Emma Darwin and Her Highly Evolved Sausage-Crusted Chicken Pie

“Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.” Pope Francis

Including the whole of the human race in the “beings that evolve” group would be somewhat optimistic –– some of us seem to be going retrograde in a Dark Ages, World-is-Flat kind of way. You’d think more than 150 years after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of the Species evolution wouldn’t be news, would you? Yet the theory of evolution is fomenting controversy in 2014 nearly as dramatically as it was in 1859.

Evolution is happening all around us (you can watch a superb video about it HERE.

EVOLUTION:

The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

OR

The gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

I can’t help but see evolution at work as I read about Charles Darwin’s own family history and explore the zeitgeist of the time. So many elements in Darwin’s background pointed him toward writing his magnum opus ––would it have happened had he not sprung from and been nurtured by his family’s storied intellectual roots? Would he have written On the Origin of the Species if his grandfather hadn’t begun working on the topic so brilliantly 70 years before?

That’s one of the best things about working on this blog. I started reading Emma Darwin’s cookbook, and ended up learning about the remarkable Darwins!

Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802), 1770 by Joseph Wright

It’s a history that begins with Darwin’s grandfather, Erasmus Darwin –– a genius in his own right and a founding member of the Lunar Society –– a full orchestra of geniuses whose ideas and inventions would lead to the birth of the Industrial Age in Britain (there’s a book about them The Lunar Men: Five Friends Whose Curiosity Changed the World if you want to know more).

Soho House in Birmingham, one of the meeting places for the Lunar Society (1765-1813).

First, to explain the name, Lunar Society –– it’s not all DaVinci Code dark or metaphysical in the least –– it was practical. It seems that the group met on the full moon of every month because the moon lit the dark streets and made it easier to return home after gatherings that lasted into the night. The members proudly called themselves “Lunartics”

Wedgwood Jasperware Pegasus Vase, 1790

Aside from Darwin, other members included Matthew Bolton (who worked with Watt on the steam engine), James Watt (who invented the steam engine), Josiah Wedgwood (potter and close friend of Erasmus Darwin –– it was Wedgwood’s son who convinced Charles Darwin’s father to let him go on the voyage of the Beagle –– Josiah was also the grandfather of Emma Darwin), Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Wright (painter), William Small ( Physician and Thomas Jefferson’s professor) and assorted other important philosophers, scientists, abolitionists, chemists, engineers, inventors, lawyers, printers and poets from Europe and the United States. Although many members could not attend the meetings in person, there was a lively correspondence between them that went on for decades –– new members were recommended by established Lunartics.

The Lunar Society began with Erasmus Darwin.

Erasmus Darwin House Museum, Lichfield and another Lunar Society meeting place

Darwin was born in Nottinghamshire and went to university in St John’s College, Cambridge, then studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School –– the best there was at the time.

In 1757 he moved to Lichfield, Staffordshire and became a successful physician.

“What an amazing polymath and Enlightenment thinker Dr. Erasmus Darwin was. He made major contributions to learning in 75 diverse areas that included:

"1) abolition of slavery 2) ventilation 3) mental illness 4) microscopy 5) warm and cold fronts 6) afforestation 7) water closets 8) moon's origin 9) treatment of dropsy 10) animal camouflage 11) nerve impulses 12) wind-gauges 13) artesian wells 14) windmills 15) artificial insemination 16) nitrogen cycle 17) manures 18) women's emancipation 19) biological adaptation 20) biological pest control 21) origin of life 22) canal locks 23) outer atmosphere 24) carriage design including steam carriages 25) phosphorous 26) photosynthesis 27) centrifugation 28) cloud formation 29) compressed air 30) rotary pumps 31) copying machines 32) secular morality 33) educational reform 34) sewage farms 35) sexual reproduction 36) evolutionary theory 37) speaking machines 38) exercise for children 39) squinting 40) fertilizers 41) limestone deposits 42) formation of coal 43) steam turbines 44) geological stratification 45) hereditary disease 46) insecticides 47) telescopes 48) language 49) temperance 50) timber production.”

Erasmus Darwin, 1794

But it was Erasmus’ Zoonomia, or Laws of Organic Life that toyed with the theory of evolution nearly 70 years before his grandson’s book would see the light of day:

“From thus meditating on the great similarity of the structure of the warm-blooded animals, and at the same time of the great changes they undergo both before and after their nativity; and by considering in how minute a portion of time many of the changes of animals above described have been produced; would it be too bold to imagine that, in the great length of time since the earth began to exist, perhaps millions of ages before the commencement of the history of mankind would it be too bold to imagine that all warm-blooded animals have arisen from one living filament, which THE GREAT FIRST CAUSE endued with animality, with the power of acquiring new parts, attended with new propensities, directed by irritations, sensations, volitions and associations, and thus possessing the faculty of continuing to improve by its own inherent activity, and of delivering down these improvements by generation to its posterity, world without end!”

In this excerpt you can see that Charles Darwin’s path was basically predestined. It's as if it was in his DNA to continue and then improve upon his grandfather’s ideas (some of Erasmus’ ideas had been proved wrong even though they were tantalizingly close – some of his ideas were decades, if not centuries ahead of their time). It was fortuitous that Charles had no interest in becoming a physician –– his father had insisted on medical school but Charles wasn’t keen on the subject and did poorly. He changed course and schools and followed his interest in botany and biology. That choice changed everything. Once his passion was inflamed, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge led him to develop his theories on survival of the fittest. He shared a lot with his polymorph grandfather. You could say evolution was bred in the bone.

Charles Darwin’s recipe for rice in his own hand, written into his wife’s cookbook

What he didn’t share was the family appetite (I did start this research because of food after all—the charming idea of peering into the kitchen of a famous scientist was too much to resist –– yes, Charles Darwin went into the kitchen and even wrote recipes!). The whole reason we are here is a recipe from Emma Darwin’s recipe book that I wanted to make.

Down House, Darwin family home from 1842 – 1906

Darwin’s study at Down House(English Heritage photo) 

 Darwin Dining Room (English Heritage photo)

 Darwin Dining Room(English Heritage photo)

Mrs. Darwin’s Wedgwood China, Water lily pattern (designed 1806)

Emma Darwin and children

Darwin had a large family and a warm and loving home that his wife Emma took great care to feed well. Although Charles may not have always appreciated her efforts –– there was a reason. Thing is, Charles Darwin had a very troubled stomach – they are still trying to figure out what was troubling him (Crohns disease is a contender).

Erasmus Darwin by Joseph Wright, c1792.

Charles’ grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, as you can see, was a rather large man (as he got older, he got fatter –– his dining table had to be cut out to accommodate his girth).

Robert Darwin (1766-1848), Charles Darwin’s father

Erasmus’ son, 6’2” Robert (Charles’ father), was a giant of a man who would grow to over 336 pounds and still live to be over 80!

Charles Darwin, 1840

Darwin was just under 6’ but normal weight (although after his return from the voyage of the Beagle, he weighed but 149 pounds!).

Erasmus’ grandson Charles did not have the appetite of his forebears because of his condition that he described in a ghastly terms:

“For 25 years extreme spasmodic daily & nightly flatulence: occasional vomiting, on two occasions prolonged during months. Vomiting preceded by shivering, hysterical crying, dying sensations or half-faint. & copious very palid urine. Now vomiting & every paroxys[m] of flatulence preceded by singing of ears, rocking, treading on air & vision. focus & black dots – All fatigues, specially reading, brings on these Head symptoms ?? nervousness when E[mma] leaves me ..."

Emma Wedgwood Darwin 1808-1898

It seems his wife was his rock, his nurse and his loving companion. She catered to his every complaint without complaining. They had a long and loving relationship with 10 children –– he adored her. Remarkable considering the famous ‘note’ that Darwin wrote before proposing to her:

“This is the question

Marry

Children — (if it Please God) — Constant companion, (& friend in old age) who will feel interested in one, — object to be beloved & played with. — —better than a dog anyhow. — Home, & someone to take care of house — Charms of music & female chit-chat. — These things good for one's health. — Forced to visit & receive relations but terrible loss of time. —

W My God, it is intolerable to think of spending ones whole life, like a neuter bee, working, working, & nothing after all. — No, no won't do. — Imagine living all one's day solitarily in smoky dirty London House. — Only picture to yourself a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music perhaps — Compare this vision with the dingy reality of Grt. Marlbro' St.

Marry — Marry — Marry Q.E.D.

Not Marry

No children, (no second life), no one to care for one in old age.— What is the use of working 'in' without sympathy from near & dear friends—who are near & dear friends to the old, except relatives

Freedom to go where one liked — choice of Society & little of it. — Conversation of clever men at clubs — Not forced to visit relatives, & to bend in every trifle. — to have the expense & anxiety of children — perhaps quarelling — Loss of time. — cannot read in the Evenings — fatness & idleness — Anxiety & responsibility — less money for books &c — if many children forced to gain one's bread. — (But then it is very bad for ones health to work too much)

Perhaps my wife wont like London; then the sentence is banishment & degradation into indolent, idle fool…”

July 1838

Charles and Emma were first cousins

Emma Darwin was a brilliant woman in her own right. Now that the Darwin papers are online, you can actually read her diaries and letters –– they are warm and intelligent.

Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795)

Her side of the family wasn’t too shabby either. Her grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood, was a brilliant and creative man who was constantly innovating both his pottery and the methods for creating them  –– he was a 4th generation potter but an injury prevented him from doing the work himself.  He was also a passionate abolitionist.  Wedgwood pottery continued to thrive for over 200 years (it recently joined with Waterford in what proved to be a poor alliance meant to keep it afloat –– people don’t buy such things anymore -- a pension scandal nearly lost the Wedgwood Museum's treasures).

What to put on that amazing Wedgwood china?  I found Emma’s cookbook (available online HERE) a few years ago and saved a virtual clipping of a recipe I wanted to try ––  a chicken pot pie that I believe is named Mont Coquins which would mean Mount rascal, brat or bastard –– Bastard Mountain??? Perhaps it’s a private joke? The idea for it is not –– it’s a great recipe. I tried something like it years ago when I enclosed sausage in the lip of a pizza crust… great idea that didn’t work at all (oozed grease, didn’t cook properly.)

This one works. I changed it only a little. You put pie dough in a pan, edge it with sausage and cook, leaving the center empty. Cook the puff-paste top separately to keep it fresh and crisp. When the crust is done and sausage cooked, fill with chicken fricassee. Then pop the top on and serve for a fabulous combination of flavors and texture.

There’s also a book out there Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book: Revived and Illustrated Ill Edition by Dusha Bateson, Weslie Janeway, written by two fine scholars using original material and interpreting the recipes for today’s cooks. My recipe was not in the book so I had to do a bit of sleuthing to put together the different parts so you can cook it.

I decided to go to Queen Victoria’s chef Francatelli’s cookbook, The Modern Cook  and a popular 19th century cookbook, The Cooks and Housewife’s Manual by Margaret Dod  (that I wrote about HERE) for guidance. From these I came up with some recipes for forcemeat and white fricassee of chicken.

You only need a whir or 2 of a food processor to make the sausage for 'padding' the pie and the chicken comes together quickly.  There was plenty of sausage left over and it's delicious as a breakfast patty or with pasta.  The piecrust can be prepared beforehand and then deployed and the puff pastry purchased. If you don’t have the puff pastry handy, use regular pie crust dough. You can make one large or 4 small – just make sure you have enough dough since it takes a bit more for 4 dishes. I used a smaller pie pan and then used the rest of the crust in a pate dish since my puff pastry remnant was a bit small for a full size pie plate.  I have to say I used my recipe puff pastry that I had made 9 months ago and it rose like mad with a zillion layers -- takes time to make but so worth it.

Here are the original recipes. You can make changes as you see fit. I for one decided the suet to meat ratio a bit high for my sausage (and remembered the oil spill of my pizza experiment) so I cut it down considerably –– Emma's dish makes no mention of additional fat but I only had ham slices and they were fat free so the mixture did need a bit of moistening. The extra sauce is delicious on the side.

From The Modern Cook:

From The Cook and Housewife's Manual:

Mrs Darwins Chicken Pie (Mont Coquins Chicken Pie)

1 piece piecrust dough

1 recipe forcemeat

1 recipe fricassee

1 piece puff pastry (bought or from recipe HERE) or another piece of piecrust dough

Preheat oven to 400º.

Place the piecrust dough in the serving dish.  Press the forcemeat against the sides of the plate.   Put into the oven and cook till sausage is done and crust browned, about 20 minutes.  While that is cooking, put the puff pastry cut in the shape of your dish on a piece of parchment paper and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes with a piece of parchment over the top.  Remove parchment, bake for
10 more minutes then brush gently with egg wash and cook 5 more minutes until golden.

Sop up any excess oil.  Put the fricassee in the pastry with some of the sauce and sprinkle with fresh herbs.  Top with the puff pastry and serve extra sauce separately

Fricassee of Chickens

2 chicken breasts and 2 chicken thighs with bones and skin
OR
2 boneless chicken breasts.
1 T butter
1 carrot, sliced
½ an onion sliced
1 stalk celery
½ c mushrooms or mushroom trimmings
3 cloves
12 peppercorns
½ t mace
3 sprigs of parsley
1 quart broth
2 T butter
3 T flour
4 egg yolks
1 T butter
3 T cream
½ cup sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 -2 T madeira to taste (I used Rare Wine Co. Porto Moniz Verdelho Special Reserve-fabulous)
fresh herbs for garnish

Sauté the chicken in butter till lightly browned. Add the vegetables spices and herbs to the pot with the chicken broth and simmer for about ½ an hour for the whole chicken. Only cook the chicken breast for 15 minutes. Remove and keep cooking the vegetables for another 15.

Strain and reserve the chicken. Melt the butter and flour in a pan and cook, slowly, for 3 minutes – do not allow to brown. Slowly, add the broth stirring all the while. Cook for ½ an hour at a good slow boil. Skim and boil until it thickens a bit. Then add the eggs and cream and butter. Heat till thickened always staying below a boil and add the mushrooms. Bone the reserved chicken pieces and toss the torn up meat with any accumulated juices into the sauce OR tear up the chicken breast meat and add with any accumulated juices into the sauce. Salt to taste. You will have a good deal of sauce which is delicious served with the pie.

Ham and Veal Forcemeat

5 oz. ground ham (from slices -- If you have a chunk of ham with fat you could lose the bacon and suet –– make it about 8 oz of ham meat and fat)
2 T beef suet
1 -2 pieces of bacon, chopped (the bacon and suet should be about 3 oz)
1 pound ground veal
2 egg yolks
½ c bread crumbs
2 T milk
¼ t nutmeg
salt and pepper
¼ t allspice
¼ t mace
2 T chopped parsley
3 T grated onion

Soak the bread in milk

Pulse the ham, suet and bacon till ground.

Add the veal and the rest of the ingredients and pulse till combined.

Sauté a small piece to taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Raw sausage in the crust before baking...

Pie Crust

1 c flour
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 stick butter
3 T lard or suet
¼ t salt

Blend the flours. Chop the stick of butter and the lard into small pieces and add to the flours. Pulse till just blended -- leaving the mixture resembling course meal. Add about ¼ c cold water to the mixture, stirring with a fork until it becomes a rage dough. Take from bowl in handfuls.  Put a handful of flour on parchment and and smear the dough on the flour, stacking the pieces of smeared dough. Press into a round shape about 2½" tall and refrigerate for 1 hour.

A Celebration of FRAGRANT and Frankincense Shortbread

“He saw that there was no mood of the mind that had not its counterpart in the sensuous life, and set himself to discover their true relations, wondering what there was in frankincense that made one mystical, and in ambergris that stirred one’s passions, and in violets that woke the memory of dead romances, and in musk that troubled the brain, and in champak [magnolia] that stained the imagination; and seeking often to elaborate a real psychology of perfumes, and to estimate the several influences of sweet-smelling roots and scented, pollen-laden flowers; of aromatic balms and of dark and fragrant woods; of spikenard, that sickens; of hovenia [Japanese raisin tree]. That makes men mad; and of aloes, that are said to be able to expel melancholy from the soul.” – The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Wilde's musing on the evocative nature of scent is a perfect opening to Mandy Aftel’s new book, Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent. The answer to his question about why certain scents do what they do to us will delight, provoke and surprise you –– this is a book you are going to want to spend time with.

Mandy Aftel, NYT photo by Jim Wilson

The book addresses Wilde’s questions about the scented world magnificently:

“Wilde knows that aromas can take us anywhere, that they are a magic carpet we can ride to hidden worlds, not only to other times and places but deep within ourselves, beneath the surface of daily life, We close our eyes – we do this instinctively before we inhale a scent, as if preparing for the internal journey -- and before we can even consciously recognize what we’re smelling, we are carried away without our consent. Or we are stopped in our tracks, brought entirely in to the present moment.”

“Scent is a portal to these basic human appetites – for the far-off, the familiar, the transcendent, the strange, and the beautiful—that have motivated us since the origins of our species.”

Mandy wrote Fragrant as “a series of excursions into the fragrant world that … will return you more awake and alive, more profoundly able to ‘smell the roses’.”

Cinnamon bird in a cinnamon tree (Peraldus 1190-1271)

To do this she chose five scents – cinnamon, mint, frankincense, ambergris and jasmine, with each representing “ a key story line in the history of scent, intricately bound up in its adventures and intrigues and moments of discovery. Each also represents a class of material from which are derived the ingredients essential to the art of perfumery.”

She spins a web with history and her knowledge of her craft, but also addresses the physiology that shapes our relationship with the scented world, one that most of us know precious little about

Olfactory bulb (Vasalius 1543)

Did you know that our brains evolved from olfactory receptors, so that we owe our very thoughts to our primal perception and reaction to scent? Also, scientists recently discovered that we have scent receptors all over our bodies (this came out after the book was published). We perceive scent through our whole being, not just our noses – we absorb the world around us. I read about it in a great NYT’s article that revealed that skin, brain liver, heart, lung, spleen even sperm have them. These olfactory receptors can actually tell other cells to regenerate – the scent of sandalwood has helped heal wounds – scent-based medicine may soon be reality. It is no wonder that scent affects us in such fundamental ways.

Distiller, (Puffvonshrick, 1478)

That’s why her book is so revelatory. Mandy understands this at an elemental level. Reading it will change the way you think about the scented world around you, even within you!

To begin, Aftel encourages an enlightened approach to the art of smelling –– exploring the layers, shapes, memories and feelings that a scent evokes (think of the smell of something that you can summon from your past that is strongly connected to an experience or a place or a person – for me anytime I smell old books I am transported to my grandfather’s study).

Alchemy, (New Jewell of Health, Baker 1576)

She reveals the architecture of a perfume with its notes of high, medium and low and the balance they must have to make a successful fragrance and explains the different elements that go into making scent – what the difference is between isolates, absolutes, essential oils and hydrosols ­–– she shows the place of her 5 scents in the hierarchy of the perfume’s structure and explains how to make your own scents with marvelous recipes for making scented oils, solid perfumes and traditional, alcohol based frangrances to suit every mood and personality.

Distillation, (New Jewell of Health, Baker 1576)

She speaks brilliantly about a scent's unique character. Many of us think of “just rose” or “just lilac”. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are an infinite variety of ‘rose’ scents as there are of ‘lilac’ scents. Depending on the flowers that go into them and the techniques used to extract the scent as well as storage and age – they can be astonishingly different. Even the 'where' of them matters, “Like wine, spices and the natural essences derived from them have terroir – the distinctive nuances of the soil, air, and water where they are grown. In their case, it is usually an especially exotic terroir. But (as with wine) a particular source terroir is not a guarantee of quality. The quality also depends on the variety of the plant, its health and growing conditions, the harvesting process, how long the plant sits before it is distilled, and under what conditions and methods it is distilled.”

It reminded me of when I was a kid and I listened to a program (hosted by David Dubal) that played many versions of famous piano pieces. Until then, I always thought of a work as “Chopin’s Barcarolle’, I had never thought of the incredible diversity of interpretation of the same piece, of the differences in Cortot’s version or Lipatti or Hoffman. Each pianist brings his particular genius to his performance. The same is true of the distiller’s interpretations of raw materials – from ham-handed to revelatory. Mandy uses her elegant, educated sense of smell to choose the ingredients that speak to her and the choices are reflected in her work. They have a very personal, very intimate connection to her. It’s not just the perfumer’s choice of which scent to use in the creation of a perfume, it’s also the perfumer’s selection of raw material to use to make it –– each step has the artist’s imprimatur.  Another perfumer, with different raw materials, could make the same perfume recipe and it could be quite different because the perfumer had chosen their scents to their own taste.

Parfum Prive with ambergris and orange flower

Perfumes are complex formulas. When they work, all the elements coalesce in a moment of alchemy and become a single fragrance. Don’t let a name fool you into thinking a perfume is one simple ingredient –– it takes a lot to construct a great rose perfume.

Just because a perfume says gardenia or shiso doesn’t mean that is all that is in it (Aftelier's perfumes are HERE). Like that great pianist, Aftel interprets a theme using scent notes. It’s really quite extraordinary. I think most of us are completely unaware of how much goes into that morning spritz of scent.

I would like to think that Aftel’s experience as a therapist plays into her art as a perfumer. In making a great perfume, she translates feelings and emotions as she goes about choosing and aligning elements and gives a spirit or a soul to her creation.

“For me, to create with scent is to touch magic, in a process that eludes words… the perfumer is like the alchemist, who undertook to convert raw matter, through a series of transformations, into a perfect and purified form…. The ultimate goal was to reunite matter and spirit in a transformed state…. Following the dictum solve et coagula (dissolve and combine), the alchemist worked to transform body into spirit and spirit into body, to volatize that which is fixed and to fix that which is volatile.”

This is the divine moment of locking when all the scents coalesce into a perfume –– all the elements become one. “The ultimate expression of locking is the creation of an original fragrance with its own identity, shape, and texture... there comes a special moment when I recognize the birth of a separate and complete entity….”

The book is also full of many wonderful stories and fascinating history. You will learn that Alexander the Great was a ‘frankincense junkie’, that a geisha’s time with a client was calculated by burning incense sticks and that mint has been used by Native Americans to cure gas and by Trobriand Islanders as a love potion when mixed with coconut oil and applied to a sleeping beloved’s breast.

Bodleian Library, MS. Bodley 764, Folio 71v

There is also the delightful legend of the Cinnamologus or Cinnamon bird from the 5th century’s Heroditus:

“The Arabians say that the dry sticks, which we call kinamomon, are brought to Arabia by large birds, which carry them to their nests, made of mud, on mountain precipices which no man can climb. The method invented to get the cinnamon sticks is this. People cut up the bodies of dead oxen in to very large joints, and leave them on the ground near their nests. They then scatter, and the birds fly down and carry off the meat to their nests, which are too weak to bear the weight and the fall to the ground. The men come and pick up the cinnamon. Acquired in this way, it is exported to other countries."

Along the way there are discourses on materialism, scenting the home, wabi- sabi (a favorite conceit of mine) and of course scents and food.

Yes, food –– because all five can be used in your kitchen. The mint and cinnamon in the book are known quantities, as is jasmine even though we think of it only as a perfume. Using frankincense for anything but being burned as incense in religious ceremonies might surprise you but can also be added to drinks and food. The book helps you see them them all with fresh eyes. There is also a chapter on my own favorite, ambergris.  It is unknown to most as it is both rare and expensive but has been added to food for thousands of years.  It has only been slumbering out of fashion for
100 years or so.

Perfume Makers, Rudolph Ernst (1854-1932)

Scented oils and perfumes have been used from the dawn of civilization but today, most of us do not think of adding floral essences or resins to food and that is a terrible shame.  I have come to love cooking with them.  Since I discovered Aftelier’s essences, my cooking style has changed enormously.  Once I began using things like jasmine and fir (I make a killer cocktail with cherry juice and fir and gin HERE),  I began building and layering flavors as a perfumer might. I have fallen head over heels for Ambergris (that you can get HERE).  Ambergris has a diabolical ability to enhance whatever it touches and I have used it in everything from chocolate to port to piecrust and cookies.

My blog is full of ancient recipes using the essences (if you want more, Mandy also has another book out called Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Foods and Fragrance with modern recipes using essences and absolutes). It has been a great adventure exploring her catalogue of food essences and discovering fabulous old recipes to use them in.

Mandy was kind enough to include 2 recipes of mine in the book and I will share one with you – Frankincense Shortbread with Lavender (the other was for Jasmine Ambergris Chocolate). It is a good one for experimentation because it’s a great base –– you can use many different essences to make the shortbread – like rose or jasmine or even a bit of fir or thyme or orange or ginger. I’ve made them with many different scents and loved them all. I think you will too. They perfume your mouth when you eat them and are fabulous with a good cup of tea. Since they have no egg, you can add a few drops of essence and taste for strength before you bake them. Best to start slowly and work your way up. You do lose a bit in the cooking so I like to go full out but try it slow at first. WARNING: make sure you use food grade essences like Aftelier’s. Many are made with chemical solvents and are impure and not something you would want to eat.

Frankincense Shortbread

2 c flour
½ c sugar
1 c butter (2 sticks)
pinch of salt
4-7 drops  Aftelier frankincense (to taste)
1-2 drops Aftelier lavender (to taste)

Preheat oven to 325º

Combine the sugar and the flour in your food processor. Cut the butter into chunks and sprinkle on the flour.

Sprinkle the minimum amount of frankincense and lavender on the mixture (not all in one place –– spread it out) and pulse a few times. Taste the mixture and add more if you would like. Process in pulses till it comes together

If you want to make cookies, roll the dough out to about ¼” and cut the cookies. Put on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and chill for 15 minutes (give them a bit of room, they spread a little).

Then bake for about 10 minutes. When you are done, remove from oven and you can press a pattern, gently, into the top.

If you would like the cake form of this, press into a 9” or 10” round pan. Smooth, and with the tines of a fork, create ‘slices’. Cook for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and remove from oven. Let cool just a bit and slice along the tine marks. I actually did both –– the cake is much thicker than the cookie so they are great to have together for variety.

You can get a  Fragrant companion kit of samples HERE so you can experience the five scents yourself… even the magical ambergris (I must warn you, these are addictive – once you try these you will want to try more of them -- look at all your choices HERE).

Fragrant has been recommended by Time Magazine and Vogue already --  you will love it too.

*I've had a few emails about the cookie cutter I used.   It wasn't.  Rather it was an old tin mold.