Good Eats

Good Eats from Helen, Danielle, & Brenda of the SHMM Education Department

Saturday, December 1^st, was a wonderful day on the grounds of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and a great start of the holiday season.  We hope those of you who visited Eliza’s kitchen at the Woodland Home had as much fun sampling our holiday goodies as Danielle, Brenda, and I had making and serving them.  Several people have requested the recipes for the gingerbread which is an old traditional dessert.  According to several sources, gingerbread was served to General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero who fought with and significantly aided the American Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Two recipes were served in the kitchen the first is Best Ever Gingerbread submitted by Charlene Peck from a local cookbook and the other, The General’s Gingerbread by Doris C. Schulte.  

Best Ever Gingerbread

¾ cup molasses

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup melted butter

2 eggs

2½ cups flour

2 teaspoons soda

¾ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves and nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup boiling water

Mix sugar, butter and molasses; add beaten eggs.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture.  Add boiling water.  Bake at 350° in 9 x 13-inch pan for 25-30 minutes.  Take out of oven, split and butter.

The General’s Gingerbread by Doris C. Schulte

“In central and western Tennessee, sorghum is an important field crop used for silage (green fodder stored in a silo) and for making sorghum molasses.  Sorghum was grown at the Hermitage, which consisted of 1,050 acres at the time of Andrew Jackson’s death in 1845.  Sorghum molasses was and still is used as a sweetener on cereal and pancakes, in beverages, and in cooking.

Our gingerbread recipe, or ‘receipt’ as it was called then, is one hundred sixty years old and thus was used while Jackson was still alive.  It calls for sorghum molasses and is a very dark, spicy cake.  We call it the General’s Gingerbread in honor of our seventh president.”

¼ cup shortening

½ cup sugar

½ cup sorghum or other type of molasses

1 egg

1½ cup flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  In large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.  Add the molasses and egg.  Beat thoroughly.  Sift the flour and add the baking soda and spices and sift again.  Gradually add the flour to the first mixture, alternating it with the buttermilk.  Beat well until the batter is thoroughly blended. Grease and flour the baking pan (8 by 8 by 2-inch), then pour the batter into the pan.  Bake the cake for 30 minutes.  Cut it into squares and serve it either warm or cold.

Both gingerbreads were wonderful but Danielle and I agreed The General’s Gingerbread had a more traditional old fashioned flavor and our favorite.

A good lemon sauce or a rum sauce is fantastic served with a dollop of whipped cream on a square of warm gingerbread. Yum!

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We have served the same wassail in the kitchen the last two years and really like it.

Mrs. Fantroy's Hot Wassail

3 oranges

3 lemons

1 ounce cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon allspice

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 gallon sweet apple cider

Squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemons, and reserve. Place rinds and spices in a saucepan. Add the water, cover, and simmer 2 1/2 hours.  Strain the liquid and pour over the sugar.  Add the fruit juices and apple cider.  Heat almost to boiling, but do not boil.  Serve very hot. 

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The Education Staff of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season and good eating!