One Way to Make The Wait for Spring Bearable
Boring PBS Pledge Week, hard and mushy hot-house tomatoes, winter temperatures dragging on day after day (at least in our area). Yup, it’s almost the end of winter all right. Time for spring and a change, don’t you think? Well, here’s one way to have a more bearable wait for spring: Let’s jazz up our dessert routine.
Rifling through my inheritance of Aunt Annie’s cookbooks, I found a page ripped from a 1945 SPOKESMAN REVIEW newspaper tucked into one of them. I could see why Aunt Annie had saved this article. “Top 5 Fast or Unique Desserts” is something I would have saved as well. I’ve since seen these recipes or variations of them, on various websites and in other cookbooks, which speaks well for them.
But to go back in time, post-WWII saw women who had been working outside the home during the war (arms and other manufacturing plants, for instance), continue to work outside the home. And so America experienced a dramatic shift in meal-making trends. Frozen TV dinners and the appearance of processed packaged meals took home cooks by storm. By the late 40s they were here to stay. Their appearance meant women could spend less time in the kitchen.
And this explains why the “Top 5 Fast or Unique Desserts” article showed up in the SPOKESMAN REVIEW. Who then (and even now), wouldn’t find the idea of a FAST dessert appealing? With this introduction, I’m sharing 3 of the 5 fast or unique post-WWII favorite desserts (omitting Root Beer Float Cookies and Fresh Raspberry Pie due to space constraints). Maybe one or two of these can make the wait for spring more bearable. And by the way, they all take 30 minutes or less to prepare. (I’d love to know if you’re already acquainted with these and if you’ve ever made them. Please share your thoughts if you have a chance.)
Ingredients:
1 package (small) lemon-flavored gelatin
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate undiluted
2 pints whipping cream whipped and sweetened, divided
1 large, prepared angel food cake
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Decorative sprinkles for garnish
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup sugar divided
1 1/2 cups pretzels coarsely crushed
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups sweetened whipped cream (OR 1 12-ounce container whipped topping)
2 (3.4-ounce) packages strawberry-flavored, raspberry or gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries or strawberries
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
Rifling through my inheritance of Aunt Annie’s cookbooks, I found a page ripped from a 1945 SPOKESMAN REVIEW newspaper tucked into one of them. I could see why Aunt Annie had saved this article. “Top 5 Fast or Unique Desserts” is something I would have saved as well. I’ve since seen these recipes or variations of them, on various websites and in other cookbooks, which speaks well for them.
But to go back in time, post-WWII saw women who had been working outside the home during the war (arms and other manufacturing plants, for instance), continue to work outside the home. And so America experienced a dramatic shift in meal-making trends. Frozen TV dinners and the appearance of processed packaged meals took home cooks by storm. By the late 40s they were here to stay. Their appearance meant women could spend less time in the kitchen.
And this explains why the “Top 5 Fast or Unique Desserts” article showed up in the SPOKESMAN REVIEW. Who then (and even now), wouldn’t find the idea of a FAST dessert appealing? With this introduction, I’m sharing 3 of the 5 fast or unique post-WWII favorite desserts (omitting Root Beer Float Cookies and Fresh Raspberry Pie due to space constraints). Maybe one or two of these can make the wait for spring more bearable. And by the way, they all take 30 minutes or less to prepare. (I’d love to know if you’re already acquainted with these and if you’ve ever made them. Please share your thoughts if you have a chance.)
Frozen Angel Food Cake Dessert
1 package (small) lemon-flavored gelatin
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate undiluted
2 pints whipping cream whipped and sweetened, divided
1 large, prepared angel food cake
Directions:
1. Mix the gelatin, sugar, and boiling water; add orange juice concentrate. Refrigerate this mixture until just barely jelled.
2. After the orange juice mixture has jelled, stir in 2 cups whipped cream.
3. Break up 1 large angel food cake in pieces, about the size of a large marshmallow. (Don’t cut the cake, tearing works better.)
4. Fold the cake pieces into the orange juice mixture until all of the cake pieces are coated; be careful not to over-mix.
5. Spread into a 9x13 inch pan and freeze.
6. When ready to serve, cut into squares and garnish with remaining whipped cream. Serve immediately.
2. After the orange juice mixture has jelled, stir in 2 cups whipped cream.
3. Break up 1 large angel food cake in pieces, about the size of a large marshmallow. (Don’t cut the cake, tearing works better.)
4. Fold the cake pieces into the orange juice mixture until all of the cake pieces are coated; be careful not to over-mix.
5. Spread into a 9x13 inch pan and freeze.
6. When ready to serve, cut into squares and garnish with remaining whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Graham Cracker Bars
Yield: 20 to 24
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Decorative sprinkles for garnish
Directions:
1. Combine butter, sugar, and eggs in medium saucepan. Cook to a rolling boil; watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly
3. When mixture has cooled, add graham cracker crumbs, coconut, vanilla, and marshmallows. Stir until ingredients are well mixed.
4. Press into a 9x9- or 7x10-inch pan and cover top with sprinkles.
5. Refrigerate until firm. To serve, cut into squares.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly
3. When mixture has cooled, add graham cracker crumbs, coconut, vanilla, and marshmallows. Stir until ingredients are well mixed.
4. Press into a 9x9- or 7x10-inch pan and cover top with sprinkles.
5. Refrigerate until firm. To serve, cut into squares.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Strawberry or Raspberry Pretzel Pan
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup sugar divided
1 1/2 cups pretzels coarsely crushed
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups sweetened whipped cream (OR 1 12-ounce container whipped topping)
2 (3.4-ounce) packages strawberry-flavored, raspberry or gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries or strawberries
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix pretzels, melted butter, and ½ cup sugar.
3. Press into 9x13 pan.
4. Bake 10 minutes; cool completely.
5. While crust is baking, mix cream cheese and remaining ½ cup sugar.
6. Fold in whipping cream and spread this mixture atop of cooled pretzel crust and refrigerate.
7. Combine gelatin with water; stir until dissolved.
8. Refrigerate gelatin mixture until slightly jelled.
9. Fold in frozen fruit.
10. Pour fruit mixture over cooled cream cheese mixture.
11. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Mix pretzels, melted butter, and ½ cup sugar.
3. Press into 9x13 pan.
4. Bake 10 minutes; cool completely.
5. While crust is baking, mix cream cheese and remaining ½ cup sugar.
6. Fold in whipping cream and spread this mixture atop of cooled pretzel crust and refrigerate.
7. Combine gelatin with water; stir until dissolved.
8. Refrigerate gelatin mixture until slightly jelled.
9. Fold in frozen fruit.
10. Pour fruit mixture over cooled cream cheese mixture.
11. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
- www.markvoganweather.com
- www.newspapers.com
- www.clickamericana.com
- www.cleverlysimple.com
- www.recipetips.com
- www.therecipecritic.com
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
