October, 1925
Hallowe’en Refreshments
By Violet Marsh
Halloween, the night when spooks and goblins walk abroad according to an old custom in the United Kingdom, is also called “snap apple night,” because not only are apples everywhere consumed in immense numbers, but they figure in many forms of entertainment. One of the best known apple games is to hang a stick horizontally by a string from the ceiling, and on one end fasten a lighted candle, while on the other end a large apple is made secure. The stick is then made to twirl rapidly while the merry-makers in succession leap up and snatch at the apple with their teeth (no use of the hands being allowed); but it will frequently happen that the candle comes around and anoints them with grease or makes known its little red hood thus adding to the fun.
For the juveniles there is an old-time apple trick which provides endless fun and wet clothing, both dear to the youngsters hearts. Fill a clean tub nearly full of drinking water and in it set several apples afloat. The youngsters will then stand around the tub, and by turns, duck their heads into the water with the view of catching an apple with their teeth.
“Nutcrack night” is another name by which Hallowe’en is known in the north of England. Not only are nuts cracked and eaten, but made by the means of prophecies in love affairs. In Ireland, when a young woman would know if her lover was faithful, on Hallowe’en, she puts two nuts upon the bars of the grate, naming the nuts after herself and her lover. If the nut cracks or jumps, the lover will prove unfaithful; if it begins to blaze or burn he has a regard for the young woman; but if both nuts burn together they will be married.
Serving a cake full of tiny gifts, and a ring coin and thimble will well repay any hostess for her trouble in its making, for it creates much merriment for young and old alike. When eating the cake the one who finds the ring will be married within the year. The one finding the coin will become wealthy, but the one finding the thimble will remain a bachelor maid and do so fine stitchery.
On All Hallows’ Eve
What lots of fun
We can make,
With apples to bob,
And nuts on the hob,
And a ring and thimble cake.
Sweet cider can be made a feature in Hallowe’en entertaining by setting up a small fruit press or a meat grinder and in the presence of the guests turn out glasses of cider. For a cider punch put together one lemon and four oranges sliced very thin, two cups of sugar, the smallest sized jar of creme de menthe cherries and one quart of freshly made cider. It should set several hours in a cold place, then just before serving, add another quart of cider, one quart bottle of ginger ale, and one quart of water. All should be very cold.
For a Hallowe’en center-piece on the dining table use a huge yellow pumpkin made into a Jack-O-Lantern. Place a lighted candle inside and use only candle light in the room. Have the luncheon buffet and feature apples cooked and raw, nuts, seed and nut cakes, ring and thimble cake, fruit, toasted marshmallows, pumpkin pie, and hulled corn with milk for tradition’s sake. “Furmentry” of Scotch origin is hulled wheat boiled in milk, with the addition of sugar and cinnamon. A comment following the recipe reads thus: “There is no reason why any one should eat it but for luck.”
The candle holders illustrated in picture at top of page are made from round red apples. After cutting the features dip the apples in salted cold water to prevent discoloration. Use colored candles. Pop-corn balls, salted almonds, sandwiches, and cake decorated with a cat cut from black paper are also shown in illustration.
General Recipes
Sandwich Fillings. – Mix two parts cream cheese with one part tart jelly and add a light sprinkling of salt. Remove skin and bones from sardines, rub to a paste with a little lemon juice and oil from the sardine can and [ineligable] an equal quantity of grated hard-boiled egg yolks. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Equal parts of chopped cold boiled ham and chicken moistened with mayonna[aise] salad [page ripped]
Cakes. – Sift together one and [page ripped] of sifted flour, two-thirds cur[page ripped] teaspoons of baking powd[er] [page ripped] teaspoon of salt. In a [page ripped] one-fourth cup of melted butter, drop in two eggs, and fill the cup with milk. Combine with flour mixtures add [ineligable] extract and beat thoroughly until smooth. Bake in small cakes. Frost and decorate each cake with a black witch cat.
Pegged Apples. – For Hallowe’en refreshments these apples afford fun in eating. Select red tart apples that are uniform in size and set evenly on the blossom end. Remove stems and in their place press skewers as illustrated. Have ready a boiling syrup made with one part water to two parts sugar. Cook five minutes. Have the syrup in a small but deep stew pan so that apples will be completely under the syrup. Hold apples by the skewers and dip one at a time, holding under the syrup about three minutes. Always have the syrup boiling when dipping the apples.
Black-Eyed Susan Cookies. – Cream one-third cup of butter, gradually add one cup of sugar, two beaten eggs and one-half cup of thin cream. Beat hard and add one cup of flour sifted with two teaspoons of baking powder and three-fourths teaspoon of salt. Beat smooth, then add flour to handle. Roll one-fourth inch thick and cut into rounds. Place seven Jordan almonds, that have been blanched and dried in cloth, around each cookie, leaving ample center. Bake in a moderate oven until brown. When cool, place in the center of each a ball of frosting made according to frosting for ring cake. Flatten slightly and coat with melted chocolate to give the flower effect.
Ring, Coin and Thimble Cake. – Cream one-half cup of butter and gradually cream in one and one-half cups of sugar. Have two and one-half cups of salted flour, sifted with one-fourth teaspoon of cream of tartar and three teaspoons of baking powder. Add one-half cup of sweet milk to the butter and sugar with one-half teaspoon of almond extract, and then the flour mixture. Beat until fined grained, then add the beaten whites of six eggs, folding them in instead of beating. Bake in a funnel tin forty-five minutes. The tiny gifts are carefully and tightly wrapped in paraffin paper and uniformly placed in the dough as the tin is filled.
These recipes were published in the magazine, Comfort, from Augusta, Maine in 1925.