Ingredients
1 1/2 cup good butter
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
16 eggs
4 lb raisins
4 lb currants
1 lb mixed peel cut fine
2 lb flour
1 lb almonds,blanched cut fine
2 nutmeg,grated same of mace
1/2 pt brandy
1 tbsp lemon essence
Directions
Directions: Cream butter and sugar well, add the beaten yolks, then
the stiffly beaten egg whites. Put all fruits and nuts together, rub
with some of the 2 pounds of flour. Beat well, then add nuts and
brandy. I make just half of this recipe and I put in a very small
teaspoon of soda. Bake slowly. This is a transcription from my
Grandma Dixon's handwritten recipe book. It dates from the first
quarter of this century.
Liz Parkinson
Servings: 1 servings
Christmas Cake Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cake; Christmas; Dessert; Holiday
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to prove the history of transcribed cooking instructions way back into history, in truth as far back into recorded history as ancient Egypt, and potentially, even further back. Interesting though that is, generally, these old cook books were just very simple pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to academics is a collection of ancient tablets in Sumerian which show the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made people feel blissful. As we move into The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a collection of documents which described recipes prepared by his fellow Romans. In his works, he recounts how the meals were split into hors d`oeuvre, main course and afters, a style of dining still practiced today. Aspicius describes how the cooks of his times used a good variety of aromatic flavors, including some that we all recognise like bay, rue and dill. Later, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many new foods and herbs from Arab cooking, including spices like rosemary and coriander. The introduction of these new culinary ideas prompted an increase in manuscripts on cookery, many of which still exist in private libraries. During the next few hundred years, the upper-class families of the West tried to serve the most exotic meals, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipe collections were at a premium. However, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century that cooking and recipe collections really came of age. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated their lives to collecting, trying out, and writing down recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cookery publications are increasing in popularity mostly as a result of more people being able to read, people having increased leisure time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Christmas Cake recipe.
