Pennsylvania German Recipes: Custards and Desserts
Traditional Pennsylvania German sweet recipes, including Chocolate Custard, Apple Snow, and Berry Shortcake.
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From The Pennsylvania German Cook Book by J.A. Keller, 1902.
Chocolate Custard
Scald one pint of milk, add three eggs, three tablespoons sugar, a little salt, a little vanilla, and one square of chocolate melted. Cook in a double boiler until thick like cream.
Custard Soufla
Rub two scant tablespoons butter to a cream, add two scant tablespoons flour, pour over this gradually one cup hot milk, and cook eight minutes in a double boiler stirring often. Heat yolks of four eggs, add two tablespoons sugar, stir into milk and set away to cool. Half an hour before serving beat whites of four eggs stiff and add to the mixture lightly, bake in buttered pudding dish, in a moderate oven thirty-six minutes, serve hot.
Floating Island
Scald one quart of milk and half a cup of sugar, beat the yolks of three eggs, and take two tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in a little cold milk, then add egg and cornstarch to the boiling milk, boil until it thickens, then season with lemon or vanilla, then beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth, take half of the whites and stir into the mixture and put the rest on top.
Mrs. M. R.
Apple Snow
(A very delicate dish)
Grate one large sour apple, sprinkle over it a small cupful of powdered sugar as you grate it to keep it from turning dark, break into this the whites of two eggs, and heat it all constantly for half an hour. He sure to have it in a large dish as it beats up very stiff and light. Heap this in a glass dish and pour a line smooth custard around it and serve.
Peach Mousse
(A velvety cream)
Reduce a dozen of large peaches to a pulp, and strain through a sieve, soak one teaspoon gelatine in cold water, dissolve it in a large tablespoon of hot water, and add to the peach pulp, then set the whole on ice to get cold. Sweeten one pint of cream, whipped to a stiff froth, then fold in the peach pulp, and pour in a mould. Cover tightly and pack in ice three hours.
Raspberry Flumeny
One pint raspberries, one pint water, one cup sugar, boil ten minutes, add three tablespoons cornstarch mixed smooth in a little water.
Maringues
Beat the whites of six eggs stiff then add two cups of sugar and one teaspoon vanilla. Line a large pan with buttered paper, and drop the maringues by the tablespoon, leave a little space between for them to spread. Bake in a slow oven about one hour. Serve with whipped cream.
Moonshines
Beat the whites of six eggs very stiff add gradually six tablespoons powdered sugar, add more if not stiff enough, beat thirty minutes, then add a cup of jelly or fruit cut fine, beat, set on ice until very cold. Serve with rich cream sweetened and flavored.
Walnut Macaroons
Whites of three eggs beaten very light, nine heaping tablespoons pulverized sugar stirred into the eggs, two large tablespoons flour, flavor with lemon, and add one pint of walnut or hickorynut meats. Drop on greased paper and bake slowly until a light brown.
Mrs. McMillan
Baked Apples
Core and pare apples, place in a pan, sprinkle with a little flour, sugar, add small pieces of butter, and bake, serve with cream.
Crackers and Coffee
Spread square crackers with butter, put into the oven a few' minutes until a light brown, serve warm with warm coffee. Kill cups two-thirds full with good coffee, then All cups with whipped cream.
M. M. M.
Banana Shortcake
Cream one-half cup butter and one cup pulverized sugar, the yolks of two eggs and half a cup of sugar may be added next. Now beat up the whites of your eggs, and sift two teaspoons of baking powder into two cups of flour, add eggs and flour alternately. Bake in jelly pans, and while it is baking whip one pint of sweet cream, with half a cup of pulverized sugar, when stiff add two bananas, spread this mixture over one layer, and put other layer on top, serve hot. You can use less sugar if desired.
Berry Shortcake
Make a rich biscuit dough, make it into two layers and bake one on top of the other. After baked take off top layer spread lower layer with butter, cover with well seasoned fruit, cover with top layer. Serve with sweet cream.
S. K.
Cranberry Sauce
One half pint water, one pint sugar, one quart cranberries. Boil slowly, and mash cranberries to a jelly, then put into moulds.
Another Way
One pint cranberries, two pints water, set on stove and cover, let come to a boil, then uncover, add a cup of sugar, set on back of stove and let simmer until the juice thickens, do not mash berries.
Mrs. M. Fause.
Sauce for Puddings
Beat one-half cup of butter to a light cream, add one cup granulated sugar, stir until very white. Just before serving pour one cup of boiling water, stir rapidly two minutes.
Snowy Sauce
Boil one cup milk, thicken with one tablespoon flour rubbed smooth in cold milk, add a little salt, boil. Cream one tablespoon of butter and one cup of sugar flavor with vanilla and heat into the thickened milk, add the well beaten white of one egg, beat thoroughly. Good with any of the puddings.
Whipped Cream No. 1.
Whip one pint of cream, sweeten and flavor to taste.
Whipped Cream No. 2.
One pint cream, two tablespoons gelatine dissolved in a little cream, two tablespoons sugar, flavor with vanilla, put on ice.
Whipped Cream No. 3.
Two-thirds cup thick sweet cream, whites of two eggs, two tablespoons sugar, flavor, beat, have cream very cold. Nice over crackers, cake, fruit or puddings.
M. R.
Keller, J.A. The Pennsylvania German Cook Book. Scranton Printing Company, 1902.
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