Eat and Drink like the Headless Horseman: Historical Food from Sleepy Hollow
Ok so maybe I am taking some liberty here when I say you can actually eat like someone who doesn’t-ummm-have a mouth. But what if I told you I unearthed some recipes that would have been eaten around the time that the alleged Hessian soldier was alive and in the US? Or at the very least it would have been eaten by the residents of Sleepy Hollow.
Sleepy Hollow was published in 1820 and set in 1790’s so all recipes are pulled from this era. Below you will find a collection of what I feel like are either the most approachable, or the most interesting of the recipes I have found so far.
All the images you see here are from actual historical cookbooks and have been provided by the University of Iowa’s Szathmary Culinary Collection. A little plug for old Louie real quick…
Louis Szathmary was born in Hungary and grew up during a time of great upheaval in Europe. He had to flee from Soviet troops as a child, and eventually made his way to the United States, where he pursued his passion for cooking. He was a true innovator in the kitchen, and was known for his creative approach to food. He was also a great teacher and writer, and did a lot to popularize Hungarian and Eastern European cuisine in the United States. He was a real pioneer in the culinary world, and he left a lasting legacy. Much of my current research is owed directly to the collection stored at the University of Iowa and I am so grateful for other humans before me that saw the importance in documenting and collecting our genealogical history via cookbooks.
Joseph Forbes cookbook, 1790s
Caraway Cake
To make a Carraway Cake Take 1/2 Peck flour, 4 lb. Butter, rub it fine in the flour, [3 lb of?] Carraway Comfits, 1 lb. of Jourdon Almonds, blanch'd, [Slis?] them thin, a pound of Citron Scliced, one gram of Ambergrease, 2 pint of Sack, 4 Eggs, one quart of ale yeast, a pint of Warm Milk. Mix it all well together, Butter the Hoop, & lay [fafer?] paper under it, & let your Oven be very Ready before you Mix it put in your Almond, Carraway, and Citron when its mix't together then Bake it
Digesting this Recipe:
There are so many interesting ingredients and techniques here. For starters, the caraway comfits and the Jordan almonds would have been very expensive and would have signified that this cake was made for a special occasion. The sack (which is a type of fortified wine) and the ale yeast would have added flavor and helped the cake to rise. And I'm really curious about the "ambergrease" - it could have been ambergris, which is a waxy substance produced by sperm whales that was once used as a fragrance and flavoring in food. Yikes!
Based on the ingredients and techniques, I'd say this is definitely a colonial American recipe. The use of caraway comfits, sack, and ale yeast all point to English influence. And the use of "pint" and "quart" measurements suggest that it's an American recipe, rather than English. The lack of more exotic ingredients like vanilla, chocolate, or cinnamon would also suggest that it's probably from the colonial period, when trade routes were limited and access to spices was limited.
The fact that the recipe doesn't give precise baking instructions (i.e. temperature or time) suggests that the person writing the recipe was probably someone who was experienced with baking and could "eyeball" when the cake was done. This implies that it was probably made by a professional cook or someone who baked often. Second, the fact that it calls for a "hoop" to bake the cake in suggests that it was probably made in a brick oven, rather than a modern oven.
"Fafer paper" was a type of baking paper that was commonly used in colonial America. It was made from a variety of materials, including paper, linen, or even animal skins, and it was used to line pans or baking dishes to prevent sticking. The use of fafer paper would have been an important part of the baking process, since it would have been difficult to remove baked goods from metal or ceramic pans without it.
Joseph Forbes cookbook, 1790s
Elder Wine
Make Elder Wine To 3 gallons of Spring Water, 5 Quarts of the Juice of Elder Berries when fully Ripe, to every Gallon of Water, 3 lb of good Brown Sugar, & mix it altogether, boil it well, & Skimm it 1/2 an hour, & then set it aCooling, and work it w/ Yeast y/n put it in a Cask, and in two or three days, Stop it up very very close, you may Bottle it up in 4 months or you may keep it a Year.
Digesting the Recipe:
In summary, the process involves mixing water, elderberry juice, and brown sugar, and boiling the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Then, the mixture is allowed to cool and yeast is added to start the fermentation process. During fermentation, the yeast converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which is what gives the wine its alcohol content and fizziness. After fermentation is complete, the wine is bottled and allowed to age for several months or years.
It's likely that they were using a type of compressed yeast or a dried yeast. Compressed yeast was developed in the late 1700s in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. This type of yeast was created by pressing the liquid out of fresh yeast and then drying it out. This made it easier to transport and store, and it also made it more reliable, since it didn't require as much care and feeding as fresh yeast. There's also a possibility that they were using a simpler form of dried yeast, which was created by mixing yeast with wood ash and drying it in the sun.
Joseph Forbes cookbook, 1790s
Given the time period and the location, it's likely that the yeast used in the elder wine would have been either brewer's yeast or baker's yeast. Brewer's yeast was often collected from the foam of fermenting beer, and it was known for its ability to create carbon dioxide and alcohol. Baker's yeast was made from the same species of yeast, but it was cultivated specifically for making bread. In both cases, the yeast would have been a wild strain, meaning it was collected from the environment rather than being cultivated in a lab.
WHile we do have some information about the types of yeast that were commonly used in the late 1700s, there is still some uncertainty. It's believed that the most common type of yeast used in the United States at that time was Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as "ale yeast" or "baker's yeast". This yeast is still used today, but it has been refined and cultivated to be more consistent and reliable. It's possible that some of the wild strains that were used in the 1700s are now extinct, but there's no way to know for sure.
Based on the ingredients and the process described in the recipe, I would estimate that the ABV (alcohol by volume) of the elder wine would be somewhere between 10 and 15%. This is because the recipe includes a significant amount of sugar (in the form of brown sugar) which would ferment and convert into alcohol during the fermentation process. The exact ABV would depend on several factors, such as the type of yeast used, the temperature of the fermentation, and the length of time the wine was fermented for.
Elderberries typically ripen and are ready for harvest in late summer or early fall, usually between August and October, depending on the variety of elderberry and the climate. In New England, the elderberry harvest would have taken place in September or October, and the berries would have been picked and prepared for preservation before the weather turned too cold. Elderberries were used for a variety of purposes, including food, medicine, and wine. Once they were picked, the berries would have been washed, sorted, and then either used fresh or dried for later use.
Based on the information I've found, it seems like the elderberry wine fermentation process typically takes around 4 to 6 days to complete the initial fermentation. After that, the wine can be racked (strained and transferred to a clean container) and then left to ferment for an additional 4 to 6 weeks, or even up to 6 months. This extended fermentation period allows the wine to develop more complex flavors and aromas. Once the fermentation is complete, the wine can be bottled and then aged for at least 2 weeks, but ideally for 2 to 12 months. Which means that this wine is usually ready for us to consume for the next holiday season. Just in time for us ghouls to get up to no good!
Whipt Syllabub
Joseph Forbes cookbook, 1790s
To make a Whipt Syllabub Take a pint of Thick Cream, a pint of Sack, ye juice of a Lemon and put in there peal, ye white of two Eggs, sweeten it to your Tast, put it into a Deep pott whip it with a Burch Rod & as the froth rises fill up your Glasses
Digesting the Recipe:
"Whipt syllabub" is a type of dessert that's made with cream, sugar, wine, and lemon juice and zest. It's basically like a whipped cream dessert, but with wine and lemon added for extra flavor. The lemon and wine give it a nice, tart, and slightly boozy flavor. The "burch rod" mentioned in the recipe is probably a type of whisk or beater that was used to whip the cream and other ingredients together.
In the late 1700s, "syllabub" was a common term for a sweet, frothy drink or dessert that was made by whipping cream with wine or other spirits, and sometimes with sugar and flavorings like lemon or spices. So in this case, a "whipt syllabub" refers to the type of dessert made by whipping cream with lemon juice, sugar, and wine until it's light and frothy. This type of dessert was popular in England during the 18th century, and it's likely that it was introduced to the American colonies through trade or travel.
"Sack" in this context refers to a type of fortified wine that was popular in England during the 18th century. It was usually made from white grapes, and it was similar to sherry or Madeira wine. It was also sometimes called "sack posset" or "sack posset drink", and it was a popular drink for celebrations or special occasions. It was also sometimes used as a medicinal drink. So, in the recipe for the "whipt syllabub", a "pint of sack" refers to a pint of this fortified wine.
Make the Recipe
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or to taste)
2 egg whites (optional)
Whisk together the heavy cream, sugar, and lemon juice until soft peaks form. Then, whisk in the lemon zest and the wine. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
Be sure not to over-whip!
Over-whipping is caused by whisking the cream past the point of soft peaks. When you whip cream, the whisking action incorporates air into the cream, and as it gets whisked more and more, the cream becomes thicker and stiffer. At a certain point, it can actually start to break down, causing it to become grainy or curdled-looking. This is when you know you've over-whipped it. Sometimes this can happen if the cream is too cold, the bowl is too warm, or if you're whisking too vigorously.
Sponge Cake
Grizelda Hart cookbook, Jan. 6, 1823
1 lb Sugar, 3/4 lb flour,10 Eggs 1/2 Gill Brandy and some Lemon
Digesting the Recipe:
Based on the ingredients and the lack of any specific instructions for baking, it's likely that this recipe was made using a very hot oven and a baking dish that was greased and floured. Sponge cakes like this were typically baked in a very hot oven - around 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot oven would help the cake rise quickly and evenly, thanks to the reaction of the pearl ash and the acidic ingredients. The greased and floured baking dish would help prevent the cake from sticking as it baked.
Additional Sponge Cake directions in Hart’s cookbook
Pearl ash, also known as potash, is a type of alkaline substance that was used in the 18th and 19th centuries as a leavening agent in baking. It was made by purifying wood ash, which contains potassium carbonate, a naturally occurring salt.
When mixed with an acidic ingredient, like buttermilk or lemon juice, the pearl ash reacts and creates carbon dioxide bubbles that cause baked goods to rise. Before the invention of baking powder and baking soda, pearl ash was the main leavening agent used by bakers.
It's possible that this particular sponge cake recipe didn't call for pearl ash since it is not in the ingredients. Some sponge cakes were made without any chemical leaveners, relying instead on the air that was incorporated into the batter through whisking or beating. It's also possible that this recipe was written for a particular type of oven, like a wood-fired oven, which might have gotten hot enough to produce a light and fluffy cake without the help of pearl ash.
Gingerbread
1 1/2 lb flour 1/2 lb Butter 1/4 lb Sugar 1 oz ginger table Spoonful Alspice Pint Sugar house Molasses and about table spoonful cawy Seed
Digesting the Recipe
This recipe is definitely a bit different from modern gingerbread recipes, since it doesn't include any eggs or leavening agents. The flour, butter, sugar, ginger, and allspice are all typical ingredients for gingerbread, and the molasses provides both sweetness and moisture. The caraway seeds are an interesting addition - they're not as common in modern gingerbread recipes, but they were used in historical recipes for their flavor and crunch. This recipe might have been for a dense, dark, and spicy cake.
I had wondered if this could have been a base for “mourning biscuits” but it appears from research that this gingerbread recipe might have been a bit too flavorful for that purpose.
Additional Resource: How to bake a cake like it's 1820