February Thrifty - Week 1 ~ Home Economics Desserts and Season to Savor

Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers - Desserts, published in 1978. This copy is a revised edition to the 1967 printing.  A handy temperature chart for candy making plus instructions for creating chocolate curls, leaves and doodle garnishes are in the introductory pages as well as a few dessert cooking terms.

The recipes start with party beverages ~ punch, eggnog, coolers and a few wassails ~ followed by a large chapter on Cakes, with at least six choices for Carrot Cake, 16 fruitcakes (one is made with PORK??), 22 pound cakes (with an Apricot Brandy or a Rum option) and way too many to count Chocolate cakes.  The Frosting & Toppings section includes fillings, icings and sauces, Candy explores divinity, fudge, brittle and pralines.

Cookies includes shaped and dropped, bars & squares, a LOT of brownies, petit fours and bonbons.  Puddings are next with rice, bread and sugar plum varieties. Meringues and Tortes  are mostly pies,  there is a short section on Fruit Desserts, followed by Refrigerated Desserts which is filled with recipes for angel food cakes, ice box cakes, puddings, Charlotte Russe, pies and parfaits.

Frozen Desserts tackle Baked Alaska, ices, sherbets and ice cream, while the Pies & Pastries chapter features many fruit options, especially lemon, plus pumpkin, pecan, raisin with cream puffs and turnovers representing pastries. Desserts Breads are coffee cakes, ginger breads, cupcakes and dough nuts. Jiffy Desserts are quick and easy dishes made with ice cream, Jello, cake mixes and condensed milk and bringing up the rear are Foreign Desserts ~ trifles, pots de creme, crepes, cannoli, strudel and kuchens.

A Season to Savor: Recipes for Memorable Moments, published in 2006.  All recipes collected by the Marist School Parent's Club in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the second cookbook I have found with recipes from this particular private school.

The appetizers range from tortes, tartlets, salsa, and tapenades (I did find a new possible recipe, Shrimp won-ton with pineapple salsa) while salads contain greens, fruit, rice and even Stilton cheese. Up next is the soup, sandwich & pasta section with bisques, gazpacho, chowder, crepes and risotto - another possible recipe to sample would be the chicken and pesto sandwich.

There are seafood and fish dishes with marinades, salsa and relish accompaniments, while the meat and poultry chapters features options for beef, lamb, chicken and duck, plus a handy chart for preparing a beef tenderloin with several glazes, rubs and sauces. The sides section include the usual vegetables, plus a few rice dishes. The previous owner had bookmarked the pages for Roasted Cauliflower and Overnight Mashed Potatoes.

Brunch and breads offer French toast, pancakes, stratas, egg dishes and quiche. Lastly are Desserts with crepes, fondue, mousse, cheesecake,tarts and cakes. The last chapter is filled with menu suggestions for various occasions with recipe names and page location.