OLD LINE PLATE - Page 67 of 67 - COOKING / MARYLAND / HISTORY

Sotterly Jumbles

February 20, 2011January 17, 2021

photo: Jody Scofield

“One of the pre-Revolutionary architectural treasures of St. Mary’s County, Maryland, is Sotterley, built in 1730. George Plater built the home, and upon his death passed it to his son, who later became the governor of Maryland. The grandson of the Governor eventually lost the estate at the gaming table to a Colonel Sommerville. Colonel Thomas Barber subsequently bought the property. It was the Barber womenfolk who handed down the recipe for Sotterley Jumbles for the delectation of us all. In this recipe, the cookie is rolled and cut, just one of the many possible shapings for this ancient form of ‘cake’.” – Southern Heritage Cookbook Library

This recipe was the most fun to read about, research, and to eat. It got a little confusing. The excerpt from Southern Heritage mentions the Barber family, but that name is not mentioned on the Sotterley website. What I gather from this account is that Thomas Barber willed (part of) the land to his step-daughter, and she married and took on the Briscoe name.

I actually tried to visit Sotterley Plantation but they are big liars about their hours and they were closed. I’m not too upset about it because I picked up some Stuffed Ham while I was down there. I’ll be back because look at this place:

National Register of Historic Places

The Southern Heritage cookbook library version of the recipe that I used was likely sourced from “Eat, Drink & Be Merry in Maryland”, a classic Maryland cookbook which I’ll have to elaborate on later.

Sotterley Jumbles

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
¼ cup brandy
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp nutmeg

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; gradualy add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir in brandy, mixing well.

Sift together flour, soda, and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture, mixing well to form a soft dough. Chill 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to ¼-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch round cutter.

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from cookie sheets, and cool on wire racks. Yield: about 6 dozen.

I liked them!

Mrs. Engle’s Spiced Beets

January 24, 2011January 17, 2021

I prepared these for New Years brunch. Totally a perfect wintery-celebration side dish.

(Presented in my favorite green ceramic serving dish, photo c/o Abby.)

Maryland’s Way: The Hammond-Harwood House Cook Book

(Waste not want not)

1906 postcard c/o Southern Heritage cookbook

Maryland Rocks

January 3, 2011January 17, 2021

photo c/o official Old Line Plate photographer Abby Logsdon

Apparently this is an old one! This recipe is featured in The Thirteen Colonies Cookbook and At the hearth: Early American Recipes. Coincidentally they’re mentioned in there as “New Year’s Day Collation at Mount Clare”. (I made these to go with my New Years Day brunch) I didn’t really stray much from the recipe, aside from making them larger because I didn’t feel like spooning out 9 dozen little cookies. Ingredients * 1 cup butter or margarine, softened * 1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar * 3 eggs * 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon * 1 (15-ounce) package raisins * 2 cups chopped walnuts Preparation Cream 1 cup butter in a large mixing bowl; gradually add brown sugar, beating well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, soda, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl; stir well. Dredge raisins and walnuts in ¼ cup flour mixture in a small mixing bowl.

Add remaining flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring well. Stir in dredged raisin mixture.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 1 ½ inches apart, onto greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on baking sheets before removing to wire racks.

Though I’m not a huge fan of raisins and raisin cookies, I’ve been snacking on these for days. “At The Hearth” suggested their flavor improves after sitting for a few days. I guess that’s when they become more like “rocks.” I expected something more hard to eat. These are no more… geological than your average crispy cookie.

Maryland White Potato Pie

November 21, 2010June 2, 2022

Edit: This is an archived post from 2010. The real White Potato Pie post is here.

This is a Maryland dessert that -owing to my more frequent pie-baking- I have made several times before. I’ve come across it in a Southern Heritage cookbook, as well as an older more vague version in the Hammond-Harwood Maryland Way book. Since I’ve made it a few times before I adjusted a few things today. I swapped out some of the half&half for sour cream. I used potato buds for added creaminess. I added cardamom, and some extra bourbon. It turned out pretty well. The basic gist of the Maryland White Potato pie is a medium (not light & fluffy but not dense) lemony-pie. Not particularly creamy but not dry. Cheap and easy to make. Not necessarily the most dazzling of pies, but it does have the novelty going for it. I also don’t have much historical background on the recipe – I often won’t. There is this:

From 1913

1 2 3 … 64 65 66 67

Posts navigation