In A Prune Spin

Dorothy Parker’s short story, ”The Bolt Behind the Blue”(ca 1940), is about two sort-of friends, one rich and bored, the other poor and obsequious (at least on the outside). The rich lady, Mrs. Hazelton, makes herself feel better by giving Mary Nicholl her worn-out handbags and the occasional cocktail. Miss Nicholl, in turn, flatters Mrs H. and tells self-deprecating stories about herself and Idabel Christie, another friend, who like to go to the Candlewick Tea Room for dinner.

Mrs. Hazelton is horrified by the very idea of the tea room but even more by what Mary has there: “…those yummy sticky rolls, served in baskets, and that prune spin with maraschino cherries in it. Idabel Christie likes the fudge cup-custard, but I can’t resist the prune spin.” 

Michael and Jane Stern discuss the tearoom in their wonderful book Square Meals (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984), calling it a place for “frilly” ladies’ lunches often found in city department stores, where one or two women could dine peacefully, free from masculine intrusion. They say that “the label tearoom distinguished these citadels of femininity from the serious restaurants in town, as well as from plebeian coffee shops.” [p. 8]

Ever since I read “The Bolt Behind the Blue” I wondered – well, about the prune spin. The custard and the sticky rolls sounded good to me too (although not your usual evening meal – Mary and Idabel went at 6 pm, so I guess it was almost a late afternoon tea) – but what in the world was a prune spin?

I am here to report that I think it is analogous to the classic Prune Whip. There are plenty of prune desserts in 1930s and 1940s cookbooks. It must have been a special name that the Candlewick Tea Room in Parker’s story gave to the plebeian Whip. Spin sounds a little bit snazzier, doesn’t it? Here is a recipe for the very same, complete with a maraschino cherry (feel free to add more, in the style of Miss Mary Nicholl):

PRUNE CREAM WHIP

5 cooked prunes, drained
1 Tb confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp orange juice
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped

Pit and cut prunes, mix with next two ingredients and chill. Whip cream, add chilled mixture and top with maraschino cherry if desired. [From Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, Ruth Berolzheimer, ed. New Revised Deluxe Edition, 1971; orig. pub. 1948, p. 909]

This is for one serving of course. If Idabel can be persuaded away from the fudge custard, merely double the ingredients. Image is from the Library of Congress American Memory collection, link here: it depicts the Marshall Field & Co. tearoom in 1909. [It is originally from  the Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.]

Marshmallow Dénouement: Dachshund and Giraffe

The final marshmallow critters – Fritz the Dachshund and my personal favorite, George the Giraffe.

GLUE FOR MARSHMALLOW FAVORS

1 1/2 cups unsifted confectioner’s sugar
1 egg white, unbeaten

In small bowl of electric mixer on medium, beat sugar with egg white until mixture is thick enough to hold a definite shape. Keep glue covered with damp cloth until ready to use. Makes about half a cup. When using on favors, let glue dry completely on each part before going on to next part.

FRITZ THE DACHSHUND

1. For body, string 5 large marshmallows on a wooden skewer.
2. Make each leg with 2 mini marshmallows on half of a wooden pick. Insert 2 legs into each end of body; then insert into inverted paper plate, for support.
3. Make head: Cut ears and nose from brown paper. Make slits with wet knife in a large marshmallow: insert ears and nose. Glue small piece of licorice candy to nose; add 2 pieces of licorice string to head, for eyes. Att ach head to body with wooden pick.

GEORGE THE GIRAFFE

1. For neck, insert a wooden skewer through centers of 7 mini marshmallows. Insert into apple, for support, while making head.
2. Make head add another mini marshmallow to neck, inserting skewer through side. Glue a mini marshmallow to last marshmallow on neck, flat ends together. Add pieces of licorice string, for eyes. Cut ears from white paper. make slits in head with wet knife; insert ears.
3. Use large marshmallow for body. Insert neck into body. Insert 4 wooden picks on underside of body, for legs; insert legs into inverted paper plate, for support.

And there you have it! For the rest of the marshmallow series:

The whole kit and caboodle: group photo!

Part 1: Lamb and Piglet

Part 2: Snowman and Turtle

Part 3: Poodle and Hippo

Part 4: Elephant and Lion

Part 5: Three Little Seagulls