MISS COOKBOOK - 1800 - 1850 Ladies and Cookies

1800 - 1850 Ladies and Cookies

6/9/2025

martha jefferson randolph

6/8/2025

Martha "Patsy" and Molasses Ginger Cookies

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Martha Jefferson Randolph*

President Thomas Jefferson*

Martha Jefferson Randolph (daughter) - President Thomas Jefferson
Acting First Lady from - 1801 - 1809
Quotes from Patsy

...the English are really a wonderful people, it is impossible to contemplate their works in every quarter of the globe without admiration.

Factoids -

Martha “Patsy” Jefferson was the daughter of Martha and Thomas Jefferson. She took over hosting duties as acting First Lady when her widowed father, Thomas, became President.
Patsy gave birth to the first child born in the White House.

Bio -

Martha, as a teenager, lived in Paris, while her father, Thomas, served as U.S. Minister to France. Her friends described her as smart, fun, and not lacking for male admirers. While in France, she studied art, music, and languages.
Thomas Jefferson’s wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson, died 19 years before he became President. Although he was skilled at hosting White House events on his own, his daughter, Margaret (Patsy), often helped with hosting duties.
Patsy spent a lot of time both at Monticellos, the family’s estate, and the White House. Patsy had 11 children, but was often separated from her husband, who suffered from mental illness. Her father, Thomas, helped Patsy raise his grandchildren. Likewise, Patsy, known as an intellectual, often aided her father with political matters.
President Thomas Jefferson loved food. His love of ice cream, macaroni and cheese, and tomatoes made these foods popular to America, even today. He loved the “sipping chocolates” (hot chocolate) in France and brought it to popularity in Washington.
Thomas had two favorite cookies, coconut macaroons and molasses ginger cakes. He enjoyed eating soft molasses ginger cakes at Christmas. They are similar modern gingerbread cookies. If you visit Colonial Williamsburg, you can purchase them at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery!

Or you can make them at home -

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 tsps baking soda
2 tsps ground ginger
3/4 cup softened butter
1/3 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (unsifted)

Steps:

In a large mixing bowl, stir together: flour, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
In another mixing bowl, beat together on high speed: softened butter and white and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in molasses and vanilla.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until the dough is just a little sticky.
Cover dough and put in refrigerator for one hour or more.
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cookie sheets by greasing or lining with parchment paper.
Bring dough to room temperature. With clean hands, roll tablespoon-sized chunks of dough into balls. Space 2-3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350-degrees for 12 minutes. Cookies should look “cracked” on top. If they aren’t, bang the cookie sheet on the counter a few times and return to the oven for a minute. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then on a rack.

Portrait Credits*
Martha Jefferson Randolph (daughter) - Oil on Canvas, Thomas Sully, Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello - Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Engraving - Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Thomas Jefferson - Charles Willson Peale, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dolley Madison

6/7/2025

Dolley and Dolley's Sugar Cookies

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Dolley Payne Madison*

President James Madison*

Dolley Payne Madison / President James Madison
First Lady from - 1809 - 1917
Quotes from Dolley -

It is one of my sources of happiness never to desire a knowledge of other people's business.
There is one secret, and that is the power we all have in forming our own destinies.

Factoids -

Dolley loved strawberry ice cream. It was hard to make in those days with no refrigerators, but she served it frequently at the White House- maybe with her famous sugar cookies.
She saved Washington’s portrait from the British during the war of 1812.
James Madison was the smallest president at 5' 4"; he never weighed over 100 pounds, even after eating all that ice cream and cookies!
Always the style-setter, Dolly often wore a turban! It was her trademark.

Bio -

Dolley's Sugar Cookies

*Portrait Credits
Dolley Madison - National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
James Madison - John Vanderlyn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Elizabeth Monroe

6/6/2025

Elizabeth, Eliza, and Cry Baby Cookies

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Elizabeth Kortright Monroe*

Eliza Monroe*

President James Monroe*

Elizabeth' and Eliza and Cry Baby Cookies

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Cry Baby Cookies

*Portrait Credits
Elizabeth Monroe - Eben F. Comens after John Vanderlyn ref, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Eliza Monroe - unattributed, appears as portrait attributed to S. [Caruson, by the Frick Art Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
James Monroe - John Vanderlyn 1816, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Public domain

Louisa Johnson Adams

6/5/2025

Louisa and Shrewsbury Cookies

Louisa Johnson Adams*

John Quincy Adams*

/ President
Born -

Portrait Info -

First Lady from -

Quotes from -

Factoid -

Bio -

Shrewsbury Cookies

Portrait Credits*
Louisa Adams - Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Younger Louisa - trading card - Trading Cards NPS, CC <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
John Quincy Adams - Pieter Van Huffel, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Rachel, Emily, and Sarah - Jackson

6/4/2025

Rachel and Jackson Jumbles

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Rachel Jackson*

Emily Jackson*

Sarah Jackson*

President Andrew Jackson*

Jackson Jumbles

Portrait Credits*
Emily Donelson - Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sarah Jackson - Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Rachel Jackson - The Heritage Collection, Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Andrew Jackson - Ralph E. W. Earl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Angelica Van Buren

6/3/2025

Angelica and Apple Pie Cookies

Angelica Singleton Van Buren*

President Martin Van Buren*

Apple Pie Cookies

Portrait Credits*
Angelica Van Buren - Henry Inman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Martin Van Buren - Henry Inman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Anna and Jane Harrison

6/2/2025

Anna and Harrison Cookies

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Symmes Anna Harrison*

Jane Findlay Harrison*

President Andrew Jackson*

Harrison Cookies

Portrait Credits*
Anna Harrison - Unknown Creater, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Jane Harrison - Unidentified artist, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; gift of Barbara B. Rose, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
William Henry Harrison - Albert Gallatin Hoit, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

LetiTia, Priscilla, and Julia Tyler

6/1/2025

Letitia and Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Cookies

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Letitia Christian Tyler*

Priscilla Cooper Tyler*

Letty Tyler Semple*

Julia Gardnier Tyler*

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Cookies

Portrait Credits*
Letitia Tyler - George Bagby Matthews, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; gift of Letitia C. Arant, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Julia Tyler - Ad - Alfred E. Baker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Portrait - Francesco Anelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Priscilla Tyler - Artist Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
John Tyler - George Peter Alexander Healy painting, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sarah Childress Polk

5/31/2025

Sarah and Pecan Macaroon Cookies

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Sarah Childress Polk*

President James Polk*

Pecan Macaroon Cookies

Portrait Credits:*
Sarah Polk - Portrait - George Dury, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Photo, Bob Taylors Magazine, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
James Polk - George Peter Alexander Healy, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art , Public domain

Margaret Taylor and Betty Dandridge

5/27/2025

Margaret "Peggy" Taylor, Betty Dandridge, and Calas Rice Fritters

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Margaret "Peggy" Smith Taylor*

Betty Taylor Bliss Dandridge*

President Zachary Taylor*

Calas Rice Fritters

Portrait Credits*
Margaret Peggy Taylor - http://www.backfirealley.com/z_taylor.html, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Betty Dandridge - Unidentified photographer, Albumen silver print, Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, Winchester, Virginia, Public Domain via Wikipedia Commons
Zachary Taylor - James Reid Lambdin, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Barry Bingham, Sr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons