This recipe book of 61 numbered pages contains the name Lockhart Nielson on the inside cover. He may have been merely an owner of the book or he may have been one of the book's writers, as the hand of the inscription seems similar to the hand of the initial recipes. The book contains several hand changes, the most obvious one at page 52.
The book is almost certainly Scottish throughout. Page 21 features a recipe for “Cookies,” which turn out to be plain yeast-raised buns, a recipe unique to Scotland. Recipes on pages 26 and 49 use the Scottish measurements “choppin” (more commonly “chopin”) and “mutchkin” respectively. The word “molasses,” used in a recipe for Gingerbread on page 19, also points to a Scottish origin. In England, “molasses” had long since been replaced by the word “treacle” (which is used elsewhere in the book). The gingerbread recipe is noted as being from the Scottish town of Dunblane. Finally, numerous recipes are attributed to persons with Scottish surnames such as Milligan, McGregor, Ballochmyle, Milliken, and McArthur.
Although some of the book’s recipes look back to the early nineteenth century, the book was likely compiled somewhat later. The book’s recipes for Cabinet Pudding (page 22) and Prune Soufflé (page 50) are unlikely to predate 1825, and the Albert Sandwiches (page 41), assuming that they are named for Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, likely postdates the beginning of Victoria's reign, in 1837. The leavening “carbonate of soda,” called for throughout, also came into use in the 1830s.
There are a number of interesting recipes. The early pages of the book feature a run preserved meats not typically outlined in cookbooks, including Bacon Hams, Beef Hams, and cured Round of Beef. Almond Bars, page 19, appear to be a simplified version of the French pastry Condés. Extraordinarily close observations are provided in the recipes for Muffins (what Americans call English muffins), page 29, and Soda Scones, page 49, which includes the caution, “Do not use a roller for fear of making the scones sad but pat them out with the hand.” There is also a recipe titled American Blanc Mange, page 47, which is set with arrowroot rather than the traditional calves’ foot stock or isinglass. Similar recipes by the same name appear in other cookbooks of the 1830s and 1840s, suggesting that the dish, which later blossomed into cornstarch pudding, may indeed have been an American invention.
