Dessert in the Colonial Times

Dessert in the Colonial Times By Nicole Folgen 7A1-ID3

Desserts in the colonial times were very different from most of the desserts that we have today. Things such as the ingredients, baking tools, and methods they used to cook played a huge role in this. People were unable to obtain a lot of the ingredients that we have today, and did not have such advanced baking tools and methods of cooking.

Who Cooked? • During colonial times, women did the cooking, cleaning, housework, and took care of the kids. • The men farmed, hunted, and fished. They did the jobs that required more physical labor.

_______ _______ • In colonial times, people did not have electronic stoves, toasters, or blenders. They did, however, have a brick-oven. This was where most of the desserts that they ate were made. • Colonial women cooked all day once a week. Although this was not difficult, it was very time consuming. • Women had to keep the door open while they cooked so that the smoke from the fire could escape. • Wealthier families did not eat in the kitchen. Women cooked in the kitchen, but the food was eaten in the dining room.

Baking • Baking was the most common way to make desserts in the colonial times. • Women used a brick-oven in order to bake. • Brick-ovens were used especially for baking bread, pastries, and cakes. • The ovens were basically fireplaces with fires. Women added wood to them to keep the fire from dieing out.

Fruits And Vegetables • Colonists often relied on farming in order to get food. Of course there were other ways of getting food as well, but the majority of colonial desserts were made of fruits and vegetables. • Many desserts were made of corn, such as corn bread. • Pies were very popular as well. Colonists ate apple and pumpkin pies, as well as many other ones. To poor people, one apple pie was a whole meal, and not just dessert.

Sweeteners • Colonists did not have all the sweeteners that we have today. In fact, sugar was uncommon, and pretty difficult to obtain until the late 1700’s. • One very common sweetener that was used was maple syrup. Native Americans taught colonists how to get the syrup from maple trees. • Molasses was another very common sweetener. • Chocolate was practically unknown, and ice cream was very rare. Imagine a life without chocolate or ice cream...

NO CHOCOLATE NO ICE CREAM

DESSERTS • In the colonial times, desserts were more bland than desserts that we eat today. People had less ingredients to use than we have today, and therefore their desserts had less flavor. Even so, we still eat modernized versions of the food that colonists made hundreds of years ago. • We eat gingerbread cookies, pies, and muffins. • Although some of the ingredients have been changed over the years, we still have the colonists to thank for those desserts.

MUSTER GINGERBREAD • 1/2 cup sugar • 2 tsp. Soda • 1/2 cup shortening (chicken fat preferred) • 1/2 tsp salt • 1 egg beaten • l tsp. Ginger • 1 cup molasses • 1 tsp. Cinnamon • 3 cups sifted pastry flour • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg • 1 cup boiling water • 1/4 tsp cloves • 1.Heat oven with control set for moderate oven ~ 350 degrees. • 2.Butter and flour two pans 10x7 or 8" square if thicker loaf is desired. • 3.Mix and sift flour, soda, salt and spices. • 4.Cream shortening and sugar • 5.add molasses and beaten egg. • 6.Stir in dry ingredients. • 7.Slowly add boiling water. • 8.Turn into prepared pans. • 9.Bake until it comes away from the sides of the pan, requires about 25-30 minutes. • 10.It should be slightly and evenly rounded over the top, never cracked open.

APPLE TANSEY • Instructions: • To make an Apple Tansey, • Take three pippins, slice them round in thin slices, and fry them with butter; then beat four eggs, with six spoonfuls of cream, a little rosewater, nutmeg, and sugar; stir them together, and pour it over the apples; let it fry a little, and turn it with a pye-plate. Garnish with lemon and sugar strew'd over it.

Snickerdoodles • 2 cups sugar • 1 cup butter • 2 eggs • 1/4 cup milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar • In a mixing bowl cream sugar and butter until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in milk and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; stir into creamed mixture. Form dough into one-inch balls. Place balls two inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Lightly flatten balls with the sugared bottom of a tumbler. Bake at 375 until done. 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 8 dozen.

Pine Tree Shillings • Because the English would not allow it's colonies to mint coins, New Englanders took matters into their own hands and the Massachusetts bay Colony illegally began minting operations. • In 1652 a coin was struck, one side of which bore the image of a tree. Often a pine, but sometimes an oak or willow, these coins have come to be known as Pine Tree Shillings. • The cookies of that name are the size of a shilling. Was it defiance or a sense of humor that made colonists decorate the cookie by pressing the coin into the dough. • 1/2 cup light molasses • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar • 1/4 cup lard • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger • In a mixing bowl cream together molasses, brown sugar and lard. Stir together flour cinnamon, baking soda, and ginger. Blend into creamed mixture. Divide into 6 portions. On lightly floured surface shape into 6 10-inch long rolls. Wrap and chill for several hours. Slice into pieces a little more than 1/4-inch thick. Place on well greased cookie sheet. Press each cookie with thumb until about 1/8-inch thick. Bake 350 about 5 to 8 minutes. Makes about 8 dozen.

SOURCES • http://gaspee.com/ColonialRecipes.html • Food in Colonial America by Mark Thomas • http://gaspee.com/ColonialRecipes.html • http://www.handsonhistoryinc.org/HOH-Page11.html • http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcolonial.html • http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/summer07/kitchens.cfm

Dessert in the Colonial Times