Manuscript Location

University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Kislak Center for Special Collections - Manuscripts

Place of Origin

England
United States

Date of Composition

ca. 1820-ca. 1860

Description

This anonymous volume is written in more than one hand. The early recipes may have been compiled in England. Later recipes, some in the same hand as the early ones, were likely written in the United States, perhaps in the northeast, for they include distinctively American cakes such as Boston Fruit Cake, Federal Cake, and Election Cake. Other culinary recipes outline various cakes, puddings, custards, jellies, cheeses, soups, fish, meats, and sauces for meats. There are also recipes for ginger wine and cowslip wine, both traditional English specialties. There are a few medical recipes and several pages of accounts (in shillings and dollars) written from the reverse of the volume. The book also includes knitting pattern instructions, a poem "A Paradise Pudding," and a list of 31 questions for a prospective bride.