dessert – Abby Murphy

18th century, confusing recipes, dessert, disaster, fruit, hannah glasse, lessons learned

Apple pie

December 14, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Sometimes you get old recipes right the first time: you decipher the flowery language, you make the right substitutions, you determine the correct proportions. And sometimes, well, you don't.This is a story of when I got it wrong.We begin in apple season. I've been buying apples nonstop at the farmers' market every Saturday, and sometimes… Continue reading Apple pie

20th century, boston cooking-school, canada, confusing recipes, dessert, history lesson, summer

Shortbread fans (and a bit about ovens)

September 2, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

It's the last gasp of summer, friends. The air is getting cool at night (sometimes). Stores offer apple cider in big displays. And this week I go back to school.To mark the occasion, let's look at one more recipe from this summer's Canadian vacation. It's a pretty basic shortbread recipe, one that calls for three… Continue reading Shortbread fans (and a bit about ovens)

20th century, baking, confusing recipes, dessert, disaster, lessons learned, settlement cookbook, vacation

Himmel torte

July 11, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

We just returned from a week in Maine with Josh's family. A gorgeous lake house near the town of Casco served as our home base, and we spent the week swimming, kayaking, reading, and playing games. The men-folk cooked almost every meal on the grill, while the women-folk engaged in some serious salad-making and baking.… Continue reading Himmel torte

20th century, baking, dessert, family, settlement cookbook, summer

Devil’s cake no. 1

June 27, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday! I turned 27, just a few weeks after this blog turned 2. In between melting in the 90-degree heat and dashing through torrential rainstorms (yes, it was an eventful day, weather-wise), I enjoyed a pastry from my favorite bakery, assembled a Settlement birthday cake, and tried out a new restaurant with… Continue reading Devil’s cake no. 1

20th century, breakfast, britain, dessert, dining at downton, edwardians, escoffier

Dining at Downton: Gilded crust (pain perdu)

June 10, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

When I took French in middle school and high school, I particularly loved the words that had both literal and figurative meanings. "Petit chou," you might call your sweetheart, meaning..."little cabbage." "Pomme de terre" was on the list of grocery store vocabulary as the humble potato, but literally it meant "apple of the earth." For… Continue reading Dining at Downton: Gilded crust (pain perdu)

baking, college, dessert, fruit, lessons learned, settlement cookbook

Short cake, with blueberry topping

January 22, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Over the long weekend, my sister Lissa came to visit, and one afternoon we drove down to New Haven, CT, to visit our old college. We toured the British Art Gallery and I found time to wander around Yale's campus with my camera, snapping photos of old haunts and sun-drenched architecture.I don't know how many… Continue reading Short cake, with blueberry topping

adventure, baking, britain, dessert, dining at downton, disaster, edwardians, escoffier, family, fruit, holidays, victorians, winter

Dining at Downton: How to serve plum pudding

December 27, 2012February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

We had a relatively quiet Christmas here in Ohio, seeing family and telling funny stories and going for long, snowy walks and eating good food. As per tradition, we served plum pudding for dessert on Christmas night, along with a lot of other treats (frosted cookies, red velvet cake, petit fours...). We don't mess around… Continue reading Dining at Downton: How to serve plum pudding

adventure, baking, britain, dessert, dining at downton, edwardians, escoffier, family, fruit, holidays, victorians, winter

Dining at Downton: How to steam plum pudding

December 24, 2012February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

On Saturday we talked about how to make your own plum pudding, the most classic of British holiday desserts. (Yes, I am still wondering where the plums are in the recipe.) Today we'll discuss the cooking process, which is a rather elaborate steaming method. It requires parchment paper, cooking twine, a water bath, and lots… Continue reading Dining at Downton: How to steam plum pudding

adventure, baking, britain, dessert, dining at downton, edwardians, escoffier, family, fruit, holidays, victorians, winter

Dining at Downton: How to make plum pudding

December 22, 2012February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

This time of year, my family is all about tradition. Previously I wrote about the Brunswick stew we've kept from my mom's side of the family, though I tested out a Williamsburg variation of the recipe. That's still on the menu this year. My sister and I maintain important traditions like decorating the tree while… Continue reading Dining at Downton: How to make plum pudding

candy, dessert, family, fruit, holidays, settlement cookbook, winter

Candied orange peel (with chocolate)

November 28, 2012February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Thanksgiving is over. The turkey's been roasted and eaten (or perhaps you tried a duck?), the festive harvest plates have been washed and put away for another year. And now everything in America is telling us it's time for the winter holidays: the pharmacies selling mechanical Santas, the radios playing nothing but Elvis, the twinkle… Continue reading Candied orange peel (with chocolate)