Any plain cake recipe which you have can be made with the 80 per cent flour or with equal parts whole wheat ( 100 per cent) and white. The fancier cakes, such as Angel food and Sunshine cake, will, of course, require white flour.
Once in a while, anyhow, you will “cheat” a little on your desserts. There will come the day for a delicious, flaky-crusted, fresh berry pie (do not give the crust to the children), and for the ever popular, always-welcome strawberry shortcake. These, however, can be made of whole wheat. Try them.
But. if the body of your meal is carefully planned and the bulk of your dietary is along health building lines, a little spree now and then won’t hurt you. It is the general living plan that we are fighting for.
Following are some light desserts:
Prune Whip
Cook twenty large, meaty prunes until tender, stone, shred and beat to a pulp. Add to them a teaspoonful of lemon juice. Beat the white of 3 eggs until stiff. Add two tablespoonfuls granulated sugar. Fold in the prunes a little at a time beating constantly. Bake in moderate oven about fifteen minutes. Serve with whipped cream.
Queen of Puddings
Very similar to old-fashioned bread pudding, only made of whole wheat. Take the dry pieces of whole wheat bread, soak in one quart of milk about one hour. Then stir into this the beaten yolks of 2 eggs; sweeten with brown sugar and season with nutmeg. Bake in moderate oven 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread over top generous dabs of home made jelly. Beat the egg whites until stiff, add slack tablespoonful of sugar, spread over top and brown.
Marshmallow Pudding
Beat four egg whites to a stiff froth. Dissolve one rounded tablespoonful of powdered gelatine in one-half cup of cold water; then add one-half cupful of boiling water. When cool beat slowly into the egg whites and whip in one-half cup of sugar. Add flavoring or a few fresh or evaporated apricots mashed to a pulp. Stir until mixture hardens. Serve with whipped cream.
Charlotte Russe
To one-half pint of best quality whipping cream, add one generous teaspoonful vanilla and one heaping tablespoonful of powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat with Dover egg beater until very stiff. (No gelatine or other thickening is needed.) Line five or six sherbet glasses or small tea-cups with split ladyfingers. Fill with above mixture and put on ice until ready to serve.
Noodle Custard
Cook one cupful of fine homemade noodles until tender. Drain. Add two well beaten eggs to a pint of milk, season with sugar, salt and nutmeg. Pour over the noodles and bake in moderate oven until thickened and brown.
Stewed Figs
Soak in hot water large pulled figs for six or eight hours or overnight. Boil for two or three minutes. Drain off the juice and boil down to a thin syrup. Pour over the figs. Serve with or without cream.
Fruit Ices and Frozen Fruits
If you get an ice cream freezer the recipes for above will accompany the freezer. The fruit ices made with gelatine and fruit juice taste infinitely better than “store” ice cream and are very inexpensive.
Real home made ice cream once in a whilemade with real cream is a treat fit for the gods.
Whole Wheat Layer Cake(Mrs. Wheeler) 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups of sugar 1/2 cup of butter 1 1/2 cups of milk 3 cups of whole wheat flour teaspoonful of salt teaspoonful of nutmeg 3 level teaspoonfuls of baking powder (Royal) 1st. Beat the eggs well 2nd. Add the sugar, butter, milk, salt and nutmeg 3rd. Add the flour gradually 4th. Add the baking powder
Have the oven very hot for the first five minutes; after that bake in moderate oven for forty-five minutes. Use any kind of icing.
Rhubarb Pudding
In the spring make a batter on above recipe (or on any cake recipe). Get young strawberry rhubarb cut into inch lengths. Stir two cups of the uncooked rhubarb into the batter and bake in moderate oven.
Serve with any pudding sauce.
Huckleberry Pudding
Make same as above, using two cups of fresh, uncooked huckleberries instead of the rhubarb.
Shortcake
Bake a pan of whole wheat muffins (see recipe). Split them, butter them. Serve them open on the dessert plate with generous serving of berries or sliced peaches on top.
The fruit should be cut and sugared a half hour before serving.
This is better than any kind of white flour shortcake. Serve hot.