Recipes




In the early 1920s, plain flour was the flour most commonly used. Self raising flour was considered a novelty – consumers bought plain flour direct from the miller and self raising flour was only sold into independent grocers. In a bid to make self raising flour more popular among the general public, the company staged a series of exhibitions in the early 1920s where freshly baked scones, pastries and cakes were sold for a shilling to visitors.
These were so popular that people demanded that they had copies of the recipes so that they could bake the dishes at home.  As a result a free recipe book was produced and handed out at the exhibitions as well as door to door. The Be-Ro cookbook contained recipes to feed hungry families on a very low budget.
The first Be-Ro book was published in 1923. It was aimed squarely at women and their daughters. 
(Source: https://flashbak.com/be-ro-home-recipes-scones-cakes-pastry-puddings-a-1923-cookbook-primer-41260/). Notice the emphasis in the literature on becoming a better housewife at a young age by using Be-Ro products as well always using a “HOT OVEN” as opposed to an oven set at a particular temperature.

Peering into these recipes is close to taking a glimpse into the kitchen of long ago. One gets to view, not only the hand-writing, but the thoughts of the author at the time. The substitutions…why?

Courtesy of Kelly Herzog
Courtesy of Kelly Herzoy
La Var McDonald was Len McDonald. He went by La Var until 1952 when his father died. His father went by Len. When his father died, my dad took on the name of Len which was his first name originally.
Found this in an old, well-loved recipe book.