Oooh! That smell! No, no, no—not the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd song! We’re talking about the aroma of cooking, baking, and delectable goodies that fill kitchens during the holiday season!
Ginger, nutmeg, spices, cakes, and cookies not only excite us for the wonderfully tasty treats that they are, but the smells often take us back in time to happy memories of friends and family gatherings in the holiday season, relaxing, talking, sharing stories, and being together after an amazing holiday meal.
Let’s go back in time, a little more than a century, and think about some of the things we might remember our grandmothers baking around Christmas time!
In 1906, The Ladies Aid Society of the M. E. Church in Jollytown published “The Cook’s Friend and Home Guide” an amazing little book with fantastic recipes—many perfect for the holidays.
Sponge Gingerbread
“Melt a piece of butter the size of an egg. Mix with a pint of molasses, a tablespoonful of ginger, and a quart of flour. Dissolve a heaping tablespoonful of soda in a half a pint of sour milk. Strain and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Add sufficient flour to make it roll out easily. Roll a half in thick and bake on flat tins in a quick oven. If a good Orleans molasses is used this cake will be very light and spongy.”
The above was submitted by Mrs. S. L. White. Alternatively, a simpler recipe, from Ida Dye is also included for gingerbread:
Soft Gingerbread
“One cupful molasses, one half cupful shortening, one egg, one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in one half cup of warm water, one teaspoonful of ginger. Use Flour enough to make a good batter.
While the last recipe may leave a few instructions to the instincts of the baker, such are the ways of a talented chef! Instinctual measuring and timing, and just “knowing” the process, are part of the game. Learning that instinct is perhaps the most enjoyable part of cooking!
With Christmas fast approaching, and New Year’s right around the corner, let’s all get into the kitchen and learn some new skills, or hone the skills we already have by interpreting these old recipes into the modern era and making new memories with our friends and families that they can carry with them into the future!
