Made York Gingerbread from a 1741 recipe
30th December 2022- New Experience Number 40
Like many people, I’d certainly made gingerbread before, but I’d generally followed recipes from the past few decades.
For new thing number forty, I was going to make York Gingerbread from a 1741 recipe. The ingredients were all thankfully much fresher!
Mansion House - A Taste Of History
We’d paid a visit to The Mansion House in York just before Christmas, when it was traditionally adorned with decorations for the festive season. It’s the oldest house in the country that was solely built for the Lord Mayor, and has been occupied by numerous people holding the position since. From feasting to fashion, and banquets to balls, this is a grand Georgian home with stories in every nook and cranny.
Below the stairs, the 18th century kitchen had been recreated and was fully functioning. On the day we visited, there was a demonstration from a guide making the 1741 York Gingerbread. This was from a recipe by Elizabeth Moxon from Wakefield. Her book, called ‘English Housewifry’, was intended to offer practical advice to people working as servants. Unfortunately we could only watch the process of the cooking as the health and safety protocol didn’t allow us to sample it.
There were recipe cards available however, so we could try making this olde treat at home for ourselves. One side featured the 18th century ingredients and method, the other side was more user friendly for the modern day chef. I tried to stick to the original recipe as much as I could for an authentic flavour.
All The Ingredients For A Festive York Gingerbread
There were only a few ingredients for this make, and luckily we had most of them in. I just needed to pick up some bread and allow it to go stale for the mix.
Gingerly Mixing The Ingredients
It was a straightforward recipe with nothing overly technical. The smell as the alcohol, spices and sugar were cooking on the hob was deliciously comforting and smelt like Christmas was in the air.
Stirring in the breadcrumbs was a bit of a workout. The more I added the heavier the mixture got and the stodgier it was to stir.
Once everything was mixed together, that was it! There was no additional cooking, it was just a case of leaving it to settle.
It Wasn’t A Looker!
Well, it wasn’t exactly the most appealing looking treat. It looked a bit like brown bread gone wrong, or like an exceptionally dry brownie lacking in chocolate. This didn’t look like the gingerbread I’m used to seeing
Chewing It Over
Hopefully the saying, ‘never judge a book by its cover’, would apply here, and perhaps it would have an amazing taste. I cut a slice for the other half and myself to enjoy with a cup of tea.
It was very chewy. This was like a workout for the jaw.
It was very boozy – I’m glad neither of us needed to drive afterwards!
The alcohol was the overriding flavour, and whilst it didn’t taste unpleasant, it wasn’t something I would choose if there were other sweet options available.
Verdict Of 18th Century York Gingerbread
Despite not exactly raving about it, I’m glad I made this. It was a small insight into the ingredients available at a different point time, and the indulgence of alcohol in sweet treats in the past. Having something to offer to guests over the festive season which had a bit of a story behind it was a bit of a novelty too.
However, I don’t think I’ll be in a hurry to recreate this again.
Want To Try It Yourself?
I picked up the free recipe card on a trip to the Mansion House in York. If you visit, keep a look out to see if they have any other seasonal recipes.
Palates have generally become more sophisticated over the centuries and ingredient choice is much wider. This is a way to bring history to life through taste!
You might want to look for a different recipe from a particular point in history that interests you. There are plenty of books available on the subject and ideas on-line.
Cost Of Experience
- The recipe card was free, but there was an entry fee to the Mansion House. A full price adult ticket was £6.50 on our visit in December 2022.
- There weren’t too many ingredients. We already had most of them in. Depending on where you shop, you should be able to pick everything up for around £10 (it’s the alcohol that pushes the price up!) Once you’ve got your ingredients, you’ll have enough to make other cakes and bakes.
Recommendations
- If you’re visiting any historical buildings, keep an eye out if there is a kitchen, they may have some recipes available for you to try.
- Maybe try and find a recipe for something that you currently cook, and see how a version from many years ago compares.
- Don’t forget to take a picture as you bring history to life through food!