Mad Men Dutch Cinnamon Apple Cake from 1963 New York Times

Whoo Hoo! Tomorrow is the Season Premiere of Mad Men on AMC. Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet and I are creating some Mad Men inspired drinks and food. Yesterday, I made Broiled Nectarines Halves from the 1963 Sunset Magazine.

Thirsty? Mary recommends two cocktails! A Salvatore Romano inspired Limoncello drink and Late-Harvest Wine and Campari cocktails.

To celebrate Mad Men's advertising firm heading into 1963 this season, I browsed recipes in the New York Times. They would print menu suggestions every few days in 1963! I picked Dutch Cinnamon Apple Cake from the September 5, 1963 New York Times.

This recipe is way old school. Like when we thought shortening was the bomb. Sure, what could be bad about taking some fat and solidifying it?

I also brought out a 40 year old electric mixer....a precursor of my KitchenAid.

The cake was easy to make and used up some apples I had in the refrig. Was it my favorite apple cake recipe? No (although using butter instead of shortening would probably bump the taste level up)...but I'm glad to go "back in time" and try something that Peggy Olson might bake for Father Gill! (Tom Hank's son is great in Mad Men)

Make a fun avatar on the Mad Men website!

Dutch Cinnamon Apple Cake
Adapted from: New York Times, September 5, 1963
1. Sift together: 1 1/2 c flour , 2 t baking powder, 1/2 t salt - set aside
2. Cream: 1/3 c shortening, 3/4 c sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon
3. Beat in 1 egg
4. Add flour mixture alternatively with 1/2 c milk
5. (I added 1/2 t vanilla to the milk)
6. Place batter in 9 x 9 pan (buttered and floured)
7. Peel, core and slice 2 tart cooking apples (I used three small granny smith apples). Place on top of batter.
8. Sprinkle over apples: 2 T sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon. Dot with 2 T butter.
9. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.

Mad Men, Season Premiere, AMC, Sunday, August 16, 2009, 10:00 pm

Mad Men Premiere...Broiled Nectarine Halves from 1963 Sunset Magazine

Do you watch Mad Men on AMC?
No?

[Just a second. Let me regroup. I'm kinda off-balance right now because today my doctor took me off dairy for a few weeks. No butter. No brain.]

What?!!! You don't watch Mad Men?

Honey, clear your schedule. Grab a cocktail and the remote. Heat up a TV dinner and pop yourself in front of the TV this Sunday night for the season premiere of Mad Men's 3rd Season.

Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet and I will be. Along with a love of food, baking, and Dorie Greenspan, I discovered that we share a freaking awesome name and a love of Mad Men (and Jon Hamm)!

Jon Hamm. Swoon.
He's so Tiger Beat terrific.
Well, sans the excessive drinking, cigarettes, and countless affairs. But damn, he's so hot.

So Mary and I decided to make something in honor of one of our favorite shows! Mary made a cocktail...and I, being a LIBRARIAN and all...went researching!

I went straight to the library's collection of 1963 issues of Sunset Magazine (Mad Men is heading into 1963 this season). After laughing at some of the advertisements, my eyes fell onto this headline:

The Peach with No Fuzz

The nectarine is a fuzzless form of the peach...

Ha ha ha ha. Those were the years...1963. Before the nectarine was on every corner.

I doubt Jon Hamm's character Don Draper would eat these...because there is no alcohol or cigarettes in them. But perhaps Betty and her friends might make these at the end of a special dinner...and at least the West Coast advertising agency of Food & Librarian enjoyed them! ;)

Cut unpeeled, medium-sized nectarines in halves. Remove pits. Dip in melted butter or margarine (I skipped this). Arrange cut-side-up on broiler tray. Sprinkle each half with about 1 teaspoon sugar and dash nutmeg. Broil 6 inches below heat until fruit is heated and butter bubbles - about 6 minutes. (Yeah, perhaps a sheet of parchment paper wasn't the best idea. Stick with foil instead).

With a dollop of the vanilla ice cream. It's like eating pie a la mode without the crust!

Be sure to check out Mary's Mad Men inspired Cocktail in her post. And she is coming up with another cocktail too!

Coming up later...a treat from the New York Times 1963 newspaper (yes, I went researching there too. Oh, stop. Please don't judge my librarian mind. Just set your DVR.)

Mad Men, Season Premiere, AMC, Sunday, August 16, 2009