1940's Old-Fashioned Raisin Bars

Old-fashioned, as in vintage 1940's, this recipe is finally one that is blog-worthy! I'm in the process of preparing a sampling of Depression-era foods for a program that deals with that topic. Going into this project I thought it would be an opportunity to go through my rather extensive collection of vintage cookbooks and to try out made-from-scratch recipes. I assumed that these old-fashioned recipes would be tasty  . . . but soon found out that was not always the case. One batch of muffins went directly into the compost container! Other recipes were okay but not something that I'd every make again, let alone share. For the most part,  I'd describe them simply as depressing foods of the Depression!
Spices were generally avoided during the Depression  as they were  thought to stimulate the appetite and thus  encourage overeating in a time when food was often scarce. However, this recipe contains a triad of spices along with dried fruit. Consequently, it is full of flavor and has a tender and moist crumb (unlike the dry and tough above mentioned muffins).
Another favorable factor -- this made-from-scratch recipe is easy to make.

Old-Fashioned Raisin Bars   Make one 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" sheet pan of bar cookies
1 cup raisins
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts

  1. Combine raisins and water in a saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat.
  2. Remove from heat and add butter; cool to lukewarm.
  3. Add to a mixing bowl: raisin-water & butter solution, sugar and egg.
  4. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the mixing bowl; beat until thoroughly blended.

  5. Stir in walnuts.
  6. Spread evenly in a  greased and floured (or lined and sprayed) 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" sheet pan. 
    I lined pan with overhanging foil so that I could lift entire batch of baked cookies out of pan for easting cutting.
  7. Bake in preheated 350° oven about 20 minutes or until surface springs back when lightly touched with fingertips.
  8. Cool.
  9. Frost and cut.
    To cut -- simple lift the foil out of the pan and  the bars can be easily cut. 
Frosting -- mix together:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Milk -- enough for a spreadable frosting

Recipe without photos . . .
Old-Fashioned Raisin Bars   Make one 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" sheet pan of bar cookies
1 cup raisins
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts

  1. Combine raisins and water in a saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat.
  2. Remove from heat and add butter; cool to lukewarm.
  3. Add to a mixing bowl: raisin-water & butter solution, sugar and egg.
  4. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the mixing bowl; beat until thoroughly blended.
  5. Stir in walnuts.
  6. Spread evenly in a  greased and floured (or lined and sprayed) 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" sheet pan. 
  7. Bake in preheated 350° oven about 20 minutes or until surface springs back when lightly touched with fingertips.
  8. Cool.
  9. Frost and cut.

Frosting -- mix together:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Milk -- enough for a spreadable frosting


25 comments:

  1. You might want to add the egg to your ingredient list. Just a thought

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    1. The recipe has worked for 80 years and this genius thinks in needs a egg šŸ¤£

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    2. Egg is listed on step 3 but not on the ingredient list.

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    3. Read the ingredients again you will see the egg listed

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  2. I am going to make it that look good

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  3. Thank you so much! My great aunt used to make these, and so did I when I was a child. I lost the recipe at some point, and have been looking for years. I can't wait to make these again!

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  5. is there an egg in this recipe?

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  6. I would put an egg in it clearly shows it and states “egg” in step 3. I think that would be “ Genius”

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  7. Just like my grandmother made. Looked everywhere for her recipe. This worked wonderfully. I added just a little more clove and cinnamon.

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  8. I used to make this for my Dad if I wanted to go somewhere! We have never used frosting! We love it without! Good recipe

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  9. I have looked for this recipe for years.
    The difference between my recipe and yours. Is mine instead of water it was strong coffee.

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  10. Can you substitute oatmeal for the flour? Or maybe half and half?

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  11. Egg is listed, read before you speak, great recipe. Thanks

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  12. I use coffee for my boiled raisin cake, would have been so good here. Done baking my first batch. Looks yummly

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  13. I used pumpkin pie spice since I didn’t have allspice when I made it this time. So yummy! I now have two versions that are both delicious.

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  14. This is one of the "war cake" recipes my Mother made from WW2. She made this a lot. The one I loved the most was a dark chocolate cake that used less sugar because it was rationed then. Thank you for this recipe, I did not have it, but remember her boiling the raisins. It had to be this recipe!

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  15. These are delicious! Can they be frozen?

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  16. One EGG is listed right below the SUGAR in the list of ingredients !

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  17. Do you think this would cook through if you cook it ina bread pan instead of the other?

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  18. Can this be frosted warm like cinnamon rolls?

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  19. So, I made these last night & frosted them while they were still a little warm. I like raisins enough, but my husband loves them & I was making this for him. I was so pleasantly surprised, not at how good they were, but how much I loved them. These, are absolutely delicious and I loved the spice combination. I am so happy to have found this recipe, thank you for sharing!

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