A few weeks ago, with Thanksgiving dinner no doubt on her mind, Arlene Birdsall of Lake Stevens wrote to say, “I’m hoping some of your readers might be able to help me. I am looking for a recipe published in a lot of women’s magazines in the early 1970s.”
She went on to tell us that she’d exhausted all other possibilities, including combing Internet sources, for what she described as “a pumpkin pudding-type cake. The first layer was a yellow cake mix (not mixed according to directions on the box), followed by a layer of pumpkin mixture and then, the final step was to pour hot water over the top before baking.
“When it was done,” she said, “the pumpkin pudding mixture was on the bottom and there was a cake layer on the top. It was very good, and everyone who tried it wanted the recipe.”
I think we can assume, then, that everybody who makes the following recipe will be asked for a copy, so be prepared. Let’s thank Camano Island cook Sally Lathrop for sharing the particulars with us. For those who don’t want to have to buy a can of prepared pumpkin pie mix, she even includes a do-it-ourselves version.
Next, is leftover turkey a blessing or a curse? Some of us love it and plan to have a hefty amount available to enjoy after the big dinner. Others of us consider it an unfortunate but necessary nuisance …
Whatever your stance on this subject, Jo Bee of Camano Island supplies us with a recipe designed to please everybody.
“Here’s a recipe that is just in time for Thanksgiving and leftover turkey,” she says. “It was a family favorite from the 1960s. We used to make jokes about turketti at the Thanksgiving dinner table – the more turkey leftovers there were, the more months of turketti there would be.”
Pumpkin custard cake
1package yellow cake mix
11/3cups water
3eggs
2cups (1 18-ounce can) pumpkin pie mix (see note)
2eggs
1/2cup boiling water
Grease bottom only of 9-by-13-inch pan (if leftover cake is expected, Pyrex is best) and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, 11/3 cups water and the 3 eggs; blend and beat as directed on cake package. Pour into prepared pan and set aside. In medium mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin pie mix and remaining 2 eggs; pour evenly over cake batter, then pour the boiling water over entire surface.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator.
Makes one 9-by-13-inch pan.
Note: If desired, instead of using the canned pumpkin pie mix, substitute 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 21/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, mixing thoroughly.
Turketti
1/2cup diced onion
1tablespoon butter
1 1/2cups spaghetti, broken in 3-inch pieces, cooked and drained
2cups bite-size leftover cooked turkey
1/4cup diced pimiento
1can cream of mushroom soup
1/2cup turkey or chicken broth
1/2teaspoon salt
1/8teaspoon pepper
13/4cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Saute onion in butter, then turn into casserole dish and add spaghetti, turkey, pimiento, soup, broth, salt, pepper and 1 cup of the cheese. Mix thoroughly, until ingredients are evenly distributed. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
The Forum is always happy to receive your contributions and requests, so don’t hesitate to send them along to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
Please remember that all letters and all e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
Meanwhile, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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