Okay, so I’ve been obsessed with the Victorian era lately. I mean, who wouldn’t be? The fashion, the architecture, the whole vibe is just chef’s kiss. But you know what really got me curious? The food, specifically the desserts. I mean, what did they even eat back then? So, I decided to dive deep and find out.
First, I had to do some digging. Turns out, the rich folks back then were living large. They had these crazy banquets with tons of fancy food. Think mutton, bacon, cheese, eggs, sugar—the works! And for breakfast, they’d have ham, bacon, eggs, and bread. Sounds pretty good, right? But here’s the thing, if you lived by the sea, you were probably chowing down on fish. And get this, they were really into a dish called kedgeree. Never heard of it, but apparently, it was a big deal.
Now, onto the good stuff—desserts. Queen Victoria herself, bless her heart, was a total sweet tooth. She was all about chocolate sponges, plain sponges, wafers in all shapes and sizes, and all these other fancy-sounding things like langues de chat, and petit fours. I don’t even know what half of that stuff is, but it sounds delicious.
So, I thought, why not try to make some of these Victorian treats myself? I started simple, with something I like to call “poor man’s ice cream.” Basically, it’s just some sweet stuff with some sprinkles on top. Not exactly ice cream, but hey, it’s a start.
Then, I got a little more ambitious. I found a list of Queen Victoria’s favorite desserts. I picked one at random:
- Chocolate sponges
- Plain sponges
- Wafers (in like a million different shapes)
- Langues de chat
- Biscuits
- Drop cakes
- Tablets
- Petit fours
- Princess and rice cakes
- Pralines
I tried making chocolate sponges. Let me tell you, it was an adventure. I followed some old-timey recipe I found. The batter was thick and smelled amazing, like chocolate heaven.
Into the oven it went, and I waited with bated breath. When I finally pulled it out, it looked… well, it looked like a sponge, alright. A chocolate sponge. I let it cool, then sliced it up and gave it a taste. And you know what? It was actually pretty darn good! It was moist and chocolatey, and it made me feel like I was at a fancy Victorian party, even though I was just in my kitchen.
So, there you have it. My little adventure into the world of Victorian desserts. I started with some research, tried a super simple “poor man’s ice cream,” and then baked a pretty tasty chocolate sponge. It was a fun, and honestly, pretty delicious, little trip back in time. Might be time to try those petit fours next…
