Mary Lyon’s Recipes & Housekeeping Hints
Among the collection of Mary Lyon’s papers are a booklet of recipes and housekeeping hints written in her slanted hand. Though difficult to read due to her script, faded paper, and ink blotches, we were able to decipher a few of the recipes, below. See the scanned booklet and try to make out Mary Lyon’s housekeeping hints.
Molasses cake with flour
6 cups flour
2 1/2 cups molasses
1 cup butter
3 eggs
1 cup sour milk & cider
saleratus {precursor to baking powder}
salt
spice
raisins
Mix it easily & with much time
Bake in two oblong tins one hour
Make gingerbread by the above recipe — leaving out the raisins, & using for spice a little ginger and a little allspice.
Indian Pudding Cake
1 quart milk
From 2 to 5 eggs
Add eggs enough to make a very thin batter
Add a very little flour.
1 tea spoon salt
Bake about an hour with quick heat
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October 14, 2015
If I may paraphrase:
“Put a quart of milk in a bowl. Add some eggs. Like, somewhere between 2 and 5 eggs. Just stop adding eggs when you feel like it. Then add a very little flour. Not too much. Just… a very little. Then add one teaspoon of salt. Mix it all up and cook for, I dunno, about an hour. Then you’ll have a delicious pudding cake!”
Oooookay Mary.
So, has anyone attempted these recipes yet? The second one looks a little frightening.