Historic Holiday Recipes from Douglas County, MN

 

 

As the weather gets colder and the holidays get closer, a good number of us start wondering: What’s for dinner?

Gathering around a table with a meal is one of the warmest traditions of the season, and this year, the DCHS staff took a look at some of the historic cookbooks in our collection. Below, we’ve put together a selection of recipes that we think would make for an excellent spread and feast, from cooks and groups all across the county (and we’ve included the text of the recipes, if you want to try them at home!)

 

TURKEY BREAST WITH GRAVY
(from Cookin’ for Christ, published by The Church of St. Ann in Brandon, MN)

• 1 frozen turkey breast, don’t thaw
• 1 soup can water
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• Vegetables (if desired)

Place frozen turkey breast in large oven pan. Mix soup and water, season with pepper, celery, salt, etc. Pour over turkey (and vegetables), seal pan with foil. Bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours.

 

PEAS IN CARROT CUPS
(from Par Recipes: From Alexandria and the Resorters, produced by The Women’s Auxiliary of the Alexandria Golf Club, 1937)

“Boil large carrots in salted water. When tender, pierce with a skewer and hollow out to make a cup. In each cup put butter and fill with fresh peas. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Keep warm in oven.” (from Mrs. Julia Severson, Lakeside Inn, Battle Lake, Minnesota)

 

 

BRUNA BONOR (Swedish Brown Beans)
(from “Specialties of the House from Beilkes’ Pleasant View Farm: Recipes for Asparagus and Chicken,” by Jan Beilke of Beilke’s Pleasant View Farm near Carlos, MN, 1987)

• 2 C. brown beans–wash; soak overnight
• 1/4 C. brown sugar
• 2 T. vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 T. butter
• 1 t. salt
• 1 stick cinnamon (optional)

Wash beans–soak overnight. Drain. Cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Simmer until tender…about three hours. Add more hot water if necessary. When done, add the rest of the ingredients. Serve hot. (from Vivian Godfrey)

 

 

SWEDISH MEAT BALLS
(from “The Big KXRA Cook Book featuring favorite Recipes of Alice Oberg,” produced by KXRA Radio, Alexandria, MN, 1971)

• 1 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. flour
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 bouillon cube
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup light cream

Soak bread crumbs in 1/3 cup milk. Add onion, meat, egg, and seasonings, mix well. Shape into 1″ balls. Saute in butter until lightly browned. Remove meat, add flour to fat and blend. Add water, bouillon cube, 1/2 cup milk and cream. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add meat balls, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Serves 6.

 

SWEET POTATOES
(from “St. Nicholas Church Cookbook,” produced by the women of St. Ann’s Sodality of St. Nicholas Parish in Belle River, MN, 2003)

• Combine 1/4 c. butter and 1 c. fresh orange juice
• Heat
• Blend together: 1 Tbsp. corn starch, 1/2 c. granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 3/4 c. brown sugar

Heat first two ingredients. Add the blended ingredients; stir into hot juice. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until mixture thickens. Arrange 6 to 8 cooked and cut sweet potatoes in baking dish. Pour syrup over potatoes and place whole orange slices around edge of dish, if desired. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. (from A.M. Swansen)

 

FROZEN CREAM ‘N PUMPKIN PIE
(from “Great Minnesota Bake Off 1987,” produced by 100.7 KIKV Radio, American Farm Shows, Douglas County Dairy Farmers, 1987)

• 1 c. cooked or canned pumpkin
• 1/2 t. each salt, ginger, nutmeg
• 1 c. WHIPPING CREAM, whipped
• 2 c. vanilla ICE CREAM
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 1-9″ baked graham cracker crust

Mix pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and pecans; fold into whipped cream. Place scoops of ice cream in pie crust; pour pumpkin mixture over ice cream. Freeze at least 2 hr. Garnish with additional whipped cream, if desired. Serves 8 (from Connie Ferris; Osakis, MN)

 

TOP HAT COFFEE CAKE
(from “From Our Kitchen to Yours,” produced by the Douglas County Hospital Auxiliary in Alexandria, MN, 1975)

Topping-
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

• 1/2 c. butter or margarine
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 eggs, unbeaten
• 1 c. dairy sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 c. sifted flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream together butter, sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture, blending well. Spoon half the mixture into a well greased 9″ square pan. Sprinkle on half the topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min. or until cake is done.

 

CRANBERRY FRAPPE & BAKED CRANBERRIES
(from “Evansville’s Favorite Recipes,” produced by the Ladies Aid and Dorcas Society of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Evansville, MN, and published through the Park Region Echo Print of Alexandria, MN, 1913)

Cranberry Frappe
“Boil one quart cranberries in three and one-half cups water for six minutes. Strain through a coarse cheese cloth. Add one pint sugar, and stir well and boil until sugar is dissolved. When cold, add the strained juice of two lemons, freeze to a mush, using [equal] parts of ice and salt. Serve in glass cups either with or after roast turkey, chicken or goose” (from Mrs. T.B. Thompson)

Baked Cranberries
“One and one-half cups grown bread or cracker crumbs softened with about one-half cup melted butter. Butter a baking dish and put one layer of crumbs and one of stewed and sweetened cranberries, a few whole raisins and a little grated lemon rind. Fill the dish thus and bake about thirty minutes.” (from Mrs. Isaac Lee)

 

 

Good luck! Send us pictures and feedback about these recipes if you decide to make them by emailing us at historic@dchsmn.org or calling us at 320-762-0382.