All The Single Ladies: Chocolate Beau Catchers

I love old cookbooks.  Every time I visit an antique store or used book store I find myself bringing home "just one more."  The best is when they've been used, and written in.  Sometimes I find a star drawn next to a recipe.  The original owner must have thought that recipe was good.  That's usually the first recipe I try!  Sometimes the pages are dog-eared, so I know something on that page caught their attention.  Another aspect of vintage cookbooks that I really like is the titles.  Some of them make no bones about their purpose.  The titles read something like, "How To Trap Yourself A Man."  My latest find was a cookbook called "12 Pies Husbands Like Best."  I haven't tried those 12, so I don't have any feedback from my husband yet.  I received this cookbook from a friend several years ago.  While the title is benign, one of the recipes caught my eye and made me laugh.  Chocolate Beau Catchers.  That's gotta be better than Love Potion #9.  I didn't bake them, cuz I already have a beau.  But I thought the single ladies might want to give them a try!

Here's the cookbook

This was written inside.  I love it!  (And I'm not even Roberta)

Well you know what they say?  A way to a man's heart is through his stomach...

Originally printed in the  We Cook in Maracaibo Cookbook

Published by:
Donna Rankin
Lila Kennedy
Jere Edwards
Helen Lilly
of
Maracaibo, Venezuela
1967

Bake 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 min.

Sift Together:

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Blend In:

1 1/2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 unbeaten egg

Add 1/2 cup milk alternately with dry ingredients.  Stir in 1 1/4 cup (8 ounces) cut dates and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.  Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet.

Browned Butter Frosting:

Brown 1/4 cup butter in saucepan.  Blend in 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons water until of desired consistency.
- Edith Knauer

The inside text of the book reads:

The Women who compiled this book,
collected the recipes from their
friends and neighbors who live in
Maracaibo or who have lived in
Maracaibo at some time.
This is a book for cooking not
for profit.  The proceeds from the
book will go to pay for the printing only.

Chocolate Beau Catchers