Manuscript Location

New York University Bobst Library, Fales Special Collections

Place of Origin

United States

Date of Composition

ca. 1850-1880

Description

It appears that this manuscript was begun as an account book, in the 1830s and 1840s, and was subsequently continued as a recipe book, first by Mrs. Sarah Dunlap, in the 1850s or 1860s, and then by Mrs. Dunlap's daughters Lizzie and Minnie, who made additions into the 1870s and perhaps beyond. The first eight recipes in the book belong to Mrs. Sarah Dunlap; they are for cakes and gingerbreads. The remaining recipes in the book, apparently the work of the Dunlap daughters, are predominantly culinary but also include formulas for household products like black dye and laundry soap, as well as remedies for coughs and diarrhea. The later culinary recipes are mostly for sweets and breads. Some of these recipes, such as Delmonico Pudding, Orange Cake, and White Mountain Rolls, did not become popular until after 1870.