I HAD that cookbook! The Betty Crocker Cooking for Boys and Girls. I loved it! I made so many recipes from that book. I remember a fantastic peanut butter fudge recipe. I started out cooking in the 4th grade. Maybe even before. My mom let me make cakes and muffins out of mixes, and jello. I loved making whipped jello. But when I graduated to that cookbook, I thought I had arrived! I still love cooking today. My mom was a fantastic cook - she taught me everything. She just turned 87 last Sunday and still cooks almost every night for herself and my dad.
My grandmother was cooking for all of us until about the age of 93 :-)
I remember cooking first from the Betty Crocker book, the sugar cookies; and there was a strange fudge recipe using cocoa powder that my brother loved - I made that for him every Christmas, for a very long time.
Another first thing that I recall making, is blueberry muffins - from a mix. We had just gotten a new stove, and I can still see that pretty new stove, and smell blueberry muffins.
I am so glad that you remember the book!
-JT
Oh, my. Peanut Butter Fudge!! Please share the recipe. I’ve made chocolate fudge but never peanut butter.
Here’s the fudge recipe on page 56:
Chocolate Fudge
Mix in sauce pan - 1 C sugar and 1/3 C cocoa
Stir in - 1/4 C butter, 1/3 C milk and 1 T light corn syrup
Bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Take from heat.
Add immediately - 3 C sifted confectioner’s sugar, 1 t vanilla and 1/2 C chopped nuts
Stir until sugar is completely blended. Turn into 8” square pan and pat out with fingers. Cool. Cut into squares.
Also on that page is Wheaties Ting-A-Lings - Melt two 6 oz packages semi-sweet chocolate pieces (notice today’s packages are different weights from yesterday’s weight) over hot water (we always stirred in Gulf Wax to make it harder and shiny but some say that’s not healthy). Cool. Gently stir in 4 C Wheaties (or other cereal). Drop with tablespoon onto waxed paper. Chill until chocolate is set, about 2 hours. Makes about 42 clusters.
Wait, you said peanut butter fudge. No, there isn’t one with peanut butter in the book, only the plain one I posted.