Thomas Jefferson's Bachelor Button Cookies (1801)

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tspns baking powder
• 1/2 tspn salt
• Maraschino cherry halves, well-drained

 Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add to creamed mixture, Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 3 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Press a cherry half in center of each cookie. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets, and cool on wire racks. Yield: 4 1/2 dozen

More Presidential Recipes

Thomas Jefferson's Macaroni and Cheese (1802)

Martha Washington's Nutmeg Custard Pie (1770)

(Origin - "The Southern Heritage Cookie Jar Cookbook" by Southern Living, part of Oxmoor House. Inc, 1985.)

Classic Frozen Fruit Salad (1939)

• 1 can pineapple (broken pieces)
• 1 bottle, maraschino cherries
• 1/4 lb pecans
• 1 pint cream, whipped
• 3 or 4 bananas
• 2 tbspns cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar

Drain fruit. (Open cans the night before and let drain.) To juice, add the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water and 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Cook the drained juice until quite thick. Cool, then add whipped cream and fruit. 

Place in freezing tray for at least 4 hours. Makes 12 servings.

More "Lost" Fruit Recipes
Native-American Strawberry Leather (1899)

San Francisco Spiced Cherries (1910)

(Origin - "Out of Vermont Kitchens" compiled by Trinity Mission of Trinity Church of Rutland, Vermont, and The Women's Service League of St. Paul's Church of Burlington, Vermont; 1939. This recipe was from Dorothy S. Jenney.)

San Francisco Spiced Cherries (1910)

• Nine pounds of fruit
• Four pounds of sugar
• One pint of malt or cider vinegar
• One-half ounce of cinnamon bark
• one-half ounce of whole cloves

"Make syrup of the ingredients, and boil for a few minutes before adding the cherries. Cook the fruit in the syrup until the skins burst. Take out the cherries, and boil the syrup down until thick.  Pour over the cherries while hot."

More "Lost" Cherries Recipes

Cherry Wine (1934)

Mississippi Cherry Torte (1965)

(Origin  - "The 1910 Hotel St Francis Cook Book" by Victor Hirtzler, "San Francisco's Legendary Master Chef." Republished in 1988 by Windgate Press.)

Virginia Cherry Trifle (1975)

• Lady fingers
• Strawberry or raspberry jelly
• Grated lemon rind
• 1/2 pint Kirschwasser (German cherry brandy)
• Canned tart red cherries, drained
• Crushed macaroons
• 1 pint custard
• Slivered almond
• Heavy cream, whipped

Place ladyfingers in bottom of an 8-inch crystal bowl. Cost with jelly and grated lemon rind. Soak with Kirschwasser.

Cover with layer of cherries and crushed macaroons. Coat with thick custard, allow to set. Repat the above procedure for the second layer.

Top with whipped cream and slivered almonds. Serves 6 to 8.  (Note - A little gelatin may be added to custard to help it set more quickly.)

More "Lost" Virginia Recipes

Virginia Peanut Soup (1960)

Hot Virginia Dip with Beef, Pecans (1975)

(Origin - "Virginia Hospitality" by The Junior League of Hampton Roads, 1975.)

Black Cherry, Pineapple and Walnut Mold (1970)

• 1 tbspn unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup juice from black cherries
• 2 tbspns sugar
• 1/4 tspn salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup pitted black cherries
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Soften gelatin in cold water.  Heat black cherry juice and water (with gelatin) to a boiling point, and dissolve gelatin. 

Add sugar, salt, and lemon juice, and cool until the mixture thickens.  Stir in black cherries, pineapple, and walnuts. Then pour into a fruit mold, and chill until set.  Serves 6.

More "Lost" Molded Recipes
Roquefort Mousse (1958)
Molded Strawberry Charlotte with Lady Fingers (1970)

Origin - "Molded Dishes Cookbook" by Nancy Fair McIntyre. Published by Gala Books of North Hollywood, California, 1970.)

Mississippi Cherry Torte (1965)

• 2-1/2 cups sour cherries, pitted (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup cake flour
• 5 tbspns powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 tspn baking powder
• 1 tspn vanilla
• 1/4 tspn salt
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• Whipped cream

Mix together the cake flour, powdered sugar, and 1/2 cup butter, and line bottom of a 9-x-13 pan with the mixture. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

While crust is baking, mix together all other ingredients except the cherries and whipped cream. Pour batter over the baked crust. 

Spread sour pitted cherries over the batter and crust. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Served topped with whipped cream.

More "Lost" Recipes from Oxford, Mississippi
Tangerine Cole Slaw (1965)

Sweet Peach Pickles (1965)
Southern Buttermilk Jam Cake (1965)

(Origin - "Heirloom Recipes of Yesterday and Today for Tomorrow" by Oxford-Lafayette Historic Homes, Inc. of Oxford, Mississippi, 1965. Recipe by Janis Crawford.) 

Toll House Christmas Almond Cake (1948)

Cream 1/2 cup butter.  Add:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 lb almonds, blanched and chopped
• 1/2 lb grated coconut
• 1/4 lb candied cherries

Blend together with fingers.  

Beat 5 egg whites until stiff and dry. Reserve part, fold in the rest.

Sift together and add 1-1/2 cups flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder.  Fold in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and the remaining egg whites.

Turn into greased loaf pan, and bake in 300 degree over for about 2 hours.  Makes 1 loaf.

(Origin - "Toll House Tried and True Recipes" by Ruth Graves Wakefield, 1948.  Author Ruth Graves Wakefield was owner of the famed Toll House Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts.)

More "Lost" Christmas Recipes

Farmer's Christmas Fudge with Pineapple, Cherries, Nuts (1970)

Eggnog Cream Puffs (1965)

Christmas Cinnamon Gingerbread (1958)

More "Lost" Toll House Recipes

Toll House Cranberry Pineapple Sauce (1948)

Toll House Rum Biscuits with Frosting (1948)

Toll House Caramel Corn Flake Ring (1948)

Farmer's Christmas Chocolate Ribbon Candy (1970)

• 4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 2 tbspns dairy half-and-half
• 1 tspn vanilla
• 2 tbspns maraschino cherries, chopped
• 1/3 cup nuts, chopped
• green food coloring
• 1/4 tspn salt

"Three layer candy looks like stiped ribbon when sliced for servings."

Combine 4 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Add enough half-and-half to make a mixture that holds its shape.  Knead until smooth. Divide into thirds.

To one third, add melted chocolate.  To another third, add nuts and a few drops of green food coloring.  To the last third, add chopped cherries and the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners sugar.  Mix each portion well.

Line an 11" X 4" ice cube tray (without the cube divider) with aluminum foil. Spread and pat the chocolate candy evenly in bottom of tray.  Place the green candy on top, spreading and patting to make an even cover over the chocolate layer.  Then evenly spread the candy with cherries on top.  

Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Remove from tray and slice.  Makes about 1-1/4 lb. (If you do not plan to use candy at once, wrap the loaf in foil and store in freezer or refrigerator.  It will stay fresh for many weeks.)  

(Origin - "Homemade Candy" by the food editors of Farm Journal, 1970.)

More "Lost" Farmers' Candy Recipes
Farmer's Apricot Pecan Candy (1970)
Farmhouse Buttered Dates with Cashews (1970)
Farmer's Christmas Fudge with Pineapple, Cherries, Nuts (1970)

Farmer's Christmas Fudge with Pineapple, Cherries, Nuts (1970)

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups light cream
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup diced candied pineapple
• 1 cup halved candied cherries
• 1 1/2 walnuts, broken
• 1 1/2 cups Brazil nuts, broken
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 2 tspns vanilla
• 1 tspn salt

Combine sugar, cream, corn syrup and salt in 3-quart heavy saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Cover saucepan and boil 1 minute (this helps prevent sugar crystals from forming).  Uncover and cook at steady, medium boil to the soft ball stage (236 degrees).

Remove from heat.  Add vanilla and immediately beat with electric mixer at medium speed. Beat until mixture is creamy and begins to hold its shape, about 10 minutes. Thoroughly mix in pineapple. cherries, Brazil nuts, walnuts, and pecans.  

Press into 2 9-inch buttered pans. Chill until firm enough to cut.  Let stand in refrigerator 24 hours before serving.  Makes about 128 pieces, or 4 lbs.

(Origin - "Homemade Candy" by the food editors of Farm Journal, 1970.)

Cherry Wine (1934)

"Mash cherries and let them stand in a warm place for a few days, stirring occasionally.  

"Then press out and save the juice. Strain, and add 3 parts water to 1 part juice, and add 3 pounds sugar to one gallon of mixture.

"Then let stand 6 weeks in jars after which add 1/2 pint alcohol to 1 gallon wine.

Bottle and cork.

(Origin - Handwritten recipe journal, dated November 24, 1934. Author unknown.)