New Royal Cook Book — Text and Context

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Authors: Royal Baking Powder Company Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2011 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Pastry; Cooking, American; Baking Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 30,734

Reading time 134 min

Text sections 5

This digital edition of New Royal Cook Book — Text and Context is described by source-level measurements including 30,734 words, 2 hr 14 min estimated reading time, and 5 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 18.8 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Pastry,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #38193

This editorial note examines the structure of the 1920 New Royal Cook Book, focusing on its systematic recipe layout, recurring emphasis on Royal Baking Powder as a leavening agent, and the movement from ingredient lists to precise instructions, revealing a methodical approach to home baking.

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Edition quality

File: pg38193

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Produced by Tor Martin Kristiansen, Hazel Batey, Fox in the Stars and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

The New Royal Cook Book

The new Royal Cook Book has been prepared to meet the large and ever increasing demand for a guide to wholesome and palatable home cooking. The young housewife will find here complete simple directions for making delicious cakes and other culinary delights. Experienced cooks and those more skilled in the art will find here many of their favorite recipes and in addition helpful suggestions, especially in the matter of saving eggs and other expensive materials.

=Every recipe has been tested many times and all have been found excellent.=

Royal Baking Powder is used in all recipes in which a leavening agent is required, and the biscuits, muffins, griddle cakes, doughnuts, cakes and pastry prepared by its use are unequalled in texture and healthfulness. "Royal" imparts a fine appearance, and a particularly good flavor to the food.

Housekeepers are urged to avoid substitutes for Royal Baking Powder. Failures in baking often result from the use of sour milk and soda, or even home made mixtures of cream of tartar and soda, because of inability to determine the uncertain strength of such materials and hence the proper proportions to use.

=Avoid all guess work by using "Royal." It is always the same, always dependable.=

NEW ROYAL COOK BOOK--_Index to Recipes_

Albuminized Orange, 46

Banana Cake with Jelly Sauce, 23

Biscuits and Muffins, 6-7

Blueberry or Huckleberry Float, 24

Blueberry or Huckleberry Muffins, 7

Boiling and Stewing (Meats), 32-45

Boston Baked Beans, 38

Boston Brown Bread, 3

Bread and Rolls, 3-4-5

Broiling and Frying, 32

Butter Scotch Icing and Filling, 18

Canning and Preserving, 46-49

Caramels, Chocolate, 43

Cereals (Fireless Cookery), 45

Cheese in Scallop Shells or Ramekins, 38

Chicken Croquettes, 37

Chocolate Blanc Mange, 24

Chocolate Caramels, 43

Chocolate Filling and Icing, 13-16-17

Chocolate Ice Cream, 28

Chocolate Layer Cake, 13

Christmas Plum Pudding, 24

Cocoa Cream Candy, 44

Cocoanut Cake, Feather, 13

Cocoanut Cream Candy, 44

Cocoanut Layer Cake, 14

Coffee Fruit Cake, 12

Coffee Spice Cake, 16

Cookies and Small Cakes, 18-19-20

Corn and Rice Pone, 3

Corn Meal Griddle Cakes, 9

Currant Jelly Sauce, 36

Date and Peanut Paste, 44

Desserts, Frozen, 28-29

Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake, 11

Egg Sauce for Fish, 36

Frosting, Ornamental, 16

Fruit Layer Cakes, 15

Fruit Shortcakes, 20-21

Griddle Cakes and Waffles, 8-9

Ham, Scalloped with Eggs, 37

Hickory Nut Candy, 44

Hollandaise Sauce, 36

Horse Radish Sauce, 36

Huckleberry or Blueberry Float, 24

Huckleberry or Blueberry Muffins, 7

Icings and Fillings, 16-17-18

Invalid Cookery, 45-46

Kidney Beans with Bacon, 38

Lady Baltimore Cake, 15

Lemon Meringue Pie, 26

Lemon or Orange Sauce, 26

Lobsters or Crabs, 31

Luncheon or Sandwich Rolls, 4

Macaroni, Baked with Cheese, 38

Maitre D'Hotel Butter, 36

Marshmallow Cookies, 20

Marshmallow Filling, 17

Marshmallow Icing, 14

Molasses Cakes, 12-19

Nut and Potato Croquettes, 37

Nut and Raisin Bread, 3

Nut and Raisin Rolls, 4

Oatmeal Macaroons, 20

Orange Filling and Icing, 14-17

Orange Layer Cake, 13

Parker House Rolls, 5

Pastry and Pies, 26-27-28

Patty Shells, Royal, 38

Peanut Butter Bread, 4

Poor Man's Pudding, 22

Potato and Nut Croquettes, 37

Potatoes, Sweet and White, 39-40

Pot Roast of Beef, 33

Poultry Dressing, 34-35

Preserving and Canning 46-49

Prune or Date Bread, 4

Puddings and Other Desserts, 22-25

Raisin and Nut Bread, 3

Raisin and Nut Rolls, 4

Raisin Drop Cakes, 18

Rice Griddle Cakes, 9

Roast Meats, 32-33-45

Salads and Salad Dressings, 41-42

Salmon Croquettes, 37

Sauces, Fish, Meat and Vegetable, 35-36

Sauces, Pudding, 23-25-26

Soups, Cream and from Stock, 29-30-45

Stewing and Boiling (Meats), 32

Stew with Dumplings, 32

Strawberry Ice Cream, 28

Strawberry Mousse, 29

Strawberry Shortcakes, 21

Sweetbreads, Creamed, 34

Time-Table for Canning Fruits, 47

Tomatoes and Eggs, 38

Veal, Baked with Tomato Sauce, 33

Vegetables, 38-39-40-45

Whole Wheat Biscuits, 6

Whole Wheat Hot Cakes, 9

SOME SECRETS OF GOOD COOKING

The addition of one or two teaspoons of Royal Baking Powder to plain pastry will add wonderfully to its qualities, making it very light and tender.

_Omelets_ are improved by the addition of a small amount of Royal Baking Powder.

Royal Baking Powder may be added with great advantage to _bread pudding_, _poultry dressing_, _stuffed_ or _deviled crabs_ and other preparations in which broken bread or bread crumbs are used.

_Icings_ and especially Ornamental Icings are improved in texture and flavor by the addition of about a teaspoon of Royal Baking Powder.

Instead of adding soda to keep color in green vegetables use Royal Baking Powder.

For raising or leavening breads, biscuits, rolls, muffins, griddle cakes, doughnuts, cakes, pastries, puddings and other similar foods.

Absolutely Pure and Wholesome

The principal active ingredient of Royal Baking Powder is Royal Grape Cream of Tartar, a derivative of rich, ripe grapes. It perfectly aerates and leavens the batter or dough and makes the food finer in appearance, more delicious to the taste, and more healthful.

It possesses the greatest practicable leavening strength, never varies in quality, and will keep fresh and perfect in all climates until used.

Continue Reading →

The New Royal Cook Book (1920) presents itself as a methodical guide, with recipes arranged in a consistent pattern: ingredient lists followed by step-by-step instructions. The book’s structure reflects an industrial-era confidence in standardization, as seen in the repeated phrase “Sift dry ingredients together” and the careful specification of oven temperatures and timings. The index, spanning from “Albuminized Orange” to “Zwieback,” suggests a comprehensive scope, yet the excerpts show a particular focus on baked goods—cakes, pies, biscuits—where Royal Baking Powder is the recommended leavening agent.

Recurring Instructions and the Role of Royal Baking Powder

Throughout the excerpts, the phrase “Sift dry ingredients together” appears in multiple recipes, from biscuits to pie crusts, establishing a rhythmic opening. The book consistently promotes Royal Baking Powder as the sole leavening agent, warning against substitutes like sour milk and soda. For instance, the introductory text states that “Royal Baking Powder is used in all recipes in which a leavening agent is required,” and later recipes reinforce this by listing it among dry ingredients. This repetition creates a structural motif: the cook is guided to rely on a single, dependable product, eliminating guesswork. The recipes for “Biscuits and Muffins” (pages 6-7) and “Cakes” (pages 10-16) exemplify this pattern, with each step building on the previous one.

Movement from Ingredients to Technique

The book’s structure moves from listing ingredients to detailing technique, often with precise measurements and timings. For example, the “Strawberry Pie” recipe begins with a list of crust ingredients, then instructs to “Roll out on floured board and use for bottom crust of pie,” followed by baking times. The “Mince Meat” recipe similarly lists 13 ingredients before mixing and packing. This sequential movement reflects a pedagogical approach: the cook first assembles components, then executes steps. The “Frozen Desserts” section introduces a new movement—from preparation to freezing—with instructions to “Scald can, cover and dasher, adjust can in freezer.” Such shifts in setting, from kitchen to ice cream freezer, underscore the book’s comprehensive scope.

Variations and Substitutions as Structural Elements

Many recipes include variations, creating a branching structure. For instance, “Custard Pie” is followed by “Cocoanut Pie is made the same way, adding 1 cup fresh grated cocoanut, and using only 2 eggs.” Similarly, “Berry Pies” notes that “Other fruit pies can be made in the same way,” and “Cherry Tarts” suggests “Other fruit can be used in place of cherries.” These asides function as structural nodes, allowing the cook to adapt recipes without repeating full instructions. The book also includes cross-references, such as “Line pie plate with paste, page 26,” directing the reader to the pastry recipe. This network of references and variations creates a modular structure, enabling customization while maintaining consistency.

Setting and Imagery in the Recipe Descriptions

The book’s language evokes a domestic setting, with phrases like “rub in shortening very lightly with finger tips” and “dot with small pieces of butter” conjuring tactile imagery. The “Mince Meat” recipe, with its list of spices and alcohol, suggests a pantry stocked with sherry and brandy. The “Pumpkin Pie” instructions to “beat 2 minutes” imply a manual effort, while the “Chocolate Ice Cream” recipe (page 28) hints at a household with an ice cream freezer. These details, though brief, paint a picture of the early 20th-century American kitchen—a place of measured labor and reliance on branded products. The recurring image of “hot oven” and “moderate oven” further anchors the recipes in a specific technological context.

Readers approaching the New Royal Cook Book will find a structured guide that rewards attention to its recurring patterns. The book’s emphasis on a single leavening agent and its systematic layout reflect a desire for reliability in home baking. By noting the movement from ingredient lists to technique, and the variations that allow for adaptation, one can use this book as both a reference and a template for experimentation.

This book’s careful steps for perfect bread made me think of my grandmother’s penciled notes in her own copy, each one a quiet conversation with the page. Miss Parloa's New Cook Book — Reading Companion once gave me that same feeling—a recipe as a letter from the past, not a command, just someone’s steady hand showing the way. It’s a comfort, that.