A Colonial Recipe for July 4th: Apple Pancakes

In honor of Independence Day, here is a recipe for Apple Pancakes from The Cook's and Confectionary's Dictionary: or, The Accomplish'd Housewife's Companion, by John Nott, published in 1726. 

We make apple pancakes all the time, but they are nothing like these. Maybe we need to add more cream and powdered sugar to ours! In case you had trouble reading the original above, here it is in a modern font below. The exclamations [!] are mine.

63. To Make Apple Pancakes.

Pare your apples, cut them in round Slices, fry them in fresh Butter, beat up twenty [!] eggs in a Quart of Cream [!]; put in Ginger, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon beaten, of each two Drams, powdered Sugar six Ounces; pour the Batter on them, fry them, sprinkle them with Rose-water [!], and dust them with Sugar.

Does that not sound delicious? Let me go get my drams of spices and rosewater!

This fascinating cookbook is arranged alphabetically (it is called a dictionary, after all), which makes planning an entire Colonial meal quite a challenge! But it is so interesting and easy to understand that it makes a great read for cooks or historians.

Best of all, it's free! Get it here: The Cook's and Confectionary's Dictionary: or, The Accomplish'd Housewife's Companion .  Click "Get it Now" or "Read Now" on the right.

Have a great 4th, everybody!