SAVE SUGAR

Reasons Why Our Government Asks Us to Save Sugar With Practical Recipes for Sugarless Desserts, Cakes, Candies and Preserves.

One ounce of sugar less per person, per day, is all our Government asks of us to meet the world sugar shortage. One ounce of sugar equals two scant level tablespoonfuls and represents a saving that every man, woman and child should be able to make. Giving up soft drinks and the frosting on our cakes, the use of sugarless desserts and confections, careful measuring and thorough stirring of that which we place in our cups of tea and coffee, and the use of syrup, molasses or honey on our pancakes and fritters will more than effect this saving.

It seems but a small sacrifice, if sacrifice it can be called, when one recognizes that cutting down sugar consumption will be most beneficial to national health. The United States is the largest consumer of sugar in the world. In 1916 Germany's consumption was 20 lbs. per person per year, Italy's 29 to 30 lbs., that of France 37, of England 40, while the United States averaged 85 lbs. This enormous consumption is due to the fact that we are a nation of candy-eaters. We spend annually $80,000,000 on confections. These are usually eaten between meals, causing digestive disturbances as well as unwarranted expense. Sweets are a food and should be eaten at the close of the meal, and if this custom is established during the war, not only will tons of sugar be available for our Allies, but the health of the nation improved.

The average daily consumption of sugar per person in this country is 5 ounces, and yet nutritional experts agree that not more than 3 ounces a day should be taken. The giving up of one ounce per day will, therefore, be of great value in reducing many prevalent American ailments. Flatulent dyspepsia, rheumatism, diabetes, and stomach acidity are only too frequently traced to an oversupply of sugar in our daily diet.

Most persons apparently think of sugar merely as a sweetening agent, forgetting entirely the fact that it is a most concentrated food. It belongs to what is called the carbohydrate group, upon which we largely depend for energy and heat. It is especially valuable to the person doing active physical work, the open-air worker, or the healthy, active, growing child, but should be used sparingly by other classes of people. Sugar is not only the most concentrated fuel food in the dietary, but it is one that is very readily utilized in the body, 98 per cent. of it being available for absorption, while within thirty minutes of the time it is taken into the system part of it is available for energy.

As a food it must be supplied, especially to the classes of people mentioned above, but as a confection it can well be curtailed. When it is difficult to obtain, housekeepers must avail themselves of changed recipes and different combinations to supply the necessary three ounces per day and to gain the much-desired sweet taste so necessary to many of our foods of neutral flavor with which sugar is usually combined.

Our grandmothers knew how to prepare many dishes without sugar. In their day lack of transportation facilities, of refining methods and various economic factors made molasses, sorghum, honey, etc., the only common methods of sweetening. But the housekeeper of to-day knows little of sweetening mediums except sugar, and sugar shortage is to her a crucial problem. There are many ways, however, of getting around sugar shortage and many methods of supplying the necessary food value and sweetening.

By the use of marmalades, jams and jellies canned during the season when the sugar supply was less limited, necessity for the use of sugar can be vastly reduced. By the addition to desserts and cereals of dried fruits, raisins, dates, prunes and figs, which contain large amounts of natural sugar, the sugar consumption can be greatly lessened. By utilizing leftover syrup from canned or preserved fruits for sweetening other fruits, and by the use of honey, molasses, maple sugar, maple syrup and corn syrup, large quantities of sugar may be saved. The substitution of sweetened condensed milk for dairy milk in tea, coffee and cocoa—in fact, in all our cooking processes where milk is required—will also immeasurably aid in sugar conservation. The substitutes mentioned are all available in large amounts. Honey is especially valuable for children, as it consists of the more simple sugars which are less irritating than cane sugar, and there is no danger of acid stomach from the amounts generally consumed.

As desserts are the chief factor in the use of quantities of sugar in our diet, the appended recipes will be of value, as they deal with varied forms of nutritious, attractive sugarless desserts. It is only by the one-ounce savings of each individual member of our great one hundred million population that the world sugar shortage may be met, and it is hoped every housekeeper will study her own time-tested recipes with the view of utilizing as far as possible other forms of sweetening. In most recipes the liquid should be slightly reduced in amount and about one-fifth more of the substitute should be used than the amount of sugar called for.

With a few tests along this line one will be surprised how readily the substitution may be made. If all sweetening agents become scarce, desserts can well be abandoned. Served at the end of a full meal, desserts are excess food except in the diet of children, where they should form a component part of the meal.

SUGARLESS DESSERTS

CRUMB SPICE PUDDING

Mix and bake 45 minutes.

TAPIOCA FRUIT PUDDING

Soak fruit in water 1 hour. Add other ingredients. Cook directly over fire 5 minutes, then over hot water until clear, about 45 minutes.

MARMALADE PUDDING

Mix eggs, corn syrup, salt and milk. Dip bread and brown in frying pan. Spread with marmalade or preserves. Pile in baking dish. Cover with any of the custard mixture which is left. Cover with meringue. Bake 15 minutes.

PRUNE ROLL

To prunes, add ½ cup water and soak 10 minutes. Simmer in same water until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain prunes and mash to a pulp. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add beaten egg and milk. Mix to a dough. Roll out thin, spread with prune pulp, sprinkle with two tablespoons sugar. Roll the mixture and place in greased baking dish. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Take half cup of juice from prunes, add 1 tablespoon corn syrup. Bring to boiling point. Serve as sauce for prune roll.

MARMALADE BLANC MANGE

Mix cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold milk. Scald rest of milk, add cornstarch, and stir until thick. Cook over hot water 20 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Cook, stirring 5 minutes. Chill and serve with two whites of eggs, beaten stiff, to which has been added 2 tablespoons orange marmalade. Two ounces grated chocolate and ⅓ cup corn syrup may be substituted for marmalade.

COFFEE MARSHMALLOW CREAM

Soak gelatine in cold water until soft. Add coffee and stir until dissolved. Add other ingredients. Chill. One-quarter cup of marshmallows may be cut up and added just before chilling.

FRUIT PUDDING

Soften the gelatine in 2 tablespoons of the juice or water. Add the rest of the fruit after it has been heated. When the gelatine is dissolved, add the fruit, lemon juice and corn syrup. Pour in mold.

CEREAL AND DATE PUDDING

Cook over hot water until thick, and boil or bake 20 minutes. Serve with hot maple syrup.

BAKED APPLES WITHOUT SUGAR

Fill cored apples with 1 tablespoon honey, corn syrup, chopped dates, raisins, marmalade, or chopped popcorn mixed with corn syrup in the proportion of two tablespoons of syrup to a cup of corn. Put one-quarter inch of water in pan. Bake until tender and serve apples in pan with syrup as sauce.

APPLES AND POPCORN

Core apples. Cut just through the skin around the center of the apple. Fill the center with popcorn and 1 teaspoon of corn syrup. Bake 30 minutes.

MAPLE RICE PUDDING

Cook in top of double boiler or in steamer 35 minutes.

ECONOMY PUDDING

Cook in double boiler until smooth. Serve cold with cream or place in baking dish and bake 20 minutes.

OATMEAL AND PEANUT PUDDING

Mix and bake in greased dish for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold. This is a very nourishing dish.

CHOCOLATE BLANC MANGE

Mix cornstarch with ¼ cup cold milk. Scald rest of milk. Add cornstarch. Cook until thick. Add a little of the hot mixture to the chocolate when melted. Mix all ingredients and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Chill and serve with plain or chopped nuts.

OATMEAL FRUIT PUDDING

Mix well. Bake in greased baking dish 30 minutes

JELLIED PRUNES

Soak washed and scalded prunes in 2 cups cold water 10 minutes. Simmer until tender (about 10 minutes). Soak gelatine in ½ cup cold water. When soft, add to hot prune mixture. When gelatine is dissolved, add other ingredients and place in mold. Chill, and stir once or twice while chilling to prevent prunes settling to bottom of mold.

APPLE PORCUPINES

Core 6 apples. Cut line around apple just through skin. Fill center with mixture of one-quarter cup each of dates, nuts and figs or marmalade, to which has been added one-quarter cup corn syrup or honey. Bake 30 minutes with one-quarter inch water in baking pan. Stick outside of apple with blanched almonds to make porcupine quills.

SCALLOPED FRUIT PUDDING

Put one-quarter of the crumbs on the bottom of a buttered baking pan. Cover with one-half the fruit, one-half the corn syrup, one-half the liquid, one-quarter of the crumbs; the other half of the fruit, juice and corn syrup, and the rest of the crumbs, on top. Bake 20 minutes in a hot oven.

PRUNE FILLING FOR PIE

Wash and scald prunes. Soak ten minutes in the water. Simmer until tender. Rub through colander. Add other ingredients, well blended. Bring to boiling point. Use as filling for pastry.

APPLE AND DATE FILLING

Mix all and use as filling for double crust, or cook until apples are tender. Mix well and use as filling for tarts, etc.

LEMON FILLING FOR PIE

Mix cornstarch and 1 cup water. Add to corn syrup. Cook over direct flame until thick. Cook over hot water 20 minutes. Mix other ingredients. Add one-half cup water and add to other mixture. Cook 5 minutes and use as filling—hot or cold.

SOUR CREAM FILLING FOR CAKE

Soften gelatine in cold water. Add heated cream and when dissolved add other ingredients. Chill and use for cake filling. This is a good way of using up leftover cream which has turned.

MOCK MINCE MEAT FILLING FOR PIE

Mix all. Bring to boiling point and place in double crust pastry or cook until thick and use as filling for tarts.

PUMPKIN FILLING FOR PIE

Mix all ingredients and bake in double crust pastry, or cook and serve in cooked single crust with meringue.

MERINGUE FOR CHOCOLATE, LEMON OR PUMPKIN PIE

Beat whites until very stiff. Add corn syrup by folding in. Do not beat.

WHEATLESS, EGGLESS, BUTTERLESS, MILKLESS, SUGARLESS CAKE

Cook corn syrup, water, raisins, fat, salt and spices slowly 15 minutes. When cool, add flour, soda or baking powder, thoroughly blended. Bake in slow oven 1 hour. The longer this cake is kept, the better the texture and flavor. This recipe is sufficient to fill one medium-sized bread pan.

SOUR MILK GINGER BREAD

Mix soda and molasses. Add other ingredients. Bake in muffin pans 20 minutes or loaf 40 minutes.

MAPLE CAKE

Cream fat, syrup and mapline. Add beaten egg. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk. Add flavoring and nuts last. Beat well. Bake 20 minutes in layer pan. This quantity makes one layer.

COCOANUT SURPRISE

Mix milk, egg yolk and corn syrup. Dip bread in this mixture and brown in frying pan, with small amount of fat. Spread with currant or other tart jelly, preserve or marmalade. Sprinkle with cocoanut and serve as cakes.

SOY BEAN WAFERS

Soak beans over night, boil for 1 hour. Drain. Cool and put through food-chopper. Cream butter and sugar, add beans, egg. Sift flour with baking powder and add to first mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet and bake 8 minutes in a hot oven.

APPLE SPICE CAKE

Cream fat and sugar. Add egg. Alternate dry ingredients (which have been sifted together) with the liquid. Add fruit last. Beat well. Bake as loaf about 15 minutes, or in muffin pans about 25 minutes.

CRISP GINGER COOKIES

Heat molasses and fat until fat is melted. Sift spices with one cup of flour. Dissolve soda in one teaspoon of hot water. Combine all and add enough more flour to make dough stiff enough to roll out. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in moderate oven.

SOFT CINNAMON COOKIES

Mix molasses, fat, and boiling water. Sift dry ingredients. Add the liquid. Add enough more flour (about four cups) to make dough stiff enough to roll out. Cut and bake about 15 minutes in moderately hot oven.

WARTIME FRUIT CAKE

Cream fat, honey and egg. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with milk. Bake in loaf 45 minutes in moderate oven.

HOT WATER GINGER CAKES

Sift dry ingredients. Mix fat, molasses and boiling water. Add dry ingredients. Beat briskly for a few minutes, and pour into greased muffin pans. Bake twenty to thirty minutes in moderate oven.

SPICED OATMEAL FRUIT CAKES

Heat the corn syrup and fat. Sift dry ingredients and add to first mixture. Add fruit last. Bake in muffin pans for 30 minutes.

FRUIT WONDER CAKES

Beat egg white until very stiff. Add other ingredients and place on the wafers. Place under broiler until a delicate brown.

SUGARLESS CANDIES

FRUIT PASTE

Mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Heat corn syrup to the boil, add cornstarch and cook for three minutes. Soften the gelatine in two tablespoons cold water for five minutes; stir into the hot syrup after taking from fire. When gelatine has dissolved add the fruit and nuts and flavoring. Chill, cut in squares, and roll each in powdered sugar.

WARTIME TAFFY

Boil the syrup for fifteen minutes, then add the soda. Cook until a little snaps brittle when dropped in cold water. Add the vinegar when this stage is reached and pour into oiled pans. When cool enough to handle, pull until white; make into inch-thick rolls and clip off into neat mouthfuls with oiled scissors, or chill and break into irregular pieces when cold.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Boil syrup and fat until brittle when tested in cold water. Grease a pan, sprinkle the roasted and shelled peanuts in it, making an even distribution, then turn in the syrup. When almost cold mark into squares. Cocoanut, puffed wheat or puffed rice may be used for candy instead of peanuts.

RAISIN AND PEANUT LOAF

Put equal quantity of seeded raisins and roasted peanuts through the food chopper, using the coarsest blade. Moisten with molasses just enough so that the mixture can be molded into a loaf. Chill, cut and serve as candy. Chopped English walnuts combined with chopped dates or figs make a very delicious loaf sweetmeat.

POPCORN BALLS AND FRITTERS

Cook syrup for fifteen minutes, add vinegar, then when a little snaps when dropped in cold water turn over popped corn, mix well, and form into balls with oiled hands, or if fritters are desired, roll out the mass while warm and cut out with a greased cutter.

COCOANUT LOAF

Mix corn syrup and mapline. Add enough to the dates and cocoanut to form a stiff cake. Mold into neat square at least an inch thick. Let stand in the refrigerator for one hour, then cut in squares and roll each in cornstarch.

STUFFED DATES

Mix one-half cup each of chopped peanuts and raisins. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of cream cheese. Remove stones from fine large dates, and in their place insert a small roll of the cheese mixture. These are nice in place of candy or can be served with salad.

FRUIT LOAF

Put fruit and nuts through the food chopper, using the coarsest blade. Add enough syrup or honey to make a stiff loaf. Place in the refrigerator for one hour; slice and serve in place of candy, rolling each slice in cornstarch.

STUFFED FIGS

Cut a slit in the side of dried figs, take out some of the pulp with the tip of a teaspoon. Mix with one-quarter cup of the pulp and one-quarter cup of finely chopped crystalized ginger, a teaspoon of grated orange or lemon rind; and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Fill the figs with mixture, stuffing them so that they look plump.

SUGARLESS PRESERVES

QUINCE OR PEAR PRESERVES

Steam or cook sliced and pared fruit in small amount of water until tender. Add ginger and corn syrup. Cook 20 minutes slowly. Lemon skins may be used instead of ginger root.

APPLE, QUINCE, PEACH, PEAR OR PLUM JAM

Cook slowly until thick.

PUMPKIN OR CARROT MARMALADE

Reduce 1 pint grape juice one-half by boiling slowly. Add 1 cup vegetables (pumpkin or carrot). Add 2 teaspoons spices and 1 cup corn syrup. Boil until of consistency of honey and place in sterilized jars or glasses.

GRAPE JUICE

Cook grapes in water until soft. Mash; drain through jelly bag or wet cheesecloth. Add corn syrup. Boil 5 minutes. Put into sterilized bottles. If cork stoppers are used cover them with melted sealing wax.

SYRUP FOR SPICED APPLES, PEARS, PEACHES, GRAPES

Boil 5 minutes. Add any fruit and cook slowly 20 minutes or until fruit is clear and syrup thick. If hard fruits, such as pears, quinces, etc., are used, steam for 20 minutes before adding to syrup.

SYRUP FOR CANNED FRUIT

Bring to boiling point. Use same as sugar and water syrup.

SYRUP FOR PRESERVED FRUIT

Use same as water and sugar syrup.

CRANBERRY JELLY

Cook cranberries in water very slowly until tender. Leave whole or press through colander. Measure amount of mixture and add equal amount of corn syrup. Cook slowly until mixture forms jelly when tested on cold plate. Turn into mold which has been rinsed in cold water.

APRICOT AND RAISIN MARMALADE

Soak apricots and raisins in the water two hours. Cook slowly until very soft. Add other ingredients and cook slowly (about 30 minutes) until slightly thick. Place in sterile jars or glasses and seal.