American Style Nougat

American Style Nougat (two newspaper clippings with this recipe were found in Emily’s cupboard) They are nearly identical, but I will copy both of them here for your information).


American Style Nougat #1

Part 1:

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup water

3 small or 2 large egg whites (See note.)

Part 2:

3 cups sugar

3 cups light corn syrup

4 tsp. vanilla

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp. salt

3 cups blanched slivered almonds, delicately toasted

Part 1: Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in 3-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook at low boil to soft ball stage (238 degrees).

When syrup reaches 230 degrees, beat egg whites until they stand in peaks. When syrup reaches 238 degrees, add it in a fine stream to egg whites, beating constantly with electric mixer on medium speed, or with wooden spoon, until mixture becomes thick and is lukewarm. It will keep several days if well covered with foil or wax paper and stored in refrigerator.

Part 2: Combine sugar and corn syrup in 4-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to 275 degrees. Meanwhile, place Part 1 in lightly buttered large bowl. Pour hot candy (Part 2) over it all at one time. Mix with heavy wooden spoon. Slowly add vanilla and butter, continuing to mix with heavy wooden spoon. Add salt and nuts; mix again.

Turn into 2 well buttered 9-inch square pans, flattening top of candy with buttered hands. Let stand several hours. Turn onto cutting board; cut each pan of candy into quarters, then each quarter into 4 each way (64 pieces), and wrap immediately with waxed paper. Keep well in refrigerator or freezer. Makes 128 pieces (5 pounds)

Note: Candy temperature is for sea level. Adjust for high altitudes. For best results, either 3 small or 2 large egg whites must be used. Eggs of other size or number may result in an inferior candy.

American Style Nougat #2

Part 1:

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ¼ cups light corn syrup

¼ cup water

3 small egg whites

Part 2:

3 cups sugar

3 cups light corn syrup

4 tsp. vanilla

¼ cup butter melted

1 tsp. salt

3 cups blanched slivered almonds, delicately toasted

Part 1: Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in 3-quart heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook at low boil to soft ball stage. When syrup reaches 230 degrees, beat egg whites until they stand in peaks. When syrup reaches 238 degrees, add it in a fine stream to egg whites, beating constantly until mixture becomes thick and is lukewarm. (It will keep several days if well-covered with foil and refrigerated.)

Part 2: Combine sugar and corn syrup in heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to 275 degrees. Meanwhile, place Part 1 in lightly buttered large bowl. Pour hot syrup (Part 2) over it all at one time. Mix with heavy wooden spoon. Add salt and nuts; mix again. Turn into 2 well-buttered 9-inch square pans; flatten candy with buttered hands. Let stand several hours. Turn onto cutting board, cut each pan of candy into 1-inch squares, 81 pieces, and wrap immediately in waxed paper. Keeps well in refrigerator or freezer.

Note: Temperatures are for sea level; adjust to altitude.


From “Mormon Country Cooking”


Each serving contains 119 calories; 3 gm fat; 24 gm carbohydrate; 60 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol.

Nougat

Nougat was Ron’s favorite of Emily’s Christmas chocolates. She made a pan for him and his family every year, sometimes just after Christmas. It was not in the form of individual chocolates, but in an 11X7 inch pan with milk chocolate on the top. We cut it into squares to eat it, or we just scooped it up with a teaspoon and ate off the spoon. (We all used different spoons, of course.)


Nougat (recipe handwritten inside Emily’s blue cookbook)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup Karo syrup

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup water

½ tsp. salt

Cook syrup (all above ingredients) until hard ball 260 degrees F. and pour over:

2 whipped egg whites.

Beat until fluffy, pour into a buttered pan to set.

Add nuts or cherries or dates, if desired.

Emily used an 11X7 inch pan and covered the top of the nougat with milk chocolate.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

Combine and cream well and then add:

2 beaten eggs

½ tsp. vanilla

Sift together:

3 cups flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

Add by thirds to butter mixture alternating with

½ cup sour cream

Chill 4-5 hours. Roll out to ¼- ½ inch thick and cut with favorite cookie cutters. Bake 8 minutes at 375 degrees F. Frost with favorite icing.

Note: If you prefer, you can form dough into small balls, place balls on cookie sheet and flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

Grandma Drake always frosted these cookies with pink powdered sugar butter frosting with candy sprinkles. Jane won 1st place in her age group at the Salt Lake County 4-H Dairy Foods Contest. The Salt Lake Tribune food editor wrote a story about her and there was a photo of her with her cookies.

Tempura Batter

Tempura Batter


¾ cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt
1 egg

½ cup water, or more

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Beat egg slightly. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until blended. Add water gradually stirring constantly until batter is smooth and the consistency of a custard sauce. Dip shrimp or vegetables one at a time into batter and fry in hot fat (350-360 degrees F.) until golden brown about 3 minutes. Do not fry too many at once. Remove from fat and drain on paper towels. Serving options: serve with soy sauce, sweet-sour sauce, and hot mustard sauce.

Note: This recipe is good for all the garden vegetables that are plentiful right now. Use it for fried zucchini, fried green peppers, fried eggplant, fried onions, and fried green tomatoes. Peel and slice the vegetables and dip in the tempura batter and then fry in hot fat, turning once when golden brown. Actually Emily made fried zucchini by dipping zucchini slices in beaten egg and then in seasoned flour and then frying the slices in hot fat. But I wanted to share this recipe for tempura batter since it is a little easier to make.

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie


2/3 cup sugar

1/3 c +1 tbsp. cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Pinch of nutmeg

2 cups half and half cream

2/3 cup milk

3 large egg yolks

1 tbsp. butter

½ tsp. vanilla

3 ripe bananas

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

2 cups sweetened whipped cream

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and nutmeg in a heavy large sauce pan or double boiler. Gradually add half and half cream and milk. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks. Add 1 cup custard mixture and stir well. Then add to rest of custard mixture. Return to heat. Cook two minutes, stirring constantly. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat. Add Butter and vanilla. Cool. Slice two bananas into pie crust and add cooled custard and then whipped cream. Garnish with more banana slices just before serving.

No Fail Pie Crust

No Fail Pie Crust


3 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1 ½ cup shortening or butter

1 egg (beat up a little)

1 tbsp. vinegar

1/3 cup or more of cold water – enough to put the dough in a ball

Cut shortening into the flour and salt to the size of peas. Put egg and vinegar and some of the cold water in a cup and add to the flour mixture. Use your hands and pull dough together. Add a little more water if you need it. Carefully roll pie crust with a rolling pin or a floured surface and place in pie pans. (Emily doesn’t say, but I think this would be plenty for a two-crust pie or maybe even for three baked pie shells depending on the size of the pie pans and how thin you rolled the pie crust.) Bake a one-crust pie shell at 475 degrees F. for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Prick the pie shell all over with a fork before baking to prevent large pockets forming.

Angel Food Cake

Angel Food Cake
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. cake flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups egg whites (room temperature)
2 heaping tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour and sugar 3 times. Place egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar into mixing bowl and beat at high speed until fairly stiff (not stiff peaks). Add 1/2 cup sugar slowly, close to beater. Add almond extract and vanilla. Beat until quite stiff but not dry. Add sifted sugar and flour mizture by fourths. Mix on low speed 10 seconds after each of first 3 additions and 20 seconds after last addition. Scrape down sides constantly during this mixing. Pour batter into 10-inch ungreased tube pan. Bake at 400 degrees F. for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in inverted pan.

Garden Vegetables

Currently there is a picture of fresh garden vegetables in the heading of this blog. These vegetables are from Emily Drake's 2009 Garden.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie (Grandma Drake)


1 /4 cup corn starch

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cups cold water

3 egg yolks (slightly beaten)

Grated peel of one lemon (optional)

¼ cup lemon juice (Grandma uses a little more)

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

1 9-inch baked pie shell

3 egg whites

1/3 cup sugar

½ tsp. cream of tartar

Directions for filling: In a medium saucepan, combine corn starch and sugar. Stir in water until smooth. Stir in egg yolks. While stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, and butter. Pour into pie shell while hot.

Directions for meringue: Using an electric mixer. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar. While frothy, add a little sugar. Gradually add sugar while beating. Beat until egg whites form stiff glossy peaks. Pour meringue onto pie filling, carefully sealing entire edge of crust to prevent shrinking. Swirl or pull up points for decorative top. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes or until delicately browned. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

Note: I composed this recipe using two slightly different recipes that I got from Grandma. One recipe called for adding the lemon juice at the first with the egg yolks. One recipe only called for 1 tsp. grated lemon peel. So you might want to experiment with this and modify the recipe to your own taste.

CORRECTION: Thank you to Elizabeth Lund for making the comment that I forgot the step of baking the pie shell. I have now corrected the recipe. I encourage any and all readers to notify me of mistakes and omissions in any of the recipes. -- JHD