Recipes That Take You Back to School Days

Just about every year at this time, nostalgia over foods eaten in school cafeterias years ago rears a maudlin head.

How good or bad those school day foods actually were matters not. It’s how well remembered, adored and revered they are today that counts.

Judy Gilges of Long Beach writes: “In the cafeteria in the early ‘60s, they used to make a tuna sandwich and a killer peanut butter cookie. . . .”

Ellen Vakovich remembers a crumb cake sold during nutrition break. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve eaten that great cake,” she writes.

So we’re back digging in our files for those long-lost recipes for cookies, pizzas, cinnamon rolls.

Experience throughout the years has told us that sweets are remembered most fondly and most frequently. Ranger Cookies (also known as Flying Saucers), the most frequently requested school recipe, was formulated for home use by a cereal manufacturer in 1952, according to school officials interviewed some years ago. Back then the Los Angeles City Unified School District food service director was Helen Crane, who adapted the recipe that has been a favorite since.

Today, an oversized chocolate chip cookie and a plain, moist and dense crumb cake, the standard breakfast item today, are considered the most popular sweets on the a la carte menu, according to Anita King, now head of nutrition services for the Los Angeles City Unified School District.

Today, too, attitudes toward sweets have dramatically altered school menus, particularly the dessert menu.

School district nutritionists have markedly curbed dessert offerings in the School Lunch Program in an effort to conform to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to reduce fats and sugars in the diet. Today, school lunch rooms are serving occasional cookies such as apple-oatmeal, ice milk and fruit juice bars along with fresh fruit.

“We’ve gotten away from serving desserts almost entirely in the last seven or eight years. We try to encourage fresh fruit for school lunches,” said King.

Sugary goodies, however, have been available on an a la carte basis all along.

Among them is Devil’s Food Cake, which was introduced in 1939 to the Los Angeles City Schools by Frances Johnson, when she was a manager at one of the schools. Today, the recipe for the dark, moist cake derives its red coloring from baking soda, not the red food dye used in the past. “The cake is especially good when frosted with Seven Minute Frosting, and dribbled with melted chocolate,” suggested King. And there are readers who have reminded us how wonderful that gooey cake was--and is.

Sour Cream Coffeecake, a version of the breakfast coffee crumb cake requested by Vakovich, has been part of the school cafeteria repertoire since 1959 and is still served at special school functions.

A peanut crunch, still requested by readers, was served in the Glendale Unified School District for years and was one of the all-time favorites of that school district.

Among the favorite entrees most requested throughout the years has been pizza, which made its debut in 1957 in the Long Beach Unified School District. Today, according to King, pizza is numero uno, along with tacos and hamburgers.

There was a time, however, when the best-remembered entrees were such school favorites as chopped beef and gravy over mashed potatoes and roast beef hash, no longer served in schools. Readers, however, still request the recipes. And we still print them.

Here they are, along with other old and new recipes from school cafeterias that will no doubt be passed on through the years to come, like heirlooms:

SCHOOL HOUSE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate pieces

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine flour, salt and baking soda.

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and beat until well blended. Using spoon, stir in chocolate pieces and walnuts.

With ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop out dough and drop onto ungreased baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Flatten dough into 3-inch rounds.

Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 14 minutes. Makes 27 (4-inch) cookies.

OLD-FASHIONED COFFEE CRUMB CAKE

3 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

Crumb Topping

Combine flour, dry milk, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder and soda in large bowl. Set aside.

Combine vinegar and water in measuring cup. Set aside.

Blend together oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar in mixer bowl on low speed 1 minute. Add eggs and continue to blend on low speed 1 minute.

While mixer is on low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with water and vinegar to oil-sugar mixture. Scrape down bowl, then blend on medium speed 1 minute longer.

Evenly divide batter between 2 greased 9-inch square pans. Sprinkle 3/4 cup Crumb Topping evenly over batter in each pan.

Bake at 375 degrees 45 to 55 minutes in conventional oven or at 325 degrees 35 to 40 minutes in convection oven. Makes 9 servings per pan.

Crumb Topping

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Dash salt

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup oil

Combine flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in mixer bowl. Blend on low speed 1 minute. Add oil gradually and continue to blend until topping is crumbly.

LONG BEACH SCHOOL DISTRICT PIZZA

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 cup tomato puree

3/4 cup diced canned tomatoes

1 (1-pound) package biscuit mix

1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brown beef and drain off fat. Add flour and stir in salt, pepper to taste, oregano and sugar. Add tomato puree and canned tomatoes and simmer until flavors are well blended.

Prepare crust according to biscuit mix directions. Roll dough into rectangle larger than 18x12-inch pan. Wrap dough around rolling pin, hold thumbs firmly over dough on ends to easily lift and fit dough onto pan. Trim off edges by rolling rolling pin over pan edges. Pierce dough in several places before baking.

Prebake at 450 degrees 15 minutes or until lightly baked. Just before serving, pour hot meat sauce over baked crust, sprinkle with cheeses and bake at 350 degrees until heated through and cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 cup hot coffee or water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Seven Minute Frosting

Melted chocolate, optional

Cream shortening and sugar. Add beaten eggs. Combine cocoa and coffee and add to creamed mixture. Sift salt, soda and flour together and add alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla.

Turn batter into greased 13x9-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees 35 minutes. Cool.

Frost with Seven Minute Frosting or other favorite frosting. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Makes 12 servings.

Seven-Minute Frosting

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine water, egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in top of double boiler. Mix well to moisten sugar throughout.

Place over boiling water and beat constantly with rotary or electric mixer until frosting holds soft peaks and leaves mark when raised. Process will take about 7 minutes with rotary beater or 3 to 4 minutes with electric beater.

Remove from heat and beat 5 to 7 minutes longer or until frosting holds swirls when beater is lifted. Beat in vanilla and spread at once on cake. Makes enough frosting for 1 (13x9-inch) pan, 2 (9-inch) layers or 24 to 30 cupcakes.

SOUR CREAM COFFEECAKE

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Topping

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Mix together flours, soda and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.

Add 1/2 dry ingredients, mixing just until flour is blended. Blend in sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.

Spread 1/2 batter lightly in 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 Topping and spread with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining Topping.

Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 45 minutes. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Topping

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup butter

Mix together flour, sugar, salt and nuts. Add butter in small pieces. Rub in by hand until mixture is crumbly. Be careful not to over mix.

GLENDALE SCHOOL PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups white corn syrup

3 cups peanut butter

1 1/4 (12-ounce) packages cornflakes

Combine sugar and syrup in saucepan. Bring to fast boil, stirring constantly. Do not overcook.

Remove from heat and add warm peanut butter. Stir until well mixed.

Pour over cornflakes. Mix well, working quickly. (Ideally, have assistance with this stage of operation as quickness is essential).

Pour into well-greased 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch pan, pressing lightly. Cut into squares. Makes about 30 pieces.

RANGER COOKIES

(Flying Saucers)

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups oats

2 cups cornflakes

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Sift flour with baking powder, salt and soda. Blend into creamed mixture. Add vanilla, cereals, coconut and nuts. Mix until blended.

Drop dough by 2 1/2 tablespoons or by ice cream scoop (No. 24) onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten to 4-inch diameter.

Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be slightly soft when removed from oven. Makes about 22 large cookies.

Note: For smaller cookies, use rounded teaspoon dough, do not flatten and bake at 375 degrees 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen.