Junior League Cookbooks & Pumpkin Flan

If you are a lady who loves to cook and entertain guests then you probably are well aware of the Junior League cookbooks. The Junior League cookbooks are considered to be the crème de la crème when it comes to community made cookbooks.



For the past three years I have been a member of The Junior League, for two of those years I have been a member of The Pasadena Junior League. Before that, I was a member of The Pensacola Florida League and The Orange County League.Throughout this journey, I have made it my mission to collect as many Junior League Cookbooks as I can.

The very first Junior League cookbook was published in 1940 from The Junior League of Augusta, and it was called; " Recipes from Southern Kitchens". I can only imagine all of the marvelous recipes in which that cookbook holds. Oh, what I would give to own a copy of that book!!! I have searched on Ebay and Amazon. Every time I visit a used bookstore I ask them if they have heard of this cookbook, but I just can't seem to be able to find a copy in print. Oh well, I can dream.

The original purpose of the Junior League cookbooks were to support local community programs.

Ever since then, Junior League members across the globe have been heading to the kitchen to raise money to improve their communities.

Today there are more than 200 League cookbooks in print!

Recently, The Association of Junior Leagues International has gathered much attention from Hollywood movies such as "The Help".

The Junior Leaguers portrayed in" The Help" seemed so gossipy, superficial and they were the "Mean Girls" of high society. While I loved the movie and the book, I could by no means relate to those women on a character level.

Yes, we Junior Leaguers are known for loving our pearls, pumps, hats and dresses . . .

The Junior Leaguers I know are a group of hardworking, dedicated women who enjoy volunteering, raising funds and creating education, cultural awareness and hope for everyone and anyone who needs it in their community.

 But back to my story. . .

This is our Pasadena Junior League Headquarters House

 

Yesterday, my committee meeting met in the library of our Junior League headquarters house. I happened to arrive a little early before anyone else was there and as I looked around the library, I noticed all of the Pasadena Junior League cookbooks from years past.

I love looking through old cookbooks, it has become a hobby of mine. I picked-up one cookbook in particular circa 1964 and began to read some of the recipes.

This was not just any old cookbook, this was The Junior League of Pasadena‘s classic Pasadena Prefers cookbook from 1964. While reading through this particular cookbook, I was immediately transported back  to a simpler time. It was the early 1960's.

When reading The Pasadena Prefers Cookbook, it is evident just whom this cookbook was written for. It was written for a particular type of woman; the affluent Pasadena, Southern Californian suburban housewife. In the introduction of the book there are a few pages dedicated to help women plan the perfect dinner party or afternoon tea. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this fabulous book and party planning guide.

I happen to have my eye on a few Junior League cookbooks in particular:

The Plantation Cookbook from The Junior League of New Orleans from 1972

As well as the book below

This is by far my favorite Junior League cookbook of all time!

 

I guess I wanted to give you a quick little history lesson on Junior League cookbook history before I shared today's fabulous fall recipe!
Today's recipe is brought to you by The Pasadena Junior League's award winning cookbook;


Pumpkin Flan


What you'll need:

2 1/2 cups sugar


1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups pureed cooked pumpkin or canned pumpkin

5 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped cream sweetened with vanilla and sugar for garnish

What you will do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a heavy skillet over low heat until a golden syrup forms, stirring constantly. Immediately pour the caramel into a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish, tilting the dish to coat the bottom evenly.



Combine the remaining 1 cup sugar, the cinnamon and salt in a bowl and mix well. Add the pumpkin and eggs and stir until blended. Stir in the evaporated milk, water and vanilla. Spoon the pumpkin mixture over the prepared layer. Set the souffle dish in a large baking pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the dish on a wire rack. Chill, covered, until serving time.


Run a knife around the side of the dish to loosen the flan and invert onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges and garnish each serving with a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 9.

Yummy! Is it just me or are you hungry too? Okay, so if you are interested in purchasing one of our lovely Pasadena Junior League Cookbooks, you may do so. All proceeds go to the Junior League. You can buy your own copy by clicking HERE . I promise you will LOVE this cookbook and at such a great price for only $20!

Blessings,