Here are pages 24, 25 and 26 of the WWII ration cookbook titled “Recipes For Today” that was published by General Foods Corporation in 1943. This was during the second world war when the United States was experiencing food rations and shortages (sugar, meat, etc.) and homemakers were looking for creative ways to feed their families.

You can view all the pages in this little book by visiting this category: Recipes For Today (WWII), just click a page title to view that section of the book. You’ll find scans of the pages included below (click pictures to view a larger size) as well as a typed version for easy printing.

• Hurray! There’s no shortage here. Cereals and breads can be our stand-bys! So let’s serve more home-baked hot breads. They offer one of the world’s best ways to pad out slim pickin’s. Learn to make a few of the very best, right here. Then use simple changes for variety. You’ll be saving money, too—and thrift’s a virtue!

Quick breads
A’plenty

GUIDE TO BISCUIT MIXTURES

*If Swans Down Cake Flour is not available, all-purpose flour may be substituted. Use the larger amount of shortening and increase the milk about 2 tablespoons for each cup of flour.

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift again. Cut in shortening until mixture is as fine as meal. Add milk and stir until mixture forms a soft dough. (If using the lower amount of shortening given, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more milk.) Turn out on lightly floured board and knead gently 15 times.

Biscuits. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 2-inch cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in hot oven (450° F.) 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.

Shortcakes. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 3-inch floured cutter. Place half of circles on ungreased baking sheet; brush with melted butter. Place remaining circles on top and butter tops well. Bake in hot oven (450° F.) 15 to 20 minutes. Split apart, spreading soft butter and crushed sweetened fruit between halves of hot shortcakes. Then put together with additional fruit on top. Serve plain or with Whipped Cream (page 37). Makes 8 servings.

Meat Pie Crust. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick; with sharp knife make slits to permit escape of steam. Fit over meat mixture in casserole, moistening edge of casserole and pressing dough against edge to seal. Bake in hot oven (450° F.) about 20 minutes, or until browned.

Dumplings. Sift together dry ingredients, as directed above. Add melted shortening to milk; then add to flour and stir carefully until all flour is dampened and soft dough is formed. Drop from teaspoon onto boiling stew; cover very tightly and cook without removing cover, so that dumplings will be light and fluffy. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, according to size of dumplings. Makes 6 to 8 dumplings.

FRIED WHEAT-MEAL

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups boiling water
3/4 cup Grape-Nuts Wheat-Meal

Add salt to boiling water in saucepan. Add cereal slowly, stirring constantly. Bring again to a boil and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into cold wet mold. (Round baking powder cans are good.) Let stand overnight or until thoroughly cold and firm. Turn from pan, slice in 3/8-inch slices, and saute in small amount of bacon fat or other fat, turning to brown both sides. Serve with Log Cabin Syrup. Makes 6 servings. For variety, add 3 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon or sausage before turning into mold.

CALUMET MUFFINS

2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup milk
3 to 4 tablespoons melted shortening

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, sugar, and salt, and sift again. Combine egg and milk. Add to flour, add shortening, then mix only enough to dampen flour. Bake in greased muffin pans in hot oven (425° F.) 25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Corn Muffins. Use 1 1/4 cups sifted flour and 3/4 cup yellow corn meal instead of 2 cups flour in muffin recipe. Increase baking powder to 2 1/2 teaspoons, sugar to 4 tablespoons, and shortening to 1/3 cup. Makes 10 muffins.

Blueberry Muffins. Increase sugar in muffins to 3 tablespoons and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup blueberries to batter.

Bran Muffins. Decrease sifted flour in muffin recipe to 1 cup and increase baking powder to 2 1/2 teaspoons. Use only 3/4 cup milk. Molasses may be substituted for sugar. Add 1 cup Post’s 40% Bran Flakes or Post’s Raisin Bran to batter. Makes 8 to 10.

FLAKES SANDWICH BREAD

2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons melted shortening
1 cup Post’s Raisin Bran or Grape-Nuts Flakes

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, salt, and sugar, and sift again. Combine egg, milk, molasses, and shortening. Add to flour mixture with flakes, stirring only enough to dampen all flour. Bake in greased loaf pan, 8x4x3 inches, in moderate oven (350° F.) 1 hour, or until done. Cool. Wrap in damp cloth and store several hours or overnight before slicing.

Prune Bread. Add 1 cup cooked, drained, cut prunes with flakes.

Nut Sandwich Bread. Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts with flakes.

HANDY PANCAKES

1 cup sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup Post’s 40% Bran Flakes or Grape-Nuts Flakes*
3 tablespoons melted shortening
Log Cabin Syrup

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, salt, and sugar, and sift again. Combine egg and milk; add gradually to flour, beating only until smooth. Slightly crush flakes and add. Add shortening. Bake on hot greased griddle. Serve with Log Cabin Syrup or honey. Makes about 12 cakes.

*Or use 1 1/3 cups Post’s Corn Toasties for the flakes in this recipe.

Instead of greasing the griddle, you can rub it with a little bag of salt before baking each batch of cakes. This keeps cakes from sticking and saves grease. For bag, tie 1/4 cup salt in cheesecloth.

Meat Rollers. Spread well-seasoned meat mixture on each pancake, roll carefully. Serve with medium white sauce flavored with mustard or sauteed onions. A good meat mixture may be made of 1 1/2 cups ground cooked meat and 2 teaspoons horse-radish mixed with 1/2 cup medium white sauce and seasonings.

Cranberry Rollers. Grate a little orange rind into the above pancake batter. When baked, spread each cake to edge with thick cranberry sauce, roll up lightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with honey, thinned with a little orange juice.

Apple Pancake Dessert. Make double-size pancakes, allowing generous 1/3 cup batter for each. Stack in pile, spreading thick sweetened apple sauce between cakes. Sprinkle top with brown sugar or cinnamon and sugar, or serve with Log Cabin Syrup. Cut in pie-shaped wedges to serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Apple butter, sweetened peaches or berries, pureed prunes or apricots, or fruit jam may also be used as filling for pancakes.