Holiday Baking #26, 1796 Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies!
Holiday baking #26
Get those baking sheets ready for the Cookie Cooking Marathon that leads up to all those treats for gifts, parties and cookie trading parties.
Starting off, this is a recipe from one of the oldest cookbooks in America;
One of the first cook books published in America is “American Cookery by Amelia Simmons” 1796
Webster New York 1903 through 1918
White lebkuchen and Lebkuchen
San Francisco CA 1910 – 1950’s.
Holly wreath cookies
st. nicks cutouts, refrigerator Cookies, Chocolate Crispies, New Orleans Pralines
Holiday fruit Cookies
½ cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed in cup
1 egg
¼ cup thick sour milk
1 ¾ cups sifted enriched flour
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup broken pecans
1 cup candied cherries, cut in halves
1 cup dates
36 pecan halves
Yuletide Cookies
Dubuque Iowa 1900 through the 1950’s
4 steps to x-mas cookies
Red Lodge MT from 1950’s through the 60’s
Norwegian xmas cooky
Mount Dora Florida 1930’s through the 60’s
Xmas nuts
holiday cookies from 1 batter
x-mas cookie dazzlers
x-mas rocks
Red Lodge MT from 1950’s through the 60’s (pics in 2020 June)
November 26th 1954
Royal Icing and Marzipan
Pearlash – (pearl ash, pearlashe, also salts of tarter) Dates to the 1780’s or so. It is a refined, purified potassium carbonate, the primary component of potash. It was the subject of the first patent in the U.S. issued July 31st, 1790, and signed by George Washington. The preparation is time consuming, but could be accomplished by any cook with a cast-iron pot; which involved soaking fireplace ashes in water which creates lye, then boiling it to remove the water and result in “salts”. The salts could be further refined, but when used with acidic ingredients like lemon juice or sour milk, created a chemical reaction of carbon dioxide which in turn gives you the raised light airy texture of baked goods, without yeast and shortened the length of time involved in making baked goods.
(Just as a side note, lye is also a primary ingredient in making soap and gunpowder)
A U.S. patent was granted in 1790 for an improved method of making potash and pearl ash as an ingredient for fertilizer, not as a baking ingredient. It is traditionally used in German Gingerbread recipes in combination with Hartshorn. (Be sure you follow recipes and directions for its use, it can be very harmful if used in the wrong quantities)
American Cookery (1792) the first American cookbook by Amelia Simmons, she gives three leavening products to use; baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast and pearlash. It is the first book to call for its use and with its introduction became a preferred way to make baked goods and opened up the creation of whole new types of cakes, cookies and biscuits; that were faster and easier to make.
In 1828 a Dutchman first developed a processed cocoa powder, called “Dutching”, as the resulting product is called Dutch-processed chocolate. Adding potash reduces the acidity of cocoa beans by balancing the pH, and it improves the aroma.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_carbonate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder
INGREDIENT REFERENCES and MEASUREMENTS
I have found several references that explains the equivalents to our modern measurements. Just a few examples are;
Gill – Pronounced Jill; equal to a quarter of a pint; or four fluid ounces which equals ½ cup.
Lump of (something) the size of a Turkey’s egg – equals 4 ounces
Lump of (something) the size of a chicken’s egg – equals 2 ounces.
Lump of Butter the size of a walnut – equals 1 ounce. (can also be 1 rounded tablespoon)
A Victorian measurement of a wine glassful, will not be the wine glass we think of today. They were much smaller, about ¼ cup to ½ cup. So, when using a recipe that askes for a wine glass full be sure to use a lot less than you would think about using from today’s size of glass.
Quite a few of these recipes call for; a coffee cupful. A teacup full, and a wineglass full.
A coffee cupful = 1 cup.
A tea cupful = 1/3 cup, I have also found it to be ¾ cup.
A wine glassful = ¼ cup, ½ gill or 4 T.
A Tumbler = ½ pint or 1 cup
Basic measurements
The measurements may sometimes call for a “pinch” or a “dash” of something, they have never really been defined other than a pinch or a dash are both less than 1/8 of a teaspoon. I have actually seen a measuring spoon set that has them measured out; I am sure you could find them if you really want a set. I usually define them as; a pinch, equals what you can “pinch” between your thumb and forefinger. A dash equals one “shake” of a container with holes in the lid, such as a salt shaker.
Teaspoons are often listed with just a small letter “t”; also tsp. And many other versions all starting with a small t.
Tablespoons are often listed with just a capitol “T”; also Tbsp. And many other versions starting with a capitol T.
A cup is often listed as a “C” or a “c”.
An ounce is often listed as “oz.”
A pound is often listed as “lb.”, lbs. and sometimes as “#”.
3 teaspoons equal 1 Tablespoon.
4 Tablespoons equal ¼ of a cup.
5 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon equals 1/3 cup.
8 Tablespoons equal ½ cup, and 16 Tablespoons equal 1 cup.
2 Tablespoons make one fluid ounce.
1 half pint equals 1 cup.
2 cups make a pint
4 cups, or 2 pints, equal a quart.
4 quarts make a gallon.
It takes 8 quarts to make a peck and 4 pecks to make a bushel.
4 Tablespoons or ½ a gill equal one wine glass
2 wine glasses or ½ cup equals 1 gill
2 gills equal a coffee cup full
2 coffee cups full equal 1 pint
2 pints equal 1 quart
2 Tablespoonsful liquid equals 1 ounce
1 Tablespoon of salt equals 1 ounce
16 ounces equal 1 pound, or a pint of liquid
1 rounded Tablespoon of flour equals ½ ounce
3 cupful’s of corn meal equals 1 pound
4 coffee cupful’s sifted flour equals 1 pound
1 quart unsifted flour equals 1 pound
1 pint granulated sugar equals 1 pound
2 coffee cupful powdered sugar equals 1 pound
1 pint brown sugar equals 13 ounces
2 ½ cupful’s of powdered sugar equals 1 pound
There are no baking temperatures listed in these recipes; during this time, it was assumed you would know how to put together a recipe without directions and what temperature to cook or bake them at. You gauged your oven temps through experience of working in the kitchen next to your mother and other relatives throughout your childhood and youth. You learned methods, techniques and timing so you never needed to have it written down in the cook books or diaries passed through each generation of the family
Oven temperatures are seldom given in the old books and recipes; most times the only say something like a slow oven or quick oven. These are the equlivent to today’s oven temperatures;
A very slow oven equals 250 to 275 degrees.
A slow oven equals 300 to 325 degrees.
A moderate oven equals 350 to 375 degrees.
A hot or quick oven equals 375 to 400 degrees.
A very hot oven equals 400 to 450 degrees.
This is a good reference for cooking information.
Visit my ebay store to find some great kitchen utensils and collectables to go along with these vintage and antique recipes.
https://www.ebay.com/str/ozziesattic720?_trksid=p2047675.l2563
