I have come into possession of my great great Grandmother's longhand
cookbook. She lived on a rice plantation in the Low Country of SC in
approximately 1840. I am currently transcribing it with an eye to
publishing it in the future as I think it is has some historical and
culinary value. If anyone would like to test these and interpret them drop
me a line and I will send them out to you. Although my grandmother and
mother were caterers for over 70 years combined, I am not an accomplished
cook so I thought I would expose them to real cooks and see what they think.
Any one who modernizes one and tests it would of course get credit when it
is published along with any comments they might have. A sort of Southern
Antebellum Internet Cookbook.
She had it separated into SAUCES, PICLES,CATSUPS; SOUPS,MEATES,SALADS;
OYSTERS; BREADS;CAKES;DESERTS; PRESERVES AND CANDIES; and WINES,BITTERS,ETC.
Some are quite cryptic with little more than ingredients.
Also 5 or six refer to adding "seafoam" to them and I cannot
determine what that is although quite a thread on rfc has been gernerated
concerning my request for info. Any ideas.
Enclosed are a few from her book:
(c) T. F. Armstrong Jr. 1996
COCOANUT CAKE
Beat to a cream 1 cup of butter, 3 cups of sugar, add the
yolks of 5 eggs beaten light, 1 teaspoon SEA FOAM sifted in
four cups of flour, the whites of 5 eggs frothed and 1
cocoanut well grated and put in just before baking.
(c) T. F. Armstrong Jr. 1996
HARD SUGAR CAKES
One rounding cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of melted butter, a littleover a half
teacup of warm water and flour enough to roll outstiff, 2 teaspoons full of
SEA FOAM. Good.
(c) T. F. Armstrong Jr. 1996
RICE MUFFINS
1 pt of rice flour, one teacup milk, 1 of boiling water, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon
of pearlash---pour water on the flour and beat well, add butter while flour
is hot, then eggs, milk, lastly pearlash, have the rings hot and bake with a
quick oven.
(c) T. F. Armstrong Jr. 1996
RICE BREAD (1)
1 pt. rice flour (bolted flour), 1 pt. clabber, sour orbuttermilk, 1 egg,
salt, and the half off full teaspoon of soda, 1 tablespoon butter.
(c) T. F. Armstrong Jr. 1996
RICE BREAD (2)
1/2 pt. rice flour, 1 teaspoon butter, 2 1/2 teaspoons ofyeast-powder mixed
with dry flour, 2 eggs, salt to taste,make thick batter and bake in a hot oven.
(c) T. F. Armstrong Jr. 1996
CORN MUFFINS (1)
1 pt. soft boiled hominy, 4 eggs, 1 pt. of milk, spoonful oflard, 1 pt. corn
meal, washed and squeezed in a towel, bakein hot oven a half hour.
(c) T. F. Armstrong Jr. 1996
LEMON LOAF CAKE
This cake must be made day before used. All require from 1 hour to 1 hour
and 15 minutes to bake in slow oven. Put sheet of white writing paper on
upper grate, if it turns a light yellow, when it has been in 10 minutes,
oven is just right for this cake, and put one piece of small wood in at a
time to keep oven steady heat. Cupfulls are just even (not rounded) and
teaspoon, an even full one. Flour and baking powder should be sifted
together 8 times. Sugar used is fine grained granulated or powdered; if
former sift four times and use fine part. The cup in measuring is usual
sized hotel tea cup
Cream 3 cups of sugar, 1 of butter, add yolks of 5 eggs and stir well for 5
minutes a cup of milk and stir 8 minutes, then gradually stir in 5 cups of
flour, 1/2 teaspoon of soda, add grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, and last
the stiffly beaten whites of 5 eggs. Bake in new tin which is about 8 in.
across, and a tube in centre, will take about 1 hour or 1 hour and 10
minutes --- if it begins to brown too much after 10 minutes cover carefully
with paper. When cold, remove from pan, put in cold place till next day.
With sharp knife mark around entire cake so as to divide in 5 layers; a
stout thread put around cake and crossed and drawn tight, it can be cut in
smooth even layers. This cake is stiff and hard to beat, but is delicious
plain cake just iced. This makes a delicious Rose cake if half of the dough
is colored with fruit colorings and flavored with rose.
This cake may be baked in layer tins, but they are not so delicate.
Thanks
Tommmy Armstrong
Lillington NC