As Christmas nears, many take to the kitchen to bake holiday goodies. But people don’t always bake like they used to.

In this fast-paced era, people often turn to online recipes often designed for speed and ease, while more complex recipes are often left to the professionals.

However, recipes from another era still offer a glimpse back to a time when baking was less about convenience, and some of those recipe books are housed at The Mower County Historical Society. Some, like a divinity recipe, are seen as fussy and complex by today’s standards.

“I don’t think we have the patience and there weren’t the distractions back then,” MCHS Museum Assistant Rosemary Shutt said. “You knew you were going to spend the whole day baking.”

The divinity recipe and several others are part of the cookbook “What’s Cooking in Austin, Minn.,” which was published by a Methodist women’s society.

Curator Jaimie Timm and Shutt estimated the recipes date to the 1950s, because the 1940s had sugar rationing and the recipes appeared to be post-World War II.

“They just cooked differently after that,” Timm said.

“They kind of went sugar crazy after that,” she added.

Another cookbook housed at the historical society is “The County Kitchen: the Northwestern Farmer Recipe Book,” which was published in St. Paul.

Both cookbooks harken to the time when baking was much more than a chore.

“They were willing to do more and take a little bit more time,” Timm said. “And I think baking was still kind of like an art form for them.”

Here are some recipes from the historical society archives to help get in the holiday spirit:

Kolacky

For pastry

2 cups milk

1 cake yeast

⅓ cup sugar

½ cup butter

3 egg yolks

½ tsp. grated lemon rind

1 quart flour

1 egg white

Filling:

1 ½ cup prunes

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. cloves

Mix butter, sugar and salt well. Add egg yolks, lemon rind and mix well. Add warm milk, flour and yeast. Fold in the egg white. Knead dough until it does not stick. Let stand to rise. Knead down and let rise again. Then make small balls and press center down with your finger. Fill center with 1 tsp filling and brush top with butter. Let rise again for about 30 minutes. Bake in hot oven (400F) for 12-15 minutes. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Rosette Wafer

2 eggs

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 cup flour (more if necessary)

Stir eggs well with fork and add sugar. Add flour and milk immediately. A smooth batter is essential. If necessary, pour the batter through a sieve. This amount make 40 wafers. Put rosette iron into hot lard or oil to heat before dipping it in the batter; not letting the batter come over the top of iron. Return it to the hot lard or oil, thoroughly covering with the same for at least 20 seconds, but no more than 35 seconds. Delicious served with fruit, nuts, and cream, creamed, meats, fish, fowl and vegetables or just plain dipped in sugar.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening

1 ½ cup sugar

2 eggs

Sifttogether and add:

1 ¾ cups sifted flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. soda

½ tsp. salt

Chill dough. Roll in small balls in a mixture of 2 tbsp. Sugar and 2 tsp. Cinnamon. Place 2 inches apart on a un-greased cookie sheet.

Crisp Molasses Cookies

¾ cup lard

4 cups flour

1 ½ cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 eggs

1 tsp. ginger

¾ cup molasses

4 leveled tbsp. soda dissolved in 4 tsp. hot water

Follow usual procedure in mixing cookies. Roll ¼ inch thick and cut. Grease cookie sheet. Bake in a moderate oven. This is a big batch.

Pecan Butterballs

½ cup butter

2 tbsp. strained honey

1 cup sifted flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Powdered sugar

Work butter until creamy. Stir in honey, add remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Chill 1 hour, form into walnut-size balls. Place on greased sheet and bake in slow oven 300F for 35-40 minutes or until delicately brown. Roll immediately in powdered sugar. Cool and roll again in sugar. Makes 26 balls.

Cranberry Bread

2 cups sifted flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. soda

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup orange juice

Grated rind of 1 orange

2 tbsp. hot water

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup halved cranberries.

Sift dry ingredients. Beat egg until light. Combine with orange juice, butter and water. Add dry ingredients all at once. Stir until just blended. Stir in nuts, cranberries and orange rind. Pour into greased loaf pan or 2 small ones. Bake for 60-70 minutes at 375F. Store 24 hours before serving.

Ambrosia

6 oranges (peeled and sliced)

1 coconut (grated)

White sugar

Arrange in a dish; one layer of oranges, 1 layer of coconut, sprinkle with sugar, and repeat until dish is full. To be made 3 hours before serving.

Molasses Ginger Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup molasses

3 tsp. ginger

½ tsp. salt

3 tsp. soda dissolved in ½ cup hot water

5 cups flour (or more) for mixing and rolling.

Roll out about ¼ inch thick and cut. Sprinkle with sugar. Do not overbake.

Fudge (Never Fail)

2 cups sugar

1 square baking chocolate

½ cup light corn syrup or 4 tbsp. cocoa

½ cup cold water

1 tsp. vanilla

Nuts if desired

Boil sugar, syrup, milk, and butter together until it forms a soft ball when tested in cold water. Remove from heat and add chocolate, beat and add vanilla and nuts.

Ginger Cream Drop Cookies

½ cup sugar

2 ¼ cup shortening

1 egg

½ cup molasses

2 cups flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. cloves

¼ tsp. allspice

1 tsp. soda in ½ cup boiling water

Drop by teaspoonful on greased cookie sheets. Bake, cool and frost with creamy powdered sugar frosting.

Pop Corn Balls

2 cups white sugar

1 tbsp. butter

1 cup white corn syrup

¼ cup cream

1 tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

[3-4 quarts of unseasoned, popped popcorn]

Cook to soft ball stage in cold water, then add vanilla. This makes enough syrup for 3 to 4 quarts of unseasoned popped corn. Butter hands to aid in making the balls.

Ice Cream

1 pint or 2 cups thick sweet cream; the same quantity of sweet milk

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp. cornstarch

⅛ tsp. Salt

Put the milk on stove to boil in a clean skillet or tin pail (custard kettle works best). Dissolve cornstarch in cold milk and stir it into the boiling milk, stir well for a few minutes. Then add sugar and salt. Remove from heat and add the well-beaten egg. Stir constantly to prevent egg from cooking. Set away to get cold, then add the cream and flavoring, and the mixture is ready for freezing.

Date Bars

5 eggs, well-beaten

3 tbsp. flour

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 cups dates

1 cup nuts

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients. Bake in slow oven (300F). Cut and roll in sugar.

Date Roll Cookies

Cream together:

1 cup shortening

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

Add 3 well-beaten eggs

Add:

4 cups sifted flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. cold water

Filling:

1 lb. pitted dates

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

Cook until soft paste

Roll dough, spread with cooled filling and roll like a jelly roll. Slice and bake at 350F.

Mince Meat

3 lbs. beef (neck preferred)

1 lb. suet

½ peck apples

1 ½ cups vinegar

2 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1-2 tbsp. Cloves

2 lb. raisins

1 lb. currants

5 cups sugar

1 quart cranberries

1 pint strawberries

Chop fine and cook until thick. Will keep in open jar.