DIET BREAD CAKES

1/2 pint water
1 and 1/2 lb. sugar
1 pint eggs, 1/3 of which are yolks
2 lb. flour
Fine sugar for topping

Boil, in half a pint of water, one pound and a half of sugar; have ready one pint of eggs, three parts yelks, in a pan; pour in the sugar, and whisk it quick till cold, or about a quarter of an hour; then stir in two pounds of sifted flour; case the inside of square tins with white paper; fill them three parts full; sift a little sugar over, and bake in a warm oven, and while hot remove them from the moulds.

From The Cook's Oracle by William Kitchiner MD, New York, 1829

Comment: We have no idea what sort of "diet" this item was considered suitable for, but "weight reducing" would not seem to be one of them given the quantity of egg yolks, sugar and the like we see here. One usually sees the word "diet" in connection with a cure for a medical problem such as "dyspepsia" which could be anything from minor heartburn to ulcers to who knows what. It often led to an agony so debilitating as to be a major impediment to daily activities.

Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson waged a nearly lifelong battle with the disorder, causing many of the dietary habits (avoidance of spices, refusal to use butter, frequent consumption of fruit) which got him a reputation for eccentricity. He would probably not have approved of this bread either.

Return to Recipe Index