I enjoy collecting old cookbooks, and pick them up at yard sales and flea markets whenever I can. Each Saturday, I post excerpts from my collection. Today’s post comes from Kate Smith’s Favorite Recipes.

Kate Smith, voluptuous songstress and radio star, appears to have had quite a few opinions on this recipe, or at least her publisher did. At the bottom of the page is Ms. Smith’s disembodied head with a note about urgent requests (see below). That may be my favorite part of the book.

I like this recipe because it’s not a normal (chocolate/vanilla) marble cake; instead, the darker batter is flavored with molasses and spice. Try adding ground walnuts to the “plain” batter for a little extra kick.

Marble Spice Picnic Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
• 2 teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or other shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons molasses

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Divide batter into two parts. To one part, add spices and molasses. Put by tablespoons into greased loaf pan, 8×4x3 inches, alternating light and dark mixtures. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until done. Spread Clever Judy Frosting (page 40) on top and sides of cake.

Or bake in greased pan, 8×8x2 inches, in moderate oven (350° F.) 50 minutes. Spread Seven Minute Frosting (page 40) on top and sides of cake. Decorate top of cake with chopped pecan meats and raisin clusters.

I enjoy collecting old cookbooks, and pick them up at yard sales and flea markets whenever I can. Each Saturday, I post excerpts from my collection. Today’s post comes from the Sergeantsville Methodist Episcopal Church 1922 Cook Book.

I’m not sure what’s “puffed” about this - it sounds like standard fried chicken to me!

Puffed Chicken

Cut chicken in pieces and cook the same as for when stewing.  When tender take the chicken from the kettle and place on a plate, using the liquor for a cream sauce or gravy.  Have ready another pot with hot lard.  Make a thin batter, using 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of flour, 1 level teaspoonful of Royal Baking powder.  Dip each piece of chicken separately in the batter, then in the hot fat, and brown as you would crullers.  Serve on a meat platter, and the sauce or gravy in a bowl.  Sauce — mix 2 tablspoons of butter, 1 of flour and 2 of milk.  Add to the liquor and cook until thick, or make just the plain gravy as when you serve a fricasseed chicken.