Welcome back to The Lost Cookbooks Show! If you have not checked out our YouTube Channel go over and watch The Lost Cookbooks Show. For Episode Four, we are diving deep into the wholesome, rustic flavors of the 1940s. We recently unearthed a delightful treasure from The Art of Simplified Cooking (published in 1940): a classic recipe for Southern Corn Sticks. But what makes this bake truly special isn’t just the recipe—it’s the unique glassware used to bring it to life.

The Miracle Maize Glass Corn stick Dish

If you watched this week’s episode, you probably noticed the beautiful, quirky glassware we used to bake our corn sticks. This is the Miracle Maize glass baking dish.

• Origins: The story begins with Little Crow Foods, a company founded in 1903 in Warsaw, Indiana, originally operating as a flour mill.
• The Pivot: After a devastating fire destroyed their mill in 1919, the company pivoted to selling packaged mixes.
• The Mix: By 1939, they introduced the highly popular “Miracle Maize” corn bread and muffin mix.
• The Partnership: To promote this new mix during the 1940s, Little Crow Foods partnered with the Indiana Glass Company to manufacture a specialized promotional baking dish.
• The Design: This heavy, clear glass pan features six distinct compartments shaped exactly like ears of corn, yielding perfectly detailed corn sticks. The words “Miracle Maize” are proudly embossed directly onto the glass handles.
• Legacy: Measuring roughly 12 inches long by 6.25 inches wide, these dishes have become highly sought-after vintage farmhouse collectibles today—a charming relic of mid-century American home baking.
• War: There was a specific reason the promotional Miracle Maize pan was crafted from heavy pressed glass. During wartime, the War Production Board claimed all available iron, steel, and aluminum for military supplies like tanks and planes. As a result, classic cast-iron cornbread molds were no longer available to the public. Glassmakers saw an opportunity and filled the gap, making heat-resistant glass the new standard for home baking.

A Taste of 1940: Southern Corn Sticks

Using our Miracle Maize glass dish, we put The Art of Simplified Cooking’s “Southern Corn Sticks” to the test. We use sour milk (a staple in older recipes, akin to modern buttermilk). The high heat of 425°F ensures they get that signature Southern crust.

Yield: 8 | Temperature: 425°F | Time: 20 MIN.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sour milk
• 3 tbsp. melted shortening
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ cups corn meal
• ¾ cup flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. soda (baking soda)

Instructions

1. Beat: In a mixing bowl, beat the 2 eggs until light and well combined.
2. Add: Stir in the 2 cups of sour milk, 3 tablespoons of melted shortening, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. Sift Together: In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together: 1 ½ cups corn meal, ¾ cup flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
4. Combine & Bake: Fold the sifted dry mixture into the liquid mixture until just combined. Pour the batter into well-buttered corn stick molds and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes until perfectly golden brown.

The cookbook says it yields 8. I’m assuming that is 8 servings of 2 corn sticks each because this made 16 large cornsticks.

Enjoy these warm with a generous pat of butter and a drizzle of honey, or alongside a hearty bowl of chili.

This is more of a cakey sweet cornbread. In our home we usually have the savory crispy cornbread sticks. These had a good flavor but the texture was a lot softer than what we normally like. Check out our YouTube video to hear what we had to say about it.

See you next time on The Lost Cookbooks Show!