Every year, the approaching holidays send me perusing through my shelf of cookbooks in search of ideal foods and drinks to whip up for celebrations. I raid my mom’s collection of cookbooks and also seek out unusual cookbooks at resale and antique shops. Boozy recipes abound in the beverage sections of these old-school finds, but I also came across some good coffee recipes among the yellowed, dog-eared pages.
Iced Coffolate
My mom received a copy of The Settlement Cook Book in 1969 as a wedding shower gift, and I often thumb through her battered copy, its harvest gold covers now held together with clear carton tape. The Settlement Cook Book goes back to 1901 and has roots in Milwaukee: a neighborhood house called The Settlement served as a resource center for European immigrants seeking assistance with learning English and civics, cooking, and sewing. Elizabeth Black Kander, a Settlement volunteer and social reformer, led the cooking classes and came up with the idea of printing the lessons and recipes, instead of having the students laboriously copy all of the recipes and instructions. The book could also be sold to the public to raise money to continue Settlement operations.
The men of the Settlement board scoffed at the idea of spending money—a whopping $18 back then—on such a project, so Kander and her fellow volunteers began raising the money on their own to have the book printed. In April 1901, the first copies of The Way to a Man’s Heart...The Settlement Cook Book rolled off the presses.
There’s a cool section in the book on coffee and tea, and this Iced Coffolate recipe will satisfy both coffee and chocolate lovers:
1 T. cornstarch
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
½ t. cinnamon
½ c. sugar
2 cups hot, strong coffee
2 cups scalded milk
Dissolve cornstarch in a little cold water and cook in a double boiler with chocolate, cinnamon, sugar and the coffee until thickened. Add the milk and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Chill. Serve ice cold, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings or a cinnamon stick as garnish.
Vanilla Cinnamon Coffee
Colorado Collage is a frequent go-to cookbook that I acquired during my adulthood. Originally issued in 1995, it has over 500 recipes and photos documenting some of the best creations that the Centennial State has to offer. The Junior League of Denver selected the recipes featured in the book from over 2,500 submissions, and profits from the sale of the book went to help children in crisis, support safe environments, and support education initiatives for children and adults. It is here that I found this recipe for Vanilla Cinnamon Coffee, a tasty way to warm up guests coming in from out of the cold.
½ vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise
2 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half
¾ cup whipping cream
coffee garnish (see recipe below)
Place sliced vanilla bean and broken cinnamon sticks in a coffee maker carafe. Brew 12 ounces of coffee. While coffee is brewing, whip cream until soft peaks form. Strain coffee into two mugs, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with coffee garnish, if desired.
Coffee Garnish
1 T. tightly packed light brown sugar
1 T. very finely ground coffee
1 T. ground cinnamon
Combine brown sugar, ground coffee and cinnamon. Mix well and store in a tightly covered container. Sprinkle over coffee drinks.
Do you have any favorite coffee recipes from vintage cookbooks? Please share!
