Recipes from the American Cookery 1798 Cookbook

Want to try a Plumb Cake recipe?

Mix one pound currants, one drachm* nutmeg, mace and cinnamon each, a little salt, one pound citron, orange peal candied, and almonds bleach’d, 6 pounds of flour, (well dry’d) beat 21 eggs, and add with 1 quart new ale yeast, half pint of wine, 3 half pints of cream and raisins, q:s:

A drachm (or dram) is about 1/8 ounce.

Picture was found at http://www.stavelyandfitzgerald.com.

Or Molasses Gingerbread Cookies?

One table spoon cinnamon, some coriander or allspice, put to four tea spoons pearl ash, dissolved in half pint water, four pound flour, one quart molasses, four ounces butter, (if in summer, rub in the butter, if in winter, warm the butter and molasses and pour to the spiced flour,) knead well ’till stiff, the more the better, the lighter and whiter it will be; bake brisk fifteen minutes; don’t scorch; before it is put in, wash it with whites and sugar beat together.

Finally, how about Johnny Cakes?

Scald 1 pint of milk and put to 3 pints of indian meal [corn meal], and half pint of flower [sic]–bake before the fire. Or scald with milk two thirds of the indian meal, or wet two thirds with boiling water, add fat, molasses, and shortenings, work up with cold water, pretty stiff, and bake as above.

(Image of Johnny Cakes was found at whatscookingamerica.net.)