Last updated on December 11th, 2024
These vintage cookie recipes are from my Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Cook Book (1959) has recipes organized by holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, buffets, and parties.
Vintage Christmas Cakes:
- Noel Brazil Loaves
- Fruitcake-ettes
- Fruitcake Balls
- Pineapple Glaze for Fruitcake
- White Fruitcake
- Dark Fruitcake
- Ring Fruitcake
Dark Fruitcake
Ingredients
- 3½ cups mixed diced fruits and peels for fruitcake
- 1½ cups dark seedless raisins
- 1½ cups light seedless raisins
- 1 cup chopped California walnuts
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 cups sifted enriched flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup grape juice
Instructions
- Mix fruits and peels, raisins, and nuts.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices; sprinkle ¼ cup over fruit mixture, mixing well.
- Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with grape juice, beating smooth after each addition.
- Pour batter over fruits and mix well.
- Line two 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” x 2 1/2” loaf pans with paper, allowing inch to extend above all sides of pan.
- Pour batter into pans, filling ¾ full; do not flatten.
- Bake in very slow oven (275°) 3 to 3½ hours or till done. (Have pan of water on bottom shelf of oven while baking.)
- For smaller cakes, use five 5½ x 3 x 2¼-inch loaf pans. Bake in slow oven (300°) for 2 to 2½ hours or till fruitcakes are done.
White Fruitcake
Ingredients
- 4 cups mixed diced fruits and peels for fruitcake
- ½ cup pitted dates cut up
- ½ cup dried apricots cut up
- ½ cup dried figs cut up
- 1½ cups light seedless raisins
- 2 cups blanched almonds slivered
- 2 cups flaked coconut
- 2 cups sifted enriched flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon rum flavoring
- 5 eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
Instructions
- Mix fruits and peels, dates, apricots, figs, raisins, almonds, and coconut.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; sprinkle cup over fruit mixture, mixing well.
- Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, and flavoring; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with pineapple juice, beating well after each addition.
- Add fruit mixture, stirring until well mixed.
- Line two 8 ½" x 4 ½" x 2 ½"loaf pans with paper, allowing inch to extend above all sides of pan.
- Pour batter into pans, filling 3/4 full.
- Bake in very slow oven (275°) 2½ hours or till done.
Images from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Cook Book (1959)
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