Well, let me tell you, folks love to eat, especially sweet things. Back in the old days, them Victorian folks, they sure did have a sweet tooth. Them Victorian era desserts, oh my, they were somethin’ else. They made all kinds of things, cakes and puddings and I don’t even know what all!
Victorian Era Desserts: Sweet Treats
The rich folks, they ate good. Meat and cheese and eggs, they had it all. And for the sweet stuff? They had sugar, real sugar! Not like the stuff we get now sometimes. And treacle, that’s like molasses, thick and sweet. They loved their jam, too. Imagine having jam whenever you wanted!
- Raspberry Summer Pudding
- Some fancy cake
- Jelly and custard
- Fruit tarts
Now, us regular folks, we didn’t have all that fancy stuff all the time. But when we did have a little extra, we’d make somethin’ special. A nice pudding, maybe. Or a cake, if we were really lucky. I remember my mama, she used to make this bread pudding. It weren’t much, just stale bread and some milk and sugar. But she’d bake it up, and it was the best thing you ever tasted. She sometimes could put some fruit in it, oh, it was so good.
Easy Victorian Era Desserts
They had these things called Kummels, Kussens and Kuchli. I don’t know what those are, sound German to me. Maybe like little cookies or somethin’. But you know, you don’t need no fancy name to make somethin’ taste good. Just gotta put some love into it, that’s what my mama used to say.
They used what they had. Like fruit. If it was summer, and the berries were ripe, they’d make a berry pudding. Or a pie, if they had enough flour. Apples, too. Apple pie, apple crumble, apple everything! They didn’t waste nothin’. If an apple was startin’ to go bad, they’d cook it up with some sugar and spices, and it was delicious.
Summer Victorian Era Desserts
They used ingredients you could buy already made, like that raspberry stuff. They’d put that in a bowl, layer it with bread, and let it sit. Then they’d turn it out, and it looked all fancy, like a mold or somethin’. They’d put extra fruit on top, make it look even prettier. That Raspberry Summer Pudding was a big deal, I reckon. All them layers of bread and fruit. My mouth’s waterin’ just thinkin’ about it.
And if it was hot outside, they have some ice cream, too. The rich people did, at least. They had ice houses, you know. Big blocks of ice, cut from the lake in winter, and stored underground. Kept things cold all summer long. It was a treat in the summer days. They had to work for their desserts, but we still enjoy them today!
You take some of them old cookbooks. They got all kinds of recipes in there. Some of ’em are real complicated, with fancy ingredients and all. But some of ’em are simple. Just good, honest food, made with what they had on hand. That’s the kind of cookin’ I like. Simple, but tasty.
Old Victorian Era Desserts
These Victorian desserts, they’re old, that’s for sure. But some things never go out of style. Like a good piece of cake. Or a warm bowl of pudding on a cold night. That’s the kind of food that makes you feel good, inside and out. It’s like a hug from your grandma, you know? Warm and comforting.
They even made dessert with bacon, can you imagine that? Bacon! It is sweet and salty. They sure did like bacon back then, put it in everything! They also ate lots of cheese, that’s for sure. Cheese and fruit, that’s a good combination. I remember havin’ that as a girl, sometimes. We’d get a big wheel of cheese, and we’d eat it with whatever fruit was in season. Apples, pears, whatever we could find.
So next time you’re lookin’ for somethin’ sweet, think about them Victorian folks. They knew how to make a good dessert, even without all the fancy stuff we have now. They worked hard and enjoy some sweet time. Just remember what my mama said, put some love into it. That’s the secret ingredient, always has been, always will be.
