How about a blast from the past? The wonderful site, tbsp., (www.tablespoon.com), did some fascinating research around desserts. Their article, “The Most Popular Recipe the Year You Were Born” is the result, and is just fun!

You can easily find out what the most popular foods were the year you were born by simply indicating your birth year. I was born in 1949, so I first went to the 1940’s button. EGGLESS DESSERTS came up. Makes sense. WWII called for food rationing and eggs were on the list. But just because eggs were rationed didn’t mean folks skipped dessert! Some brilliant and creative cook figured out how to get her cookie dough fix with a no-bake chocolate chip cookie bar. This treat tasted just like raw dough, and were safe to eat, was well.

NO BAKE Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

COOKIE DOUGH BASE LAYER:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk (non-dairy is fine)

½ teaspoon salt

2 1/3 cups oat flour

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING:

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1. For the base layer: in a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until well combined.

2. Add in the vanilla extract, milk, salt and oat flour. Mix together until smooth.

3. Fold in the mini chocolate chips until well distributed.

4. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment or wax paper. Spread the “dough” out evenly, making sure to get it all the way into the corners of the pan. Refrigerate for at least two hours or until very solid.

5. Once the base layer is solid, make the top layer by melting the remaining chocolate chips with coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat.

6. Once smooth, pour over the base layer and spread evenly. Return pan to fridge to solidify the chocolate layer (about 15 minutes).

7. Slice into 2-inch squares. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Some other very popular recipes in the 1940’s?

Bisquick™ waffles. Sugar was another rationed food, so with sugar already in the mix, you could make waffles, cakes and more without eating up your sugar rations.

Bread pudding. Resourceful ‘40s cooks could make magic out of anything! Case in point: sweet, custardy bread pudding, made with day-old bread.

Root vegetables (every which way). Families everywhere were encouraged to garden, and those that did, called them victory gardens. And these patriotic patches were always growing root veggies like carrots, beets and parsnips.

Pot roast. Intrepid cooks were always on the lookout for recipes that would transform cheap cuts of meat from tough to fork-tender. No wonder this is still considered a favorite Sunday dinner!

But since I was born so close to 1950, I was curious as to what recipes people in this era favored. With eggs now freely available, it’s no surprise that Deviled Eggs would be all the rage.

And it was in 1952 that the first recipes for Chex™ Mix appeared on Chex™ cereal boxes. The rest, as they say, is history.

Finally (and no surprise here, either), along came gelatin “salads.” Every dinner party or holiday gathering needed one, especially if there was fruit suspended in it. I’ve noticed that gelatin “salads” and desserts are trending again. History does repeat itself.

If you’re curious as to what recipes were popular the year you were born, just go to https://www.tablespoon.com/posts/the-most-popular-recipe-the-year-you-were-born?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_2742662 and click on your birth year. You might be surprised!