Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins

Sometimes you just have to bake! I was really really craving something small and sweet but didn't want to venture out into the world. I felt good when I saw a lot of social distancing while shopping the other day but then I drove by the beach...sigh... And naturally I didn't pick up any snackies because I was saving money. Guess I have to make some! I had everything on hand for Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins from the 1971's edition of Hershey's 1934 Cookbook.

Easy recipe and only make a dozen. Nice! So many older baking recipes make lots to share. Not being in a sharing situation I appreciate a single family recipe. I used a mix of semi-sweet and bitter-sweet chocolate chips and my last mandarin orange.

I know I took a picture of the ingredients. I set everything out all pretty, a nice pile of chocolate chips, a cute mandarin orange...I have no idea what happened to it. It disappeared! So let's jump to step 2: milk, egg, and oil added to the flour mix.

Best step, adding the chocolate chips! The orange zest adds a nice, bright touch of color.

I used baking liners because I'm that kind of person. I planned on giving some away and storing some so liners just make it easier. Easier for clean up as well. The recipe said 12 muffins so that's what I did. The dough only filled the liners halfway, less than what I would normally do.

They are so cute! Naturally they did not get as big as the muffins nowadays, we are bigger muffin people now.

These smell so good...

Yes, I took them out of the liners for pictures.

I had to sample one just out of the oven (who doesn't love a warm muffin?!) and was less than impressed. The chocolate was good but overall the muffin was bland. So, I took a few pictures, separated them to give away, and sat down to watch tv and think about my sewing pile. The next morning I was feeling a bit peckish. I'm not much of a breakfast person but the muffin seemed just the right amount. Wow! What a difference a night makes. These taste so much better after cooling off completely. A nice light hint of orange. I think milk chocolate chips would actually taste better.

My Rating: Good! A nice little muffin!

Friends and Family Rating: "These are delicious. I ate them all..." "My son loved the muffins! My friend said they were the best she ever had."

Orange Slice Bars

I am sticking with desserts but decided to move away from chocolate.

But I stayed with the Cookies (all kinds) from 1963. This one promises to be good with summer drinks.

Chopping up the pound of orange candies seemed to take forever! I had to constantly stop to wash the sticky mess from my hands and the knife. I used pecans as the nut meats.

It looks so cool mixed together however I'm curious about the coconut. It could be good or not. Don't get me wrong. I love coconut! But mixed with orange candies?

The pre-baked pan looks a bit boring.

The baked result didn't change much. Still beige. Still boring. Where are the bright orange candies?!

The edges got a touch too browned but they turned out quite nice! They are a little difficult to cut. I blame that on me. My oven is touchy and overcooked these just a bit.

These were an interesting take on cookie bars. They were crunchier than I anticipated and a bit bland. The orange candies were nice bursts of flavor but overall they were not very exciting. The candies did not melt down, as I expected, so you will have to be careful because they will stick to everything.

My Rating: Okay but very beige.

Friends and Family Rating: "Interesting" "I think it pulled my filling out..."

Frosted Orange Cookies

The weather can't seem to decide if it wants to stay in winter or move onto spring. Personally, I am tired of snow and ready for hot summer days! In my mind orange juice reminds me of sunshine and bright days so I looked for an appropriate recipe. This one from the 1963 Cookies (of all kinds) promises to be 'one of the best.'

 Bought a whole carton of orange juice! I guess I'll have to start eating a healthier breakfast...unless I find a retro cocktail. I must confess: I used powdered buttermilk.

It went together easily and looks nice, I think. Nothing fancy.

Drop cookies are so easy to make. Why do I even consider other kinds of cookies?!

I had to adjust the baking time after the first batch came out a little too dark. My oven is known to be fussy so it could be that. I took a couple of minutes off. I think you can tell which is which.

Light little orange clouds!

Light is the best way to describe these. I was expecting a stronger orange flavor and was very disappointed. They are not bad. Good if you want something not too sweet and lightly flavored. Maybe I should have waited until summertime to make these. :) My friends had other opinions.

My Rating: Just okay

Friends and Family Rating: "Great!" "I love how they are not real sweet." "Real nice for a quick snack."

Daffodil Cake

Cook books from the 1950's take their job very seriously. Cooking is not just for fun. It is the job of the 1950's housewife to provide the best meals for her family. This 1953 cook book has a Meal Planner's Creed that ends with: "My family's health, security, and pleasure depend on my skill in planning meals; therefore - I will treat my job with the respect that is due it." It is quite a difference from modern cook books.

The weather has been warm lately so I chose an appropriateyly spring sounding recipe, Daffodil Cake!

Lots and lots of eggs...and a touch of orange.

So many eggs whites. I'm glad I have my standing mixer! But I was so focused on the darn egg whites that I forgot to take pictures. The orange-flavored half of the mix was not very orange-y.

I followed the instructions but I may have slightly overcooked the cake. The recipe did not call for any kind of icing but I added powdered sugar for looks.

The swirl was very subtle but pretty!

This is a very dense cake. The texture was a mix between angel food cake and pound cake. I had to use a serrated knife to cut it and a fork was basically useless. It was spoungey. Just use your hands.

There is not a lot of flavor to this thing. There is so little orange that you can barely tell it's there. It needed something more so I browsed the web and found a simple orange sauce. Yum! Much better!

This cake too more effort than it was worth. I am holding on to the orange sauce recipe but I probably will not make the cake again. It might be good for a trifle but not on it's own. As I said, it could be becasue I over cooked it but I will not be trying to make it again anytime soon.

My Rating: Lots of effort with little results

Friends and Family Rating: "Heavy" "It's okay. Love the sauce."