Food and Drink

The Green Dragon Tavern, haunt of the Sons of Liberty, Boston

As The Enlightened is a historical fiction series, it would be rather unseemly to not at least, in the barest of terms, mention what the characters ate and drank. All of the food and beverages included are, if not outright recipes I have come across in my research, then they are based upon dishes made with ingredients that would have been available.

Below, are some of those recipes.

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Drop Biscuits

from “The Complete Housewife” by Eliza Smith (1734)

Ingredients

  • Four eggs (room temperature)

  • One cup of sugar

  • Six ounces of flour (all-purpose or cake)

  • Powdered sugar (optional anachronism)

Directions

  • Beat the eggs

  • Cream in the cup of sugar

  • Whisk flour into the mixture slowly for an hour. Do not stop or the mixture will fall flat. Whisking adds bubbles and “rises” the batter.

  • Pour on top of an eighth an inch of flour or powdered sugar.

  • Bake at 400 degrees for approximately five to six minutes. Watch carefully because they will brown quickly if you do not.

  • Allow to cool completely so they set and firm.

  • Brush off excess flour or powdered sugar from the bottom and enjoy!

My first attempt.

They do not look like much, but they are delicious! The original recipe calls for the pan to be floured; however, I always substitute powdered sugar for such a purpose. It adds a lot of additional sweetness, so maybe serve with some strong American coffee.