Little Plumb Cakes

This is the title from my sweet little cookbook from Williamsburg.  It's called "The Williamsburg Art of Cookery" and is such a gem!
We've just started a unit to learn about Christmas around the world from this lesson plan. The first place is Colonial America.  We made colonial flags, colored maps and talked about Christmas back then.  I wanted to make a traditional cake to put a bean in for a  king/queen for a day thing.  So I looked in my cookbook.  I wasn't paying very close attention to the recipe obviously because it made cookies instead of cakes.  But WOW!  They are quintisential Christmas taste.  So glad I goofed and made them.  I did use the dough that was left after 2 pans of cookies to make a cake from.  I just blended in some coconut milk until it was cake-batter consistency.  It's still in the oven, so we'll see how it turns out.  :-)

Little Plumb Cakes
The note reads (Mrs. Randolf's recipe, 1831. Adapted Blair Kitchen, 1938)

Cream together:
1 C shortening
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten  ( use your standard egg replacement here if you like--I used to just use baking powder and up the liquid a bit)
I added 1 tsp of vanilla as well since I like it

Sift together and add to shortening mixture:
3 C flour (I used 1 rice flour, 1 millet flour, 1 tapioca starch)
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each of allspice and ginger
I also added 2 tsp of guar gum since I used gf flour

Add 1 c raisins and 2 Tbsp chopped candied orange peel (I'll tell you how in just a minute)

Drop by spoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

Now, to make candied orange peel!
Use a vegetable peeler to take the orange part of the peel off the orange.  Holding a paring knife blade perpendicular to the peel, scrape the white pith off the back of the peel.  While you are doing this, have a pan heating with equal parts water and sugar.  Or honey.  I used 3/4 water and sugar for 2 oranges worth of peels.  Put the peels in the boiling water and boil for about five minutes.  A little longer is great too.  Turn off the heat and let the peels cool with the syrup.  Remove the peels and chop them up however you like.  The amazing thing is, you get a bonus of flavored syrup to use however you like!  Put it in your water/soda/coffee/tea.  Put it over ice cream.  Use it instead of sugar syrup somewhere.  Make "orange-aid" by putting it in some cold water.
But don't stop with oranges.  Please!  Lemons, limes and other citrus of course can be substituted.  But I also have made candied chili peppers.  Oh My!  That is good stuff.  Just chop chilies like you would for cooking and candy them using this method.  Try that syrup in a hot cocoa.  mmmmmm