A Victorian Christmas, 1840

Victorian Comfort Food: Currant Cream Scones

 

Currant Cream Scones
Marilynn and Sheila Brass - a simple yet elegant addition to any Christmas celebration.
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INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour (plus ¼ cup for kneading dough)


• 1 tablespoon baking powder


• ½ teaspoon salt


• ½ teaspoon cinnamon


• ¼ cup butter


• ¼ cup sugar


• 2 eggs


• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream


• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest


• 1 cup dried currants, plumped in ¼ cup orange juice*


• ¼ cup sugar

PREPARATION

1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cover a 14-inch by 16-inch baking sheet with foil, shiny side up. Coat the foil with vegetable spray or use a silicone liner.


2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.


3. Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Combine eggs and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and add to butter mixture. Add grated orange zest. Add sifted dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough begins to form. Squeeze orange juice from currants and incorporate fruit into dough with your fingers.


4. Place dough on a generously floured surface. Knead gently five times, turning corners of dough toward the center. Pat dough into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Using a floured knife, cut dough into 12 equal wedges. Using a floured wide spatula, transfer each wedge to baking sheet. Brush wedges with the remaining heavy cream and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops of scones are lightly brown and bottoms are golden brown. Place baking sheet on a rack and cool about 10 minutes. Serve scones warm with butter and jam. They are best when eaten the day they are made.

Makes 12 scones
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*To plump currants in tea, orange juice, or water, bring the liquid to a boil, immerse the raisins, continue to boil for 1 minute and set aside to allow them to absorb the plumping liquid. If needed immediately, place in plastic container and chill in freezer for 10 minutes. If not used the same day, refrigerate and use when needed.

Victorian Appetizer: "Angels on Horseback"

This was a popular appetizer or "savory" in Victorian times when oysters were both inexpensive and abundant.

INGREDIENTS:

- 8 oysters, shucked
- 8 bacon slices
- 4 slices of toast
- Unsalted butter
- Coarsely ground pepper
- Parsley or watercress to garnish

PREPARATION:

Wrap a bacon slice around each oyster and, and sprinkle all with coarse ground pepper.  Place on a broiler rack with the seam side down. Cook under hot broiler until bacon is crisp, then turn over to crisp the underside.

Cut two circles from each slice of toast and butter the circles. Place one roll on each circle of toast. Garnish with parsley or watercress.

This dish can be varied according to your tastes. You may marinate the oysters in any number of different mixtures before preparing, and the finished rolls needn't necessarily be placed atop toast, but can be speared with a toothpick, or served on the half shell. You can also wrap pitted dates in bacon and broil, serving these alongside as "Devils on Horseback."

"The Mistletoe" (circa 1815-30)

THE MISTLETOE



When winter nights grow long,
And winds without grow cold,
We sit in a ring round the warm wood-fire
And listen to stories old!
And we try to look grave (as maids should be)
When the men bring the boughs of the Laurel tree.
O the Laurel, the evergreen tree!
The poets have laurels, and why not we?

How pleasant, when night falls down
And hides the wintry sun,
To see them come in to the blazing fire,
And know that their work is done;
Whilst many bring in, with a laugh or rhyme,
Green branches of Holly for Christmas time!
O the Holly, the bright green Holly,
It tells (like a tongue) that the times are jolly!

Sometimes (in our grave house,
Observe, this happeneth not),
But, at times the evergreen laurel boughs
And the holly are all forgot!
And then! what then? why, the men laugh low,
And hang up a branch of the mistletoe!
O brave is the laurel! and brave is the holly!
But the Mistletoe banisheth melancholy!
Ah, nobody knows, nor ever shall know,
What is done--under the Mistletoe.

- Bryan Waller Procter (1787-1874)

"A Visit From Saint Nicholas," Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Dec. 1857

Note how Saint Nick in the leading illustration has something of a rustic "gnomish" quality, as compared to later, red-suited incarnations of the fat man.



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Christmas Day!