Iceboxes

Linderhof was built in the 20s

In the back hall, off the kitchen,

there was an

"Icebox"

And ice was delivered regularly -- in the back door (up three steps) and the ice was put in top.

We even had a drain to drain the water from the icebox.

And icebox is what I call the box in the kitchen that keeps food cool.

Because Mom did

Because Grandma did 

Mom never had an "icebox" -- always an electric cooling box

But Grandma did, I am sure, for she was born in 1897

And even though she was old fashioned and called her cooling box

an icebox, I never asked her when she got her first refrigerator!

At Linderhof, I am sure in the late 20s, that there was a fridge . . . 

But whether it remained in the back hall

or got upgraded to the kitchen I don't know!

I do know that in the late 40s

After the war

the owners of Linderhof

updated the house

the light fixtures in all the rooms

And the kitchen went from an unfitted one to

cabinets and the sink was built in

They were wood

And they were PINK!

I wonder if the fridge after that remodel was a pink one!

I'll never know!

Our "icebox" is a big stainless steel one

A French door one

because that's the only way I could get the doors opened

Space is tight in the kitchen!

Back in the day, when Linderhof was young

"icebox" cooking became all the rage

Cookies and cakes

I like icebox cookies -- you can slice and bake

as many as you need

a couple for afternoon tea

A plateful to take somewhere or if you have company for tea

Some of my favorite "Icebox cookies"

Lemon and Basil "Slice and Bakes"

(the 21st century name for "Icebox Cookies!)

Chocolate Shot Icebox Cookies

Orange Ginger Icebox Cookies

And then there are cakes . . . 

Chocolate Mocha Icebox Cake

(I'm particularly fond of this one because it is round and really looks like a cake)

Chocolate Eclair Cake

(Made in a 9 x 13 pan)

Icebox cakes are easy and when summer temps soar are a good dessert to fix for you don't have to heat up the oven!

They're layers of cookies or graham crackers which soften in the icebox since they are enrobed in

a creamy pudding.    After a night in the "icebox", the soften crackers or cookies really taste like cake!

They're old recipes, their icebox desserts . . . dating from that 1920s icebox that once lived at Linderhof.     They were all the rage and housewives proudly served this new type of dessert.

Why "icebox", I wonder . . . for by the time they came along, they were refrigerators and not iceboxes.    Perhaps because icebox seems more descriptive.

Whatever the reason, they are delicious and cool desserts and we love making them

especially in the summer

at Linderhof.