I have this tattered cookbook on my shelf that I can’t part with. Ever.
It was my mom’s. My dad thinks she got it when she graduated college but he’s not really sure. To me it’s a gold treasure that links me to her. I turn the pages and wonder what recipes caught her eye, what ones did she make, what ones would she have taught me how to make and pass down to me? I used to try to figure out which meals she cooked for my dad from this book while they were dating and first married. It needs to be taped back together again. The packing tape I’ve used repeatedly over the years isn’t cutting it anymore. I ordered book binding tape this morning.
She died when I was a toddler.
This Betty Crocker Cookbook from the early 1960’s is a wonderful look back in time. It’s a first edition, third printing with a copyright date of 1961. The book is has light blue heavy paper tabs for each section. I’ve probably read the first few sections, Kitchen Know-How, How To Do and Meal Planning/Table Service a hundred times. While many of the preparations and cooking techniques have changed; much of it remains the same. I like that the pendulum has swung back to more cooking and baking from scratch and this cookbook is all about “from scratch.”
The one recipe I use more than any other is Apple Pie. Under the heading is a blurb that says, “From about 1630, Apple Pie was served almost daily in New England when the newly planted orchards were bearing fruit.” Apple Pie really is an American treasure!
I call this Mary Jane’s Apple Pie for the simple reason that it comes from perhaps her only cookbook.
Mary Jane’s Apple Pie
- For a 9-inch pie
- 6 to 7 cups sliced, pared apples
- 3/4 to 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
- 1.5 tablespoons butter
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon and mix lightly through apples.
Heaped into a pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter.
Cover with top crust that has slits cut in it. Seal and flute. Bake 50-60 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and apples are cooked through. If the crust starts to brown too early, cover edge with a 1.5 in strip of foil.
I love this part: Serve warm or cold. May be topped with cream, whipped cream or ice cream. Or serve with a slice of cheese.
Click here for the link to my easy pie crust recipe: http://mandmhittheroad.com/2017/12/06/pies-pies-pies-and-crust/
I have been incredibly blessed with many women in my life who’ve welcomed me into their kitchen. Many aunts, my dear mother in law, my step mom and friends, thank you all.