Food History

So, what are the new ingedients that people fried with, and why am I so excited? (it’s my second post today and I’m excited - that says a lot)

In older cookbooks the raising agent is yeast or other substances (I’ll introduce you to the other substances one day, I promise - they’re fascinating). Today I’m introducing you to that extraordinary new stuff, baking powder.

It really is surprisingly recent and it has definitely changed the taste of our food and how we cook. I ought to do a special post about it one day. Too much food history and only 24 hours in a day: that’s my problem.

Baking powder had really good advertising. Tonight’s recipes come from The New Dr. Price Cook Book for use with Dr. Price’s phosphate baking powder, Chicago, Royal Baking Powder Co. 1921, and gives you a bit of the newness, the advertorialness and just how recently it came into our lives. Actually, Dr Price’s book is a bit deceptive, as you’ll see by the second book from tonight. Baking powder was in common use by World War I. This gives you the real Educational Stuff - never trust one source!

Plain Fritter Batter

1 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients together; add beaten egg and milk; beat until smooth.

Banana Fritters

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 bananas

Mix and sift dry ingredients. Add others in order. Force bananas through a sieve before adding. Beat thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls into hot fat. Drain and sprinkle with powdered sugar and few drops of lemon juice.

Corn Fritters

1/2 cup milk
2 cups cooked corn
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1 tablespoon shortening
2 eggs

Add milk to corn; add flour sifted with salt, pepper and baking powder; add melted shortening and beaten eggs; beat well. Fry by spoonfuls on hot greased griddle or iron frying pan.

For corn fritters that are to be fried in deep fat make batter stiffer by adding 1/2 cup flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Fruit Fritters

Use fresh fruit coarsely chopped or canned whole fruits drained from syrup. Stir into plain fritter batter, and drop by spoonfuls into deep hot fat, turning gently until brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot.

Rich Doughnuts

2 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted shortening
6 tablespoons milk
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder

Beat eggs until very light; add sugar, salt, nutmeg and shortening; add milk, and flour and baking powder which have been sifted together; mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep hot fat and fry until brown. Drain well on unglazed paper and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Crullers

4 tablespoons shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
5/8 cup milk

Cream shortening; add sugar gradually and beaten eggs; sift together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder; add one-half and mix well; add milk and remainder of dry ingredients to make soft dough. Roll out on floured board to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into strips about 4 inches long and 1/2-inch wide; roll in hands and twist each strip and bring ends together. Fry in deep hot fat Drain and roll in powdered sugar.

The Neighborhood Cook Book Portland, Oregon, Second Edition
compiled under the auspices of the Portland Section in 1912
Council of Jewish Women REVISED AND ENLARGED, 1914

Apple Fritters

Make a batter with one cup sweet milk, one tablespoon sugar, two eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, two cups flour, one teaspoon Crescent baking powder, mixed and sifted with the flour. Mix all to a smooth batter; add the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs gently through the batter. Chop some good tart apples; mix in the batter; fry a nice brown in some hot, deep fat or butter, taking a tablespoonful at a time. Drain, and sift powdered sugar over them.

Krullers

Two eggs, one cup sugar, one cup milk, butter size of a walnut, one quart flour, two teaspoons Crescent baking powder, pinch of salt, spices. Roll and cut like a doughnut. Float in boiling butter. Turn when brown and remove as soon as cooked.

Doughnuts

Roll dough about a half inch thick. Cut out with doughnut cutter, and let rise till light enough on floured board, and then fry in swimming fat.

Berliners

Roll dough about half an inch thick, cut round. Place preserves in the center of one-half, brush edges with white of egg, and cover with the other half. Press edges neatly. Place on floured board. Let rise until light, and fry brown in swimming fat.