Victorian Recipes - Cooking in the Gilded Age

Victorian recipes take you back to a popular period in history.  The Victorian era (1837-1901) was a period not only recognized in England (for Queen Victoria), but was also very influential in the lives of Americans.

The following recipes were taken from a cookbook believed to have been published sometime around the mid to late 1890's, and includes many wonderful historical recipes. This period would also encompass the Gilded Age in American history. 

The Victorian recipes below were published in the "Ladies Aid Cook Book", compiled by the Ladies Aid Society of the Congregational Church in Ankeny, Iowa.  Spelling and grammar have been left as printed  in the cookbook, which is one of the reasons old recipes are so fun to read!  The names of the recipe submitters have been included when available.  

Browse through the Victorian recipes below for interesting reading and some fun "new" recipes to try.   If you have a Victorian recipe to add, please send them my way!  I'd love to add them to my website for others to enjoy.  You can use the form at the bottom of the page to submit your Gilded Age or Victorian recipe.

Victorian Recipes

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Six quarts salt, two pounds brown sugar, one-quarter pound black pepper, three tablespoonfuls pulverized salt peter.  This is for 100 pounds pork.  Mix all thoroughly and after animal heat is out of the meat, cover a board that slants a little with mixture, rub meat good on both sides with mixture, lay skin side down and let stand from 15 to 20 days.  Don't let freeze.  A cellar is a good place.  Should salt, etc., on meat become dry, sprinkle with water to start more brine.  After cured may be smoked and put away in any preferred manner.

Scald one pint of milk and pour it over two tablespoonfuls sugar, one teaspoonful salt and three tablespoonfuls butter.  Allow it to become luke warm, add one cake Rivera brand yeast, dissolved in one-half cup luke warm water.  Now add three cups Montclair brand flour.  Beat thoroughly, cover and let rise twice its ordinary bulk.  Then place on kneading board.  Knead lightly, then roll out one-quarter inch thick.  Brush over lightly with melted butter.  Cut with two inch biscuit cutter.  Crease through center heavily with dull edge of knife and fold over in pocket-book shape.  Place in greased pan one inch apart, cover, let rise and bake in hot oven fifteen minutes.  As rolls raise they will part slightly, and if hastened in raising are apt to lose their shape. - Mrs. M.W. Young

Three-fourths cup butter or lard, one cup sugar, three eggs, one heaping teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt.  Flavor with lemon.  Add flour to roll out. - Mrs. Martin Landey

Take five tablespoonfuls of cream to one cup sugar.  Boil until it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water.  Set aside until cool and then beat until thick.

Two cups of sugar, one cup of milk, two ounces chocolate, one=fourth cup of butter.  Let come to a boil and stir continually until done.  After taking from stove stir until it thickens, then add a few drops of vanilla and pour in a buttered pan.  Nuts may be added.  Cut in squares.

Two cups sugar, one cup cocoanut, two-thirds cup milk, one tablespoon butter, six drops lemon.  Cook same as chocolate fudge.

Two quarts beets, ground; cook beets before grinding; one pint onions, ground; one bunch celery, chopped, one quart vinegar, one quart sugar.  Salt to taste.  Heat and seal.


Grate ten good sized raw potatoes, one teaspoon salt, three eggs well beaten, one tablespoon flour, mix all together and bake on hot griddle.

Those who have eaten baked beans prepared as follows seldom go back to the time-honored "pork and beans" variety.  Soak a quart of beans, preferably navy, overnight, parboil in salted water, drain, put in a large enamel pan or bean pot with one tablespoonful of sugar, one-fourth teaspoonful of mustard, a little pepper, and one teaspoonful of salt.  Keep covered with boiling water and a lid, and bake steadily for several hours, or until they take on a yellow tint.  Then let the water bake away, and add a quart of sweet cream or very rich milk, and continue baking until it is absorbed and the beans are of a creamy consistency and nicely browned on top.  They are delicious hot or cold, and are so delicate that even young children may safely eat them.  So prepared, they furnish a very large proportion of digestible protein and should be frequently served by the country housewife who has an abundance of cream at her disposal. - A.E. J., Pennsylvania

Three-quarters cup sweet milk, one and three-quarters cup sour milk, two and one-half cups corn meal, one cup of flour, one cup of molasses, one teaspoonful soda, one and one-half teaspoonful salt.  Add molasses last.  Batter should be thin.  Steam three hours and then bake for fifteen or twenty minutes.  To be eaten with lots of butter. - O.M.W.

For making: Take one pint of luke warm soft water, a half pint granulated sugar and flour enough to make batter as thick as for pancakes.  Beat well and keep moderately warm for from two to seven days.  Be sure to use soft water and to never salt the starter.  Night before baking set bread sponge the same as with any other yeast using the starter.  In the morning take out half a pint of the sponge into a glass jar.  Sprinkle over it half a cup of granulated sugar and cover loosely and keep in a cool place for next baking.  Now salt your sponge.  Add one spoonful of lard and flour to knead; work until smooth and velvety.  Cover and keep warm.  When real light push down and let rise again.  Then make out into loaves with as little handling as possible.  When loaves have increased to twice original size put in with low fire for first fifteen minutes, then increase heat and bake until done, time depending on size of loaves.  This yeast will last indefinitely if used once a week or oftener.

Two tablespoonfuls of vinegar in one glass of ice water, sweeten and flavor with lemon extract to taste, stir well and serve.

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If you have enjoyed these Victorian recipes, please be sure to visit our other historical recipe pages!   They are so much fun to read, and even more fun to try!