Marguerites Cookbook

A cooking blog all about making vintage recipes from a cookbook we inherited from our grandmother

Southern Lane Cake

Southern Lane Cake Header

I hope everyone out there is having a good start to their new year. Some of you may be working on a resolution to eat healthier. While we are also attempting that goal, there is an important milestone that requires this week’s recipe to be a cake. It’s Marguerite’s Cookbook’s birthday! That’s right, we launched Marguerite’s Cookbook a whole year ago, and knew that we wanted to do one of Marguerite’s many cake recipes as a birthday treat to ourselves. This Southern Lane Cake turned out to be an excellent choice that was fun to make and delicious to eat.

Southern Lane Cake

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

Southern Lane Cake Recipe

As usual, the planning for this recipe required a little more work than just reading Marguerite’s notes. I had to research how long to bake the layers for, what a cooked white frosting was (more on that later), and a little more about just what a Southern Lane Cake was. That’s where I discovered that some fillings or icings included things like nuts, which is why I decided to put some almonds on top of the cake.

Southern Lane Cake up close

As you may or may not be able to tell, there are only three layers in the final product here. I’d like to say that is on purpose, but of course I made a little mistake and was forced into the decision. We have a tiny oven in our current kitchen, and it was a struggle fitting two 8″ and two 9″ pans into it. On top of that, the two sets of pans are not the same ages and not the same shade of aluminum. In the end, one of the four layers burned while the others turned out great, so the height of our cake was decided for me. I do think a three layer cake looks great though!

Southern Lane Cake with piece

I also had some trouble in attempting to make a homemade icing, so instead I just used some plain store bought white icing. That is why there is no accompanying icing recipe to go along with the cake. As great as it can be to make something by hand, Marguerite knew the value of making it easier when she needed to, too! In my opinion, the lack of homemade icing did not take away from this cake at all!

Southern Lane Cake piece

This “blogiversary” cake was delicious. I used to not like cakes with fillings, or filling that wasn’t more icing. Now that I am older and wiser I have seen the error of my ways and am less narrow-minded towards filled cakes. The actual cake parts cooked great, and were light and moist. The combination of the cake, cherry pie filling, and icing worked very well together to make this a very enjoyable dessert. Shannon agreed that this cake was tasty, but was happy to see it go to work with me so we didn’t eat it all.

Southern Lane Cake

My favorite part of this Southern Lane Cake was putting it together and decorating it with Shannon. She took a Wilton cake decorating class before so she is the resident cake expert. Making icing walls to hold the cherry pie filling and stacking the layers on top of each other together was a lot of fun. I also love spreading icing, so I got to do that over the whole cake, too. Here’s to the first year of Marguerite’s Cookbook. Thanks for spending some time with us and with Marguerite. We had a great first year, and hope to have many more to come!

Southern Lane Cake

Southern Lane Cake
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 cake 25 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20-25 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
1 cake 25 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20-25 minutes 1 hour
Southern Lane Cake
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 cake 25 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20-25 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
1 cake 25 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20-25 minutes 1 hour
Ingredients
Servings: cake
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 4 nine inch round layer pans.
  2. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla.
  3. Combine dry ingredients (flour, powder, salt). Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to creamed butter and sugar.
  4. Fold in egg whites.
  5. Bake 20-25 minutes.
  6. Let layers cool before constructing cake using cherry pie filling and icing. Add nuts like almonds to the top if desired.
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One Pan Ham and Cheese

cheese ham header

Well, here we are in the midst of the holidays with plenty more leftovers to finish and we could all use a fresh idea or two on how to do that. Luckily, Marguerite had leftover casseroles and other one pan dishes for many different main ingredients. One of the best parts of this one pan ham and cheese bake is that it turned out to be more of a breakfast dish than anything else. A great twist and a different way to have dinner time leftovers!

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

onepanhamcheeserecipe

The nice thing about the ingredients in this recipe is that they include a nice mix of fresh and pre-cooked ingredients. It was also extra quick and easy because Marguerite seemed to suggest the ingredients should be mixed right in the casserole that went in the oven. Baking was also simple and the time Marguerite said in her recipe was just about right on. Checking the middle with a knife was an easy way to make sure the one pan ham and cheese was done completely.

cheese ham quiche

Now this ham and cheese recipe was mostly eggs and Bisquick. That made it turn out incredibly quiche-like. This is much like another ham and cheese recipe, our Ham and Cheese Strata, which was also like the breakfast dish. However, the main difference in this recipe is that it had many more ingredients, which gave way to a more exciting dish with more flavor.

ham and cheese bake

While I like Bisquick because it is normally made into pancakes, I am not a huge fan of eggs for breakfast, so I wasn’t the craziest for this recipe. I did like that it was prettier than the aforementioned strata, having much more color due to the green onions, tomatoes, and the like. Aaron enjoys quiches and omelets, as well as the vegetables in the dish, so he did enjoy having it, and for breakfast no less, even though the ham had been for dinner! If you try this one pan ham and cheese recipe to use up some of your Christmas ham this season, we hope it makes your breakfast, or any meal you happen to have it for, a little more relaxing as 2016 winds down.

one pan ham cheese

One Pan Ham and Cheese
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
One Pan Ham and Cheese
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease 8" x 8" x 2" square baking dish.
  3. Mix Bisquick, milk, salt, mustard, parsley, pepper, and eggs together in dish with fork until batter is a uniform color.
  4. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  5. Bake uncovered until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
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Frank Tidbits

frank tidbit header

This week on Marguerite’s Cookbook we have another appetizer perfect for any parties this upcoming holiday season. If you remember, a few weeks ago we showed you a very simple cheese log recipe as a starter appetizer. Now we’ll show you a frank tidbits recipe that is a nice twist between mini corn dogs and pigs in a blanket.

Frank Tidbits

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

Frank Tidbits Recipe

Marguerite had a deep fryer that she would make recipes in, and this is one of them. However, we don’t have a deep fryer, so we had to do it a different way. This was a very simple recipe, even though we hadn’t fried anything in oil before. We we’re both super nervous about having an open pan of oil on our stove and had a lid ready to smother any fire. Aaron didn’t realize what temperature the oil had to be at in order to brown the frank tidbits, and the first one blackened immediately. Once he turned the temperature down and the oil cooled a bit, it was smooth sailing from there. And no fires occurred!

Frank Tidbits Appetizer

The mustard was also very simple to mix together and heat, making the entirety of this appetizer quick and easy. These frank tidbits were tasty! The mixture of corn muffin mix and chili powder made for a great flavor combo. Aaron accidentally read “margarine” as “mayonnaise.” So our mustard was a little different. Honestly, you couldn’t taste the accidental mayo and the mustard was still delicious. It reminded Aaron a bit like the homemade sauce his mom makes with her cocktail meatballs. The mustard also was a fantastic color!

Frank Hot Dog Tidbits

This frank tidbit recipe was fun and different and we enjoyed making it. These appetizers are definitely best served hot and right away, so if you want to give them a try this holiday season, plan on putting them out not long after you’ve made them. We made way too many to eat in one sitting and they were a little soggy when we reheated them.

Hotdog Frank Tidbits

Frank Tidbits
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
48 pieces 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
48 pieces 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Frank Tidbits
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
48 pieces 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
48 pieces 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Franks
Mustard
Servings: pieces
Instructions
Franks
  1. Cut hot dogs in six pieces.
  2. Combine corn muffin mix, chili powder, and milk. Mix well.
  3. Add hot dogs, stirring to coat well.
  4. Drop one at a time from tablespoon into hot vegetable oil.
  5. Cook till lightly browned.
Mustard
  1. Stir all ingredients together. Heat until hot and bubbly.
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One Pan Turkey ‘n Stuffing

One Pan Turkey and Stuffing Header

Happy Thanksgiving from Marguerite’s Cookbook! We hope everyone had a nice and relaxing holiday surrounded by the ones you love. We couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving this year, so we had a Thanksgiving for two that Aaron made for us. You may have seen it on our Instagram.

We’re going to take a quick break from pies, but we’ve got our final one of the month coming later this week. So if you made more food than you could eat, or couldn’t send enough leftovers home with your dinner guests, we have a one pan turkey and stuffing recipe that’ll give you a nice twist on the same old leftovers. And spare you from some turkey sandwiches!

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

one pan turkey recipe

As you can see, the only leftover from the meal you actually use is the turkey, but I find that it is the thing you have the most of and it sits in the refrigerator the longest. It is nice that this recipe includes “stuffing” without having to use any leftovers, or have another box of stuffing around. The Bisquick is a nice substitute for the dried bread crumbs in stuffing and it is a good way to hold onto all those seasonings in this one pan turkey and stuffing.

One Pan Turkey and Stuffing

This recipe is meant to be almost a full meal in itself. Marguerite suggests that this only serves six, which means everyone is supposed to take a sizable portion. Since there aren’t any vegetables in it, that could be a good option to pair with it to round out your meal. Because we know you’re still swimming in green beans and corn. Now on to taste, but first, an unpopular opinion. Turkey may honestly be my least favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, as I live for all the sides. But this wasn’t bad. Aaron liked it of course. He found it to be an interesting twist and a nice way to switch up eating all that turkey. He especially liked it because Marguerite made so many different dishes with pre-cooked, leftover meat and it reminder him of her.

One Pan Turkey

We felt the best way to surround this one pan turkey and stuffing dish in our pictures was with photos of the people we are thankful for and missed seeing this Thanksgiving. If you try this recipe with your leftovers this weekend, we hope you enjoy it, but not as much as you enjoyed time with your friends and family.

One Pan Turkey n' Stuffing

One Pan Turkey 'n Stuffing
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
One Pan Turkey 'n Stuffing
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease casserole dish.
  2. Mix Bisquick, milk, eggs, and seasonings with a fork until batter is a uniform color. The batter will still be lumpy.
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  4. Bake until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
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Broccoli Chowder Soup

chowdersoupheader

What’s better in cool fall weather than a nice warm bowl of soup? I’d say not many things are. Considering the fact that both of us came down with the flu this past week, soup was a much needed thing. This broccoli chowder soup is a delicious creamy treat to keep you warm this fall. If you liked our broccoli cheese soup, then you will really like this broccoli chowder soup!

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

broccoli chowder soup recipe

You may notice that Marguerite calls for either three packages of frozen broccoli or one head of fresh broccoli. Aaron had a bit of trouble reading this recipe, and at first thought he was supposed to cook both frozen and fresh broccoli. He could try and blame it on the diminishing use of cursive writing these days, but it just wasn’t his day. After fixing that issue, this soup turned out great.

Broccoli Chowder Soup

Aaron was proud of his time management during this recipe, chopping ingredients efficiently while other ingredients cooked in the pot. That was, until he let the broth, milk, and ham boil over. He caught it quickly enough and turned the heat down before he burnt the milk. After he added the remaining ingredients, this broccoli chowder soup took shape right away.

 

Chowder Soup

I don’t particularly care for creamy soups, so I only had a few spoonfuls. It was very appetizing and just like a broccoli chowder soup should taste, just not my thing. Aaron really enjoyed it, and commented that he liked it more even more than the aforementioned broccoli cheese soup. Marguerite did us a favor and put both recipes on the same page, which made comparing them to each other easier. He thinks the chowder was better due to the increased milk/cream, decreased chicken broth, and how it was cooked up. The extra cheese didn’t hurt either.

 

Broccoli Chowder

This broccoli chowder soup will definitely warm Aaron’s stomach this fall. If you need a tasty soup to warm you up this season, Marguerite’s broccoli chowder soup can hit the spot.

Broccoli Chowder Soup
Print Recipe
Servings
6
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings
6
Cook Time
30 minutes
Broccoli Chowder Soup
Print Recipe
Servings
6
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings
6
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cook broccoli in chicken broth until broccoli is tender.
  2. While broccoli is cooking, chop the ham.
  3. Once broccoli is tender, remove broccoli with a slotted spoon.
  4. Add milk, ham, salt, and pepper to chicken broth and bring to a boil. While these ingredients heat up, finely chop the broccoli.
  5. Once boiling, add broccoli, along with half & half, cheese, and butter.
  6. Stir together over low heat until all ingredients are incorporated.
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Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge

Aaron only has two weaknesses in the world: peanut butter and back scratches. While this blog can’t guarantee the latter, Marguerite’s Cookbook can come through when it comes to peanut butter. This light and airy peanut butter fudge recipe is a great change up from the typical fudge recipe, but more on that later.

Peanut Butter Fudge

This recipe is another guest post from one of Marguerite’s oldest friends. Florence Zieger was a fellow teacher, neighbor, and friend to Marguerite for years. They were the same age, and she lived to 97! Flo was another healthy and interesting woman, who drove, wore high heels regularly, and owned a business well into her nineties.  Here is what Flo had to say:

Peanut Butter Fudge

As with most of the recipes in Marguerite’s cookbook, there are very few empirical directions in the cooking and baking portion of the recipes. We gathered from the internet that around 2 & 1/2 minutes is the proper time to boil the sugar and milk. The only other change we made to the recipe was that we lined the pan with parchment paper instead of buttering the pan.

Peanut Butter Fudge

After making this recipe, Aaron wasn’t the only one loving peanut butter. I thought this peanut butter fudge was delicious!  It was light and airy, not heavy like most fudge recipes turn out. I found myself not being able to eat too much of it because it was so sweet. It was a huge hit with Aaron of course, and to keep him from eating it all, he took most of it into work. The fudge got rave reviews there as well. Looks like we will be making this one again soon!

Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 9 x 13 pan 20 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
1 9 x 13 pan 20 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Peanut Butter Fudge
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 9 x 13 pan 20 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
1 9 x 13 pan 20 minutes
Passive Time
2 hours
Ingredients
Servings: 9 x 13 pan
Instructions
  1. Combine sugar and milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for two and a half minutes while stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
  2. Add vanilla, peanut butter, and marshmallow cream.
  3. Beat until creamy.
  4. Pour into pan.
  5. Refrigerate. Cut when cool.
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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We’re in what looks like our last week of winter weather here in Chicago, and nothing quite shakes off those winter blues like a hot bowl of Broccoli Cheese soup. There’s just something comforting about the look of a nice big bowl of soup, isn’t there?

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Aaron enjoys when Marguerite’s recipes have the instructions jammed on the right half of the page alongside the list of ingredients. It is so unlike the typical recipe format and that unique style seems distinctly “Marguerite” to him. Here is what she had to say this time:

BroccoliCheeseSoupRecipe

Another characteristic of some of Marguerite’s recipes is that they are usually only as detailed as she needed to remember how they went. We often have to read the entire recipe at least once through to make sure we don’t come upon any surprises. In this recipe, we noticed it made the most sense to sauté the onion in the big pot to begin with. This soup was so creamy, cheesy, and very easy to make. I’m not a huge fan of creamy soups, but I really liked this one.

broccoli cheese soup

Aaron felt it was a little too thin in consistency and would have liked more of a cheesy flavor. I think next time we try this, we’ll add more than just cheddar to really make it cheesy.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We hope you enjoy the creamy and cheesy goodness of this very simple soup!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cut up and cook broccoli until tender. Drain.
  2. Chop onion and saute in butter until transparent. (You will want to do this in the pot your soup will end up in.)
  3. Stir in flour and cook about five minutes.
  4. Add milk slowly, stirring continuously.
  5. Stir in and blend grated cheese.
  6. Slowly blend in chicken broth.
  7. Add broccoli and salt and pepper.
  8. Simmer about 15 minutes.
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Ham Cheese Strata

Ham and Cheese Strata

When we started this recipe, neither of us really knew what to expect.  But, I thought, “Bread and cheese and warm, maybe it’ll be like grilled cheese and I’ll love it!”  That’s not quite how it turned out, and since I love a good grilled cheese sandwich, was a little disappointed.

Ham and Cheese Strata

We really couldn’t discern a lot of details about what this recipe had in store for us from just what Marguerite wrote.  Take a look for yourself:

Original Ham and Cheese

It really started to make sense when Aaron called his mother to ask her opinion about part of the recipe.  After getting our question answered, Aaron asked her if she remembered having it.  She did remember.  Although not well, she did recall it tasting like and reminding her of quiche.  Of course, soaking the whole thing in an egg mixture, it does start to make sense as a breakfast dish once it is pointed out to you.  Upon further research, it turns out that the Strata is a layered casserole dish, whose most common modern variation is a brunch dish similar to a quiche or frittata!

Ham and Cheese Strata

I was not a fan, although I couldn’t tell you why exactly.  However, Aaron loves breakfast foods, and was pleasantly surprised that this dish tasted quiche-like.  He actually heated it up almost every morning the week we made it and had some for breakfast.  A few improvements he would make:

  • More Meat: The recipe had no instruction on the amount of ham to put in.  Aaron put in less than one pound and found it to be a pitiful amount, so we have suggested two pounds in the recipe
  • More Cheese: Because, why not?  But really, it lacked overall in cheesy-ness as well.

Ham and Cheese Strata

Aaron’s mom also told us this was a dish Marguerite would often prepare the night before an let saturate overnight (as the recipe suggests.)  All in all, this is a simple dish to make that you can prepare the night before, and then pop in the oven in the morning before the kiddos (or your husband or wife) wake up.  Enjoy!

Ham Cheese Strata
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6-12 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour 2-8 hours
Servings Prep Time
6-12 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour 2-8 hours
Ham Cheese Strata
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6-12 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour 2-8 hours
Servings Prep Time
6-12 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour 2-8 hours
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Arrange six slices of bread in a 9 x 13 pan.
  2. Cover with slices of American cheese.
  3. Scatter diced ham over each slice.
  4. Sprinkle a little dried minced onion over each slice.
  5. Cover with six more slices of bread.
  6. Mix slightly beaten eggs with milk. Add salt and pepper. Pour over sandwiches.
  7. Refrigerate at least two hours or even overnight.
  8. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let set 10 minutes before serving.
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Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

“Potatoes, mash em, boil em, stick em in a stew”

Potatoes of any kind are one way to both Samwise Gamgee and Aaron’s hearts. This scalloped potatoes recipe also involves cream and paprika, so I’m pretty sure it’s the way to anyone’s heart.

Scalloped Potatoes

We have our first guest post here on Marguerite’s Cookbook!

Let me explain.  There are handfuls of recipes in Marguerite’s cookbook that she added from the kitchens of other people in her life.  We decided the authors of this recipe would be a great place to introduce this feature.  The ladies who gave Marguerite this recipe were her Aunt Florence and Aunt Estella.  They were younger sisters of her father, and they were both good cooks whose cooking made it into Marguerite’s cookbook a number of times.  Now, back to the scalloped potatoes.

 

Here’s what Florence and Estella had to say (in their handwriting):

Potatoes REcipe

We actually attempted this recipe twice.  The only differences between the two times we made this were that the second time we did not skin the potatoes, and we added more paprika to the top of the dish.  I did not notice a major difference in the taste with or without the skins, but Aaron did prefer it without the potato skins.

Scalloped Potatoes

Now, other than the time consuming processes of skinning and thinly slicing the potatoes, this is an extremely simple recipe.  When arranging the layers, you could take your time and arrange the potato slices in a neat and orderly pattern.  We chose to just toss them in and let them fall however they wanted!

Scalloped Potatoes

The first time we made these potatoes was over the holidays with our parents.  They all enjoyed them too.  We had them the second time just the two of us and had them with a few different meals.  The final verdict: these scalloped potatoes are a delicious addition to any meal.

Thanks Florence and Estella!

 

Scalloped Potatoes
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Scalloped Potatoes
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Blend one cup of cream of mushroom soup with 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk and a dash of pepper.
  2. In buttered 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish arrange 4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, 1 small onion sliced, and sauce - alternating ingredients.
  3. Dot the top with butter, sprinkle with paprika.
  4. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.
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