Abigail Fillmore

Abigail and Apple Pockets

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First Ladies - 1850 to 1900

First Lady Abigail and President Millard Fillmore

Abigail Powers Fillmore*

President Millard Fillmore*

First Lady - 1850 - 1853
Quote from Abigail - On selecting the contents of the first presidential library, she said, "I do not recollect when I had such a mental treat."
Factoids -

• Abigail was the first wife of a President to work and have a salary.  She was a school teacher.
• She established the first library in the White House.
• The first cast iron cook stove was installed in the White House while Abigail was First Lady.   No one knew how to use it, so Willard went to the U.S. Patent Office and read the instructions. Then he returned and showed everyone how to use it.

Bio -

• Abigail Powers grew up in poverty in the frontier area of New York after her father died.  Her mother educated Abigail at home and she went to work as a school teacher.  Millard Fillmore became one of her students.  She tutored him and encouraged his interest in law and politics.  They eventually married, but Abigail continued to teach.

• As First Lady, Abigail established the first White House library in the Yellow Oval Room.  Congress appropriated funds and Abigail spent many hours selecting books. It became a perfect place for small group meetings.

• Abigail was skilled at hosting state events, but a permanently injured ankle prohibited her from some events.  At those times, she relied on her daughter Abby for help.  
• Sadly, Abigail caught pneumonia at President Pierce's inauguration nd passed away not long afterward.  For her funeral, it was the first time Congress adjourned for the death of a First Lady.  

About Millard - Millard Fillmore was the 13th President, after Zachary Taylor's death. He approved the Compromise of 1850, which stopped Southern states from seceding, but it didn't last. He signed the Fugitive Slave Act, which angered many in the North and hurt his popularity. Though he tried to preserve the Union, his moderate stance didn't satisfy either pro- or anti-slavery political groups.

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Apple Pockets

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Millard Fillmore was a great fan of apples.  Foodie legend tells us that Abigail, a voracious reader and book fanatic, found this recipe in an Italian cookbook.  Millard had the first iron cookstove installed in the White House; these hand pie cookies were baked in it! 

Cookie Dough Ingredients
1 & 3/4 cups flour
7 tablespoons of COLD butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder (added in modern times)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
Apple Filling Ingredients
2 apples - peeled and cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or mix white sugar and molasses together)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

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Steps
Steps - Cookie Dough

1. Stir cold butter and sugar together until it's like coarse crumbs. 
2. Stir in the beaten egg.  Then gradually stir in the flour, baking powder, and lemon zest.  
3. With clean hands, shape the cookie cough into a ball on a floured surface.  Flatten it slightly, cover with plastic  wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.   (Today we stick it in the fridge.  In Abigail's time, they probably took it in to the basement or cellar to cool.) 

Steps - Apple Filling

1. In a skillet over low heat, stir together cubed apples, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  Cook until soft, not mushy.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Steps - Assemble Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cookie sheets by greasing or lining with parchment paper. 
2. On a floured surface, roll out dough and cut circles about the size of a glass top.  Use a drinking glass to do this!
3. Put 1 spoonful of the apple filling in the center of each circle.  Put another circle on top and pinch the sides closed together tightly, like a little pie.  
4. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown; check regularly to avoid burning.   
5. The tops may crack open, and that's perfectly fine.

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Recipe Card

Portrait Credits*
Abigail Fillmore - Artist Unknown, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, c. 1840, CC0; younger - Artist unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Millard Fillmore - George Peter Alexander Healy painting, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons