HFF Challenge 4.9: Flower Power

The Challenge: Flower Power: Make a dish that's floral, flowery, or flour-y.

The Recipe: I had been intending this challenge for another of those Victorian dainties flavored with rosewater or orange-flower water, but limited grocery excursions have prevented me from restocking on those items (ie, my usual grocery store doesn't have them, and I won't make a longer trip to a specialty store at this time). Therefore, I opted for the 'flour'-y part, with a different Plum Cake (#1008) from The Cook and Housewife's Manual.

The Date/Year and Region: 1837 [6th ed], Edinburgh/London

How Did You Make It: There are three recipes for plum cake in this cookbook: I've previously made the pound cake version (#1007), and decided to try making the other "plain plum cake" (#1008) since I had some left-over cream to use up. 

I melted 12 oz of butter in 1 cup of cream, them added 1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast (for the "3 spoonsful good yeast), and let it 'wake up' for about half an hour, keeping it warm in a hot-water bath. I combined 1 lb flour, 1 lb sugar, 1.5 tsp cloves and half a grated nutmeg, beat in 6 large eggs (it calls for 8 eggs, and following the advice I got on the last one, I treated that as 8 medium eggs, and converted to get 6 large). I stirred in the cream-yeast-butter mixture, along with 8 oz of zante currants and 4 oz of candied orange and lemon peel.  

The cake was baked in a light-colored-metal springform pan (with 2 layers of parchment paper below, around, and above it) at 325F. 

Time to Complete: Prep time 40-45 min, most of that waiting for the yeast; cake baked just over 2.5 hours.

Total Cost: Eggs $1.50, 1/2 lb currants ~$4, candied peel made at home from leftover fruit peels throughout the year, other ingredients on hand.

How Successful Was It?: Very. The cake was just a little dark on the bottom and sides, but not inedible. The receipt made enough batter to fill the 10" pan a bit over half-way up, which made a generous sized cake. 

I actually couldn't tell from the texture or flavor that this yeast-risen cake was any different from the other Victorian cakes I've made (generally raised with beaten eggs). It was more substantial than a modern cake, but neither too dense nor too dry. The peel and currants were tasty, and I think the spice proportions worked well (it could do with maybe a touch more nutmeg next time). All in all, I found it a tasty and substantial cake, and it kept well for most of a week under a tea-towel. This is going on the event rotation because it's pleasant and convenient to move/store.

How Accurate Is It?: I used active dry yeast and zante currants for the yeast and currants, as usual, but that's the main departure. I haven't had access to citrons for a few years, so the peel is also my usual mixture of orange and lemon only (I go through enough of it that I boil and save every peel from every lemon and orange that goes through my kitchen).

The decoration of peel fragments and mint leaves is wholly my own fancy. As before, I debated serving it plain versus with icing, and ended up trying to whip the remaining cream using the method from Beeton's #1492, which worked so well for the orange centerpiece. It thickened, but not enough to stand, so I attempted to pour the cream over a slice of the cake, as in a trifle. It wasn't bad, but I think the cake actually stands better on its own.

A Plain Plum Cake made with yeast 

Cutting Stays c. 1780

I'm taking a short break from sewing masks to mentally recharge with a different project. Back before Things Fell Apart, I commissioned three custom corset patterns from Marie at The Fitting Room. The mock-ups fit beautifully, and I was very excited to start work on the late 1890s corset as the foundation for an 1896 opera ensemble. That performance of La Boheme has since been cancelled.

So I decided to try a completely different era, un-shadowed by disappointment or uncertain deadlines, and started working in earnest on the 18th century stays.

With very careful layout, I got all the pieces cut
(on the grain) from 1 yard of 56" wide canvas.

Several original garments were considered, with this pattern primarily based on a c.1780 set of stays in Nora Wraugh's Corsets and Crinolines. I debated making it up with front-lacing (or both front- and back-lacing), but decided to try this first set with back only, as it appears to be the most common arrangement of the time.

So far, I've just cut two layers of linen canvas (Fabrics-Store's 8 oz bleached, if I recall correctly), for each of the pieces. There will also be a lining of finer cotton or linen. Eventually.

HFF 4.8: Egg-actly What You'd Expect

[Mea culpa. I made this on Easter and started writing it up, but computer problems have prevented me from posting.]

The Challenge: Egg-actly What You'd Expect. Make something with some connection/resemblance to eggs. Clever egg substitutes also accepted!

The Recipe: Eggs, hashed from The Lady's Assistant for Regulating and Supplying her Table

The Date/Year and Region: 1787 (6th ed.)

How Did You Make It: I started, earlier this week, by making a stock out of leftover pork bones and vegetable bits. Yesterday,  I wanted to dye eggs, so I hard-boiled two eggs with onion peels in the water.

Not the most exciting color for eggs, but I like them.

So, this morning, there wasn't all that much to do. I browned half a large onion in some butter, while heating up a bit of the stock with 1 Tbsp of butter and small handful of flour. While the onions cooked and the gravy thickened, I peeled and sliced the eggs, and chopped up some parsley. I added the eggs, parsley and gravy to the onions, flavored with salt and pepper, and was done.

Egg Hash, 1787

Time to Complete: About 15 minutes The eggs boiled and onions cooked while I mixed up the gravy (the stock being pre-made and the eggs boiled).

Total Cost: Less than $1 for 2 eggs and half an onion.

How Successful Was It?:   Very tasty. I fried some potatoes to go with the gravy and onions, and it was a good addition. I think this will become a staple of my period repertoire, and possibly my modern breakfast options, as well. It was fast, tasty, and can be somewhat prepared in advance.

How Accurate Is It?:  I used an 1861 gravy recipe, to be fair, but fairly accurate I think.

Hot Cross Buns, Take Four

Revisiting the 1857 Godey's receipt. I substituted nutmeg for the mace (ran out), and am largely satisfied with the flavor and texture of this batch. Could be a touch sweeter, maybe...

Cross Buns, 1857 Recipe

HFF 4.7: April Foolery

The Challenge: April Foolery! Surprise foods, deceptive foods, funny foods, and/or foods with "April" or "Fool" in the name.

[Yes this is late. I didn't have any cream, and am trying to space out my grocery shopping to once every three weeks.]

The Recipe: Apple Fool from The English Cookery Book (copied verbatim in the aptly-named How to Cook Apples, 1865)

The Date/Year and Region: 1859, London (& New York)

How Did You Make It: 

APPLE FOOL. Pare the fruit and either scald or bake it until sufficiently soft to pulp it through a colander; sweeten it agreeably to taste and fill the glasses three parts full with it. Then plentifully sprinkle in some cinnamon and cloves in powder, put a good layer of rich scalded cream, and sift white sugar upon the top 

I decided to make a small batch, peeling three small gala* apples and chopping them up fine, since the object is to boil them down to a pulp. I set them on the stove, over medium-high heat, in a covered saucepan with a little water. When they boiled, I turned the heat down to med and then low, and let them simmer for a bit over 3 hours, adding small amounts of water as needed. At the end of that time, the apple pieces were transparent. They turned to mush at the slightest pressure. 

I put 6 Tbsp of whipping cream on the stove in a small pan on medium heat.

I gently mashed the apples, then attempted to put them through a sieve. That task was abandoned, as there were no lumps in the apples and the process was taking a long time. I placed the apple much into two glasses, sprinkled them with ~1/16 tsp of cloves and ~1/16 tsp of cinnamon over the two. I then poured the cream over the apples, and sprinkled 1/2 Tbsp of granulated sugar over the two glasses.

Time to Complete: ~3:30 About 15-20 minutes of this was actual work; otherwise the apples were stewing on med-low heat while I made/ate dinner and cleaned up the kitchen.

Total Cost: About $2.75, for three small apples and 6 Tbsp cream.

How Successful Was It?:  The presentation could be better, but it's fairly tasty and doesn't look awful. The cloves predominated, so I might go more lightly on those in the future, but overall I found the flavors tasty and well-balanced. The apples were fairly sweet on their own, so that's something to keep in mind in the future (may want to adjust the amount of sugar depending on apple tartness). Ultimately, it's tasty and fairly straightforward, and could be quite pretty if I practice the cream step: I could see myself making this again in the future for private dining or for a public demonstration.

How Accurate Is It?: I'd like to try making this with some heritage apples, but generally I'd say it's accurate. I used an electric stove, but it doesn't differ that much from how I'd use a wood-burning stove to the same effect. The 'scalded' cream did end up bubbling a bit, so I'm not sure if that should have happened or not.

Apple Fool: reasonably tasty.

*I looked at several recipes, and where they specified, it was always a 'stewing apple', ie, one that will break down easily (as opposed to a 'baking apple' that will hold its shape). Unfortunately, every list of modern apple types that I could find by these categories either 1) included no apple varieties I recognized (very odd, living in the apple capital of the US, we have tons of varieties!), or 2) included every variety I know of--and then some--on both lists as 'will hold its shape' and 'absolutely will not hold its shape'. Very edifying. I ended up just grabbing the ones I like to eat.

Mask Update

My first batch(es), totaling 48 cloth masks, have been mailed to their various recipients. I still have a few dozen cut out, but am giving myself a day off before I get back to work, as these don't have a particular destination in mind. Undoubtedly, one will come up shortly. 

Masks #28-44.

The first twelve were two-piece shaped masks with elastic ear-loops, per the #2 design on this pattern. They went to an acquaintance's medical clinic, for covering the staff's N95 masks against soiling. The first 15 of the one-piece masks (from this pattern) went to the same place for use by patients. Having no elastic, I used the second pattern for rest of the masks, sent to various friends and family members who are caring for vulnerable relatives or required to work in 'essential' positions.

I used medical friend's specifications for all the masks: quilting calico for the exteriors, lining of cotton flannel or t-shirt material. Many old Girl Scout t-shirts volunteered for the cause. All the fabric was pre-washed on high against shrinkage, and laundered a second time before mailing.

Original: 17th-18th Century Clocked Stockings

From the Museum of Fine Arts Boston:

Knit silk stocking with embroidered "clocks".
c.1650-1750

I had been planning to visit the MFA during the ALHFAM 50th Anniversary Meeting this June.