Recipe Time! Vintage Soda Fountain Black Cow

Here in the north, the winter doldrums are upon us! I think this time of year all Michiganders struggle at least a little bit. We struggle with smiles and courtesies, with grey days, snow shoveling and just not being able to shake the desire to sleep all day long. Whether it's from a lack of vitamin D, a poor sleep schedule or just plain missing the gay days of summer, struggle certainly seems to permeate many of our lives. 

So how do I beat the winter blues? Often I don't, actually. I spend a good deal of time grouching about, whining about not being able to get my hands in the earth. Sometimes, though, I remember that a great way to get through the blues is to simply indulge in things that make you go "Mmmm..." and "Ahhhhhh..." and during the winter these things are most often found in the form of food and drink!

Have you ever had an brown cow? It's kind of a strange name, but they're really delicious! 

A brown cow is kind of like a chocolatey root beer float, but without the ice cream. I am a firm believer that ice cream is to be enjoyed only when wind chills are above -15ºF, and lately they haven't been.

Brown cows first came about at the height of the drugstore soda fountain rise in The States, in the late 19th century. Can you imagine scuffing into town down the long dusty roads to snag a brown cow at the local pharmacy? I can just see the stools neatly lined up beside the wooden bar top, now. Thick soda glasses, or even utilitarian metal ones, being stirred with a glass pharmacists stirrer and sipped from with paper straws. 

Picturing stuff like that really makes me smile... Before the soda fountain, the only sweet drinks really available were ciders. (Unfortunately, the growth of the soda industry meant the apple industry hit some seriously hard times at the beginning of the 20th century.. more on that another time!)

So...  I wouldn't use just any root beer for this drink. I'd insist on one that's complex with deep and subtle spices. I had a glass of root beer at the WAB in Ferndale the other day and it was strongly scented with anise. It was also served over ice, which is a serious pet peeve of mine since it severely dilutes the root beer and many of the spices used in good root beer are most complex and tasty at room temperature. Anyway, I digress... Some of my favorite bottled rootbeers are Boylan and Virgil's. They're both a bit dryer than your typical commercial root beer, and they both use natural ingredients.

Some people make their brown cows without chocolate, and some make them with loads. I prefer just a bit of chocolate in mine, and this last time I was without chocolate sauce and didn't feel like making any from scratch so I opted for the more tame version of the brown cow. Maybe we can call it a brown heifer (heh. homesteading jokes...) 

Alright, here's the way I make my Black Cow Sodas:

• I take 6 oz (half bottle or so) high quality root beer (cane sugar is your friend!)

To which I add:

• 1/3 cup high fat milk (vitamin D milk, whole milk, raw milk, unhomogenized milk, cream top milk... go for quality, again! You'll thank yourself later...)
• 1/3 cup sparkling or seltzer water (if you leave this out, your brown cow will be considerably bolder flavored, but will lack some of the prickly carbonation)
• A squirt of your favorite chocolate syrup (quality, quality, quality... I've included a recipe, below)

Now, at the risk of coming off like a total snob (as if I haven't already), drink this classic baby from a glass, not a plastic cup. The crisp edge of glass helps the bubbles break and is a far more enjoyable way to drink it. 

If you want to make this really something special, try making your own chocolate syrup to enjoy in your brown cow. It's really quite easy... in a sauce pan over medium heat simply stir together: 1/2 cup cane sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 cup water, as well as 1/4 tsp salt and (if you like) a few drops of vanilla extract. Stir it for 5 minutes over medium heat, until it begins to thicken a smidge and then allow it to cool. If it isn't thick enough for your liking, simply place it over heat again and stir another 5 minutes or so. It's that easy! 

Now, I've just stumbled across this recipe for DIY root beer, where you're fermenting herbs and spices and sugar with ale yeast. This sounds like a spectacular spring project and I can't wait to give it a go! I'll be sure to post how it goes, here, and then I'll have my very own 100% made-from-scratch brown cow! (Of course, it'd be better if I were milking the cow myself... have I gone too far? LOL!)

Please note that there are several recipes out there that state a "brown cow" is actually a cola float. The name seems to really apply to any brown soda that you put a dairy product in, but this is what I've always called a brown cow!

Enjoy!

xoxo Emily

Recipe Time! Coconut Oil Chocolate Hearts for Valentine's Day

While this is really not vintage, it's also really delicious, and the fact that it has NO processed sugars, No dairy (and no egg or gluten, either!) makes it a great choice for high-allergy homes and classrooms.

As we draw nearer and nearer to February 14th, I know I'm generally the kind of gal to start panicking about what would make last minute Valentines gifts. These work great for classrooms, book groups, victory clubs, salsa nights... pretty much any time you want to hand out a super delicious treat without spending hour slaving over a difficult recipe! They're definitely not just a Valentine's day treat, either! I have been keeping these on hand since I am supposed to be eliminating processed sugar from my diet. Chocolate craving? No problemo! In fact, if you look at the original web site where I got the recipe, you can see that coconut oil can actually curb all sorts of craving because of its affect on your metabolism! These are good for you. It's science. 

The recipe is simple, though as in most tutorials I post I would like to suggest experimenting a bit. When I followed the original recipe, I got great results, but two batches later I have found a recipe that works better for me and my tastes. The original recipe is a bit sweet for my taste (I used local honey). It also didn't mention all the great things you can do to change the flavors of your chocolates! 

So anyway, I'll get to it, here. Taking into account my alterations, you will need:

• 3/4 cup coconut oil (Don't panic! This is solid at room temperature! You can get this in most grocery stores in the health food section,)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder (preferably organic and fair trade)
• 1/2 cup local honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Optional: 1 tsp extract or liqueur of choice (I have tried vanilla, hazelnut and peppermint, all with great results!)
• Optional: Additional powdered flavorings including fleur de sel, fennel pollen, cayenne pepper, guajillo pepper, ground culinary lavander, powdered coffee, etc. 

Alright, this is super easy, folks. Ya ready?

Melt coconut oil over very low heat on the stove. Then add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. 

Allow to cool until consistency is a bit thicker, still whisking. When the liquid is thick, but still pourable, pour slowly onto a sheet of parchment paper (I folded the edges of mine up, just in case the melted chocolate decided to run) and allow to cool. While cooling, you can sprinkle it with any spices/salts that you wish to try. 

Once cooled, you can cut your chocolate into various shapes with cookie cutters, or you can simply cut it or tear it into chunks. This is a soft chocolate, due to the coconut oil, but it is still delicious! I will be trying this with cacao butter in the future to see if I can get a chocolate bar that has that awesome *snap* that I love so much.

Package these individually for a great Valentine's gift, or just munch away at them! These store best in the fridge or freezer, since coconut oil melts at roughly 78º. Also, I feel like I should warn you... if you have children or other messy eaters, this melts quickly in the hand and can be messy! 

Enjoy! 

xoxo Emily

Cocktail Classics: Old Mr. Boston

"Sirs: – May we now present to you Old Mr. Boston in permanent form. We know you are going to like him. He is a jolly fellow, one of those rare indviduals, everlastingly young, a distinct personality and famous throughout the land for his sterling qualities and genuine good fellowship. His friends number in the millions those who are great and those who are near great even as you and I. He is joyful and ever ready to accept the difficult role of "Life of the Party", a sympathetic friend who may be relied upon in any emergency ... Follow his advice and there will be many pleasant times in store for you. Gentlemen, Old Mr. Boston."

Genderisms aside, what a wonderful intro to a vintage bartender's essential.

Last year on the border of Michigan and Ohio, I found a 1953 edition of "Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide," the proclaimed bible of booze. The first official edition was published in 1935, two years after prohibition ended (the thirteen-year-long ban on all sale, importation and production of alcoholic beverages in the United States). It was compiled and edited by Leo Cotton for the Old Mr. Boston distillery on 1010 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston.

Old Mr. Boston (later just known as Boston) was renowned for its spirits, but even more so for the Bartender's Guide. With each of the earlier editions, new cocktails were included and old ones adjusted.

In the next couple weeks, I plan to sample a couple of the book's more obscure antique recipes, and report back here. But for now, I've selected a couple of the 1953 editions' more charmingly-titled cocktails and posted them below:

Merry Widow Fizz
Juice 1/2 Orange
Juice 1/2 Lemon
White of 1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 oz. (Old Mr. Boston) Slow Gin
Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 8 oz. Highball glass. Fill with Carbonated Water.

The Income Tax Cocktail
1/4 oz. French Vermouth
1/4 oz. Italian Vermouth
1 oz. (Old Mr. Boston) Dry Gin
1 Dash Bitters
Juice of 1/4 Orange
Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 3 oz. Cocktail glass.

Note: It seems no one is completely certain how this cocktail got its name. The general consensus though is that the drink's bitter taste reflects the bitter experience of tax season. That, or this strong drink will take the edge off when you start digging out those receipts.


So, what's your favorite classic cocktail?

Paper Ephemera: A Late Sixties Baking Guide

About a year ago I was exploring some old papers and photographs with my grandma when we came across a baking guide for making Cut-Up Cakes for celebrations. This little booklet is dated 1969 and is perfect for baker and non baker alike. (And I practically squealed when I first saw it!)

At first glance, I was completely struck by the typeset and cover design, the colors and bold patterns set the pamphlet back in time and made it the object of my envy. Even the design pun titling it "Cut-Ups!!" with a cut out first page made me giggle. The cake names will get you too - we have Cannonball Express, Honey Bunny and, my personal favorite, Turkey-Lurkey. While I've never been a huge baker, every time I flip through this pamphlet I am completely desperate to make one! 

The Cuckoo appeals 'specially to young
and middle-aged children!

The pamphlet is full of puns in its attempt to get you interested and, of course, show you just how mature a Cut-Up Cake can be. As the pamphlet says: a Cut-Up Cake turns an ordinary occasion into a super celebration! These little bits of added personality totally get me because they're just about as cheesy as I am.

I've included a few pictures of my favorite cakes - they all have whimsical details and neat little explanations. But I am in love with this "zany" cuckoo (even if it does far exceed my very sad baking skills). It even includes a cloud of dust and vaguely reminds me of the famous Road Runner! I can just imagine how excited I would be if my parents pulled one of these out for my birthday party as a child.

My second favorite out of the bunch is this mildly creepy hot air balloon that includes its own set of miniature dolls! I love the little licorice details in the balloon - the strings are just so clever.

I have yet to try any of these cakes yet - there are eighteen of them here! I am hoping to take a stab at one next time I am feeling adventurous in the kitchen. 

Has anyone else seen baking pamphlets similar to this one? It seems like it may have been a kitchen staple or mailed out in bulk.

Make sure to stay tuned to see some of my vintage baking mishaps and other findings! 

- Ellen