Today in American history…Ronald and Nancy Reagan were married on March 4, 1952 in Los Angeles, California.
“When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, it’s true. It did. I can’t imagine life without him.” – Nancy Reagan
“The nicest thing a girl ever did for me was when a girl named Nancy married me and brought a warmth and joy to my life that has grown with each passing year.” – Ronald Reagan
Scones are probably one of my favorite “go to” sweet treats that I enjoy whenever I visit a coffee shop or bakery. I love the texture (and taste!) of biscuits and scones are just “my cup of tea” because they literally come in so many varieties. My favorite flavor? Pumpkin. Just because I’m one of those crazy pumpkin flavor lovin’ people! But when I can’t have a pumpkin scone (out of season. Boo boo!) I lean towards blueberry. Equally delicious.
Scones are thought to have originated in Scotland in the early 1500’s. The word “scone” is said to have originated from the Dutch word “schoonbrot” which translates to “fine white bread” and also the closely-related German word “sconbrot” which translates to “fine or beautiful bread.”
It wasn’t until around 1840 that scones became popular in England and were served with the traditional afternoon tea.
What is the difference between British scones and American made scones? British scones are quite simpler with just a few ingredients – which usually include raisins or currants. British scones also tend to resemble a fluffy biscuit and are served with clotted cream or jam.
American scones come in a million different varieties – they also are usually wedges or triangle in shape. They have a much more dense texture due to adding more butter and sugar to the ingredients – which the British use less of.
Maple Walnut Scone Recipe
Ingredients
2 Cups Bisquick
3 ½ tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cold and cut into pea sized pieces)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons maple extract
½ cup Walnuts, chopped
Glaze Ingredients
1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
1/4 Cup maple syrup (use more syrup for desired consistency)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Grease a 9” cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set the pan aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: Bisquick + Sugar.
Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is very coarse and crumbly.
Add the wet ingredients into the large bowl (eggs, milk, maple extract, syrup)
Add walnuts.
Mix together until a soft dough forms.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan.
Place the cake pan into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the scones are lightly golden brown. To double check, Inset a toothpick into the center of the baked scones and if it comes out clean – they are done ✔️
Remove from the oven. After ten minutes, remove the scones from the pan and place on a baking rack and cool to room temperature.
Once the scones are cooled, use a pizza cutter to cut into 8 triangles and separate.
Make your glaze…
Mix together the confectioners sugar + maple syrup until desired consistency. Add more syrup if needed.
Drizzle the glaze over the scones.
Enjoy 😋
It’s a snowy Saturday here in Virginia and it’s the perfect day to bake comfort food – chocolate chip cookies 🍪
I had a few bags of different types of chocolate morsels and didn’t want to make the traditional one type chocolate chip cookie so I combined all that I had – bittersweet, white and dark chocolate morsels + of course, walnuts for the ultimate cookie crunch.
Now I can’t stop eating them!
Here is my own personal recipe. Enjoy ❤️
The Historical Homemaker’s Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 Cup (1 Stick Unsalted Butter)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 large egg
Dash of Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup of chocolate morsels (bittersweet, white and dark chocolate)
1/2 Cup Walnuts (or pecans)
Directions
In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, vanilla, egg, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined.
Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix thoroughly until a soft dough is formed.
Add the chocolate chips and nuts (I used walnuts). Stir really well until everything is combined.
Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Cool on a baking rack for a few minutes and then enjoy!
Buttermilk Pie is believed to have first originated in England and the recipe was brought to the United States by Southern settlers.
The pie was predominately made in Texas where they were very resourceful with buttermilk because it was in large abundance and also inexpensive.
Buttermilk Pie is very similar to Chess Pie and the only real difference is that Chess Pie uses cornmeal as a main ingredient while Buttermilk Pie does not.
Southern Buttermilk Pie
Ingredients
1 ½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon loosely packed lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Store bought refrigerated Pie Crust (or you can make your own homemade pie crust…I used the store bought refrigerated pie crust)
Garnishes: fresh berries, whipped cream, fresh mint
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together first 2 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk eggs and next 5 ingredients into flour mixture.
Pour into the pie crust.
Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until almost set, shielding edges with aluminum foil after 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool 1 hour.
I used the recipe from Southern Living.
Today in American history…George Washington was born on a plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732. We all know the stories of him being a hero of the French and Indian War…the Revolutionary War…and the very first President of the United States and is often referred to as “our founding father.”
But did you know that he was just a regular guy who loved to eat breakfast at his beloved home Mount Vernon?
In honor of George Washington’s Birthday today we made his favorite breakfast: Hoe Cakes. President Washington loved to have his favorite breakfast topped with a lot of butter and honey along with a cup of hot tea.
Washington Irving once wrote that our founding father’s favorite meal often included “two small cups of tea and three or four cakes of Indian meal (called hoe cakes).”
Here’s the recipe from Southern Eats & Goodies. It’s very simple to make that you can make them in your own kitchen and eat like George Washington!
Cheesecake was very popular in the new colonies. By the 1730’s the city of Philadelphia even had a tavern called the “Cheesecake House!” How cool is that? I wonder if it was like our beloved Cheesecake Factory – but colonial style 😉
Cheesecake was also listed in the book A Booke of Cookery and Book of Sweet Meats which was given to Martha Washington upon her first marriage to Daniel Custis in 1749. In the book, Cheesecake is also listed as a Curd Pudding. These were all flavored with rose water, spices and currants.
The basis of the American Cheesecake changed dramatically in the 1930’s from a cheese curd type to a much creamier and richer flavor – as well as texture – due the use of cream cheese in the filling.
Our friend, Tara, asked that I make a Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake for her husband’s birthday this weekend. Luckily I had enough Oreo’s to make the crust thanks to my Oreo loving Mr. Dixon 🤣
Happy Birthday to Kevin! Enjoy your special day…and your cheesecake!
Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake
Ingredients
Directions for the Oreo Crust
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9” springform pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse the Oreo Cookies until you get 2 cups of crumbs. Add in the salt and butter and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Directions for the Cheesecake Filling
Mix in the vanilla, heavy cream, buttermilk, and vinegar and mix until combined.
Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes then, without opening the oven door (I know you want to peek. I’m a peeker too!) reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for an additional 50 minutes.
Once the 50 minutes is up, turn the heat off and slightly crack the oven door for about 20-30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to slowly cool. (NOTE: this step is not necessary, however it is so incredibly helpful because it helps reduce cracking – and we don’t want a “Humpty Dumpty” cracked head lookin’ cheesecake!)
Chocolate Ganache Topping
With the whipped cream topping, it’s important that you serve immediately. If you aren’t serving immediately, refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve – then top with the whipped cream (and chocolate shavings is beautiful on the top too!)
I used the recipe from My Heavenly Recipes. Make sure to look on their site for additional delicious recipes too!
The Hummingbird Cake is a Southern favorite. The tantalizing 3-layered cake with bananas and crushed pineapple is just as what my husband likes to say…”it’s lip smacking’ Betty Cracking” (that’s my Mr. Dixon for ya! 🤣)
The recipe for Hummingbird Cake was first submitted to Southern Living magazine in 1978 by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina and would become the magazine’s best selling cake. Ever. After making this delicious cake for years, I can understand why. Especially layered and topped with homemade cream-cheese icing? It doesn’t get much better than this.
This coming Monday (February 20th) is my friend Becca’s birthday. Hey, it’s also President’s Day FYI. But anyway…back to Becca. She is a friend. Also the dog walker aka “dog whisperer” to my two rambunctious 70 pound Australian Shepards, Waylon and Willie. She also loves Hummingbird Cake. So to show my appreciation of her – especially for dealing with my boys on a daily basis – I made her favorite cake…which just so happens to be a vintage one too!
Now onto everything for Hummingbird Cake…
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 1 hour.
Time to make the Cream Cheese Icing😋
Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Top with second layer, and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with third layer, and spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange pecan halves on top of cake in a circular pattern.
Today in American history…Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
In honor of President Lincoln’s birthday, we made one of his favorite desserts: Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake. Read here to learn more about the history behind the cake and about family life in Springfield, Illinois.
Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectionary sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan.
Cream butter and sugar. Sift flour and baking powder 3 times. Add to creamed butter and sugar, alternating with milk. Stir in almonds and beat well.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Stir in vanilla extract.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Turn out on a wire rack and cool. When cool, sift confectionary sugar over top
A basic white frosting sprinkled with almonds was also popular.
This morning as I was just researching historical recipes and looking for ingredients that I had readily available – I came across one that sounded delicious.
And easy.
Honey Cake. I love honey. I love cake. Yummy yummy!
Honey Cake was published in The Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton in 1861.
Original Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 breakfast-cupful of sugar
1 breakfast-cupful of rich sour cream
2 breakfast-cupfuls of flour
1/2 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda
honey to taste
Directions
Mix the sugar and cream together.
Dredge in the flour, with as much honey as will flavour the mixture nicely. Stir it well, that all the ingredients may be thoroughly mixed.
Add the carbonate of soda.
Beat the cake well for another 5 minutes.
Put it into a buttered tin.
Bake it from 1/2 to 3/4 hour, and let it be eaten warm.
Modern Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Sour Cream
2 Cups of Flour
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1 Cup of Honey
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or use butter or cooking spray) a loaf pan.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the sugar and sour cream together.
Add the flour and honey. Stir thoroughly.
Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly. Beat well for about 5 minutes.
Pour into greased pan.
Bake for 30-45 minutes. Keep checking until a toothpick comes out clean.
Today in American history…our 40th U.S. President, Ronald Wilson Reagan, was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois.
To honor President Reagan on his birthday we made some of his favorite foods in the kitchen tonight. One of them was Macaroni and Cheese (be still my heart!). While doing research for recipes, I was fortunate to come across Nancy Reagan’s personal recipe.
President Reagan also loved baked apples. Great comfort food! So we made baked apples tonight as well 🍎😋 We used the recipe from Baked with Love right here
And we couldn’t end the night without indulging in his ultimate favorite: jellybeans. President Reagan once said, “You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.”
The Historical Homemaker 