Photo by A. Wolfgang, Goschenhoppen Historians Christmas Market, 2019

Schwenkfelder’s 12 Days of Christmas

Enjoy this old tune with new lyrics thanks to the talented Douglas Madenford. Each day features an old-time favorite food from the Nancy Roan Archive based upon how many recipes exist in the archive for the food. For example, there are ten versions of Apeas Cake!

On each of the twelve days of Christmas (December 25 through January 5), we will post a recipe on Facebook following along with the song lyrics. Here on the webpage, you can find all of the recipes for each day.

Happy cooking and eating!

In 2023 and 2024, we have been featuring recipes from the Nancy Roan Archive to complement the exhibit A Culinary Journey from Germany to Philadelphia. In the mid-1900s, Nancy interviewed older people, many of whom grew up in the late 1800s, about the food their family made and ate. We discovered that there were multiple versions of many favorites—and so the idea of a “12 Days of Christmas” was born. Recipe cards for some of these foods as well as others are available for free at the exhibit’s interactive table. Much thanks to Alice Wolfgang for her inspiration and time as she transcribed the recipes, and thanks to Doug Madenford for setting it to music for us.

Day 1: Scrapple     

Recipe 1 Scrapple

20 qt broth

30-35 lb cooked skins, heads, etc, ground meat

(3 ½ - 10 lb scrapple pans)

1 ½ can or 2 handfuls marjoram

5 T coriander

6 T pepper

3 ¾ lb buckwheat

2 lb cornmeal

Yields approximately 75 lbs. From 2 hogs average 250 lbs each.  Used only about ½ the skin/no ears.

Photo from H. Winslow Fegley SLHC collection, circa early 1900s

Day 2: Lebkuchen

Recipe 1 Lebkuchen

Combine in a bowl:                                                  X4

3 ½ c flour                                                                 14 c flour

2 t ginger                                                                   8 t ginger

½ t cloves                                                                  2 t cloves

½ t nutmeg                                                                2 t nutmeg

¼ t allspice                                                                1 t allspice

1 ½ t salt                                                                    6 t salt

Combine in a 2 c measure and stir until foamy:

1 c molasses                                                             4 c molasses

1 t baking soda                                                         4 t soda

Cream fat and sugar in bowl.  Add molasses and then water, alternating with dry ingredients:

½ c fat                                                                        2 c fat

½ c water                                                                   2 c H2O

1 c sugar                                                                    4 c sugar

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, depending on size.

Recipe 2: Soft Leb Cakes

½ pt sour or buttermilk

½ pt molasses

1 teacup butter or salted lard

1 large teaspoonful baking soda

2 well-beaten eggs

½ nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 soup spoonful ginger

flour

Day 3: Rice Pudding

Recipe 1 of Rice Pudding

Cook:

½ c rice

2 ½ c H2O

¾ t salt

 Add:

3 eggs

⅓ c sugar

2 t vanilla

½ c raisins

3 ½ c milk

1 t nutmeg

2 T butter

Set dish in pan of hot H2O. Bake 300 for ½ hour-stir. Let bake another hour.

Recipe 2 of Rice Pudding (ca.1887 - 1939)

½ c rice and a little water

Cook until dry (until done).

1 egg - pinch of salt - pinch of flour

1 T sugar.

Beat all of the above together with egg beater. 

Add ¾ c - 1 c sugar, 1 quart milk. 

Beat this and sugar into egg mix.  Add rice.

Bake at 375 about 25 minutes.  Bake in large flat pan until it puffs up.  Take out before it falls.

Recipe 3 of Sand Tarts

2 lb sugar

1 lb butter

8 eggs

Flour to make stiff

Recipe 4 of Sand Tarts

1 c butter

1 ½ c granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 T H2O

1 ½ t Baking powder

4 c flour

Photo by H. Winslow Fegley SLHC collection, circa early 1900s.

Day 5: Mincemeat Pie

Recipe 1 of Mincemeat           makes 6-7 quarts

Add suet to cooked mincemeat when it has cooled.  Do not cook with other ingredients. - NR

1 lb suet (ground)

6 c ground cooked beef (tongue or heart)

12 c chopped apple

3 c brown sugar

3 c cider

1 c chopped watermelon preserves with juice

2 boxes raisins (15 oz each)

1 box currants (11 oz)

6 T molasses

3 t salt

3 t cinnamon

1 ½ t cloves

1 ½ t nutmeg

1 t mace

Simmer about 1 hour.  ¼ c ground candied orange rind.  When cooked, add suet.

Recipe 2 of Mince Pie without meat or apples

Take a cup of molasses, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of water, a piece of butter the size of an egg, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, cinnamon.  Thicken with crumbled bread, simmer about 10 minutes.  Add a few raisins. 2 ½ bread crumbs.

Recipe 3 of Mince Pie (1867)

3 eggs

3 cups water

1  “  sugar

1  “  molasses

1  “  vinegar

1  “  flower or bread

1 teaspoon cloves

1  “  cinnamon

1  “  nutmeg

1  “  cream of tartar

1  “  soda

Raisins

Photo by Michael Davis, 2022

Recipe 4 of homemade candy—Marzipan

1 c almond paste

2 egg whites

½ t vanilla

1 c 10x sugar

Beat egg whites and mix into softened almond paste. Add vanilla and sugar, work until a smooth dough is formed. Shape or mold. Let dry overnite, paint with food colors. Blending of colors is easier if entire candy is brushed with clear water. To mold-roll into small ball, roll ball lightly in 10x sugar before pressing into mold.

Recipe 5 of homemade candy--Rum Balls

8 oz unsweetened chocolate

4 oz sweet chocolate

14 oz condensed milk

Melt over hot H2O. Stir in milk and blend well. Stir in 2 T rum. Shape into balls and roll in choc. Jimmies.

Recipe 6 of homemade candy—Potato Candy

Cooked potato - mix with a little butter and potato water, then confectioners sugar to proper

consistency. Shape into little balls and roll in 10X sugar.

Photo by A. Wolfgang, Goschenhoppen Historians Christmas Market, 2022

Recipe 6 of Chow Chow

Two gallons green tomatoes, one large head of cabbage, one dozen green peppers, one dozen red peppers, one dozen onions, chop each separately very fine. Mix all together then put a layer of the mixture and a sprinkle of salt then put in a bag and hang all night to drain. In the morning squeeze it perfectly dry with the hands and then put in a dish cover with cold vinegar. Let it sit six hours then squeeze as before. Season with one cup of mustard seed, three tablespoons full of celery seed, one of mace, three of allspice, one quart of grated horseradish. Mix all these well together. Boil vinegar enough to cover. Put one pound of sugar in the vinegar pour it boiling over the pickle.

Recipe 7 of Chow Chow

¼ lb black mustard seed

½ doz pepper, red and green, cut and salted

1 pt small onions

2 doz pickles, cut and salted

¼ peck string beans cut fine

1 pint lima beans

1 pint corn

½ head cabbage cut fine

Several stalks celery

½ lb sugar salt to taste

Vinegar to cover

Let boil gently until soft enough

Photo by Michael Davis, 2022

Recipe 3 of Rice Pudding

Cook until H2O evaporates:

1 T butter

½ c rice

½ c H2O

Cook ½ h: 2 c milk, 1 piece of cinnamon

3-4 T sugar

½ t salt

½ c raisins

1 c milk

Bring to boil again-add some to 1 egg. Return to pan and cook 1 min longer.

1 t vanilla

Day 4: Sand Tarts

Recipe 1 of  Sand Tarts

1 lb sugar

¾ lb butter

4 eggs

1 ½ lb flour

Mix first four ingredients with a spoon, first softening the butter.  Then knead and work in the flour with the hand.  It will make a fairly stiff dough.  This is best if mixed in the evening and allowed to stand in a cool place overnight.

In the morning roll as thin as possible.  Cut with cookie cutters after sprinkling with granulated sugar.  Put cookies on cookie sheet or cookie pan. Brush center with eggs.  Press chopped nut meats in center and sprinkle with a little cinnamon.  Bake to a golden brown.

Recipe 2 of Sand Tarts (Aunt Mary cut these quite thin, maybe ¼”.)

1 c granulated sugar

½ c butter

2 c flour

1 egg

1 t milk

½ t soda

Place sugar, egg and melted butter in bowl and mix thoroughly. Add milk and sifted flour with soda. Shape into desired mold and chill. Cut w/ sharp knife very thin-dip tarts in granulated sugar on one side. Place on greased pan sugar side up, place nut meats on top and bake about 8 minutes.

Photo by A. Wolfgang, 2022

Recipe 4 of Mince PIes

Take a neats tongue lay it in water for four hours wash it well and boil it when cold chop it fine shred two pounds of beef suet fine two pounds of raisins stoned chopped three pounds of currants washed and rubbed ¼ oz of cinnamon the same quantity of cloves and a little mace a nutmeg grated one lb brown sugar three the rind of a large lemon chopped fine half a pound of citron cut in thin slices one pint of brandy the same quantity wine and  cider chop the apples as you use it.

Recipe 5 of Green Tomato Mincemeat

3 pounds green tomatoes

3 ½ pounds apples

2 pounds brown sugar

2 pounds seedless raisins

1 cup ground suet

1 T salt

2 ½ T cinnamon

2 t ground cloves

1 T nutmeg

1 T grated lemon rind

3 T lemon juice

1 ¼ c vinegar

Mince tomatoes. Add salt and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and add water to cover. Cook for 5 minutes and drain. Pare, core and chop apples very fine.  Add tomatoes and other ingredients and simmer for 1 hour. Makes 7 pints.

Day 6: Homemade Candy

Recipe 1 of Homemade Candy—Yellow Chalk (also called yellow jack, belly guts, molasses taffy)

2 c  molasses

1 c  brown sugar

2 T butter

⅓ c  water

1 T vinegar

⅛ t  soda

½ t vanilla (optional)

Combine and heat molasses, sugar, butter, vinegar, and water in heavy saucepan until sugar is dissolved.  Cook, stirring occasionally to 260 degrees.  Add soda and vanilla.  Pour into well-greased shallow pan.  When cool enough to handle, butter hands and pull candy into long ropes.  Cut into pieces.

Recipe 2 of homemade candy—Clear Toy Candy   (Christ Kindlin)

2 c granulated sugar

⅔ c white corn syrup

1 c H2O

Bring to boil over medium heat.  Stir to dissolve sugar.  When sugar is dissolved, increase heat and boil rapidly to 290 degrees (do not stir).

Remove from heat and quickly stir in 10-12 drops of red food coloring or 8 drops green.  Yellow is the natural color.  Pour into greased molds.

Recipe 3 of homemade candy—Puffy Peanut Taffy Brittle (2 lbs)

2 c sugar

¼ t salt

1 c lt corn syrup

1 c H2O

3 c shelled peanuts

2 T butter

2 T vanilla

2 t baking soda

1-Butter a 15X10X1” pan.

2-Blend sugar, salt, syrup and H2O in lg, heavy saucepan, cover, bring to a boil, uncover.

3-Cook over high heat to 234 degrees.

4-Add peanuts slowly-keep mixture bubbling-cook 8 mins.

5-Stir in butter, cook to 300 degrees or about 2 min.

6-Quickly sprinkle soda over surface. Stir thoroughly and vigorously until puffy (15 sec). Pour into prepared pan immediately.

Day 7: Chow Chow

Recipe 1 of Chow Chow 

3 c. sugar (3 ½)

5 c. vinegar

3 c. H2O

2 T salt

½ t pepper

1 T celery seed

1 T mustard seed

This amount of juice will make about 5-6 quarts of chow chow.

Recipe 2 of Chow Chow

1 head cabbage chopped, 2 qt string beans, 1 qt lima beans (both cooked), 2 qt sweet corn, 1 qt green tomatoes, ½ doz cucumbers (both salted), ½ doz green peppers, 1 bunch celery. Each ingredient to be prepared separately. Put all together in a preserving kettle, add 1 c sugar, hand full of salt and vinegar to cover. Let cook till done. Add 5 cents worth of ground mustard. Boil a few minutes.

Recipe 3 of Chow Chow

¼ peck green tomatoes, ¼ peck white onions, ¼ peck string beans, 1 doz green cucumbers, 1 lb sugar, 1 doz red and green peppers. Season with salt, white mustard seed and celery. Cover them with cider vinegar and let them simmer over a slow fire for 2 hrs.

Recipe 4 of Corn Chow Chow

6 qt ch. cabbage, 4 qt corn boiled, 3 c sugar, 3 T salt, ½ lb gr mustard, 1 T yellow mustard seed, 2 T dk mustard seed, 2 T celery, 3 qt vinegar.

Recipe 5 of Chow Chow

2 small heads of cabbage, 1 qt small onions, 1 qt small pickles, 1 qt nasturtiums, 2 qt corn, 1 qt lima beans, 1 qt green tomatoes, 2 heads cauliflower, 5 or 6 ch pepper, 1 qt string beans, 2 bunches celery, ¼ lb yellow mustard seed, ¼ lb dark mustard seed, 2 or 3 T celery seed, 2 tea cups sugar, ¼ lb ground mustard, 2 qt vinegar or as much as will be required to cover the vegetables. Salt to taste.

Recipes for Days 1 through 7 are below. Click here for Days 8 through 10.

Click here for Days 11 and 12