That Childhood Dessert From the Fifties That We Loved So Much

Just amazing what our mom could do with her creativity to keep my brothers and me happy. One of her most famous creations we couldn't get enough of was a dessert out of a can. At least the beginning of the dessert.

First let me introduce you to our mother. Her maiden name was Amundson. Karen Alette Amundson. Over the years she became affectionately known as "Letty," or "Karen," but in her home in Rothsay, Minnesota she was always known as Alette (pronounced Aletta), or Alett for short. The shortened version Alett, went very well with the short and clipped sounds of the Norwegian that I remember.

I imagine Mom was creative for a variety of reasons. The government ration book of the war years allowed certain things and she used what she had, or maybe this tasty dessert was handed down for generations. Or, maybe it was because she didn't have much time to spend on cooking after coming home from work. Mom was one of two women in our neighborhood in the forties and fifties that worked outside their homes. The other mom was a widow. Whatever her motivation was, this dessert delighted us every time!

It was a big deal when we saw the new can she was about to open. It was time to gloat around neighborhood friends we had in our alley. Na-na-na-na! We get dessert tonight! All the alley games stopped to hear once again the full story of this concoction; baseball, marbles, tag, or Red Rover, it all came to a stop to hear the description. Life was so good!

Well, that's my story of the world's greatest dessert from childhood. Oh, I'll bet you wanted to know just what it was, is?? Here it is, get out the pencils. The can was the biggest we could afford, full of sweet peaches. Mom got out the chipped cereal bowls and crumbled up at least two whole graham crackers in the bottom of each bowl. Then she got Grandma's big "grey spoon" (it was silver but it looked grey to us and remains "the grey spoon" to this day.) Wonder if my brothers realize I have Grandma's grey spoon in my silverware drawer? Got sidetracked there. Up comes a huge spoonful of the juicy peaches over the graham crackers and it softens the crunchy-ness a little. Out of habit we chimed in at the same time, "more juice please mom." She was so accommodating! Next came the whipped cream, real whipped cream from the farm. Thick, so thick you could whip it up with a fork and just full of butter fat. Who knows how much butter fat, we didn't care. When Grandma brought fresh cream, the fresh home-made butter came with it. The whipped cream was generously poured over everything until it looked like the bowl was nothing but cream. Everyone should have such childhood memories.

Back to the twenty-first century. I went out to the kitchen to help with clean-up and guess what? Jim is fixing the world's greatest childhood dessert! Every step the same, crunched up graham crackers, canned peaches with plenty of juice. But the cream is different, it's Reddi-whips finest canned whipped cream. The taste is great, crackers a little crunchy and a little soft from the peach juice. Peaches sweet and the cream passes the test. Still have the memory of every detail from happy days, and now you do too.

Have any memories of childhood desserts from creative moms or dads?