Every day is a good day for Pennsylvania Dutch sweets

Every day is a good day for some sweets! Here are some recipes for old-fashioned goodies from the 1936 edition of Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes, by Culinary Arts Press.

I don't think any of these recipes have appeared on Papergreat before, so if you want to go down the additional rabbit hole of Pennsylvania Dutch culture, the links in this May post are a good place to start. Or if you prefer, just check out the Recipes label for more than 100 posts from the past decade covering the (sometimes odd) world of food and cooking.

Lebanon County Peach Cake

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• fresh peaches

Sift and mix together the dry ingredients (with the exception of the cinnamon), cut in the shortening and add the egg and milk which have been mixed together. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a well-greased oblong pan and cover with peeled peach halves. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) about 35 minutes.

Lehigh County Oatmeal Cookies

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups Quaker oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Mix all the dry ingredients together; add the butter, extract and egg, and mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) about 5 minutes. Remove from pan while warm.

Moravian Scotch Cakes

• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Mix the flour, caraway seeds and sugar together. Work in the butter with the finger tips until well blended. Roll out about 1/3 inch thick on floured board. Cut in small squares. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a slow oven (325° F.) about 15 minutes. When cold, cover with boiled icing and sprinkle with colored sugar.

Butterscotch Pie

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 baked pie shell

Cook the sugar and water until it will spin a thread. Add butter, beat the eggs and stir in the flour which has been mixed with 1/2 cup of the milk. Add balance of the milk and vanilla. Pour into the hot syrup and cook until mixture is thick. Pour into a baked pie shell and set aside to cool. When ready to serve, cover with whipped cream.

German Strickle Sheets

(I can't find a picture of these anywhere on the internet. Anyone have one?)

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 yeast cake, dissolved in 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• flour

Scald mild and add the eggs and butter. When cool, add the dissolved yeast, salt, sugar and enough flour to form a thin batter. Beat all together about 7 minutes, cover well and set bowl containing mixture in warm place for seven or eight hours. After time has elapsed, add enough flour to make a soft dough, knead lightly and set to rise again. When well-raised, roll dough to one inch thickness and cut in biscuit shapes. Allow to rise a second time. Before placing in oven, spread with the following mixture: Mix 2 cups sugar with 4 tablespoons flour and add 1/2 cup butter and cream well, add 4 tablespoons boiling water and beat mixture into a sauce. Bake in a moderately hot oven (400° F.) about 20 minutes.