Happy 217th Birthday to Mary Lyon!
Celebrate with a Deacon Porter’s Hat: A traditional dessert at Mount Holyoke, served on Mary Lyon’s birthday.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Steam: 2 hours
1 c. shortening 1 c. buttermilk (or sour milk)
1 c. molasses 2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 c. raisins
Melt the shortening, add molasses and buttermilk. Sift together flour, soda and spices. Combine with molasses mixture. Add raisins. The resulting batter should be stiff. If it is not, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. Turn into buttered, on quart mold (a one pound coffee can may be used; or recipe maybe doubled and a two-pound can used; for individual servings, use six or eight ounce frozen juice cans and fill two-thirds full). Fill mold half full. Cover tightly. A double layer of aluminum foil tied with string may be used. Set on a rack in a large kettle, pouring of water to half the depth of the mold. Cover kettle tightly. Bring to boil on top of stove. When steam begins to escape, reduce heat to low and steam for two hour. Serve with Foamy Sauce.
Foamy Sauce:
2 thickly beaten egg yolks 1/2 c. brandy
1/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. pint heavy cream.
Slowly beat sugar and brandy into egg yolks. Just before serving, whip the cream and fold it into the egg mixture.