Presidents' Day?

Martha Washington’s Great Cake makes an ideal Epiphany dessert.

Martha Washington’s Crab Soup is a great way to warm things up on cold winter days.

Shrewsberry Cakes are more like English biscuits (cookies) and American Tea Cakes, also a type of cookie.

Presidents Day ~ or is it?

"I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent." ~ ~ George Washington, (U.S. President April 30, 1789-March 3, 1797)

Do you celebrate Presidents Day on the third Monday in February? Yes? Are you sure?

While many states call this holiday Presidents Day and celebrate the birthdays of George Washington (February 22, 1732) and Abraham Lincoln (02/12/1809) simultaneously, the holiday is still officially Washington’s Birthday. And, contrary to what some may think, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday has never been a federal holiday.

Washington's Birthday was celebrated in the 17th century while he was still living. However, it didn’t become a federal holiday until 1885 when Chester A. Arthur signed the bill designating it that. A 1968 attempt re-name it Presidents Day died in committee and has not been resurrected.

Because of the Parson Weems’ tale, our first president is forever doomed to be associated with cherries whether it be chopping down one of their trees or eating them. According to biographers, George Washington did indeed love cherries as well as a wide variety of fruits, nuts and fish and preferred simple meals over fancy ones. His Mt. Vernon home was completely self-sufficient with extensive farms, orchards, meat preservation facilities (to make ham, bacon, etc) and animals. Family recipes were recorded in Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery.

Washington’s eating habits were far from gourmet. In fact, they were relatively simple. Some of his favorite foods were string beans with mushrooms, cream of peanut soup, and mashed sweet potatoes with coconut. Martha Washington’s grandson once described his habits thus: "He ate heartily, but was not particular in his diet, with the exception of fish, of which he was excessively fond. He partook sparingly of dessert, drank a home-made beverage, and from four to five glasses of Madeira wine." Washington did enjoy his wine but it is said a silver mug of beer stood beside his plate except at state dinners. He was also particularly fond of nuts and would buy hazelnuts and other types of nuts by the barrel.

If food reflects the man Washington presented an interesting dichotomy of a man disinterested in refinements of the table but anxious to offer as many as possible to his guests. Food in that era reflected the times as well as the man and dishes served at the President's table during his tenure were indicative of the new nation's dependence on the land. Wild game, roast beef, lamb, turkey, duck, plantation-grown fruits and vegetables and fish from local rivers revealed the abundance of the land but remnants of Washington's English heritage--puddings, cream trifles, and a taste for port and wine can be seen throughout the menus as well.

Popular desserts in George Washington's time were plentiful and delicious. While fresh fruits, melons and nuts were frequently part of the meal, Martha Washington's recipes also included fruit preserves, candied fruits, dried fruits, fruit cakes, sugar cakes (like cookies), carraway cakes, Shrowsberry (Shrewsberry) Cakes, Great Cakes (enriched spice cakes), Marchepane (Mascarpone) Cakes, Bisket (biscuit) bread (like lady fingers), Mackaroones (macaroons), Ginger Bread, Jumbles (enriched sugar cookies flavored with vanilla, almond or lemon), Jellies and Pie/tarts (fruit, apple, cherry, berry, nut, almond or mince), custard (lemon, orange, almond), cheese cakes and Snow.

Many of Mrs. Washington’s dessert recipes still linger in various form but one that has stood the test of time though is simply known as Martha Washington’s Cake or Martha Washington’s Great Cake. It’s the type of cake traditionally served for Epiphany (12th night) and also happens to be the date of George and Martha Washington's wedding in 1759.

Martha Washington’s Cake ~ The Original Recipe

Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks & beat them to a froth then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream & put the whites of eggs to it a Spoon full at a time till it is well work'd then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered [sic] to it in the same manner then put in the Youlks [sic] of eggs & 5 pounds of flower [sic] & 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it add to it half an ounce of mace & nutmeg half a pint of wine & some frensh [sic] brandy.

Adapted Recipe for Martha Washington Cake

10 eggs

1 lb. butter

1 lb. sugar

1-1/4 pounds (20 ounces) flour

1-1/4 pounds (20 ounces) fruit*

2-1/2 t. ground mace

2-1/2 t. ground nutmeg

2 oz. wine

2 oz. French brandy

Preheat oven to 350° F. Separate egg whites from yolks and set yolks aside. Beat egg whites until they reach soft peaks.

Cream butter and slowly add beaten egg whites one spoonful at a time to the butter.

Add sugar slowly to egg whites and butter mixture, one spoonful at a time.

Beat in yolks, then add flour slowly. Add fruit. *(See note.). Add mace, nutmeg, wine and brandy. Cream sherry and other types of wine work well but since one of George Washington's favorites was Madeira, it would be an appropriate choice.

Lightly grease & flour a 10-inch springform cake pan. Put batter into pan and place in oven. Bake for about 75 minutes or until done. Remove cake from oven, cool and serve plain or iced. Serves 12-16.

*Mrs. Washington would have used seasonal ingredients or something that was available dried, and because nuts were considered a fruit, one of the following or a combination can be used for this adapted version:

Ø 5 oz. of pear (peeled, cored and diced, about 1 large pear);

or

Ø 9-1/2 oz. of apple (peeled, cored and diced), 2 medium/large apples;

or

Ø 3-1/2 oz. raisins;

or

Ø 2 oz. sliced almonds (about 1/2 cup).

18th Century Icing Recipe from Martha Washington

Take two Pound of double refin'd Sugar, beat and sift it very fine, and likewise beat and sift a little Starch and mix with it, then beat six Whites of Eggs to Froth, and put to it some Gum-Water, the Gum must be steep'd in Orange-flower-water, then mix and beat all these together two Hours, and put it on your Cake: when it is baked, set it in the Oven again to harden a quarter of a Hour, take great Care it is not discolour'd. When it is drawn, ice it over the Top and Sides, take two Pound of double refin'd Sugar beat and sifted, and the Whites of three Eggs beat to a Froth, with three or four Spoonfuls of Orange-flower-water, and three Grains of Musk and Amber-grease together: put all these in a Stone Mortar, and beat these till it is as white as Snow, and with a Brush or Bundle of Feathers, spread it all over the Cake, and put it in the Oven to dry; but take Care the Oven does not discolor it. When it is cold paper it, and it will keep good five or six Weeks.

Modern Adaptation of 18th Century Icing

3 egg whites

1-1/2 c. 4X (confectioner’s) sugar

1 t. grated lemon peel

2 T. orange-flower water

Combine egg whites with 2 tablespoons 4X sugar and beat thoroughly. Repeat with 2-T. additions until sugar is used up. Add lemon peel and orange water and beat until icing is stiff enough to stay parted when a knife cuts through it.

Spread icing over top and sides of the cake. Place cake in a 200° F. oven and let dry and harden for one hour. Icing will be brittle and will shatter so don’t be surprised when you cut into the cake.

The Shrewsberry Cakes Mrs. Washington served were English in origin as were many of the dishes of that period. They are a type of biscuit (cookie to us Colonists) and are less crumbly than shortbread but have a buttery flavor. Even though they were made to accompany many dishes, they were especially popular with syllabub, a sugared, whipped cream, flavored with cider or sherry and are traditionally baked as thick, large biscuits (cookies).

Sugar was an important trade item and refined sugar was considered to be very fashionable. A recipe using white sugar would have been pinched off a sugarloaf and then ground or beaten until fine enough to use in the recipe.

Early Version of Shrewsberry Cakes

Take a quart of very fine flouwer, eight onces of fine sugar beaten and cersed, twelve ounces sweet butter, nutmeg grated, damaske rosewater- work together with your hands for halfe an houre, then roule in little round cakes about the thickness of three shillings, then take a glasse and cut the cakes, then strow some flower on white papers and bake them in an oven as hotte as for manchet. If the oven be not hotte sett your lid downe ( there is a long explanantion for testing/changing the heat in the period oven which i have omitted) until they be baked enough, for they must lokke browne not white. you may keep them halfe a yeare but new baked are best.

Modern Shrewsberry Cakes Recipe

4 oz. white, caster sugar

4 oz. salted butter, softened

1/4 t. grated (or ground) nutmeg

2-3 t. rosewater

3-5 T. tap water*, room temperature
Extra caster sugar for sprinkling over the tops, opt.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine flour, sugar and butter in a bowl and mix with a fork until mixture is like fine breadcrumbs. Add rosewater and enough tap water to make a soft dough. Gather dough together with your fingers and knead lightly

Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1-1/4 inches thickness and use a large cutter to cut out the cakes. Prick the surface of the cakes with a fork, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let firm up on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling. These will keep a long time when stored in an airtight container.

*You may need more water to make dough firm enough to handle, the amount depending on the flour you use.

According to Washington’s step-granddaughter Nelly Custis Lewis, Washington favored a simple breakfast featuring hoecakes made from Indian meal and tea. Custis said he usually rose early and read until his breakfast was ready and “…ate three small mush cakes (Indian meal) swimming in butter and honey, and drank three cups of tea without cream."

Nelly Custis’ Hoecakes

"The bread business is as follows if you wish to make 2-1/2 quarts of flour up-take at night one quart of flour, five table spoonfuls of yeast & as much lukewoarm water as will make it the consistency of pancake batter, mix it in a large stone pot & set it near a warm hearth (or a moderate fire) make it at candlelight & let it remain until the next morning then add the remaining quart & a half by degrees with a spoon when well mixed let it stand 15 or 20 minutes & then bake it - of this dough in the morning, beat up a white & half of the yilk of an egg - add as much lukewarm water as will make it like pancake batter, drop a spoonful at a time on a hoe or griddle (as we say in the south). When done on one side turn the other - the griddle must be rubbed in the first instance with a piece of beef suet or the fat of cold corned beef..." (Nelly Custis)

Modern adaptation of Hoecake recipe:

8-3/4 cups white cornmeal, separated

1/4 t. dry yeast

1 egg

Warm water

Shortening or other cooking grease

Honey and Butter

In large container, mix together 4 cups white cornmeal, 1-1/4 teaspoons dry yeast, and enough warm water to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter, about 3 or 4 cups. Cover and set on the stove or counter overnight.

In the morning, gradually add remaining cornmeal, egg and enough warm water to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter (3-4 cups). Cover and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Grease a griddle or skillet and heat until water sprinkled onto it will bead up. Pour batter, by the spoonfuls, onto hot griddle and brown on one side. Flip hoecake and brown on other side. Serve hot with butter and honey while cakes. NOTE: This batter has a tendency to separate so you will need to stir it well before pouring each batch.

Martha Washington Crab Soup

"Two cupfuls of "picked-out" crab meat. Two quarts of boiling water in which one pound of corned pork has been boiled one hour. Yolks of two eggs, well beaten. Two cupfuls of milk - half cream if you can get it. Salt and cayenne.

Let the stock made from the pork get perfectly cold; skim off the fat and re-heat the liquor; add the crab and cook half an hour. Heat the milk in a separate sauce-pan; take from the fire and pour gradually upon the beaten yolks. Put this into a bowl and stir in the minced crab with the liquor in which it was cooked. Season to taste. Set in boiling water for five minutes before serving."

Modern Adaptation of Martha Washington’s Crab Soup Recipe

1/2 lb. fresh crabmeat

1 T. butter

1-1/2 T all-purpose flour

3 hard boiled eggs, mashed

Rind of 1 lemon, grated

Salt & pepper to taste

4 c. milk

1/2 c. cream

1/2 c. Sherry

Dash Worcestershire Sauce

Boil enough crabs in salted water to make 1/2 lb. or use 1 cup of canned or frozen crabmeat. Combine butter, flour, mashed hard-boiled eggs, lemon rind, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Bring milk to a boil and pour slowly into the egg mixture. Add crabmeat to milk-egg mixture, return to saucepan and cook gently five minutes. Add heavy cream. Remove soup from heat before it reaches a full boil and add sherry and Worcestershire Sauce. Serve piping hot. Yields 6 servings.

**********

Bits and bytes about George Washington

Ø Washington left school at age 15 to become a surveyor. Although the family was not considered poor, his mother still couldn’t afford to send him to college

Ø He created the Order of the Purple Heart in 1782, while he was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.

Ø His favorite horse was named Lexington.

Ø He is the only man whose birthday is a legal holiday in every state of the United States.

Ø He never lived in the White House and is the only president never to live in Washington.

Ø He had to borrow money to attend his own inauguration.

Ø George Washington loved ice cream lover so much that kept "ice-boxes" full for his family and guests.

Ø He inherited 11 slaves from his father when it was commonplace to own them but as he grew older, Washington’s attitude toward slavery changed dramatically and in his will he emancipated those 11 people and his estate paid each of them a pension for decades.

Ø He had to commute to work by boat from Mt. Vernon to Washington.

Ø He was promoted to from four-star to six-star “General of the Armies of Congress” by President Jimmy Carter. (Carter believed the first president should also be America’s highest military official.)

Major Events While in Office

Ø Elected to first term with a unanimous electoral vote (1789)

Ø Made Thanksgiving a holiday (1789)

Ø First United States census (1790)

Ø District of Columbia established (1791)

Ø Bill of Rights ratified (1791)

Ø Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

Ø Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

Ø Jay's Treaty, a/k/a The British Treaty and Treaty of London (1795)

Ø Pinckney's Treaty, a/k/a Treaty of San Lorenzo and Treaty of Madrid (1796)

Ø Farewell Address (1796)

States Entering Union while in Office

Ø Vermont (1791)

Ø Kentucky (1792)

Ø Tennessee (1796)

Last words:

“I die hard but am not afraid to go.” (12/14/1799)