The Mennonite Girl Presents.....

Recently I came across an early 1980's collection

of "The Mennonite Girl Presents" children's cookbooks

 written by

Isaac R. Horst, a local Mennonite Historian.

These books are so delightful and 

my co-worker, when she was just 9 years old, was given

"The Little Mother's Cook Book"

by her Grandmother in 1986.

She remembers baking with her Grandmother,

using her own little rolling pin - what fun!

The illustrations and little words of advice

are so sweet throughout these books.

I think this little cookbook collection is absolutely precious

and written with such love.

I wish I owned every copy but thankfully I 

can borrow them from the College Library where I work,

if I want to

 leaf through, read, and maybe even follow a recipe 

for dinner or a snack!

Maybe Becky's little rolling pin, lovingly made by HER Grandpa, will be

used by a little one - cookin' with Gram someday!

Till next time....

For the Love of Cookbooks

You might say I have way too many cookbooks!  I admit that I have a slight addiction.  My Hoosier Cupboard is full and this is only part of my collection - not to mention the sewing machine drawer full of favourite recipe cards or the box full of looseleaf recipe copies!  I've decided to challenge myself and try to use these resources to the fullest, over the next year (one of my resolutions for 2012). Besides, it's fun trying new recipes - right?

Today I pulled "Favourite Family Foods" compiled by the sisters of the Markham Waterloo Mennonite Conference.  Since it's a stormy Saturday I decided to try making "Pluckets".  I enjoy doing yeast baking and this is one I've never made before.  The book has a similar recipe as well called "Monkey Bread"(instead of rolling the dough into small balls, this is flattened dough and cut into wedges) - might have to try that one sometime too.

The recipe (with a few alterations):
1 yeast cake dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
(I used 1 Tbsp. Instant Yeast)
1 Cup milk - scalded
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs well beaten
3 3/4 Cups all purpose Flour (I used about 4 1/2 Cups) - enough to make a stiff dough.
Add sugar, butter and salt to scalded milk.  Cool to lukewarm and then add dissolved yeast, eggs and flour to make a stiff dough.  Knead and let rise till double in bulk.  Punch down and let rise again.  With buttered hands, roll small pieces of dough into walnut size balls.  Dip balls into melted butter and then roll the balls into a mixture of 3/4 Cup brown sugar, 3 tsp. cinnamon and finely chopped pecans (optional).  Pile balls loosely into an ungreased tube pan.  Let rise for 30 minutes and then bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Turn upside down onto a plate.  Wait a few minutes before removing pan.  Serve warm - pluck buns off as desired.  There's a note on the bottom of this recipe that reads "Dough should be started in morning for dinner" :).

This is how they turned out

I've tucked the book back into it's spot and closed the door for now.

  Time to make a pot of tea and

  pluck me one of those buns!

My antique sewing machine drawer full of well used and favourite recipe cards!