PILCO Holiday Dessert Cookbook 1980 recipes by Home Office Employees and family members of Peoples Life Insurance Company, Washington DC 1980 proceeds to benefit the Children’s Hospital
This was a cute cookbook! Each recipe is illustrated (by Jackie Nunes, General Agencies) and all most all with a picture that coordinates with the recipe. It is not spiral bound but bound by circular clips at the top that actually make it really easy for the book to sit flat. There are recipes on both sides of the page.
Every recipe is credited with who contributed it and their connection to the company.
Special to this book is a lot of notes from a previous owner. Even before she mentioned it, I guessed her birthday was in August because she baked a lot in August! I love seeing these notes. She often dated when she first made the recipes, any thoughts or changes and if someone else had made it.
The recipes are pretty varied too! Brownies, sweet quick breads, candy, Brunch cakes, and cookies from a few different regions including Italy, Sweden, Greece and Switzerland and a dessert from Diane Lee (wife of Dai Lee, Programming) for Peking Dust which includes kumquat, cherries, lotus seed and which she describes as a “…classic Northern sweet. The addition of vanilla and the whipped cream topping is a western touch which vastly improves this dessert.”.
It also included one joke recipe.
And one recipe for “Christmas Tree Preserver & Fire Retardant” by Jimmy Kidd, S.V. & B.
Marge Sherald (wife of Chuck Sherald, Accounting) contributed a recipe for Black Bottom Cups which I believe is regional and what my family made for holidays growing up.
