Recipe Box Adventure!

I have always been fascinated by old recipes. I collect antiques and am always scouring the shops looking for old recipe books. I always hunt for a recipe box which actually contains the recipes from the home cook. In all my travels, and all of the recipe boxes that I have looked at, I have never found one that had the recipes contained within. On a recent trip to Texas, I found such a box! It was made in Japan (has the sticker on it) but was sold to its owner in Bruners San Antonio Corpus for $1.00. There was a label in the box written by the shop keeper which said “Purchased in 1950”. It is jam packed with recipes and I decided that it would be fun to include you, my readers, as we explore this recipe box together.

I am also a home cook who has a passion for cooking, food and all things yummy. So, I thought, why not combine my love of cooking, old recipes and exploration in this blog that I could share with my friends?

I’m not sure how many recipes are actually contained in the box, but it could be a couple of hundred which will keep us entertained for many days to come.

Together we will pull one recipe at a time and I will attempt to cook it. I have to admit, I’m not much of a baker but will give it my very best effort. I hope that in exploring these recipes we can keep history alive and cookin’!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Recipe Box- Recipe  #10

Western Macaroons
This was a well used recipe!

1 egg white
1 cup Imperial Pure Cane Brown Sugar (couldn't find this brand)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of chopped pecans (or as many you want)

Whip egg white till stiff.  Gradually beat in Imperial Brown Sugar.  Add vanilla and fold in pecans.  Drop by teaspoon onto well greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until brown.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
The pecans laid an egg!

Hi there recipe box lovers!!  This was the next thing that I pulled from the box.  Western Macaroons.  I have certainly heard of, and eaten, macaroons but have never heard of Western Macaroons.  Right off the bat (as usual) I have a concern about the ingredient list being very sparse.  And, the "one egg white" concerns me.  BUT, alas I am not a baker so this all could be very correct! 

Lets do this!  loooooooooooookljjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes, I know that the above is not proper blogging etiquette but my kitty named Lucy decided to get in on the act while I was mixing the egg white!  I wished I could have seen her doing it because she would have gotten in trouble!  But, I find it interesting how she was so focused on the plus sign.  It makes me think that she was looking at the screen while hitting the plus sign key!!  And, I swear she wrote the loooooook!  Too funny!
She is trying to impart knowledge!
I'm not sure what Lucy was trying to say but I'm sure it was important! 

Anyway...back to the recipe.

It was so very easy!!  The egg white mixed up perfectly with stiff peaks. 
Use an electric mixer for this part.

Adding the brown sugar and then the pecans and my special vanilla!
Looking good!
Final product!

I laid down some parchment paper so they wouldn't stick and into the oven they go!
Easy easy!!

While the cookies are cookin' I wanted to give you an update on the Nine Day Slaw.
Too much liquid! 

This recipe definitely needs some tweaking.  There was too much dressing for the amount of cabbage so I ended up dumping some out on, I think, day 3.  Here is a photo from Day 8.  The flavors are really good and they do get better every day.  The sweetness of the dressing really comes out.  I would, for sure, make this 9 day coleslaw again but I would try to find a recipe that is more updated.  We have eaten the slaw with bbq meat and hamburgers and it was delicious with both!  It would be great to make this if you are having friends over for a casual dinner. 
Looks very pretty but still was oily- flavors were good other than that

Back to Macaroons or Macarons.  You say macaroon, I say macaron right?  Wrong! 
I researched these cookies and it turns out they are two different types of cookie.  A macaron is actually a meringue based cookie filled with fruit spread or buttercream.
They look like this
These look yummy too!

A macaroon is mostly known as a small confection using a egg white base with coconut usually thown in for good measure.  The coconut macaroon is frequently served during Passover because it doesn't contain any flour. 
These look like beautiful little jewels!

I couldn't find any recipe's for a Western Macaroon Cookies so maybe we are on to something new!  The reference to "Western" could be referring to the pecans.  There are a lot of nut farmers in California.  In fact, I used to live on a Walnut Ranch in Northern California.  For real!

Cookies are out of the oven.  I let them bake for 28 minutes.  Cooling now but they smell really delicious- very vanillaly (Not a real word). 
Delicious!

Oh my goodness!  If you like pecans you have to make these!!!  The first real winner of the recipe box!! The prize goes to Western Macaroon Cookies!!!  They are delicious and taste kind of like a light pecan pie. They aren't too sweet and the vanilla really shines through.  Hubbie also thought they were delicious and was happy to eat a few (and just asked for a few more)!  And, you don't have to be a baker to make them because they are so easy.  This would be the kind of recipe that people would ask you for!  

See you next recipe!  



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