Foodies

Did You Know?… Betty Crocker

Helga Glaesel de BlandingMay 18, 2010

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Flipping through the pages of The American Century Cookbook the other night -which is a great book that holds a collection of recipes, anecdotes, and historical tidbits about America’s favorite foods since the turn of the century- I was surprised to learn that Betty Crocker is not the 1940’s homemaker I had always imagined when I glanced through her Picture Cookbook as a child. I know, but… Yes, it was very entertaining for me to look at all the photographs in my mom’s cookbooks. I guess I never really thought about it, I just always assumed that there was once a Betty Crocker… scroll down for the full story!

Helga

First of all, she isn’t from the 1940’s. Betty Crocker was created in 1921 after a promotion for Gold Medal flour flooded Washburn Crosby Co. with questions about baking. To answer customers in a more personal manner, the company created a fictitious kitchen expert, pulling the name “Crocker” from a recently retired director of the company and adding the first name “Betty” because it sounded friendly.

Washburn Crosby’s female employees were asked to submit handwriting samples for Betty’s signature and the one selected as “most distinctive” is still Betty’s signature today.

Along the way, Betty’s image was refined to reflect the changing image of women. Over the years she has had eight different “looks,” from the first stern gray-haired, older woman in 1936 to today’s olive-skinned, dark-haired Betty, a product of computer morphing.

Real or not, we can always turn to Betty for great American recipes.