Community Cookbook Recipes from the Heart of Hollis-1912 to present
Recently, I pulled out my small collection of Hollis community cookbooks and began turning the pages. It was like stepping back in time. These endearing books were created by Hollis community groups as fundraisers and sold at various festivals and Old Home Days celebrations. Each book is a collection of tried-and-true family favorites, potluck specialties, and social hour regulars. The recipes provide a peek into a place and a time like a culinary historical record. Ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and recipe themes all tell part of a larger story about the times in which the recipes were created and give a glimpse into the lives of the home cooks who filled the pages with their favorite recipes.
Recently, I pulled out my small collection of Hollis community cookbooks and began turning the pages. It was like stepping back in time. These endearing books were created by Hollis community groups as fundraisers and sold at various festivals and Old Home Days celebrations. Each book is a collection of tried-and-true family favorites, potluck specialties, and social hour regulars. The recipes provide a peek into a place and a time like a culinary historical record. Ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and recipe themes all tell part of a larger story about the times in which the recipes were created and give a glimpse into the lives of the home cooks who filled the pages with their favorite recipes.
Scripture Cake
Source: D.A.R. Cook Book Second Edition
Submitted by: Minnie Colburn
Location: page 40
First, a little bit about scripture cake. Scripture cake was popular in the latter part of the nineteenth century, especially in the southern Appalachians. The cake was meant as a way to teach young girls baking and Bible verses. The recipe is designed almost as a scavenger hunt through the bible. Only ingredient quantities were listed with the bible verses. The baker needed to go through the bible to find the ingredients to complete the recipe. I know you’ll enjoy this recipe. It makes two loaves, one to keep and one to share. Enjoy!
1 cup butter- Judges 5:25
3 cups sugar-Jeremiah 6:20
6 eggs-Isaiah 10:14
3 1/2 cups flour- 1 Kings 4:22
1/2 teaspoon salt-Leviticus 2:13
2 teaspoons baking powder-Amos 4:5 (Liz added because it was missing from the recipe)
Sweet Spice to taste- 1 Kings 10:10 (Liz used ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp ginger)
1 cup water-Genesis 24:17
2 cups raisins- 1 Samuel 30:12
1 tablespoon honey-Exodus 16:31
1 cup almonds-Genesis 43:11
Follow Solomons advice for making good boys and you will have good cake-Prov. 23:14
Below are Liz’s instructions.
Liz’s Notes:
Source: D.A.R. Cook Book Second Edition
Submitted by: Minnie Colburn
Location: page 40
First, a little bit about scripture cake. Scripture cake was popular in the latter part of the nineteenth century, especially in the southern Appalachians. The cake was meant as a way to teach young girls baking and Bible verses. The recipe is designed almost as a scavenger hunt through the bible. Only ingredient quantities were listed with the bible verses. The baker needed to go through the bible to find the ingredients to complete the recipe. I know you’ll enjoy this recipe. It makes two loaves, one to keep and one to share. Enjoy!
1 cup butter- Judges 5:25
3 cups sugar-Jeremiah 6:20
6 eggs-Isaiah 10:14
3 1/2 cups flour- 1 Kings 4:22
1/2 teaspoon salt-Leviticus 2:13
2 teaspoons baking powder-Amos 4:5 (Liz added because it was missing from the recipe)
Sweet Spice to taste- 1 Kings 10:10 (Liz used ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp ginger)
1 cup water-Genesis 24:17
2 cups raisins- 1 Samuel 30:12
1 tablespoon honey-Exodus 16:31
1 cup almonds-Genesis 43:11
Follow Solomons advice for making good boys and you will have good cake-Prov. 23:14
Below are Liz’s instructions.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter 2 loaf pans.
- Mix the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add to butter mixture; beat at low speed until well combined. Add the water and combine.
- Stir in raisins, honey, and almonds.
- Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake in until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
- Cool in pans 15 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Best if prepared 1 day before serving. Store cake covered at room temperature.
Liz’s Notes:
- This cake can be baked in a 12-cup non-stick Bundt pan. Butter well and increase baking time to 60 minutes. Check with a wooden pick.
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