Dear Mrs. Yoder: Recipes from an Amish Cookbook- Part Three

I hope you have enjoyed our little tour through “Dear Mrs. Yoder: Recipes from an Amish Cookbook”. Today well will be sharing a few more recipes from their unique and fun cookbook! Sometimes when reading some of the “older ladies” recipes, I chuckle and wonder what was meant by a “hot” oven or a “moderate” oven. I jokingly want to write a letter.

The letter

Dear Mrs. Yoder,

I am writing you to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading “Our Favorite Recipes” by the Log Cabin School. I have also delighted in the successful results of your many and delicious recipes. To be certain, one must not be a novice in the kitchen as your vernacular lends to that of a seasoned cook, baker, and canner.

However, I have encountered several instances where I am left scratching my “English” head in wonder. Your temperature directions (ahem… lack thereof) lead me to wonder what degrees of Fahrenheit I should set my sights on.

Recognizing that you operate from sticks of wood. And this “wood” varies in nature from oak, ash, maple, and so on. I am sure that each wood brings its own “heat” as well as the timing of the heat with the number of “sticks of wood” required.

Seeing that I operate with an “electric” oven, I am wondering if you have a conversion chart for wood type, quantity to achieve a certain temperature? Do I need a “rip-roaring fire” or just some good hot coals? Do 8 sticks of Oak get me 350°? You can understand my angst.

I’m sure you can see our “worldly cooking divide”. Any help from you would be greatly appreciated. I will continue to do my “best English guessing” and “press on” cooking through your lovely cookbook.

Kindest Regards,

Michele

More Amish Recipes

Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake – Mrs. Roseanna Miller

• 1/2 c. butter
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 3/4 c. cooked and mashed pumpkin or squash
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Streusel topping:

• 1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 c. butter
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 c. chopped nuts

STREUSEL: Cut brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon together until blended. Stir in chopped nuts.

CAKE: Cream butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla in mixer bowl. Add 3 eggs, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder, and soda. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with sour cream. Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, 1/3 cup sugar, and pie spice. Spoon half of the batter into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; spread to corners. Sprinkle half of the Streusel cover batter. Spread pumpkin mixture over streusel. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle remaining streusel over top.. Bake in slow 325° oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Lard Can Apple Butter- Mrs. Elenora Shrock

Cut up apples in half; cut the core out. Fill lard can with apples within 3 inches of the top. Then put 10 pounds of sugar over them. Add 1-quart Karo® syrup and cover. Let stand overnight. The next morning DO NOT UNCOVER! Put on the stove. When it starts to cook, have heat low enough to keep on cooking for 3 hours. Then put through a colander and cook 1 1 1/2 hours or less. – I’m not sure you can find a “lard can” in today’s market, much less feel confident in using it over direct heat! Find a tall cooking pot that should do just fine.-M

Mock Ham Loaf- Mrs. Perry Otto

-Here you go hot dog lovers… one more use for the hot dog. Enjoy!

• 1 lb. hot dogs, ground
• 2 lbs. hamburger
• 2 c. cracker crumbs
• 2 beaten eggs
• 3/4 c. brown sugar – I knew it! There had to be something in this recipe that makes you want to eat it-M
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. dried mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
• dash of pepper

Mix hot dogs, hamburger, cracker crumbs, and eggs. Combine sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper with 3 cups water. Add 1/2 cup syrup to the meat mixture. Place in pan and pour the remaining syrup over top. Bake in 350° oven for 1 1/2 hours.

And that friends, is a wrap on my three-part Amish recipe series. Hope you enjoyed a slice of the Amish cooking life. Till next time. Here is to good food, good friends and simply delicious life.