What's better than history you can eat? The boys and I made soft gingerbread today, based upon recipes from the Washington and Lee families. "Soft," or cake-like gingerbread came into vogue here in Virginia in the 1800s, but at least one recipe is attributed to George Washington's mother, Mary Ball Washington.
The author of the recipe retained in the Lee's Family Cooking and Housekeeping Book gave us the basic recipe. The Washington family recipe suggested stoned raisins (imagine trying to get the seeds out) and alcohol; I used cream sherry which would have been well known at the time.
Families passed their recipes along physically usually in specified notebooks or diaries along with housekeeping information. Without writing it down, the older generation of cooks also could tell the younger cooks specific information or even pass along favored crocks or pans. That information is lost to us now. I tried a tube pan and a shallow rectangular pan and put the few remaining dabs in cupcake papers. The cupcakes were yummy; now I'm waiting to taste the larger ones, with plans to serve one on Sunday. We're following the suggestion to serve with whipped cream.
As usual, Uriah was the most interested in cooking. And I'm hoping both boys heard enough about two of Virignia's great families to begin an appreciation that we can build upon as we study Virginia history throughout the school year.
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