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Christmas Baking

Christmas Baking

Spice up your holiday baking this year with some historical recipes from 1917!


By Liz Dommasch, County Archivist

'Tis the season! It’s Christmas baking time! I thought it might be fun to continue on our theme of recipes and share a few that were published in the 1917 Woodstock Cook Book compiled by the Ladies of St. Mary’s Church:

Fruit Cake

1 ½ pounds currants, 2 pounds raisins, 1 coffee cup butter and 1-3 cup lard, 2 coffee cups brown sugar, ¼ coffee cup milk, 1 ½ teaspoons soda, 5 eggs, ½ wine glass brandy, ½ wine glass maple syrup, ½ pound citron peel, 1 pound almonds, 2 halves lemon peel, 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and cloves, 3 ½ coffee cups flour. Bake in a slow oven.

  • Submitted by Mrs. A.W. MooreLittle girl holding a plum pudding recipe.

Christmas Pudding

1 pound raisins, 1 pound currants, 1 pound yellow sugar, ¾ pound suet, ¾ pound bread crumbs grated fine, 1 cup flour, 8 bitter almonds chopped fine, 8 ounces candied lemon, citron and orange peel cut fine, juice and grated rind of 1 lemon, 8 eggs and a wine glass of Brandy (not necessary). Steam for several hours

  • Submitted by Mrs. F. Millman

Peppermint Creams

2 cups of white sugar, 1 tablespoon glucose, ½ cup water, flavor with oil of peppermint. Boil unto it forms a soft substance, when dropped in cold water; add flavoring and beat until thick and creamy. Dropped on buttered paper.

  • Submitted by Mrs. C.N. Murphy.

Aunt Lizzie’s Sugar Cookies

2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup lard and butter mixed, 2 eggs, 1 cup sour milk, 1 teaspoon soda (heaping), 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, mix with spoon and put enough flour so that it won’t stick to hands; roll ½ inch thick. Bake in moderate oven.

  • Submitted by Mrs. Angus Morrison

Ginger Cookies

1 cup molasses, 1 cup lard, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoonful each of ginger and soda, ¼ teaspoon cloves and cinnamon; dissolve soda in half cup of boiling water; flour enough to make a soft dough. Cook in rather a quick oven.

  • Submitted by Margaret Toohey

Christmas this year may looking a little different, thanks to COVID-19. However, we hope that you are able to find ways to still celebrate the holiday, while remaining safe and healthy. Hopefully you can carry on some of your family traditions, such as holiday baking. Do you have a favourite family recipe or memory associated with this time of year? What will be your plans for this year?

The Archives would love to hear your stories of how you chose to celebrate this year, as part of our ongoing documentation of the pandemic. Please send any stories, photographs, artwork, etc. to archives@oxfordcounty.ca

Image credit: https://olddesignshop.com/2015/12/victorian-girl-baking-plum-pudding/