Okay, so I’ve been on this vintage recipe kick lately, and I decided to dive into the world of 1800s desserts. Let me tell you, it was a trip!
Getting Started
First, I hit up the internet to see what kind of recipes I could even find. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Turns out, there are tons of old cookbooks and recipes scanned online. who knew?
Choosing the Recipes
After digging around for a while, I settled on a few that sounded both doable and interesting:
- A simple “Pound Cake”. Sound classic.
- Something called “Queen of Puddings”. The name itself got my attention.
- “Apple Tansey”. No idea what it will be, but sounds yummy.
The Pound Cake Adventure
I started with the Pound Cake because, well, it seemed like the easiest. The recipe was super basic – basically just equal parts butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. I whipped everything together. The old recipe didn’t give super clear instructions, like oven temperature or baking time. I guessed at 350°F (175°C) and kept an eye on it.
It took a bit longer than modern pound cake recipes, but eventually, it turned golden brown and smelled amazing. After letting it cool, I sliced a piece, and… it was surprisingly good! Dense, buttery, and not too sweet. Success!
Queen of Puddings – Layers of Fun
Next up was the Queen of Puddings. This one was more involved. It has three main part: a breadcrumb and custard base, a layer of jam, and a meringue topping.
I started by making the custard, which was pretty straightforward. Then, I spread the breadcrumb mixture in a dish, poured the custard over it, and baked it until it was set. After that cooled down a bit, I spread a layer of raspberry jam (the recipe just said “jam,” so I picked my favorite).
The meringue was the trickiest part. The recipe just said to whip egg whites until stiff and sweeten with sugar. I whisked those egg whites by hand until my arm felt like it was going to fall off. Finally, I piled the meringue on top of the jam and popped the whole thing back in the oven until the meringue was golden brown.
This dessert was a winner! The creamy custard, the tart jam, and the sweet meringue all worked together perfectly.
Apple Tansey
I serached a lot of web pages, and I found an old cookbook. It looks like an apple pie. First I peeled the apple, and sliced to put them in to a pan, then I mixed other ingredients, suger, butter, eggs, and some milk. I poured the mixture on to the apple, then put the pan in to oven. After 30 min, the kitchen was filled with a great smell. It tasted really good.
Final Thoughts
Baking these 1800s desserts was a fun and surprisingly rewarding experience. It made me appreciate how much easier cooking is today, with all our modern conveniences. But it also showed me that good food is timeless. I’ll definitely be trying more vintage recipes in the future!
