I have tried every way I can think of to research the beginnings of Hoosier Peanut Bars. The name sounds like something from the 1930s and I found out that a version of the bar cookies were entered into the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1949 by Edgar Bleeke of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He won, by the way.
My version is based on a recipe from a 1950′s cookbook put out by the Federation of Women’s Clubs, who ever that was. It is a collection of recipes from all over the country and is truly falling apart on me. I love these old cookbooks. The recipes change from decade to decade and you can see how America’s tastes have changed. I would love to say that they have evolved but in most cases that wouldn’t be true. Continue reading
