It’s nutmeg isn’t it

@tinaperez7393

Жыл бұрын

😂

@blisterbill8477

Жыл бұрын

No way. 😬👍

@dnichl

Жыл бұрын

i bet my house on it! edit: i am now living in fear that a group 18th century men will come and take my house brick by brick, wood bark shingle by wood bark shingle.

@faloo0

Жыл бұрын

I made it and it made me bust a nutmeg. It It It

@WaterPuppy

Жыл бұрын

Lol literally my first words seeing this

If it's not nutmeg we will be so bewildered...

@AldoSchmedack

Жыл бұрын

lol yep!

@troyelhard2684

Жыл бұрын

My thoughts exactly

@MikehMike01

Жыл бұрын

bother Nauru

@ihsahnakerfeldt9280

Жыл бұрын

Is this an inside joke or something?

Pearl ash also gives a unique flavour that usually explains why there is a lot of spice to cover that flavour. A lot of old Danish cookie recipes call for pearl ash.

@lakrids-pibe

Жыл бұрын

We also use *salt of hartshorn* (hjortetakssalt) which is ammonium bicarbonate. But you should only use it in small, flat (ish) cookies like pebbernødder and klejner. Don't use it in something like muffins, because there will be traces of ammonia left in the cake.

@morpheusgreene2704

Жыл бұрын

@@lakrids-pibe oh god the thought of a cat piss flavored muffin is nauseating

@jessicacanfield5058

Жыл бұрын

What did pearl ash do

@debbiecurtis4021

Жыл бұрын

What is pearl ash?

@morpheusgreene2704

Жыл бұрын

@@debbiecurtis4021 pearl ash is material that has been burned until it becomes a fine white poweder

It doesn't surprise me that Christmas was so different around that period, my history is a bit sketchy but it wasn't until the mid to late Victorian era that we see Christmas like today I think.

@thexalon

Жыл бұрын

Christmas as we think of it today was largely a German import, brought to England by the German Queen Victoria. It also would arrive in the Americas with German immigration from roughly 1830-1850. Trees, wreaths of evergreen, a lot of the carols, all German. As for how Christmas was celebrated in earlier periods, it's worth mentioning that the Puritans who dominated early New England were the same denomination who would ban Christmas celebrations in the late 1600's back in England.

@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410

Жыл бұрын

most of what I've read so far yeah, it seems that the 19th century abouts is when the family gift giving sorta holiday originates

@WolfingtonStanley

Жыл бұрын

@@thexalon actually it was her German husband Albert

@Marlaina

Жыл бұрын

@@WolfingtonStanley I was just thinking- Victoria was definitely British!

@elizabethelliott3175

Жыл бұрын

@@Marlaina Yes, but she had a German mother:)

Coriander makes a lot of sense if they are making these 6 months ahead of time. Coriander/cilantro goes to seed in the heat of the summer, so they would have very fresh coriander seeds to make these cookeys. Coriander is also one of the few spices they can grow themselves in America.

@luna.gazaway9115

Жыл бұрын

I never knew that coriander and cilantro were actually from the same plant. I learned something new today, thanks. 💜

@tattoolimbo

Жыл бұрын

Does Coriander taste the same to non-cilantro compatible humans, 5 to 14% of all humans are non-compatible to Cilantro, to us Cilantro tastes anywhere from pure soap to rotten meat.

@kareningram6093

Жыл бұрын

How interesting!

@GrizzAxxemann

Жыл бұрын

@@tattoolimbo the seed tastes like dish soap, too.

@NatsAstrea

Жыл бұрын

I think you are quite correct about the availability of coriander seed both in the colonies and generally in North America. Living in Maine, I've tried to grow ginger in a pot (outdoors in summer, inside in fall, winter and spring), from roots from the health food store, with indifferent success, but cilantro/coriander LOVES it here! Other traditional spices are completely impossible absent an actual heated greenhouse.

John you’ve done so many interpretations of Amelia Simmons cookbook .have you ever thought of writing and a accompanying cookbook with all the portions and how to prepare the recipes. you’ve already done almost the whole book it would be quite easy for you to rewrite it so that all of us could understand it so that we could cook all these fine dishes that you have showed us over the years. I guess it’s just food for thought another fine show thank you so much and merry Christmas to you and your staff

@townsends

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I'm thinking about it.

@Vanda-il9ul

Жыл бұрын

@@townsends Go ahead, pls. And write me down on the pre-order list now.

@stonecutter2

Жыл бұрын

@@townsends I'll take half a dozen for gifts!

@MLD-RN

Жыл бұрын

@@12gramtalon8 Yessss.

@Paintplayer1

Жыл бұрын

@@townsends I'm in for a copy, I've been watching for years

You would love Scandinavian Christmas porridge John! It's made from cooking rice in milk, and is usually served sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon on top, with a little "eye" of butter in the center. It used to be a status symbol for the upper classes to be able to serve this rice porridge during holidays, because rice was imported and considered a luxury good. In the 1800's it became common for working class people to serve a holiday meal centered around rice porridge. Norwegians like to drop a skinned almond in the pot at the end of cooking. Whoever ends up getting the almond wins a prize. Usually a marzipan pig.

@tealrustsage24

Жыл бұрын

So interesting that this used to be an upper-class symbol. Back in the 60s & early 70s, my mother made this for our large family because it was cheap. This and cornmeal mush.

@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721

Жыл бұрын

I never would have considered Christmas porridge to be a thing, but that doesn't sound half bad.

@stefflus08

Жыл бұрын

Aye. Needs to be mentioned that unlike today when it can be dinner on another day, it has been had as a brunch before a late Jól dinner.

@bernadettemccarthyflahive5357

Жыл бұрын

Interesting. In Ireland a traditional dessert is ‘pudding rice’ cooked in milk with a little sugar.

@thanosmits1638

9 ай бұрын

This sound remarkably like Greek "Rizogalo", which translates to ricemilk! It is, as you said, rice boiled in milk with sugar, and it is served chilled with cinnamon on top!

As Jon said, I repeat- there is NO NUTMEG in the recipe! Poor Jon couldn’t seem to get past that 😆

@townsends

Жыл бұрын

I'm still trying to get over it.

@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721

Жыл бұрын

If there's no nutmeg, then what is this all about?

This time of year is the hardest for me. But this channel is keeping me on an even keel. Thanks for all you do Jon.

@townsends

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the very kind comment!

@silask7228

Жыл бұрын

Yes, it really helped me too even though it's just a 15 minute break from all the stuff. All the best Benjamin, and you too Jon if you read this (and the rest of the Townsends team).

@frithar

Жыл бұрын

Peace be with you, Benjamin

@totallylegityoutubeperson4170

Жыл бұрын

You're gonna make it.

@uganda_mn397

9 ай бұрын

Keep on going brother, there is hope in Christ

That "6 months old" thing reminds me of my wife making pfeffernusse from an old recipe passed down from the North Dakota German side of her family. When made properly, they are baked rock hard and aged for at least a month, preferably two or three. They stay pretty hard, and are typically eaten by dunking into tea or glühwein.

@stickychocolate8155

Жыл бұрын

Hey! That sounds like peppernuts, which are a Mennonite Christmas tradition in my family. I actually own a cookbook full of just peppernut recipes. We usually start eating them once they've cooled, but they stay in a jar on the counter for weeks until they're all eaten. Btw the cookbook is called "Peppernuts plain and fancy" for anyone interested. It's still in print, so it's not hard to find.

@EphemeralTao

Жыл бұрын

@@stickychocolate8155 "Pfeffernusse" is the German word for "peppernuts"; so they're essentially the same thing. I might have to look for that book.

@Kaotiqua

Жыл бұрын

I grew up with pfeffernusse, and I remember being surprised when I was old enough to find out that the main spice was actually black pepper, instead of ginger or cloves or something, but they're so delicious, fresh or aged!

@deadrose23

Жыл бұрын

@@stickychocolate8155 I'm the wife in question - am a descendant of the German colonies in Russia, and our towns were right next to Mennonite towns so we have a lot of the same recipes. Have you ever run into the Canadian cookbook "Food that Really Schmecks"? The author lived with an Old Order family and collected a lot of their recipes. My father LOVED that book because it was the food he grew up eating.

@monicalee82

Жыл бұрын

​@@Kaotiquaso interesting, our peppernut recipe the main flavour is anise! I've come across many different versions, but my family's is my favourite!!

Between the Dutch and the colonists, it seems that St.Nicholas Day (Dec 6th) and Epiphany/12th Night (Jan 5th) were more celebrated. It's all a good reason to eat cookies!! Thank you for the history, the recipe, and the Townsend's joy. ⭐😊

John seemed especially jolly this episode! He must be in the Christmas spirit 😉

It's worth remembering that we get the very word cookie from Dutch, koekje, meaning "little cake". Since only the Dutch celebrated Christmas in a way we'd recognize, maybe Dutch treats were especially associated with the season.

I didn't intend to watch the whole thing, but I couldn't stop. Jon's enthusiasm is infectious. I'm going to come back to this video. Thanks, Jon.

@townsends

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Merry Christmas to all the wonderful Townsend's family!

Merry Christmas to all the Townsends crew and family. I hope you had a nice pot of tea with those cookies!

I love coriander seed and don't get to use it often enough. Putting it in a cookie sounds like a good idea to try.

@whosweptmymines3956

Жыл бұрын

I like adding coriander to my sausage seasoning. It works really well in milder sausages and really pops if you hot-smoke them with something like hickory.

@chefdingo

Жыл бұрын

I always add coriander to my ginger snaps recipe. I'm like you, it's one of my favorite spices so I put it in almost everything.

@joshuazeidner8419

Жыл бұрын

its one of the major flavors in Cola

I've learned so much about 18th century cooking from you guys, Love the passion and dedication

If it's nutmeg, it's not a secret on this channel.

Love it. In the southwest we have a local cookie that uses a similar spice. Its flavor is pretty unexpected but it quickly becomes a favorite. I enjoy your videos.

@patricialavery8270

Жыл бұрын

I made Nankati ,an Indian(asian)butter cookie for Christmas and people ate it up,even men who were not sweets fans.It had a little cardamom and a pistachio sliver on top.

@poetdrowned

Жыл бұрын

Interesting! I thought coriander was such a strange spice choice, but that it’s something that survives to the day is pretty cool. Is there a name for the cookie you’re talking about?

@mrtips2175

Жыл бұрын

What is the cookie ?

@seikibrian8641

Жыл бұрын

@@mrtips2175 It's called "Another Christmas Cookie." You could also call it "Amelia Simmons' Christmas Cookie."

@seikibrian8641

Жыл бұрын

@@poetdrowned It's called "Another Christmas Cookie." You could also call it "Amelia Simmons' Christmas Cookie."

Merry Kringle to all the Townsends folk! by sheer dumb luck and coincidence, i accidentally made a cookie very similar to this this year. i was supposed to use cardamom, but in my haste i grabbed coriander by mistake. the resulting cookies are not as good as the cardamom ones i ended up making later, but they are very tasty in their own right. can't imagine letting either one sit for 6 months before eating them, though, haha.

A lot of Christmas spice mix tend to have ground coriander seeds in them. It's a very subtle flavour which can get over powered by the stronger spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and cloves. Some mixed sweet spice mixes have ground fennel seeds as well but you don't taste them but they enhance the other spices.

I miss the old cookie and desert videos with Ivy. My kids always loved it when she was a guest on the channel. Hate how YT punishes you by demonetizing them.

So many people today believe that only the most modern things are important. I don't agree. I LOVE HISTORY!

The secret spice can’t be nutmeg, because that’s too obvious.😊 Merry Christmas!🎄

I love coriander! I think I need to make those. Some thoughts... I've read that Pear Ash is very bitter. I wonder if letting them age and soften up changes the taste as well. You probably don't want to age your modern cookies, even if you had the patience. Not starting out hard and dense, they will probably get stale rather than age well. The English Puritans outlawed Christmas barely a hundred years before this time so there was very little tradition to build on. Most what we think of as "Christmas" is a mid to late Victorian invention.

@glitterboy2098

Жыл бұрын

true. though i wonder if the 'dutch' referred to as the main celebrants are actual dutch people (that is, holland/Netherlands). because my understanding is that a lot of German immigrants were called "dutch" because when asked where they were from, they'd reply "deutschland" or something of the sort, due to language barriers. which many english speaking americans misunderstood for "dutch land". German culture has a lot of christmas celebration stuff, many of which we use today in america.

The other consideration was that they could grow, dry, and grind their own coriander- unlike cloves or nutmeg…

Newfoundlander here. I have a memory of being in my grandmother's house around Christmas in a small harbour. A group of Mummers from the community came into the old salt-ox house and got into mischief. I was probably 5 or 7 years old (mid 1980s) at the time. One of them pretended to attempt to throw me out the porch door. Of course my family all knew who the mummers were, even dressed up in disguise, so no one was scared lol I also remember mom's and Nans homemade cherry cake and date squares, dishes of hard Purity candies, and Purity Syrup mixed in water. There was a man who lived down the road who would dress as Santa and went door to do on Christmas eve, carrying a bag of apples and oranges. My brother and I were so excited! What memories I have of Christmas 🎄 My parents, particularly my mom, worked hard to give us a wonderful Christmas, even though we were pretty poor. My mom would scrimp and save to give the toy we wanted from Santa. She worked at the fish plant all day, come home and take care of us and clean the house on Christmas eve. Then we'd wake mom and dad at 6 am haha!

I love that you are so intellectually honest in your research

I just want to express my admiration for the production team at Townsends. You have truly set the bar for production values on KZread. The writing, photography, presentation, editing -heck, every element is so well crafted. This is what keeps me coming back to your channel over and over.

Going back to Christmas traditions, if I remember correctly, I think it was in one of Washington Irving’s writings (The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.) about Christmas festivities while traveling abroad in England in 1820 that helped make Christmas become a more festive holiday back in America. [With that being said, John could read these particular anecdotes from Irving’s book for next year’s Christmas, please?]

Merry Christmas and thanks for another year of great videos.

Merry Christmas! Thanks for putting the ingredients on-screen; that will prove most helpful. I seem to recall hearing somewhere that many of the English Christmas traditions were stamped out under Oliver Cromwell's reign, so perhaps the lack of seasonal festivity could be traced, at least in part, to English America's Puritan roots.

@bigred9428

Жыл бұрын

Exactly. People here could be jailed if they celebrated Christmas until the 1800s.

Allowing the cookies to sit for months on end reminds me of Springerle. Springerle use Hartshorn for the leavening agent and anise for the flavor. Merry Christmas, and thank you for another wonderful year of videos!

So, for us Swedes, Christmas is still called Jul (pagan, as in Yule) and celebrations go back to sometime before the vikings. Julgröt (Christmas rice porridge with cinnamon and sugar) is arguably one of the oldest food traditions (medieval) along with the julöl (ale) and other kinds of beverages (pre viking). The julgröt was not only eaten by the family but also the house/farm brounie (hus-/gårds-tomten) would HAVE to have his share or he would make your milk sour or even kill your cows or any other misfortune you could think of. Also the animals, both domestic and wild would be given extra food for Christmas. Nowadays, some might still leave out a bowl of porridge for tomten, but now "Tomten" is the name we use for Santa Claus (as well as the traditional house guardian). Before Santa Claus, we had the Julbock (Christmas billy goat) - an old pagan symbol that was vilified by the church as anti-pagan propaganda and turned into the symbol of the devil. But we still use straw or fir branch julbockar, tied with red ribbon, as decoration around advent and Christmas.

@townsends

Жыл бұрын

I want some Julgröt!

@JustSaralius

Жыл бұрын

@@townsends Should be pretty easy to find a recipe online and I bet it hasn't changed too much since medieval times either. 😁 And for the full experience, one whole (peeled) almond is mixed in with the pot and whoever gets it will get married in the comming year. This tradition is newer though (19th century).

@jenzu_h8798

Жыл бұрын

@@JustSaralius This is done in Finland too

Made with love

Your "chemical leavening" reminded me of a bit of trivia from my college chemistry days. "Sodium bicarbonate" isn't sodium bicarbonate at all; it's actually sodium hydrogen carbonate. "Bi" means two of something, and baking soda's formula is NaHCO3. "Bicarbonate" was misnamed in 1814 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston, but the name has stuck to this day.

Merry Christmas, Jon and the folks at Townsends! I love how happy Jon seems in this episode! Have an egg nog (with plenty of nutmeg!) for me!

Merry Christmas sir. I've learned an awful lot about past cooking from your videos over the years. Watching the kids grow. Even taken up past cooking with many receipts and even cast iron kettles. I've even built a use the same day portable oven. You guys do amazing work. Looking forward to many more years of cooking videos.

I had a neighbor that would talk about mustard seed cookies. I always thought it sounded so strange. But she said when she was a little girl, she was in her eighties and this was in the 1970’s. She said as a very rare treat her mom would make them. The kids would gather up the mustard seeds to save for the next year planting and they would talk their mother into making the cookies. The kids took turns grinding the seeds in a mortar and pestle and would add that to honey and let it sit covered up in the sun and then they would grind corn very fine add that to the honey and then mix in a couple of eggs , a little butter or lard and some wheat or barley flour. Seeing these with coriander makes me want to try both recipes.

@applegal3058

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing her memories! They sound good 👍

@loue6563

Жыл бұрын

@@applegal3058 yeah she was a character. She had 12 siblings and had 14 kids of her own. She had great stories to tell.

@lizlanman47

Жыл бұрын

Wow! Never heard of that! Can't imagine it. Thanks for sharing such an unusual memory!

Merry Christmas Jon, and all the Townsend crew. Blessings 🕊

Christmas porridge! That is a Swedish thing; I don't know much about it, not being Swedish, but it brought back memories of Astrid Lindgren's books. So it's very interesting to hear it is an old tradition. :-)

@mattiassjoquist5042

Жыл бұрын

It's a very old tradition in Sweden (pre-Christian, even) and is still being practiced today. Merry Christmas!

I love coriander! I'm going to try these. Merry Christmas!

I love how much Jon loves cookies :)

Awesome video! Thank you so much and a very merry Christmas to you and yours!

Really enjoyed this!

I’ve been binging on your cooking episodes - I’m fascinated by this subject as you present it . Also, I’m thinking about how important this history is and I’m glad there are folks like you keeping it from being lost to time altogether. ❤

@townsends

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the very kind comment!

Merry Christmas Jon and all the Townsends team! 🎄

Great video🎄Merry Christmas and Happy New Year🌟

Merry Christmas to you and everyone there at Townsends!

Merry Christmas to the whole crew at Townsend’s! Thank you for all the the beautiful videos.

I read the "can you guess the secret spice?" caption and chuckled to myself

@hannahcollins1816

Жыл бұрын

AND IT WASN'T NUTMEG?!?!?!

For those interested, the "old calendar" thing John refers to in this video occurred between 1750 and 1752, and had 2 effects: 1) England switched from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar, losing approximately 11 days (September 3 to 13th of 1752 were omitted, with September 2 followed by the 14th) and 2) the beginning of the year was changed from March 25th to January 1st, starting January 1st 1751. So, for example, Charles I was executed February 9th, so in England his execution was recorded as part of 1648, while under the New Calendar it would be part of 1649.

@Winterascent

Жыл бұрын

I liked how he glosses over it, as if it was of little historical significance.

@bigred9428

Жыл бұрын

I watched something about that, either on PBS or here on youtube. Each country/territory changed over at different times, but countries like England were among the last because they did not like anything Papal.

Merry Christmas, Jon and your family, and the wonderful team at Townsend’s

Beautiful music! Great content! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all at Townsends!

I love all the research you do. I always learn so much! Happy holidays!

Wonderful content as always.. Merry Christmas to you all!

Such a great show. Really puts things into perspective.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thanks for all the hard work. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Merry Christmas to you and yours and all involved with this wonderful channel. Thanks for all the great content throughout the years

Oh this was fantastic, thank you! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone at Townsends and this great community I consider family!

Merry Christmas to you, Ivy, and the whole family and company!

They look great. Thank you for the post.

Merry Christmas to all of you. You all warm my heart.

Merry Christmas to you and yours John.

Rosemary shortbread cookies are actually really good too, a German friend I know makes these!

@lizlanman47

Жыл бұрын

Delicious!!! The flavor seems somehow minty in shortbread!

Sounds very like the ginger cakes you made from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Those New York Dutch housewives were as prodigious as cooks as many Dutchmen were as painters.

@tiberivsgracchvs2393

Жыл бұрын

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves

Your optimism is contagious:) Really appreciate the video!

As usual another great video! I love these and as I cook a roast beef and gather Christmas pudding ingredients, it’s a wonderful connection to the past. Much appreciated! Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to you and the good folks of Townsends!

Merry Christmas John and company!

Thank you so much! My people are from upstate NY. My grandmother mentions some Dutch families in our family tree. It’s nice to think they might have helped bring Christmas to America. This was so interesting to hear about Christmas in early America.

Merry Christmas Townsends! Interesting cookie! At 3/4 inch on a dough like that is the reason it takes 6 months to soften lol!

Merry Christmas, those look great!

Merry Christmas townsends

Merry Christmas to the Townsend's Crew - May you have a great 2023

You too a wonderful christmas and thank you for this delight of a video! 🎄🍪

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to you and your family, mine love it as well. It is very interesting to hear about how Christmas was in earlier America, as I would have expected something closer to modern day. Thanks for all the great videos this year!

I just made these following your recipe and they are delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I'll be sharing them with family for Christmas.

John, I (and others, I'm sure) are very blessed to have you in our lives. Your videos bring me unparalleled comfort. Thank you truly, and enjoy your holidays, please. Edit: how silly of me, please pass this along to the rest of the Townsend team! You are all great.

These cookies came out great following your adaptation! Thanks for an amazing channel and a unique tasting cookie for the holidays!

@townsends

Жыл бұрын

Glad you like them!

Great video! Now we all want to try these! 😮🤗😋

Absolutely surprising and delicious recipe! Thank you, my friends and family loved it!

Looks tasty. Merry Christmas!

Your channel is sincerely one of my favorite things on the internet. Thank you.

I love this channel so much, I discovered it at the tail end of this year and I'm going to be making these cookies on Christmas eve. Thanks for making a great channel with great recipes. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Thank you for what you do.

Merry Christmas everyone!! Lots of love from Australia ❤❤❤❤

Merry Christmas to you. Thanks for sharing. God bless.

Merry Christmas!!

Whilst I have been in court on Christmas Eve, but never Christmas Day! Love Jon’s joy and enthusiasm for Christmas cookies and traditions which I share. No nutmeg?!!!

Wish you a happy and Merry Christmas!!

I really liked the solo guitar music with the video. Very soothing and simple to go with the mesmerizing video of the mixing of the ingredients.

You look better with the beard bro, really adds to the whole look.

Merry Christmas from a full blood Dutch cookie baker!

That comment about Christmas parties and visiting in Thomas Turner's journal is extremely relatable to me, also an introvert and I feel the same way he did about the season being over and no longer having to visit.

Christmas porridge is still definitely a thing in Sweden and most of Scandinavia. It is nowadays made from boiling round rice in milk, often served with cinnamon, milk and sugar. In older times (pre 1800s) it was usually made with rye or barley and was served with cream, eggs and butter, the same style of porridge was often common in weddings or celebrations in the 1500-1700s.

Thank you, Merry Christmas. God Bless and stay safe.

merry christmas to you all i like your show thanks