Things have been a bit hectic for the Downstairs Cook of late, with little time to think of recipes to make for friends and family for Christmas. Fortunately, the real Downstairs Cook took time to mark tried and tested recipes in her copy of Mrs Beeton's Family Cookery & Household Management with an "X" and the odd comment. Such is the case with Mrs Beeton's gingerbread which she has labelled "Very Good". It is a simple recipe you can make from your store cupboard and produces a white gingerbread:
Gingerbread, White - INGREDIENTS: 1 lb of flour, 1/2 lb of butter, 1/2 lb of loaf sugar, the rind of 1 lemon, 1 oz of ground ginger, 1 nutmeg grated, 1/2 teaspoons of carbonate of soda, 1 gill of milk. AVERAGE COST 1 s 3 d
Rub the butter into the flour, add the sugar which should be finely pounded and sifted, and the minced lemon-rind, ginger and nutmeg. Mix these well together, make the milk just warm, stir in the soda and work the whole into a nice smooth paste, roll it out, cut it into cakes, and bake in moderate oven from 15 to 30 minutes.
TIME - 15 TO 20 minutes
SEASONABLE: at any time
A gill is a quarter of a pint. For those who measure using the metric system, a pint is 568 ml. So a quarter of a pint is 142 ml.
A nutmeg (which I've never seen in the flesh) looks to be the size of an acorn in the illustrations I've found. Grated, it may well produce over a teaspoonful. I'd suggest using a teaspoonful in the recipe, but since nutmeg is a rather pungent spice, it may be a bit overpowering for most. Just season to taste and trust your nose for this flavoursome recipe.
Saturday 20 December 2014
Mrs Beeton's Christmas Drinks
The redoubtable Mrs Beeton appears to have loved a party; the following are recipes for drinks for a crowd - one for the northern hemisphere and two for the southern, although I'm sure the champagne-based recipe would go down well all year round in both parts of the world.
In the 1890s all sorts of fizzy wines were fashionable - sparkling hock and sparkling claret to name just a couple. Mrs Beeton's recipe for Claret Cup could well be an economical version of a sparkling claret which had to be purchased by the bottle when the 1900 edition of her book was published and used a cheaper non-sparkling claret, the taste of which was disguised by sugar and the addition of liqueur.
Claret Cup. INGREDIENTS for sufficient for 4 persons - 1 bottle of claret, 1 bottle of soda water, about 1/2 lb of pounded ice, 4 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, 1 liqueur glass of Maraschino, a sprig of green borage.
Merry Christmas from Mrs Beeton!
In the 1890s all sorts of fizzy wines were fashionable - sparkling hock and sparkling claret to name just a couple. Mrs Beeton's recipe for Claret Cup could well be an economical version of a sparkling claret which had to be purchased by the bottle when the 1900 edition of her book was published and used a cheaper non-sparkling claret, the taste of which was disguised by sugar and the addition of liqueur.
Claret Cup. INGREDIENTS for sufficient for 4 persons - 1 bottle of claret, 1 bottle of soda water, about 1/2 lb of pounded ice, 4 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, 1 liqueur glass of Maraschino, a sprig of green borage.
Put all the ingredients into silver cup, regulating the proportion of ice by the state of the weather, if very warm, a larger quantity would be necessary.
Champagne Cup. INGREDIENTS for cup for 4 persons - 1 bottle of champagne, 2 bottles of Schweppes soda water, 1 liqueur glass of brandy or curacao, 2 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, 1 lb of pounded ice, a sprig of green borage.
Put all the ingredients into a silver cup or bowl, stir them together and serve the same as claret cup. Should the above proportion of sugar not be found sufficient to suit some tastes, increase the quantity. When borage is not easily obtainable, substitute for it a few slices of cucumber.
Mrs Beeton also has recipe for Cider Cup, but it includes an ingredient called Harstin's selzer, not available, as far as I know, in contemporary times. I'm reproducing the recipe here with soda water as a substitute:
Cider Cup. INGREDIENTS for cup for 4 persons - 1 quart bottle of cider, 1 bottle of soda water, 1/2 glass brandy or liqueur, 1 lemon, 2 tablespoonfuls of pounded sugar, borage or a few slices of cucumber.
Put the sugar in a jug with the lemon rind and half the juice, pour over the brandy and set on ice. When the cup is sufficiently flavoured with the lemon peel, take it out and add the soda water, then pour all into a glass jug in which have been placed a few sprigs of borage.
The Claret Cup recipe intrigues me the most; it could actually be used as an accompaniment to a Christmas Day dinner where a sweet glazed roast turkey and ham are on the menu as a still dry red wine may be overpowered by such richly and full-flavoured dishes. If you are serving game, try accompanying it with a sparkling shiraz for an authentic (or near-authentic) 1890s experience. Merry Christmas from Mrs Beeton!
Tuesday 16 December 2014
Cheese Pastries
Mrs Beeton, ever the frugal cook, provides a recipe she titles Ramekins, Pastry and which uses up odds and ends of puff pastry left over from making pies or tarts. These small pastries are "to serve with the Cheese Course" but I have no idea why they are called ramekins, which I have always known as small crockery ovenproof bowls. Her recipe is however a delightfully easy one, and I would make it even easier by spraying the oven tray with oil before placing the ramekins on it.
Ramekins, Pastry. INGREDIENTS. - Any pieces of very good light puff-paste, Cheshire, Parmesan or Stilton cheese.
The remains or odd pieces of paste left from large tarts, &c., answer for making these little dishes. Gather up the pieces of paste, roll it out evenly, and sprinkle it with grated cheese of a nice flavour. Fold the paste in three, roll it out again, and sprinkle more cheese over: fold the paste, roll it out, and with a paste-cutter shape it to any way that may be desired. Bake the ramekins in a brisk oven from 10 to 15 minutes, dish them on a hot napkin, and serve quickly. The appearance of this dish may be very much improved by brushing the ramekins over with the yolk of egg before they are placed in the oven.
TIME. - 10 TO 15 minutes
SEASONABLE at any time
I have a small collection of biscuit cutters which I rarely use, so was delighted to be able to give them an airing in this recipe. As it is near Christmas, the star shaped cutter was the one I chose, along with a plain round one. Animal shapes are something that children would love, so pitch your shapes to your audience, and have fun!
Ramekins, Pastry. INGREDIENTS. - Any pieces of very good light puff-paste, Cheshire, Parmesan or Stilton cheese.
The remains or odd pieces of paste left from large tarts, &c., answer for making these little dishes. Gather up the pieces of paste, roll it out evenly, and sprinkle it with grated cheese of a nice flavour. Fold the paste in three, roll it out again, and sprinkle more cheese over: fold the paste, roll it out, and with a paste-cutter shape it to any way that may be desired. Bake the ramekins in a brisk oven from 10 to 15 minutes, dish them on a hot napkin, and serve quickly. The appearance of this dish may be very much improved by brushing the ramekins over with the yolk of egg before they are placed in the oven.
TIME. - 10 TO 15 minutes
SEASONABLE at any time
I have a small collection of biscuit cutters which I rarely use, so was delighted to be able to give them an airing in this recipe. As it is near Christmas, the star shaped cutter was the one I chose, along with a plain round one. Animal shapes are something that children would love, so pitch your shapes to your audience, and have fun!
Tuesday 9 December 2014
Raspberry Vinegar
Decanted into elegant glass containers, this recipe of Mrs Beeton's is an excellent addition to salad dressings even for those who do not have a paticularly sweet tooth. I'm thinking the "jelly-bag" referred to in the recipe would equate to a coffee filter paper, as its purpose is to strain the liquid mixed with the raspberries. Mrs Beeton recommends the recipe as "an excellent drink in case of fevers and colds," no doubt due to the addition of brandy, although she stipulates: "it should be diluted with cold water." I'm sure the odd cook or other member of staff would have sometimes felt the need to take a sneaky swig from the raspberry vinegar bottle just to relax during or after a marathon Edwardian dinner, and who could blame them? It's delicious, anyway, so here is Mrs Beeton's seminal recipe:
Raspberry Vinegar. - INGREDIENTS. - 3 pints of the best vinegar, 4 and 1/2 pints of freshly gathered raspberries; to each pint of liquor allow 1 lb of pounded loaf sugar and 1 wineglass of brandy. AVERAGE COST, 1s per pint.
Let the raspberries be freshly gathered, pick them from the stalks, and put 1 and 1/2 pint of them into a stone jar; pour 3 pints of the best vinegar over them, and let them remain for 24 hours; then strain the liquor over another 1 and 1/2 pint of fresh raspberries. Let them remain another 24 hours, and the following day repeat the process for the third time; then drain off the liquor without pressing, and pass it through a jelly-bag (previously wetted with plain vinegar) into a stone jar. Add to every pint of the liquor 1 lb of pounded loaf sugar; stir them together, and, when the sugar is dissolved, cover the jar, set it upon the fire in a saucepan of boiling water and let it boil for an hour, removing the scum as fast as it rises; add to each pint a glass of brandy, bottle it and seal the corks. This is an excellent drink in cases of fevers and colds; it shoud be diluted with cold water, according to the taste or requirement of the patient.
TIME. - To be boiled 1 hour
SEASONABLE. - Make this in July or August, when raspberries are most plentiful.
I couldn't help but notice Mrs Beeton's recipe for Raspberry Jelly, which I also reproduce below, seeing it is summer at present in the southern hemisphere and raspberries are just starting to appear. They may even appear on my own raspberry cane, if the local bush turkeys do not dig it up for its roots.
Raspberry Jelly. - INGREDIENTS. To each pint of juice allow 3/4 lb of loaf sugar. AVERAGE COST, 9d. per pot.
Let the raspberries be freshly gathered, quite ripe, and picked from the stalks; put them into a large jar, after breaking the fruit a little with a wooden spoon, and place this jar, covered, in a saucepan of boiling water. When the juice is well drawn, which will be from 3/4 to 1 hour, strain the fruit through a fine hair-sieve or cloth; measure the juice, and to every pint allow the above proportion of loaf sugar. Put the juice and sugar into a preserving pan, place it over the fire, and boil gently until the jelly thickens when a little is poured on a plate; carefully remove all the scum as it rises, pour the jelly into small pots, cover down, and keep in a dry place. This jelly answers for making raspberry cream and for flavouring various sweet dishes, when, in winter, the fresh fruit is not obtainable.
TIME. - 3/4 to 1 hour to draw the juice.
SEASONABLE. - This should be made in July or August.
Reading that Mrs Beeton's Raspberry Jelly is used in making her Raspberry Cream recipe, I feel compelled to reproduce that recipe as well:
Raspberry Cream. - INGREDIENTS for quart mould. - 3/4 pint of milk, 3/4 pint of cream, 1 and 1/2 oz. of gelatine, raspberry jelly, sugar to taste, 2 tablespoons of brandy.
AVERAGE COST, 2 s. 3 d.
Boil the milk, cream and gelatine together for 1/4 hour, or until the latter is melted, and strain it through a hair sieve into a basin. Let it cool a little; then add to it sufficient raspberry jelly, which when melted, would make 1/2 pint, and stir well until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. If not sufficiently sweet, add a little pounded sugar with the brandy; whisk the mixture well until nearly cold, put it into a well-oiled mould, and set it in a cool place till perfectly set. Raspberry jam may be substituted for the jelly; but must be melted, and rubbed through a sieve, to free it from seeds: in summer, the juice of the fresh fruit may be used, by slightly mashing it with a wooden spoon, and sprinkling sugar over it; the juice that flows from the fruit should then be used for mixing with the cream. If the colour should not be very good, a few drops of prepared cochineal, or carmine, may be added to improve its appearance.
TIME.- 1/4 hour to boil the cream and gelatine.
SEASONABLE, with jelly, at any time.
Note - Stawberry cream may be made in precisely the same manner, substituting strawberry jam or jelly for the raspberry.
Now all I need is Victorian mould to present my Raspberry Cream - preferably one that looks like a castle, with turrets. What a conclusion to Christmas dinner that would be!
Raspberry Vinegar. - INGREDIENTS. - 3 pints of the best vinegar, 4 and 1/2 pints of freshly gathered raspberries; to each pint of liquor allow 1 lb of pounded loaf sugar and 1 wineglass of brandy. AVERAGE COST, 1s per pint.
Let the raspberries be freshly gathered, pick them from the stalks, and put 1 and 1/2 pint of them into a stone jar; pour 3 pints of the best vinegar over them, and let them remain for 24 hours; then strain the liquor over another 1 and 1/2 pint of fresh raspberries. Let them remain another 24 hours, and the following day repeat the process for the third time; then drain off the liquor without pressing, and pass it through a jelly-bag (previously wetted with plain vinegar) into a stone jar. Add to every pint of the liquor 1 lb of pounded loaf sugar; stir them together, and, when the sugar is dissolved, cover the jar, set it upon the fire in a saucepan of boiling water and let it boil for an hour, removing the scum as fast as it rises; add to each pint a glass of brandy, bottle it and seal the corks. This is an excellent drink in cases of fevers and colds; it shoud be diluted with cold water, according to the taste or requirement of the patient.
TIME. - To be boiled 1 hour
SEASONABLE. - Make this in July or August, when raspberries are most plentiful.
I couldn't help but notice Mrs Beeton's recipe for Raspberry Jelly, which I also reproduce below, seeing it is summer at present in the southern hemisphere and raspberries are just starting to appear. They may even appear on my own raspberry cane, if the local bush turkeys do not dig it up for its roots.
Raspberry Jelly. - INGREDIENTS. To each pint of juice allow 3/4 lb of loaf sugar. AVERAGE COST, 9d. per pot.
Let the raspberries be freshly gathered, quite ripe, and picked from the stalks; put them into a large jar, after breaking the fruit a little with a wooden spoon, and place this jar, covered, in a saucepan of boiling water. When the juice is well drawn, which will be from 3/4 to 1 hour, strain the fruit through a fine hair-sieve or cloth; measure the juice, and to every pint allow the above proportion of loaf sugar. Put the juice and sugar into a preserving pan, place it over the fire, and boil gently until the jelly thickens when a little is poured on a plate; carefully remove all the scum as it rises, pour the jelly into small pots, cover down, and keep in a dry place. This jelly answers for making raspberry cream and for flavouring various sweet dishes, when, in winter, the fresh fruit is not obtainable.
TIME. - 3/4 to 1 hour to draw the juice.
SEASONABLE. - This should be made in July or August.
Reading that Mrs Beeton's Raspberry Jelly is used in making her Raspberry Cream recipe, I feel compelled to reproduce that recipe as well:
Raspberry Cream. - INGREDIENTS for quart mould. - 3/4 pint of milk, 3/4 pint of cream, 1 and 1/2 oz. of gelatine, raspberry jelly, sugar to taste, 2 tablespoons of brandy.
AVERAGE COST, 2 s. 3 d.
Boil the milk, cream and gelatine together for 1/4 hour, or until the latter is melted, and strain it through a hair sieve into a basin. Let it cool a little; then add to it sufficient raspberry jelly, which when melted, would make 1/2 pint, and stir well until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. If not sufficiently sweet, add a little pounded sugar with the brandy; whisk the mixture well until nearly cold, put it into a well-oiled mould, and set it in a cool place till perfectly set. Raspberry jam may be substituted for the jelly; but must be melted, and rubbed through a sieve, to free it from seeds: in summer, the juice of the fresh fruit may be used, by slightly mashing it with a wooden spoon, and sprinkling sugar over it; the juice that flows from the fruit should then be used for mixing with the cream. If the colour should not be very good, a few drops of prepared cochineal, or carmine, may be added to improve its appearance.
TIME.- 1/4 hour to boil the cream and gelatine.
SEASONABLE, with jelly, at any time.
Note - Stawberry cream may be made in precisely the same manner, substituting strawberry jam or jelly for the raspberry.
Now all I need is Victorian mould to present my Raspberry Cream - preferably one that looks like a castle, with turrets. What a conclusion to Christmas dinner that would be!
Saturday 6 December 2014
Tomato Pickle
Now is the time to be making tomato pickle to put into attractive jars as Christmas gifts. This recipe of Mrs Beeton's takes two weeks and three days precisely to be made and, apart from boiling the vinegar with finely chopped onion and spices, requires no cooking. I reproduce the quaint, old fashioned measures set out by Mrs Beeton, but played fairly fast and loose with the quantities when I made this recipe myself. I used only five tomatoes, not 24, as I did not have a container large enough for even 24 small tomatoes and hence reduced the quantities of vinegar, onions and spices as well. The amount of vinegar I used was the amount which covered the tomatoes in their container and the spices were reduced to a tablespoon for the pepper, half tablespoons for the cloves and celery seeds, and a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
Tomato Pickle. - INGREDIENTS. - 24 small and perfectly ripe tomatoes, 1 quart of vinegar, 4 small onions, 1 oz. of pepper, 1/2 oz. of cloves, 1/2 oz. of celery-seed, 2 spoonfuls of mustard-seed, salt. AVERAGE COST, 3 s.
Prick the tomatoes and lay them in an earthen jar with a little salt sprinkled between the layers, and let them stand for 3 days covered, draining away the juice into another covered jar. Mince the onions, then boil them in the vinegar with the other ingredients. Wash and dry the tomatoes, put them in a jar, pour over the juice from the other jar and the vinegar and other ingredients when cold, then cover and tie down closely.
TIME. - A fortnight, before the pickle is ready.
SEASONABLE.- Make this in September or October.
Making this recipe in the Australian summer, I put the jar in the fridge, rather than risk producing rotten tomatoes in our heatwave-prone weather. When decanting the contents of the large jar into smaller jars, I drained off the liquid together with the cloves and most of the celery seeds, to avoid unnecessary crunch and pungency.
Being a collector, I was able to use some of my recycled jars to give the pickle to neighbours and friends as Christmas gifts. Decorated, of course. Mrs Beeton would not have it otherwise.
Tomato Pickle. - INGREDIENTS. - 24 small and perfectly ripe tomatoes, 1 quart of vinegar, 4 small onions, 1 oz. of pepper, 1/2 oz. of cloves, 1/2 oz. of celery-seed, 2 spoonfuls of mustard-seed, salt. AVERAGE COST, 3 s.
Prick the tomatoes and lay them in an earthen jar with a little salt sprinkled between the layers, and let them stand for 3 days covered, draining away the juice into another covered jar. Mince the onions, then boil them in the vinegar with the other ingredients. Wash and dry the tomatoes, put them in a jar, pour over the juice from the other jar and the vinegar and other ingredients when cold, then cover and tie down closely.
TIME. - A fortnight, before the pickle is ready.
SEASONABLE.- Make this in September or October.
Making this recipe in the Australian summer, I put the jar in the fridge, rather than risk producing rotten tomatoes in our heatwave-prone weather. When decanting the contents of the large jar into smaller jars, I drained off the liquid together with the cloves and most of the celery seeds, to avoid unnecessary crunch and pungency.
Being a collector, I was able to use some of my recycled jars to give the pickle to neighbours and friends as Christmas gifts. Decorated, of course. Mrs Beeton would not have it otherwise.
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