World War II Recipes

Found “A Cookbook of Memories, Remedies, and Recipes from the Great Depression 1929-198?” by the Grassroots Survival Company (1980) at Goodwill yesterday. It includes this little gem:

War Cake (Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake) from Lois Roberts

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups hot water

2 T lard

1 t cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 t cloves

½ t nutmeg

3 cups flour

½ t baking powder

1 t soda

Boil first seven ingredients together for 5 minutes. Let cool, then add soda dissolved in a little warm water. Add flour which has been sifted with baking powder. Bake in 2 loaf pans at 325 for 45 minutes. This recipe has varied a lot over the years depending on what people had available. Some recipes called for applesauce, cocoa and/or coffee instead of water.

Reminds me of Anzac biscuits, though I’m impressed they eliminated the butter too. I tried Anzac biscuits after my daughter fell in love with Australia in kindergarten. I fell in love with the cookies/biscuits. Here’s how I make them

Anzac biscuits

2 cups oatmeal

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 cups unsweetened coconut macaroon (Ziyad brand, I go to a middle-eastern grocery for it, you could use shredded coconut instead)

Mix all the above together.

1 cup melted butter

3 T Lyle’s golden syrup (I go to the British store for that, and no, corn syrup doesn’t really do the same thing.)

Mix together.

Mix 2 t baking soda with 4 T boiling water, add to the butter and then pour it all over the dry ingredients. Mix and drop onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350.