It’s February again, which means love is in the air for some of us. Not everyone is in a romantic relationship, though, and some people use Valentine’s Day as a way of telling a friend or relative how much they mean to them. Whatever your Valentine’s Day thoughts or plans, I’ve pulled together, for your delight, a selection of recipes from my Domestic and Economical Recipes. Richmond Cookery Book with Special Hints on Gas Cooking by Miss Lillie Richmond which was awarded as a prize in the Richmond & Co. Ltd Stove Manufacturers’ Picture Puzzle Competition in 1898.
The recipes I’ve chosen are presented here as a bit of fun and interesting insight into late nineteenth century cooking. If you decide to attempt these recipes, you do so at your own risk. Please also be aware these recipes contain many allergens including, but not limited to, milk and nuts.
WEDDING CAKE.
What could be more romantic than a wedding cake? The following recipe may not be like any wedding cake you’ve had recently, though…
INGREDIENTS.
3lbs. flour.
3lbs. butter.
2½lbs. mixed peel.
3lbs. currants.
1lb. sweet almonds.
16 eggs.
1½lb. castor sugar.
1oz. spice (mixed).
½ nutmeg (grated).
½ pint brandy.
½ pint sherry.
Rinds of 3 lemons.
Salt.
METHOD.
Beat the butter to a cream, add the sugar, eggs, and flour, mix well; add all the other ingredients, the currants being cleaned, and the peel cut into small pieces, and the almonds blanched and finely chopped. Beat all together for one hour. Line a large cake-tin with double paper, well-greased, pour in the mixture, which should not fill the tin, and bake in a moderate oven for five or six hours.
ENGLISH CRUMPETS.
A guilty pleasure of many, crumpets can be enjoyed in the morning, afternoon, or evening either with butter or a (controversial) layer of marmite. Whatever you decide to put on your crumpet, I’m sure you’ll agree the best part of any crumpet is the topping seeping into the tiny holes and soaking the dough…
INGREDIENTS.
1½ lbs. of flour.
1 egg.
1 pint of milk and cream together.
½ teaspoonful of salt.
1 teaspoonful of white sugar.
2 teaspoonful of baking powder.
METHOD.
Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder well together, add the beaten egg, milk, and cream. Half fill well-greased muffin rings with the batter. The rings should be placed upon greased baking sheet. Bake in hot oven, on one side only. When done, toast upon both sides, butter nicely, and serve very hot.
YORKSHIRE TEA CAKES.
Put those tea bags away. Despite what the name may suggest, this recipe is a variation on the traditional fruit-filled tea cake, rather than a Frankenstein’s Monster of Yorkshire tea leaves and dough. You could enjoy them with a cup of Yorkshire Tea, though…
INGREDIENTS.
¾ lb. Coomb’s flour.
¾ pint milk.
1 oz. lard.
1 egg.
1 teaspoonful caster sugar.
½ oz. German yeast.
METHOD.
Cream the sugar and yeast, melt the lard in a saucepan, pour the milk on to it and make it lukewarm, pour this on to the yeast and sugar. Pour the yeast and milk through a strainer into the flour, add the beaten egg and mix well together.
Flour a board and turn the dough on to it, beat it and cut it into cakes. This quantity will make 2 cakes.
Grease the rings and put in the cakes, and stand to rise for one hour, then bake for l5 minutes.
GLAZE FOR TEA CAKES.
In case your sweet tooth demands something a little more exciting…
INGREDIENTS.
1 dessertspoonful castor sugar.
1 white of egg.
1 tablespoonful of milk.
METHOD.
Mix together and brush over the cakes.
You’ve probably noticed none of the above recipes stated a specific temperature for the cook’s oven. In the late nineteenth century, stoves were rather rudimentary compared to our modern appliances. Many cooks relied on their experienced eye and knowledge of their individual stove’s performance to gauge when a dish was ready. The lack of electrical appliances also meant simple tasks could take a lot longer (see above for beating the ingredients of a wedding cake together for one hour). I hope you’ve enjoyed this little foray into the Victorian kitchen and, if you do decide to attempt any of these recipes, all I can say is: GOOD LUCK!
~ T.G. Campbell,February 2025
TREAT YOUR LOVED ONE: THE VICTORIAN WAY
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