Bella Vista Vintage Recipes
Granny’s Heavenly Hash
From Penny’s Ozark Kitchen cookbook, published in 1967 by Penny Mahon, a Bella Vista resident.
1 large can sliced pineapple (you can used crushed)
2 oranges, peeled
24 marshmallows
1 cup pecans
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs flour
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
Drain juice from pineapple and place in double boiler. When hot, add sugar, flour and eggs, which have been beaten together. Cook until thick. Remove from fire and cool. Cut pineapple, oranges, marshmallows in small pieces. Whip cream and fold into pudding mixture. Pour this over fruit, add nuts and stir all together. Put in refrigerator for 1-1/2 hours before serving.
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Note
- Make a double batch, as it won't last. This is sooooo good!
Bella Vista Honeymoon Cake
From Penny’s Ozark Kitchen cookbook
1 stick butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
1 cup sifted flour
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup broken pecans
Cream the stick of butter and add the ¼ cup of white sugar and work in the cup of sifted flour. Bake in 7” x 11” pan at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Beat the 3 eggs well and add the cup of brown sugar. Add the 2 Tbs of flour and the baking powder, salt and nuts. Spread this mixture on top of the other and bake an additional 15 or 20 minutes.
Cider Mill Punch
From Stephenson's Restaurant Receipts, published 1967. The Cider Mill restaurant, which was located just over the state border where the car dealership is located now, was a very popular place for Bella Vista folks to eat. They were famous for their apple dumplings.
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(Makes about 3 quarts)
1/2 gallon apple cider
2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2-1/2-inch cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves1/4 tsp allspice
1-1/2 tsp butter
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Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer one hour.
Soda Cracker Dessert
From Penny’s Ozark Kitchen cookbook
12 soda crackers, roll fine (1-2/3 cups crumbs)
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup chopped walnuts
3 egg whites, then add:
1 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
Combine all ingredients, put in greased 8”x8” pan. Bake 30 minutes or longer at 300 degrees. If desired, serve with ice cream on top, with chocolate syrup, or frozen strawberries or raspberries. However, it's delicious on its own.
Notes
- For soda crackers, use Jacob’s Cream Crackers. You will have to order them from Amazon.
- Use a food processor to crumb the crackers.
Potato Soup
From Stephenson's Restaurants Receipts
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(Makes 6 servings)
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tbs butter
1 medium carrot, diced
1/4 finely chopped onion
2 Tbs flour
1 quart milk
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley
1 Tbs salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp Accent
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
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Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Melt butter in 3-quart kettle until golden brown. Add carrots and onions. Cover and cook until tender. Remove from heat. Blend in flour. Stir in milk. Add half of potatoes. Mash rest of potatoes and add with rest of ingredients. Heat until steaming hot.
Lemon Crackers
From Arkansas Celebration Cookbook by Zoe Medlin Caywood, published 1990. This is a hard, cracker-like cookie that was used in early days as "pocket food" because of its good keeping qualities.
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6 cups white flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
4 tsp lemon extract
1/2 shortening
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Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs, beat until fluffy. Add milk and lemon extract; blend. Combine baking powder, salt, and flour; add to creamed mixture. Mix until smooth: batter will be stiff.
Form into a ball; knead 5 minutes on a floured board. Roll 1/4-inch thick; cut with biscuit cutter. Prick centers with fork tines 2 or 3 times. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Done when lightly browned on bottom. Cool on rack.
Good with a hot cup of herb tea.
Pineapple Cookies
From the Eastern Star Cookbook Published by the Bentonville Chapter O.E.S. No. 295, 1947. Recipe submitted by Mrs. A. Menghini.
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3/4 cup lard
3/4 cup butter1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup pineapple juice
3-1/2 cups flour 1/8 tsp salt1 tsp baking soda
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Measure and sift dry ingredients together in bowl. Cut shortening in, as for pie crust. Add beaten eggs, pineapple juice and sour cream. Stir, enough to blend. Drop on oiled cookie sheets. Press a small piece of pineapple into each cookie. Bake at 400 degrees, until lightly brown (generally 12 minutes).
Hill 'N Dale Lemon Ice Box Pie
From Penny's Ozark Kitchen cookbook. The Hill 'N Dale Restaurant was located in the Dance Pavilion at the north end of Lake Bella Vista.
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Beat 3 egg yolks in bowl until fluffy.
Add 1 can sweetened condensed milk and mix thoroughly.
Add juice of 3 lemons (about 9 Tbs) and stir just enough to mix well.
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Pour into graham cracker crust immediately before mixture sets and top with either whipped cream or meringue from the 3 egg whites. If using meringue, brown lightly in medium hot oven (400 degrees) and cool gradually. Then chill in refrigerator at least one hour before serving.
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Notes
- Bake graham cracker crust very slightly (about 4 minutes) and let cool before filling. It helps the crust hold together better before serving.
- Fresh-made crust tastes better than pre-made crust from the store.
- Let the filled crust chill overnight or it probably won't be set enough. Add the whipped cream the next day or it may melt down a bit.
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Mrs. George's Cookies
From Mrs. E. L. Keith's handwritten recipe card. A nice raisin spice cookie. No, I don't know who Mrs. George was.
1 cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1-1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix dry ingredients together while raisins are cooking.
Cook raisins and water until you have 1 cup of liquid left. Pour liquid while hot over shortening to melt it, add raisins. Add dry ingredients to melted shortening, stir well and drop by teaspoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dough will be sticky. Bake in oven 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Coke Salad
E.L. Keith was the owner of Bella Vista from 1952 to 1964. Coke Salad was a favorite of the Keith family and was served at all their special dinners. This recipe was transcribed directly from Mrs. Keith's personal recipe book, where it was written in her own handwriting. Clarifications have been added in parentheses for the ingredients.
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2 small packages of black cherry jello (3 oz. each)
1 large can crushed pineapple (20 oz.)
2 cans (no. 2-1/2) dark sweet cherries (27-29 oz. each)
1 cup nuts (pecans)
2 cans Coke (about 2-1/2 cups)
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Heat juice from cherries and pineapple. Dissolve jello in hot juice and chill until it begins to set. Beat until fluffy, adding Coke as you beat. Add cherries, pineapple and nuts. Chill.