Recipes from Wedded to the Enemy

I finished my final draft of Wedded to the Enemy this morning and one of the fun parts about this book is that I used real historical recipes. I found a recipe for Molasses Cookies that I’ve included, and part of that involved doing some taste-testing. I baked these a few days ago, and they were delicious! I was a bit wary, since the recipe doesn’t have eggs. Then again, shortbread cookies don’t either, so I was hoping for the best. If you want a cookie recipe that’s quick, easy, and tastes like homemade gingerbread, you’re going to like this one.

1 cup molasses
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
2 Tbsp. warm water
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups flour
confectioner’s sugar

Combine one cup of molasses with 1 tablespoonful of ginger. Dissolve 1 teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda into 2 tablespoons of warm water or milk. Add ½ cup of softened butter and enough flour to make a soft dough (about 2 ½ cups). Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven until firm to the touch (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Dust with confectioner’s sugar while still hot.

I added the confectioner’s sugar as my own personal touch, and it was delicious! You could also use a cream cheese frosting, and I have no doubt it would be wonderful.

A few interesting things I ran across in my research. The word “recipe” was not used in Victorian times–it was the word “receipt” instead. I also used the British terms, so cookies are called biscuits in the story. Here’s a fun link to Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management that provided a lot of ideas for historical recipes, information regarding servants, and things that would have inspired my heroine. Have fun browsing around!

The heroine of this book loves to cook, and I tried to include several recipes that she actually bakes in the story. Hopefully, I’ll be allowed to keep those. In any event, I’ll be adding some recipes to my website for others that aren’t included.

My grandmother gave me an old book of recipes that she’s had since the 1930’s. What I love most about old recipe books are when you discover handwritten notes from the cooks. Finding an old book is a fun connection with the past.

My mother always wrote “Good” when she liked a recipe, or sometimes notes when she didn’t like a recipe. I will often cross out a recipe that I’ve tried and don’t like.

What about you? Do you mark up your cookbooks?