Category Archives: Betty Crocker

Betty Crocker, random cards, recipe, The Thorncliff recipe collection, unknown source

Sugar Cookies made famous by Ethel.

Now I had intentions of writing a long story about who Ethel was. First, though I went to Reddit because the instructions that were written out seemed a bit off. I wondered just what was meant by 3/4 cup soft shortening (part sugar). A few other people were confused and well, someone wrote the wrong instructions. It wasn’t Ethel because I found out who Ethel was! There was no Ethel. Ethel was the name given by the good people behind the Betty Crocker Cookbooks. She was not mentioned in the 1950 Picture Cookbook but by the 1956 Betty Crocker Cookbook, she was there.

Just like Ethel to have a confusing recipe (explanation to follow because Reddit is a pain at times)
byu/Swampcrone inOld_Recipes
Print Recipe

Ethel’s Cookies

Prep Time1 hour 27 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Course: after church coffee hour, Cookie, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookie, cookies, cooky
Servings: 4 dozen
Author: Ethel

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup shortening (optional- substitute butter or margarine in part)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp vanilla or lemon extract (or both)
  • 2½ cup flour sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and flavoring
    ¾ cup shortening, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, ½ tsp vanilla or lemon extract
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
    2½ cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt
  • Chill 1 hour
  • Roll ⅛" thick
  • Cut into shapes.
  • Place on greased cookie sheet.
  • Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
  • Bake until delicatley browned.
Betty Crocker, random cards, The Thorncliff recipe collection, unknown source

Popcorn (or cereal) balls

 

popcorn balls
Print Recipe

Popcorn Balls

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizer, popcorn
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 7 cups popped popcorn (or Kix or Cheerios)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup water
  • ⅓ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Put the corn or cereal in large oiled bowl.
  • Mix sugar, water, syrup, salt and butter in large saucepan.
  • Cook until 250° or until a few drops form hard ball when dropped in cold water.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Stir in vanilla.
  • Pour in thin stream over corn or cereal, stirring constantly, to mix well.
  • With oiled hands, shape into balls or shapes.

Notes

Apparently was copied from Betty Crocker's New Picture Cookbook. New York: McGraw Hill Book, Co., Inc. 1961 

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baking, Breads, food, Guide to Easy Entertaining, MCM food

Herb Batter Bread

 

Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining
Print Recipe

Herb Batter Bread

Author: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups warm water (110º-115º F)
  • 1 pkg active dry yeast
  • 2 tbsp soft shortening
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 3 cups flour sifted
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp sage
  • 2 tsp caraway seeds

Instructions

  • In mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add shortening, salt, sugar, and half the flour. Beat 2 minutes, medium mixer speed or 300 hand strokes. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl frequency. Add remaining flour, nutmeg, sag, caraway seeds and blend with spoon until smooth.
  • Scrape batter from sides of bowl. Cover with cloth and let rise in warm place (85F) until double (about 30 minutes). If kitchen is cold, place dough on rack over bowl of hot water and over completely.
  • Beat about 25 strokes. Spread sticky batter evenly in greased loaf pan. 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" x 2-3/4" or 9"x5"x3". Pat top of loaf into shape with floured hand.
  • Let rise until batter reaches 1/4" (smaller loaf) or 1" (larger loaf)- about 40 minutes.
  • Heat oven to 375º F. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until brown. To test tap crust; it should sound hollow, Immediately remove from pan. Place on cooling rack or across bread pan. Brush top with melted butter or shortening. Do not place in a direct draft.

Notes

To make individual loves, follow recipe above- except divide batter into 6 miniature greased loaf pans (4 1/4" x 2 2/5" x 1 1/2". Bake 30-35 minutes.

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Betty Crocker, Random, recipe, vintage

Betty Crocker’s Absurd, Gorgeous Atomic-Age Creations – The New York Times

The iconic brand’s midcentury recipes evoke the era’s peculiar optimism, encased in gelatin and smothered in mayonnaise.

Source: Betty Crocker’s Absurd, Gorgeous Atomic-Age Creations – The New York Times

 

I may own two boxes of these cards. There is something weirdly wonderful about these cards and there are times I’m tempted to make a few of them to just see if they seem as bad as the do.

Yes, the boxes really are two toned- one to match avocado kitchens and the other to match mustard ones. There are a few minor differences between the two but I haven’t looked to see if it is just in the sections being laid out differently or if recipes differ as well.

$1.99? And that was the expensive one. I saw about 7 separate packs of recipe cards at Savers today (at $2.99 each!) but the storage box is what makes it.

A few affiliate type links below
[easyazon_link identifier=”B000Z0HINC” locale=”US” nw=”y” tag=”instither-20″]Betty Crocker’s Step-By-Step Recipes (100’s of Recipe Cards in a Plastic Betty Crocker Lidded Card File Box)[/easyazon_link]

[easyazon_link identifier=”B016107TYM” locale=”US” nw=”y” tag=”instither-20″]Vintage 1976 Betty Crocker’s Step by Step Recipes (720 Recipes)[/easyazon_link]

[easyazon_link identifier=”B000RUQZF2″ locale=”US” nw=”y” tag=”instither-20″]The Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library (100’s of Recipe Cards in a Plastic Betty Crocker Lidded Card File Box)[/easyazon_link]

betty crocker recipe card box (at abe books)

Betty Crocker, food, recipe, vintage, wtf

Hamburger Pie

I really try to not editorialize the recipes I find- but there are things that make me go WTF/ simple dog head tilt. There are a lot in this Betty Crocker collection & of course I will have to post many of them. Because I am evil like that.
Let us just say the early 70s were not a good time for food & food photography. I blame the drugs of the late 1960s. Of which there was a lot of. (I’m still not sure what the explanation for some of the food choices of the 1950s were…)

HAMBURGER PIE

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon instant minced onion
  • Potato Buds instant puffs (instant potatoes)- enough for 8 servings
  • ¼ cup catsup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese (2 oz)
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 350°. Mix meat, 1 1/3 cups of the instant puffs (dry), the egg, salt, pepper, catsup, onion and milk. Spread into ungreased pie pan, 9×1½ inches. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes.

Prepare remaining instant puffs as directed on package for 4 servings. Top baked meat loaf with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with cheese. Bake 3 to 4 minutes longer or until cheese melts.

4 to 5 servings.

Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library/ Budget Casseroles #5

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Hamburger Pie
Hamburger Pie