The Gift . . .

 
How lucky am I to receive this wonderful cookbook, The Boston Cook Book by Mary J. Lincoln. This book belonged to my husband's grandmother, and was given to him by his cousin to give to me! The book is signed by the author and dated "October, 1911" - just over 100 years ago! I can truthfully say, it's my oldest, and now dearest cook book.

A little water damage, but who cares!

Here's what I found out about the author, Mrs. Lincoln. Her book, Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book: What to Do and Not Do in Cooking (1884) was a highly influential book that provided recipes from multiple sources and emphasized the science and nutritional aspects of cooking. It also help set the pattern of how cookbooks and recipes were to be formulated with consistent measurements and is a fore-runner to the Fannie Farmer's The Boston Cooking School Cookbook.  Fannie Farmer was one of her students!

Below is a recipe from the cookbook that I thought would befit the holiday season,  please enjoy!

Plum Cakes

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

Yolks of 3 eggs

Whites of 2 eggs

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of dark molasses

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoonful cream of tartar

1/2 pound raisins, stoned and chopped (plums?)

1/2 pound currants

2 tablespoonfuls any fruit syrup

4 cups of flour

2 teaspoonfuls mixed spices

If not dark enough, add a little melted chocolate.  Bake in small tins, and frost part of them with the remaining white of egg.

Baking instructions

Bake in a moderate oven (that's it for instructions)

(I'm guessing 350 degrees, until cakes are done, about 20 - 25 minutes.

This treasure fell out of the book after my little photo shoot!

Bake, eat and enjoy!