforeeating.)
Endnotes
1
Don Yoder, “Historical Sources for American Traditional Cookery: Examples from the Pennsylvania
GermanCulture,”PennsylvaniaFolklife20(Fall,1969),p.25.
2
WilliamWoysWeaver,SauerkrautYankees(Philadelphia:UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress,1983),pp.
19,20.
3
Ibid.,pp.21,22.
7
Ibid.,p.103.
8
Ibid.,pp.151,152.
ReadingsandSources
Cooking
FavoriteAmishFamilyRecipes.Aylmer,Ontario:PathwayPublishingHouse,1965.
Gehris,EldaF.“PennsylvaniaGermanCookery,”PennsylvaniaFolklife35(Fall,1985)1,35–48.
Good,PhyllisPellman.CookingandMemories.Intercourse,Pennsylvania:GoodBooks,1983.
Good, Phyllis Pellman and Rachel Thomas Pellman. From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens. Intercourse,
Pennsylvania.GoodBooks,1984.
Groff,BettyandJoséWilson.GoodEarthandCountryCooking.Harrisburg:StackpoleBooks,1974.
Hark, Ann and Preston Barba. Pennsylvania Dutch Cookery: A Regional Cookbook. Allentown,
Pennsylvania,1950.
Lapp, Sallie Y. and Sylvia Y. Miller. Lancaster County Amish Cookbook. Bird-in-Hand and New Holland,
Pennsylvania:MillerandLapp,1982.
Lehman,DavidJ.,editor.DerDutchmanAmishKitchenCookingCookbook.Berlin,Ohio:TheGospelBook
Store,1972.
Lemon, James T. “Household Consumption in 18th Century America and Its Relationship to Production
and Trade: The Situation Among Farmers in Southeastern Pennsylvania,” Agricultural History 41
(January,1967),59–70.
Long,Amos,Jr.“BakeovensinthePennsylvaniaFolkCulture,”PennsylvaniaFolklife14(December1964),
16–29.
Lund,AdrienneF.TheAmishWayCookbook,Louisville,Kentucky:EdwardD.Donahoe,1981.
Miller,BobandSue,editors.Amish-CountryCookbook,VolumeI.Elkhart,Indiana:BethelPublishing,1979.
_______Amish-CountryCookbook,VolumeII.Elkhart,Indiana:BethelPublishing,1986.
Miller, Mark Eric, editor. Amish Cooking. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1980. Schrock, Johnny,
editor.WonderfulGoodCookingfromAmishCountryKitchens.
Scottdale,Pennsylvania:HeraldPress,1974.
Showalter,MaryEmma.MennoniteCommunityCookbook.Scottdale,Pennsylvania:HeraldPress,1950.
Weaver, William Woys. Sauerkraut Yankees, Pennsylvania German Foods and Foodways. Philadelphia:
UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress,1983.
Yoder, Don. “Historical Sources for American Traditional Cookery: Examples from the Pennsylvania
GermanCulture,”PennsylvaniaFolklife20(Spring,1971),16–29.
_______“PennsylvaniansCallItMush,”PennsylvaniaFolklife13(Winter,1962–1963),27–49.
_______“SauerkrautinthePennsylvaniaFolkCulture,”PennsylvaniaFolklife12(Summer,1961),56–69.
_______“SchnitzinthePennsylvaniaFolkCulture,”PennsylvaniaFolklife12(Fall,1961),44–53.
AboutthePeople
Bender,H.S.TheAnabaptistVision.Scottdale,Pennsylvania:HeraldPress,1944.
Dyck,CorneliusJ.AnIntroductiontoMennoniteHistory.Scottdale,Pennsylvania:HeraldPress,1967.
Good,Merle.WhoAretheAmish?Intercourse,Pennsylvania:GoodBooks,1985.
_______and Phyllis. Twenty Most Asked Questions about the Amish and Mennonites. Intercourse,
Pennsylvania:GoodBooks,1979.
Hostetler,JohnA.AmishSociety.Baltimore:JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress,1968.
Kaiser,Grace.Dr.Frau:AWomanDoctorAmongtheAmish.Intercourse,Pennsylvania:GoodBooks,1986.
McCauley, Daniel and Kathryn. Decorative Arts of the Amish of Lancaster County. Intercourse,
Pennsylvania:GoodBooks,1988.
Nolt,StevenM.AHistoryoftheAmish,revisedandupdated.Intercourse,Pennsylvania:GoodBooks,2003.
Pellman,RachelandKenneth.TheWorldofAmishQuilts.Intercourse,Pennsylvania:GoodBooks,1984.
Apple
butter,
183
butterintheoven,
184
crisp,
172
dumplings,
168
rolls,
169
Applesauce,
83
Asparagus,creamed,
71
Bacon,hotsaladdressing,
78
Bakedapples,
170
Bakedbeans,
62
Bakedcorn,
59
Bakedcreamedchicken,
52
Bakedeggcustard,
170
Bakedfriedchicken,
53
Bakedham,
47
Bananapudding,
166
Beansoup,
36
Beans,baked,
62
Beef
driedbeefgravy,
50
roast,
46
vegetablebeefsoup,
39
Beverages
eggnog,
199
freshmeadowtea,
196
frozenmeadow-teaconcentrate,
196
grapejuiceconcentrate,
198
lemonade,
198
peppermintdrink,
199
rootbeer,
197
spicedcider,
201
tomatojuicecocktail,
200
Blackberryjelly,
187
Breads
buns
potato,
corn,
wholewheat,
Butter
apple,
183
appleintheoven,
184
grape,
186
pear,
184
Buttercreamicing,
Butterscotchcookies,
Cabbage
coleslaw,
80
sauerkraut,making,
68
sweetandsoursteamed,
69
warmslaw,
70
Cakes
angelfood,
molasses,
shoofly,
white,icewater,
Candiedsweetpotatoes,
67
Candy
caramelcorn,
207
caramels,
208
chocolatefudgewithnuts,
206
fudge,
205
hardtackcandy,
209
hickorynut,
208
kisses,
209
O.Henrycandy,
210
old-fashionedmolassestaffy,
205
peanutbrittle,
206
popcornballs,
207
taffy,
204
Cantaloupe,spiced,
Caramelcorn,
207
Caramelpudding,
171
Caramels,
208
Celery,creamed,
72
Chicken
bakedcreamed,
52
bakedfried,
53
chickenroast,
17
cornsoup,
40
pie,
15
potpie,
16
roastchicken,
51
Chocolatecake,
Chocolatefudgewithnuts,
206
Chowchow,
Churchspread,
189
Cider,spiced,
201
Cinnamonflop,
Coldsoup,
42
Coleslaw,
80
Cookeddriedcorn,
60
Cookies
buttermilk,
butterscotch,
ginger,
hermits,
molasses,
pinwheeldate,
raisinfilled,
sandtarts,
sugar
foracrowd,
rolledsourcream,
whoopiepies,
fillingfor,
pumpkin,
Corn
baked,
59
cookeddried,
60
fritters,
60
pie,
61
pone,
177
Cornmealmush,
26
Cornstarch
chocolatepudding,
164
vanillapudding,
164
Cottagecheese,
Cottagepudding,
178
Crackerpudding,
165
grahampudding,
166
Crackers
fried,
29
steamed,
28
Cream,buttericing,
Creamedcelery,
72
Creamedpotatoes,
66
Creamypotatosoup,
34
Cucumbersandonions,
81
Cupcheese,
Custardpie,
Dandelionsalad,
78
Datepudding,
179
Desserts
applecrisp,
172
applerolls,
169
bakedeggcustard,
170
cornpone,
177
glorifiedrice,
172
grapemush,
176
homemadeicecream,
180
raspberrieswithknepp,
176
rhubarbcrumble,
174
rhubarbsauce,
173
Doughnutglaze,
Doughnuts
glazed,
Driedbeefgravy,
50
Driedcorn,cooked,
60
Duck,turkeystuffedwith,
54
Dumplings
apple,
168
rhubarb,
175
Eggnog,
199
Eggplant,fried,
74
Eggsandeggdishes
bakedeggcustard,
170
eggs,redbeet,
Elderberryjelly,
188
Endivesalad,
78
Filling
mashedpotato,
Fillingforwhoopiepies,
Fourteendaysweetpickles,
Freshcuttinglettuce,
77
Freshmeadowtea,
196
Friedchicken,baked,
53
Friedcrackers,
29
Friedeggplant,
74
Friedoysterplant,
74
Friedoysters,
54
Friedpotatoes,
64
Friedtomatogravy,
63
Friedtomatoslices,
63
Fritters,corn,
60
Frozenmeadowteaconcentrate,
196
Fruitbutters
applebutter,
183
applebutterintheoven,
184
grapebutter,
186
pearbutter,
184
Fruitsalad,
84
Fudge,
205
Fudge,chocolatewithnuts,
206
Gardenrelish,
Gingercookies,
Glazeddoughnuts,
Glorifiedrice,
172
Grahamcrackerpudding,
166
Grapebutter,
186
Grapejuiceconcentrate,
198
Grapemush,
176
Grapepie,
Gravy
driedbeef,
50
giblet,
52
friedtomato,
63
tomato,
62
Greenbeans,hamand,
19
Hamandgreenbeans,
19
Ham,baked,
47
Hamsoup,
40
Hamburgervegetablesoup,
38
Hardtackcandy,
209
Hickorynutcandy,
208
Homemadeicecream,
180
Homemadesaladdressing,
79
Hotbacondressing,
78
Hotmilkspongecake,
Icecream,homemade,
180
Jam
pineapple,
188
rhubarb,
186
strawberry,
185
tomato,
189
Jelly
blackberry,
187
elderberry,
188
raspberry,
187
Knepp
peaswith,
70
raspberrieswith,
176
Lemonmeringuepie,
Lemonade,
198
Lettuce,freshcutting,
77
Mainstaysandone-potdishes,
13
chickenpie,
15
chickenpotpie,
16
chickenroast,
17
friedcrackers,
29
hamandgreenbeans,
19
meatpie,
21
mush,cornmeal,
26
noodles,homemade,
24
oysterpie,
22
oysterswithbreadfilling,
23
porkandsauerkraut,
18
steamedcrackers,
28
stuffedpigstomach,
20
wafers,
25
Makingsauerkraut,
68
Mashed,ricepotatoes,
64
Meadowtea
fresh,
196
frozenconcentrate,
196
Meatpie,
21
Meatpudding,
49
Meats,
43
bakedcreamedchicken,
52
bakedfriedchicken,
53
bakedham,
47
beefroast,
46
driedbeefgravy,
50
friedoysters,
54
meatpudding,
49
roastchicken,
51
roastpork,
47
roastturkey,
52
sausage,smokedandfresh,
50
scallopedoysters,
55
scrapple,
48
souse,
56
spareribsandsauerkraut,
47
turkeystuffedwithduck,
54
Molasses,old-fashionedtaffy,
205
Montgomerypie,
Mush
cornmeal,
26
grape,
176
Nut,hickorycandy,
208
Nuts,chocolatefudgewith,
206
O.Henrycandy,
210
Oatmeal
whoopiepies,
Oats,cookiesrolled,
Old-fashionedmolassestaffy,
205
Onions,cucumbersand,
81
Oyster
plant,fried,
74
pie,
22
stew,
41
Oysters
withbreadfilling,
23
fried,
54
scalloped,
55
Pear
butter,
184
Peaswithknepp,
70
Pecanpie,
Pepperrelish,
Peppers,pickled,
Peppermintdrink,
199
Pie
apple,
corn,
61
crust,
grape,
ground-cherry,
lemonmeringue,
lemonsponge,
meat,
21
mincemeat,
oyster,
22
peach,
pecan,
pumpkin,
schnitz,
shoofly,
sourcherry,
vanilla,
Pies
half-moon,
oatmealwhoopie,
Pineapplejam,
188
Pinwheeldatecookies,
Pone,corn,
177
Popcornballs,
207
Pork
roast,
47
andsauerkraut,
18
Potpie,chicken,
16
Potato
cakes,
65
creamysoup,
34
salad,
82
soup,
33
soupwithrivvels,
34
Potatoes
candiedsweet,
67
creamed,
66
fried,
64
new,withpeas,
66
ricedmashed,
64
Poundcake,1-2-3-4,
Pudding
banana,
166
caramel,
171
chocolatecornstarch,
164
cottage,
178
cracker,
165
date,
179
grahamcracker,
166
meat,
49
tapioca,
167
vanillacornstarch,
164
Pumpkin
whoopiepies,
Raisin
Raspberry,jelly,
187
Raspberrieswithknepp,
176
Redbeets,pickled,
Rice
cooked,
73
glorified,
172
Ricemashedpotatoes,
64
Rivvelsoup,
35
Rivvels,
35
potatosoupwith,
34
Roast
beef,
46
chicken,
17
chicken,
51
pork,
47
turkey,
52
Rolledsourcreamsugarcookies,
Rolls
apple,
169
RootBeer,
197
Salads,
75
applesauce,
83
coleslaw,
80
cucumbersandonions,
81
dandelion,
78
endive,
78
fruit,
84
lettuce,freshcutting,
77
potato,
82
spinach,
78
Saladdressing,homemade,
79
Sandwiches,watercress,
77
Sauerkraut
making,
68
andpork,
18
andspareribs,
47
Sausage,smokedandfresh,
50
Scallopedoysters,
55
Schmierkase,
Schnitzpie,
Scrapple,
48
Slaw
cole,
80
warm,
70
Soup
bean,
36
chickencorn,
40
cold,
42
creamypotato,
34
ham,
40
hamburgervegetable,
38
potato,
33
potatowithrivvels,
34
rivvel,
35
tomato,
38
tomatowithcelery,peppers,andcarrots,
37
vegetablebeef,
39
Sourcherrypie,
Sourcreamcookies,
Sourcreamsugarcookies,
Souse,
56
Spareribsandsauerkraut,
47
Sugarcookies
brown,
drop,
foracrowd,
rolledsourcream,
Sweetandsoursteamedcabbage,
69
Sweetpotatoes,candied,
67
Taffy,
204
old-fashionedmolasses,
205
Tapiocapudding,
167
Tea
freshmeadowtea,
196
frozenmeadowteaconcentrate,
196
Tomato
friedtomatogravy,
63
friedtomatoslices,
63
gravy,
62
jam,
189
juicecocktail,
200
soup,
38
soupwithcelery,peppers,andcarrots,
37
Turkey
roast,
52
stuffedwithduck,
54
Vegetable
beefsoup,
39
hamburgersoup,
38
Vegetables
asparagus,creamed,
71
beans,baked,
59
cabbage,sweetandsoursteamed,
69
celery,creamed,
72
corn
baked,
59
cookeddried,
60
fritters,
60
pie,
61
eggplant,fried,
74
oysterplant,fried,
74
peaswithknepp,
70
potatocakes,
65
potatoes
creamed,
66
fried,
64
newwithpeas,
66
ricedmashed,
64
rice,cooked,
73
sauerkraut,making,
68
slaw,warm,
70
candiedsweetpotatoes,
67
tomato
friedtomatogravy,
63
friedtomatoslices,
63
gravy,
62
Wafers,
24
Waffles,
Warmslaw,
70
Watercresssandwiches,
77
Wholewheatbread,
fillingfor,
pumpkin,
Yeastbuns,
AbouttheAuthorPhyllisPellmanGoodisa
NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorwhosebooks
havesoldmorethan6millioncopies.
Good, a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, native, is also a highly respected
expertontheAmishandMennonitepeoples.
Phyllis Pellman Good has authored or co-authored many cookbooks,
includingthenational#1bestsellingcookbook(withDawnJ.Ranck)Fix-Itand
Forget-ItCookbook:FeastingwithyourSlowCooker.Good’sothercookbooks
includeTheBestofMennoniteFellowshipMeals,DeliciousAmishRecipes,An
Amish Table, From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens, and The Central Market
Cookbook as well as Recipes from Central Market. Also, Festival Cookbook,
MennoniteRecipesfromtheShenandoahValley,AmishCookingforKids,and
FavoriteRecipeswithHerbs.
She and her husband Merle co-authored the bestselling 20 Most Asked
Questions about the Amish and Mennonites, as well as Christmas Ideas for
Families. They edit an annual collection entitled What Mennonites Are
Thinking.
AmongGood’sotherbooksareanexquisitephotoessaybookAmishChildren
(with photographer Jerry Irwin), Perils of Professionalism, A Mennonite
Woman’sLife,achildren’spicturebookPlainPig’sABC’s:ADayonPlainPig’s
AmishFarm,andtheelegantQuiltsfromTwoValleys:AmishQuiltsfromthe
BigValleyandMennoniteQuiltsfromtheShenandoahValley.
PhyllisPellmanGoodisSeniorEditoratGoodBooksandservesasthecurator
of the nationally-acclaimed People’s Place Quilt Museum. She and Merle are
executive directors of The People’s Place, The Old Country Store, and several
galleriesandrelatedshopsinthehistoricvillageofIntercourse,Pennsylvania,in
theheartoftheOldOrderAmishsettlement.
GoodreceivedherB.A.andM.A.inEnglishfromNewYorkUniversity.She
hasalsobeenactiveasavolunteerwriterandconsultantwithMennoniteWorld
Conferencefornearlytwodecades.
TheGoodsliveinLancasterandaretheparentsoftwoyoungadultdaughters.
TheyaremembersofEastChestnutStreetMennoniteChurch.
For a complete listing of books by Phyllis Pellman Good, as well as excerpts
.
Document Outline
- Title Page
- Acknowledgments and Credits
- Copyright
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Pickled Relishes, Sweets and Sours
- Breads
- Pies
- Cakes and Cookies
- Cheese
- Endnotes
- Readings and Sources
- Index
- About the Author
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