Cookbook
Margaret includes this cookbook, listing what were probably her favorite recipes. Note the lack of baking temperatures. Baking in a wood or coal oven must have required a lot of skill and practice.
Margaret Oakes Cookbook (1884)
Yeast Bread (M. A. Oakes)
Pie Crust (M. A. Oakes)
Custard Pie (M. A. Oakes)
Lemon Pie (Ann Whitmore?)
Bread Pudding (Mrs. Potter)
Brown Bread (M. A. Oakes)
Tete-a-tete Sponge Whips
Tete-a-tete Nut Cake
Tete-a-tete Yellow Frosting (M. A. Oakes)
Chocolate Frosting (S. M. Hart)
Drop Cakes (S. M. Hart)
Cheap Cake (M. A. Oakes)
Rhubarb Pie (Minerva Bailey)
White Cake (Housekeepers Friend)
Yeast Bread (M. A. Oakes)
Boston Cream Cakes (Cottage Hearth)
Krinkles (?)
Sugar Cookies (Mrs. Arey)
Yeast Bread (Mrs. Grindell)
Fruit Cake (Mrs. Grindell)
Pie Crust (longer recipe than first one)
Molasses Cookies (Mrs. Lambert)
Orange Cake (Mrs. Lambert)
Ginger Snaps (Mrs. Leighton of Barkentine G. Rusens)
Gingerbread (M. A. Oakes)
Popovers
Sponge Cake
Hermits
Spanish Cream
Mrs. Sweet’s Fruit Cake
Walnut Cake
Chocolate Cake
Boston Cream Cakes
Coffee Jelly
Prune Pudding (Mrs. Bending)
Salad Dressing (Mrs. Jacobs)
Angel Cake (Mrs. Bending)
Brown Bread (Mrs. Jacobs)
1884
Aug. 18 Maggie M. Oakes Cook Book
Yeast Bread
One cup full yeast, one quart water, salt, flour enough to make stiff batter. Rise over night. In the morning knead and rise again. Then knead and shape into loaves. Rise after in pans the third time. Bake slowly. (M. A. Oakes)
Pie Crust
One heaping tablespoonfulls lard. one half cup water, one quarter tablespoonfull salt. Flour enough to make stiff dough. Enough dough to bake two pies without a top crust or one with. (M. A. Oakes)
Custard Pie
Five eggs, five tablespoonfulls sugar, one quart of milk, one fourth tablespoonfull salt. Flavoring to suite taste. This will make two pies. (M. A. Oakes)
Lemon Pie
Add to the juice of one lemon one cup of sugar, the yolks of two eggs and one whole egg, one teaspoonfull corn starch scalded in one half cup milk. Line a pie plate with pastry and pour in the mixture. Bake like custard pie. While this is baking beat the whites of two eggs with three tablespoonfulls of sugar to a stiff froth. When the pie is done pour on the frosting. Return to oven and brown slightly. (Anne Whitmore (?))
Bread Pudding
Soak bread in one quart milk until soft. Add one half cup sugar, two eggs, a small piece of butter and a little salt --Also one cup raisins. Bake one hour or an hour and a half. Not too hot an oven. (Mrs. Potter)
Brown Bread
Soak bread until it can be mashed very fine. Then add one cup of milk, one cup of molasses, a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in the milk. Use meal enough to make a stiff batter. (M. A. Oakes)
Tete-a-Tete Sponge Whips
Two eggs beaten separately, one cup white sugar, one half cup milk, three dessert spoons of butter, one and a half cups of flour and one teaspoon cream tartar and one half a teaspoon of soda and one half of salt. Mix sugar, butter and salt together. Add eggs, then milk with soda dissolved. Add flour sifted with cream of tartar. Flavor as desired.
Bake in small round tins. Split open and put in cream.
Tete-a-tete Nut Cake
Whites of two eggs, 9 desserts spoons sugar, 3 dessert spoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon soda, 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cream tartar, 1 cup chopped nuts.
White Frosting
1 small cup milk
2 small cups sugar
Boil 8 minutes
(M. A. Oakes)
Tete-a-tete Yellow Frosting
Beat yolk of egg until perfect froth. 5 or more teaspoons of sugar. Frost while cake is hot. Set in dark place to harden.
Chocolate Frosting
4 tablespoons grated chocolate
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup sugar
Set over tea kettle to melt. Flavor. (S. M. Hart)
Drop Cakes
1/2 cup butter, 1 scant cup sugar, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup hot water, 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 dessertspoon s
oda. (S. M. Hart)
Cheap Cake
1/2 cup butter --- 1 egg
1 cup sugar --- 2/3 cup of milk
2 cups sifted flour, 1 teaspoon acid (baking powder)
1/2 teaspoon soda.
(M. A. Oakes)
Rhubarb Pie
One cup chopped rhubarb, one cup sugar, one egg. Small piece of butter on top and a little nutmeg. Enough for one pie.
(Minerva Bailey)
White Cake
Two cups sugar, one cup butter, three of flour, whites of four eggs, a little salt, two teaspoonfuls of acid [baking powder], one of soda.
(Housekeepers Friend)
Yeast Bread
Take one yeast cake and dissolve in a spoonful or two of warm water. Pour onto flour one pint boiling milk. Dissolve butter in milk. Stir until there is a stiff batter. Add one pint of cold water. Add yeast. Add flour enough to make stiff batter. Set to rise one half.
Add more flour and knead and rise one half again. Knead and put into pans. Rise again one half. Bake slowly.
(M. A. Oakes)
Boston Cream Cakes
1 cup water, 1/2 cup butter boiled together. While boiling stir in one and 1/2 cup flour. Stir until it comes clean of the dish. Take it off and add four eggs well beaten. Put in a pan and bake half an hour. It makes 16 cakes.
Cream for the inside -- One and one half cups of milk, one half cup of flour, one half cup of white sugar, one egg. Beat egg, sugar and four together and stir into the milk while boiling. Flavor to suit taste. When it is cold, cut open cakes and fill with cream.
(Cottage Hearth)
Krinkles
One cup sugar, one cup butter, one cup water, one measure each of acid [baking powder] and soda. Flour enough to make a stiff dough. Roll out thin and bake quickly.
Sugar Cookies
One cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 teaspoon soda, 1/2 cup milk. Flavor. Flour enough to make a stiff dough. Roll out thin and bake quickly.
(Mrs. Arey)
Yeast Bread
Rub into flour 2/3 cup shortening with hands. Mash two potatoes and dissolve in one quart milk. Pour one pint boiling water into the milk. Add one pint cold water. Add one teaspoonful salt, a tablespoonful sugar, one yeast cake dissolved in milk. Knead with your hands. Rise and then put in pans. Rise again and bake.
(Mrs. Grindell)
Cookies
3 eggs, 1 cup butter, 2 and 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup sweet milk, 2 teaspoonfuls cream tartar, 1 teaspoon soda.
Fruit Cake
1 cup butter, 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup molasses, 1 cup milk, 1 and 1/2 cups raisins, flour. Stone, chop, and sprinkle raisins with flour. Dissolve in molasses 1/2 teaspoon soda. Sift in with flour a little salt, two teaspoonfuls acid [baking powder], and one of soda.
(Mrs. Grindell)
Pie Crust
Take four and one-half cups flour and one cup lard and one half teaspoonful salt. Rub the lard with the tips of the fingers into the flour until it is fine like meal. Mix with cold water pouring only a few spoonfuls at a time and with a fork lightly push the flour to and fro until enough water has been added to just wet it together. Care should be taken to use as little water as possible and not stir the mixture at all. With the tips of the fingers again press it together towards one side of the dish. It should look quite rough. Cut in two parts and cut one fourth from one part. Flour the board lightly. Flatten the dough with the ends of the fingers. A few strokes of the rolling pin rolling from you should reduce to the proper thinness. Line the plate and pare the edge smoothly with a knife. Use the bits of dough with the next crust. When all the plates are lined, put the other half of the dough upon the board, flatten by pressing with the rolling pin, then roll a few strokes from you. When less than one-half an inch thick, get one-third of a cup of butter and use one-half upon the surface of the board, putting on small bits thinly with a knife. Sprinkle on a little flour and cut into five strips. Pile one upon the other, placing the last one bottom side up so it will not stick. With the end of the rolling pin pound briskly, striking perhaps two dozen strokes. Roll again. Use the remainder of the butter as before. Sprinkle with flour, cut into strips, and beginning at the ends roll up firmly as you would a jelly cake. Cut a slice from the roll, flour, flatten with the fingers, pressing the layers over each other, roll to the required size, fold in the center, cut small slanting holes, place upon the pie, pressing the edges together. Wet the top with either cold water or milk and bake in a hot oven.
Molasses Cookies
2/3 cup molasses, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup lard, 1 teaspoon salerators [saleratus = baking soda], a little salt, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoonful cream tartar. Spices.
(Mrs. Lambert)
Orange Cake
1 cup sugar, whites of three eggs beaten to a froth, 1/2 cup sweet milk, 1/2 cup butter, 2 teaspoonfuls of acid [baking powder], 1 teaspoonful soda, 1 and 1/2 cups flour.
Filling
Yolks of three eggs, one cup sugar, grated rind and juice of one orange, a little piece of butter, a tablespoon of flour stirred in water.
(Mrs. Lambert)
Ginger Snaps
One tablespoon lard, one of hot water. Fill the cup up with molasses. Do this three times.
One teaspoonful salt, one tablespoonful soda.
(Mrs. Leighton of Barkentine G. Rusens)
Gingerbread
1 cup molasses, heaping spoonful lard, one cup milk, spices, one teaspoonful saleratus [saleratus = baking soda], one spoonful of salt. Flour enough to make batter.
(M. A. Oakes)
Popovers
1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1 egg. Have gem pan hot. Bake quickly.
Sponge Cake
Beat the whites of 4 eggs to a stiff froth. Beat the yolks until thick. Add to the yolks 1 and 1/2 cupfuls sugar, 4 large spoonfuls H20. Add whites of the eggs and two cupfuls flour prepared (?) with one teaspoonful acid [baking powder] and half of soda.
Hermits
3 eggs, 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 cup raisins, 1 teaspoonful of all kinds of spices, 1/2 teaspoonful soda.
Spanish Cream
Soak 1/2 box Cox's gelatine in one quart cold water for two hours. Set pail into kettle of hot water and remain until boiling hot, then add yolks of three eggs thoroughly beaten with one cup sugar. Stir for a few minutes, then take from the stove and add the whites of 3 eggs beaten to a froth; also 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar. Flavor to suit taste. Serve cold with sugar and cream.
Mrs. Sweet's Fruit Cake
1 cup sugar, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup sweet milk. 1 cup raisins, 1 cup currants, 1 cup citron, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 nutmegs, spice of all kinds, Very nice; and makes two loaves. 4 and 1/4 cups flour.
Walnut Cake
1 cup washed butter, 1 cup milk, 2 cups sugar, 4 cups flour. Whites of two eggs, 1/2 pound walnuts in the shell. Flour prepared with two teaspoonfuls acid [baking powder] and one of soda.
Chocolate cake
2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup butter, 1 cup milk, 3 cups flour, 3 eggs. flour prepared with two teaspoonfuls acid [baking powder] and one of soda.
Boston Cream Cakes
Boil in 1/2 pint water 3/4 cup butter; stir in while boiling 2 cups flour. Take from fire and stir in gradually 5 eggs not beating them and 1/2 teaspoonful soda dry. Drop on tin. Cook until thoroughly done.
Coffee Jelly
1/2 box Cox's gelatine (one pint); dissolve in the coffee which made as strong as your care to have it. Serve with cream and sugar.
Prune Pudding
1/2 pound (lb.) prunes cooked very soft and water cooked away. Take out stones and rub through collander. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and whites of 4 eggs beaten stiff and added. Bake 15 minutes or until brown. Make a boiled custard of yolks of eggs and one pint of milk.
(Mrs. Gending )
Salad Dressing
A tablespoon mustard, a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter; Add two eggs, one cup cream or milk -- set on stove, heat. Add a cup of strong vinegar. Stir constantly until it thickens.
(Mrs. Jacobs)
Angel Cake
Whites of 5 small eggs beaten stiff (put a pinch of salt in when you begin to beat and when half beaten, add 1/4 teaspoonful of cream tartar. Add 5/8 cup of granulated sugar. Then fold in lightly 1/2 cup pastry flour sifted 4 or 5 times. Bake in a moderate oven in a round pan open in the center. When taken from oven invert and let stand so the air will circulate 'til (little?) cool. Then run a knife around it and it will come out.
(Mrs. Bending)
Brown Bread
One cup flour, one cup graham flour, three cups meal, one cup molasses, salt, one teaspoonful salerators [saleratus = baking soda]; Milk enough to make thin batter (about three cups).
(Mrs. Jacobs)
Cake
Beat together 1 cup cugar, 1/2 cup butter; add yolks of two eggs; 1 and 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder, 1/2 cup milk. Flavor. Add whites of two eggs.