"mae blacker freeman" news and stories

Last night, some friends came over to help us recover the used dining room chairs I found at a thrift store in Chestertown, MD last summer. In return for their labor (and since they are far craftier and handier than either Scott or I, they did the vast majority of the work) I made dinner and dessert. Dinner was a big pot of Beef and Barley Stew (which was delicious but dreadfully unphotogenic) and for sweet treat, I whipped up one of the easiest bar cookies I know.

From Fun With Cooking, I've been making this recipe for Butterscotch Squares since I was nine years old. There are many wonderful things about this bar cookie, including the fact that I almost always have every ingredient on hand. Also it mixes up in a single saucepan (you don't even need to rig up a double boiler like you do for brownies) and the texture can either be crispy or tender, depending on length of baking time. They go great with ice cream, coffee or tea and keep really well (if you happen to have any leftover).

I picked this cookbook up at a thrift store when I was around nine years old. I had always loved things from other eras and when you coupled that with my desire to help my mom in the kitchen, I knew that this book had to be mine. Printed in 1947, Fun With Cooking by Mae Blacker Freeman, is full of kid-friendly, appealingly vintage-y recipes.

I made the Baking Powder Biscuits (page 36) and Butterscotch Squares (page 56) whenever my parents would give me kitchen access. I remember one day in particular when my mom let me make the Tuna Casserole on page 28. I was so excited, especially since it is one of those recipes that calls for crushed potato chips on top. This is a great book if you've got a kid around who wants to help in the kitchen and likes to know how things were done before they were born.

Source