"So when your visiter is about to leave you, make all smooth and convenient for her departure. Let her be called up at an early hour, if she is to set out in the morning. Send a servant up to strap and bring down her trunks, as soon as she has announced that they are ready; and see that an early breakfast is prepared for her, and some of the family up and dressed to share it with her. Slip some cakes into her satchel for her to eat on the road, in case, by some chance, she should not reach the end of her journey at the usual hour."
From The Behavior Book (1853) by Eliza Leslie [Chapter 2, "The Visited", page 29]
As added 'insurance' for following the challenge, I opted to make Tea Cakes... since we all know that tea is ' refection, not a meal'.
The Receipt: Tea Cakes (page 140) from
Cookery, Rational, Practical and Economical; Treated in Connection with the Chemistry of Food
by Hartelaw Reid
Date/Region: Second Edition 1855, London
How did you make it: As described-- worked 4 oz butter, 8 oz flour, 5.5 oz granulated sugar, and 1 egg into a paste, then added about 1-2 tsp cinnamon. Rolled out to 1/4" thick, cut out with a biscuit cutter, brushed with egg white, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and baked c. 8 min at 400 F. Made approximately 2 dozen 2" 'cakes'.
Time: About half an hour.
Cost: Ingredients were all on hand.
How successful was it? Tasty and sweet, but simple.
How accurate was it? I cheated by using an electric mixer at first, but ended up working the dough by hand to incorporate everything smoothly. The size of the cakes is a guess. If using as actual travelling food, I should omit the powdered sugar.
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| Cinnamon Tea Cakes |
Those sound easy to make and delicious.
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