Macaroni (1870) ★★★★

7:28 PM 1870s , 19th century , 4 stars , pasta , united states , victorian 49 Comments

Original Recipe: 

MACARONI.
Put four or five ounces of macaroni in water, and boil for twenty minutes, until tender. Mix into half a pint of milk a little flour, and a small piece of butter, half a tea-cup of cream, half a tea-spoonful of mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and four ounces of good fat cheese grated very fine; stir all together and boil for ten minutes. Pour this over the macaroni, after draining it from the water boil five or six minutes and serve.

The Verdict:
We decided to double the recipe, because five ounces of pasta didn't seem like enough for my hungry man. I think that five ounces would be okay for a side dish. This macaroni came out super creamy. There is a lot of sauce, but the sauce is delicious and I really enjoyed it that way. If you don't want it to be so saucy, I would suggest decreasing the amount of milk, or perhaps reducing the sauce ingredients by half. The flavour is simple, but really nice. This was dubbed the "best macaroni & cheese recipe" by my man, so I will definitely make it again. I liked how easy it was, too.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Jennie June's American Cookery Book)

10 ounces MACARONI
2 cups MILK
4 tablespoons FLOUR
4 tablespoons BUTTER
2/3 cup CREAM
1 teaspoon MUSTARD POWDER
1 teaspoon SALT
1 teaspoon PEPPER
CAYENNE, to taste
8 ounces OLD CHEDDAR, grated

1. Set a large pot of water to boil and cook the macaroni until tender. Strain the water and return the macaroni to the pot.
2. While the macaroni is cooking, mix the milk, flour, and butter in a medium saucepan. Stir until combined and butter has melted.
3. To the sauce, add the cream, mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cheese. Mix together and simmer for ~5 minutes or until thickened.
4. Add finished sauce to macaroni and stir, cooking until evenly heated.

Apples Fried (1898) ★★★

7:29 PM 1890s , 19th century , 3 stars , dessert , fruit , gluten-free , united states , victorian 0 Comments

This is a super simple recipe and I found it in The Golden Age Cook Book which was published in 1898 and written by Henrietta Latham Dwight. If you want to make this, I would imagine one apple per person to be a good way to judge the amount you need. Also, I used brown sugar because apples seem to be best with brown.

APPLES FRIED.

Wash and wipe some tart cooking apples, cut in slices a quarter of an inch thick, core and fry them in butter until tender and brown, dredge them with sugar and serve hot.

The Verdict:
This is a pretty simple and easy dessert, but it's good. It's basically like a baked apple, but deconstructed. I think it would be even better with some spiced mixed in the sugar. Dredging the apples in sugar right from the pan results in the sugar melting to create a kind of sauce. It's nice, but if you prefer a less saucy apple, I suggest letting the slices cool a bit first.

Modernized Recipe:
(1 serving)

1 APPLE
2 tablespoons BUTTER
1/4 cup BROWN SUGAR

1. Wash and core the apple and slice into rings 1/4 of an inch thick.
2. In a fry pan melt the butter and fry the apple slices until tender and brown
3. While still hot, dredge the fried apples in the brown sugar and serve immediately.

Rolled Jelly Cake (1940s) ★★

2:46 PM 1940s , 2 stars , 20th century , atomic age , cake , canada , dessert 0 Comments

This recipe comes from the 17th edition of the Blue Ribbon Cook Book: For Everyday Use in Canadian Homes. The date on this book is 1905, which is when the first edition was printed. The actual printing date of the 17th edition is likely between 1940 and 1946. (Source)

Rolled Jelly Cake - 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 cup flour, sifted, 1 1/2 teaspoons Blue Ribbon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon Blue Ribbon lemon extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add beaten whites last.
Bake in a long tin, and while warm turn out on a damp cloth, spread with jelly or jam, and roll.

The Verdict:
In comparison with modern day desserts, this was so-so. In comparison with historical desserts this was average. The cake is pretty bland and there is a hint of an eggy taste. The jam made this edible (I used elderberry jam that my grandmother made for me). Overall this cake was just okay, but I have a feeling it won't get eaten. I think that if the cake had a natural lemon flavour it would be much tastier.

Modernized Recipe:
1 cup SUGAR
3 EGGS, divided
2 tablespoons MILK
1 cup FLOUR, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons BAKING POWDER
1/2 teaspoon LEMON EXTRACT
1/8 teaspoon SALT
~1 cup JAM

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour a 9x13 pan with sides.
2. Blend together the sugar, egg yolks, and milk.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, lemon extract, salt, and egg whites.
4. Mix ingredients well, pour into prepared pan, and bake ~20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
5. Let the cake cool slightly, then turn out onto a damp cloth. Spread jam on the cake and roll. Wrap tightly in plastic to keep the shape and let cool completely.

Cocoa Cake/Butter Frosting (1967) ★★★

5:25 PM 1960s , 20th century , 3 stars , atomic age , cake , canada , dessert 3 Comments

This recipe comes from a Canadian classic, The All New Purity Cook Book. The book is a contemporary reproduction of a cook book from 1967, however this is not the first edition of the book, so many of the recipes are adaptations from the 1920s and earlier. This recipe for Cocoa Cake is super simple and takes no more effort than using a boxed mix. I wanted cupcakes when I made these, so I simply used a muffin tin and baked for ~18 minutes.

86. Cocoa Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9" square pan or two 8" round layer pans. Line the bottom with waxed paper.
Cream
1/2 cup shortening
Gradually blend in
1 cup sugar
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add
2 well-beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat until well combined.
Blend or sift together
1 1/2 cups Pre-Sifted PURITY All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternately with
1 cup milk
Combine well after each addition.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven - 45 to 50 minutes for a square cake, 30 to 35 minutes for a layer cake.

119. Butter Frosting
Cream
3 tablespoons soft butter or margarine
Beat in
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Few grains salt
Blend in
2 cups sifted icing sugar
alternately with
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons warm cream or milk
Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Add more sifted icing sugar or milk, if necessary.
Yield: Frosts an 8" or 9" square cake or pan of squares, or about 1 1/2 dozen medium-size cup cakes. Double the recipe to fill and frrost an 8" or 9" layer cake.
NOTES: 1. An egg yolk may be added for extra richness.
2. You may vary the frosting by using different flavouring extracts in place of the vanilla - maple, butterscotch, almond, coconut, strawberry, lemon, peppermint, etc.

The Verdict:
This cake is quite dense, but still good. I feel like it may have been lighter if I had beaten it more. It is not very chocolately or sweet, so I think a chocolate frosting would really make this good.
The frosting was an ordinary sugary frosting. I added raspberry flavouring.


Modernized Recipe:
This recipe is essentially modern, so I followed it exactly as written in the book.

Menu for February 14 (1919)

12:49 PM 20th century , interwar , menu , united states 0 Comments

FEBRUARY 14

BREAKFAST
Stewed rhubarb
Plain omelet
Rolls
Coffee

LUNCHEON
Smoked eels
Pumpernickel with sweet butter
Roast loin of pork with sauerkraut
Plain boiled potatoes
German huckleberry pie
Coffee

DINNER
Lynn Haven oysters
Cream of cauliflower
Pickles
Broiled Spanish mackerel, sauce fleurette
Chicken sauté, Portugaise
Artichokes Hollandaise
Hearts of lettuce, French dressing
Diplomate pudding
Assorted cakes
Coffee

This menu comes from The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book. Not so much like a cookbook, this was more a collection of menus used at the hotel, along with some simple instructions.

Chocolate Cake "Black Hearts" (Victorian) ★★★

6:09 PM 3 stars , cakes , dessert , united states , victorian 1 Comments

As it's nearing Valentine's Day, I would like to share a festive recipe. This is very simple recipe - really, you could easily use a boxed cake mix for convenience (if you aren't going for historical accuracy!).

CHOCOLATE CAKE
"BLACK HEARTS"

Dip small heart-shaped cakes - made by baking any simple chocolate cake recipe in small heart-shaped pans - into melted sweet chocolate. Before the chocolate dries, carefully pipe a small white fondant heart in the center of each cake and fill with raspberry or cranberry jelly.

The Verdict:
These little cakes were tasty! But using semi-sweet baking chocolate made them very rich. Next time I would not use so much. I also used whipped cream instead of fondant because it seemed easier and tastier to me. I would eat these again.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Victoriana)

1 CHOCOLATE CAKE, cooked
melted CHOCOLATE
WHIPPED CREAM or FONDANT
any red JAM

1. Bake your cake in a pan with heart shapes or cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter after baking.
2. Dip or spread melted chocolate over each heart cake.
3. Pipe fondant or whipped cream on top of the chocolate and top the whipped cream with jam.

Chocolate Cake (1911) ★★★

8:38 AM 1910s , 20th century , 3 stars , cake , dessert , edwardian , united states 0 Comments

After the less than thrilling results of my first chocolate cake, I decided to try my hand at a slightly more modern recipe. This recipe comes from Good Things To Eat, As Suggested By Rufus; A Collection Of Practical Recipes For Preparing Meats, Game, Fowl, Fish, Puddings, Pastries, Etc. by Rufus Estes, who was actually an African American cook. To learn more about his extraordinary rise from slave to chef, read this article. This recipe seemed as straight forward and seeing as Rufus was a respected chef, I trusted this cake to be delicious.

CHOCOLATE CAKE --Cook one cup of sugar, one-half cup of milk, one-half cup of grated chocolate and the beaten yolk of one egg together until smooth. When done add a teaspoon of vanilla and cool. Beat one-half cup of butter to a cream, add one cup of sugar slowly, and beat smooth. Add two beaten eggs, one-half cup of milk, two cups of flour in which two-thirds teaspoon of soda has been sifted and when well beaten add the cool chocolate mixture. Bake in four layers and put together with a white boiled icing.

The Verdict:
This cake didn't look too great coming out of the oven (might have been because I overcooked it a bit) but I was surprised by the taste. I was slightly concerned about the small amount of chocolate, and indeed this cake has a very light chocolate taste. However, despite the lack of chocolateness, this cake is really good! It is very light and moist and has a pleasant taste. It is not too sweet. If you want to up the chocolate, I think a chocolate frosting would be delicious. The recipe calls for white boiled icing, which I didn't bother with, but I imagine that would be tasty too. I would make this again.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Good Things to Eat, As Suggested By Rufus)

2 cups SUGAR
1 cup MILK
1/2 cup chopped BAKING CHOCOLATE
1 EGG YOLK
1 teaspoon VANILLA
1/2 cup BUTTER, room temperature
2 EGGS
2 cups FLOUR
2/3 teaspoon BAKING SODA

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two round pans or a 9x13 baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan, cook 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of milk, the chocolate, and the egg yolk until thoroughly combined and smooth. Remove from heat to let cool and add the vanilla.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and slowly add the sugar and beat until smooth.
4. To the butter and sugar add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of milk and combine.
5. Add the flour and baking soda to the butter mixture. Stir to combine and add the chocolate.
6. Pour into prepared pans and bake ~30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Cake (1889) ★★

12:26 PM 1880s , 19th century , 2 stars , cake , dessert , gluten-free , united states , victorian 0 Comments

Here is a simple recipe for chocolate cake from the cook book "Aunt Babette's" Cook Book. Foreign and Domestic Receipts for the Household. A valuable collection of receipts and hints for the housewife, many of which are not to be found elsewhere., printed in 1889. This recipe is gluten free (imagine that!) and is relatively straight forward. I had to look up "slow oven" and I found that it means the temperature of the oven should be between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course ovens in the Victorian period were mostly run by fire, so precise temperatures were not as easily attainble as they are today. I set my oven to 275 degrees and it worked well.

CHOCOLATE CAKE
(No. 2.) Beat the yelks of twelve eggs with half a pound of sifted sugar, half a pound of grated sweet almonds, half a pound of finely-grated vanilla chocolate, and one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon. Add the stiff-beaten whites last, and bake one hour in a slow oven. Bake in a spring form lined with greased paper.

The Verdict:
This cake was really spongy as a result of having so many eggs in it. Consequently it also had a bit of an eggy taste to it. It wasn't really awful; definitely edible. It had a strange texture. My boyfriend said it reminded him of banana bread. I wonder how this cake would be if I had used small eggs (I have a feeling Victorian eggs were not so super-sized). I would eat this if I had to, but I probably wouldn't make it again.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from "Aunt Babette's" Cook Book)

12 EGGS
1/2 pound SUGAR
1/2 pound grated ALMONDS
1/2 pound grated BAKING CHOCOLATE
1 tablespoon ground CINNAMON

1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with greased parchment paper.
2. If you need to grate/chop your chocolate, do so first. Also divide your egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls.
3. Mix together the egg yolks, sugar, almonds, chocolate, and cinnamon.
4. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold into the cake batter.
5. Bake for 1 hour.