I’m mentioned before that I love the Farm Journal cookbooks. If you are a collector and like to actually make the food from vintage titles, these are gems. this recipe is from FJ Complete Pie Cookbook, 1965.  I particularly enjoyed the handwritten comments on the bottom:

“Good – used cherry pie filling & heated in oven in brown dish.” I wonder about the magical properties of the brown dish, but this certainly sounds good. I like the use of the tapioca as the thickening agent.

1 (1 lb., 4 oz.) can pitted tart cherries, undrained. (2 c.)

1/2 c. sugar

1 tblsp. quick-cooking tapioca

2 tblsp. butter

1/8 tsp. salt

4 drops almond extract

Cobbler Topping

Combine cherries, sugar and tapioca. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and clear, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, salt and almond extract.

Pour hot mixture into 10″x6″x1 1/2″ baking dish. Add Cobbler Topping at once.

Bake in hot oven (400F) about 20 minutes, or until crust is browned. Serve warm with cream or vanilla ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

Note: If you like more cherry filling, double the recipe, but use the same quantity of Cobbler Topping.

Cobbler Topping: Sift together 1 c. flour, 1 tblsp. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cut in 1/4 c. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix 1/4 c. milk and 1 slightly beaten egg. Add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir just to moisten. Drop by spoonfuls on hot cherry mixture.

For the topping, I’ve made the letters of my sons’ names – J and O – from the dough.

This menu is supposed to be served “After Bowling,” according to the 1965 Today’s Woman Entertainment Cook Book. I was especially intrigued by the cabbage with frankfurters on skewers in it. Here are the instructions if you wanted that thing on your table:

Hollow out center of cabbage large enough to hold a can of canned heat. In the head of cabbage, surrounding canned heat, insert cocktail frankfurters on skewers. Guests can then “cook their own” frankfurters.

Wouldn’t the cabbage burn?

This is much more to my liking:

Apple Panky

1/2 cup biscuit mix

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup coarsely chopped apple

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine biscuit mix, eggs, salt, milk and butter. Beat until smooth. Add coarsely chopped apple. Pour into greased 9″ heavy skillet. Sprinkle with sugar mixed with cinnamon. Bake in moderately hot oven (375F) for 30 minutes. Serve with honey butter. Makes 6 servings.