The CWI Cookbook

Archive for the ‘rolls, biscuits & breads’ Category

 1/2 lb. bitter almonds
1/2 lb. sweet almonds
whites of 4 eggs
2 and 1/4 lb. sugar
whites of 9 eggs

To half a pound of blanched bitter, and half a pound of sweet, almonds, put the whites of four eggs; beat them quite fine in a mortar, and stir in two pounds and a quarter of loaf sugar, pounded and sifted; rub them well together with the whites (by degrees) of nine eggs; lay them out from the biscuit-funnel on cartridge-paper, in drops about the size of a shilling, and bake them in a middling-heated oven, of a light brown colour, and take them from the papers as soon as cold.
N.B. A smaller pipe must be used in the funnel than for other articles.

From The Cook’s Oracle by William Kitchiner, MD, New York, 1829

Comment: The distinction between “bitter” and “sweet” almonds is no longer made today as the bitter variety is hardly ever commercially available. It is illegal to sell in many jurisdictions since its cyanide content (the component which gives it the bitterness) is so high as to violate legal standards for toxicity. Practice Safe Baking and just use a pound of regular old almonds, okay? If you want to live dangerously, think of something to do with the leftover 13 egg yolks.

A “biscuit-funnel” is better known today as a pastry bag and is most often used to make fancy icings on cakes. You will need a large (about one inch) nozzle to use it to produce items “the size of a shilling.” If perfection of form is not a concern just scoop up a spoonful, press it into shape with another spoon the same size, and scrape it out onto your cookie sheet with or without parchment paper lining.

 2 c. fine-ground hominy, boiled and cold
3 eggs
3 c. sour milk. If sweet, add one tsp. cream-tartar
1/2 c. melted butter
2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. white sugar
1 large cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Beat the hominy smooth, stir in the milk, then the butter, salt and sugar; next the eggs, which should first be well beaten; then the soda, dissolved in hot water; lastly the flour.
There are no more delicious or wholesome muffins than these, if rightly mixed and quickly baked.

From Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York, 1871

Comment: We are puzzled by the phrase “fine-ground hominy” as hominy is usually a whole-kernel form of corn. This sounds more like it would be based on grits, the next size up from corn meal. Experimentation may be called for.

The “sour milk” called for here does not mean milk which has spoiled, but rather a thin version of sour cream, which may be substituted. Further confusing things, “sweet” milk is not milk to which sugar has been added but simply means that it is not sour, i.e. regular fresh millk.. In combination with the baking soda (and cream of tartar if regular milk is used) the two act as mild rising agents, basically homemade baking powder. The three cups called for seems alarmingly excessive but that is how Mrs. Harland wrote it in her book so we have no choice but to repeat it here. Since the typographical error is not a modern invention, we again suggest experimentation. Keep adding the liquid until the batter looks like that which is usual for muffins.

 Take one pint of milk quite warm, and a quarter of a pint of thick small-beer yeast; strain them into a pan, and add sufficient flour to make it like a batter; cover it over, and let it stand in a warm place until it has risen; then add a quarter of a pint of warm milk, and one ounce of butter rubbed in some flour quite fine; mix them well together; then add sufficient flour to make it into dough, cover it over, and let it stand half an hour; then work it up again, and break it into small pieces; roll them up quite round, and cover them over for a quarter of an hour; then bake them.

From The Cook’s Own Book by “A Boston Housekeeper” (Mrs. N. K. M. Lee), Boston, 1832

Comment: The “thick small-beer yeast” called for here would today be known as a yeast starter, a moist batter-like product sometimes sold in small stone jars to be used to make sourdough breads. A friend who homebrews beer is a good thing to have, but if you have yet to make such an acquaintance, prepare a yeast starter with such commercial yeast as you have on hand. The breeding of distinct varieties of yeasts for bread versus beer making had not yet come into being in the 19th century anyway.

 3/4 lb. flour
1 lb. sugar
6 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. rose water

Put three-quarters of a pound of fine flour to a pound of fine sifted sugar; sift both together three times, then add six eggs beaten well, and a spoonful of rose-water; when the oven is nearly hot, bake them, but not too wet.

From The Cook’s Own Book: Being a Complete Culinary Encyclopedia by “a Boston Housekeeper” (Mrs. N. K. M. Lee) Boston 1832.

Comment: Rose-water was a common ingredient in fancy cooking of the 19th century, made by soaking large amounts of rose petals in a small amount of water over a period of days or even weeks. It is most commonly found today in markets catering to fans of Middle Eastern cuisine. If completely unobtainable a possible substitute would be a quarter-teaspoon or so of vanilla or almond extract.

3 tbs. milk
3 tbs. water
2-3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. homemade yeast (1 pack or cube commercial yeast)
slightly over 1 qt. flour
Salt

Warm three spoonfuls of milk, and the same quantity of water, with a bit of butter the size of a walnut, put it to two spoonfuls of thick yeast; put this into the middle of rather more than a quart of flour, mix the whole together to the consistence of a batter-pudding, adding more flour if necessary, to make it the proper thickness; strew a little flour over it from the sides, and if the weather is cold, set it at a little distance from the fire; do this three hours before it is put into the oven; when it breaks a good deal through the flour and rises, work it into a light paste with more warm milk, and water; let it lie till within a quarter of an hour of setting into the oven, then work them lightly into rolls; flour a tin, and drop them on, handle them as little as possible; set them before the fire. About twenty minutes will be sufficient time to bake them; put a little salt into the flour. Rasp the rolls.

From The Cook’s Own Book by “A Boston Housekeeper” (Mrs. N. K. M. Lee), 1832

Comment: Here we encounter one of the challenges of translating a 19th century recipe to 21st century standards: yeast. This did not become available in commercially packaged versions in stores until shortly after the Civil War. Prior to that, it was the responsibility of every homemaker to keep a yeast pot in her own kitchen. If a spoonful or cup of yeast was taken out, which normally happened on an almost daily basis, it was replaced with a like quantity of flour and water. This served as food for the yeast organisms left behind, and the next day it would all be yeast again. Virtually every “recipe” for making yeast called for at least a spoonful of the previous batch to act as a starter.

When through ill luck or mismanagement the entire batch would die, the usual recommendation was a trip to the nearest brewer to restock from his vats. (The distinction between bakers’ and brewers’ yeasts was not so clearly drawn at that time as it is today.) If all else failed, a bowl of plain flour and water would have to be set out with a light cloth over it to keep out insects, and one could only hope that a pleasant variety of wild yeast would settle in and take up housekeeping. If a less well mannered sort moved in instead, the result was known as sourdough.

3 tbs. milk
3 tbs. water
2-3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. homemade yeast (1 pack or cube commercial yeast)
slightly over 1 qt. flour
Salt

Warm three spoonfuls of milk, and the same quantity of water, with a bit of butter the size of a walnut, put it to two spoonfuls of thick yeast; put this into the middle of rather more than a quart of flour, mix the whole together to the consistence of a batter-pudding, adding more flour if necessary; to make it the proper thickness; strew a little flour over it from the sides, and if the weather is cold, set it at a little distance from the fire; do this three hours before it is put into the oven; when it breaks a good deal through the flour and rises, work it into a light paste with more warm milk, and water; let it lie till within a quarter of an hour of setting into the oven, then work them lightly into rolls; flour a tin, and drop them on, handle them as little as possible; set them before the fire. About twenty minutes will be sufficient time to bake them; put a little salt into the flour. Rasp the rolls.

From The Cook’s Own Book by “A Boston Housekeeper” (Mrs. N. K. M. Lee) Boston 1832.

Comment: Considering that Mrs. Lee listed no fewer than three recipes for “French Rolls” in her book, she must have been very fond of them. And yet this recipe is puzzling in several respects. She waits until she’s done with the baking process to mention, oh yeah, you should have added some salt to the flour back at the beginning? The technique of putting the liquid ingredients into a pile of flour is one that perhaps only experienced bread-bakers should attempt. It is highly thought of by gourmet chefs but those of us with lesser skill levels are almost certain to use too much flour, resulting in a dry, unpleasant roll.

Then there is the part about “when it breaks a good deal through the flour and rises, work it into a light paste…” &c., which is on if not over the edge of incomprehensibility. We hang our heads in shame as we reach for a cardboard tube of bake-at-home rolls, and commend the courage of anyone who tackles this recipe as written.