Tea With Polly

 

 

I really enjoyed my recipe box project his week. I felt like such a detective on this little venture. I pulled one of my favorite boxes off the bakers rack, grabbed my glasses and sat down. The pink and yellow tin box is faded from the sun—maybe in a bright spot in the kitchen. The windowsill even? It is rested, a little chipped and, judging by the recipes bulging out of it, much loved.

 

There are lots of sweet potato recipes like Sweet Potato Bake and just as many pecan laced desserts leading me to think that this box had to belong to a southern woman. There are old Xeroxed copies of things like Million Dollar Pie and handwritten recipes like Brown Betty Candy ‘protected’ in an old bread bag.

 

  

 

I started finding recipes written on AT&T share holders note paper with a logo of the state of Texas chatting on the phone and recipes written on paper from local businesses like McMurry Tools of Houston. Then the clincher…. a newspaper clipping from The Redland Herald of Nacogdoches County, Texas dated Nov. 25, 1973. She had to be, not just southern… but Texan!

I kept digging and found several recipes for ‘loaf dishes’ (made by stacking Velveeta, deviled ham and white bread), and A LOT of ‘party salad’ type of dishes involving gelatin. Did this Texan like to entertain?

 

 

 

Towards the back of the box there were recipes given by others like the Frozen Fruit Salad from Evelyn McCain given 2/13/67 and several cards where a child’s hand has written out the ingredients while mom wrote the directions and coupons for Tang (did she have children?)…..then…. a recipe on personal note paper from “Polly” and a few recipes ‘signed’ Polly Pate! The writing on these matches the bulk of the recipes. So here I am… holding a Texan’s, Ms. Polly Pate’s, recipe box.

 

Yes, of course I looked. There are several Polly Pates who lived in Texas in the 60’s. There's really no way for me to know which one she is. But no matter. I decided to make a recipe for Tea Cakes that was in the box. They are a cross between a biscuit, cookie and cake. The original is good but I’ve modified it a bit to be a little more flavorful.

 

 

Tea Cakes from Polly’s Box

2/3 cup butter

3 eggs

3 2/3 cup flour

3 tsp milk

2 tsp lemon juice

Zest from one large lemon

1 ½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ tsp baking powder

1 cup powdered sugar for topping

 

Combine butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add remaining ingredients and stir until dough comes together. Lay out plastic wrap and place ½ of dough in center. Form a log, wrap tightly. Repeat with other half of dough. Let rest in fridge for several hours (or you can freeze).

Preheat oven to 350*.  Cut ¼ inch discs of dough and space apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 mins.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Erin

Comments

[Erin]

So fun! I wish I had a mystery recipe box to sort through. Do you know about Allen's site: http://recoveredrecipes.com/index.php

You should submit some of your treasures to him.

[EB]

I just learned about it from Hanne of Supper in Stereo. I've registered but I haven't had a chance to post yet.

[DD]

I love it! I just dug up two ancient cookbooks from my mother's collection that I hope to experiment from too. I love that feeling that others have done exactly what you are doing at this moment, just at a different point in time. Crazy.

[EB]

DD-
Oooh! What cookbooks did you find?

[DD]

Some early 20th century stuff! I will write about it soon...after I figure out how to even follow the recipes :)

[Shari]

I love these old recipes written out so lovingly! Thanks for sharing.

[EB]

Oh thanks Shari. There's just something.... lovely about them yeah?

EB