The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook Talk

Although most Americans have heard of sugar plums thanks to the famous holiday poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore, many have likely never have had the pleasure of tasting one of these luxuries, or even know what they really are (hint: they are not sugar-dusted plums). This is because sugar plums are one of the Gilded Age era holiday sweets that got eclipsed as America moved into the twentieth century. But The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook will bridge the past and present, bringing back sugar plums and other confections not typically found in modern cookbooks, while revisiting some beloved favorites.

With origins that date back to the nineteenth century and even earlier, the recipes in The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook have been adapted for today’s ingredients and appliances, allowing cooks to recreate them in their own modern kitchens. Each recipe will provide a colorful glimpse into the era, featuring the fascinating history behind each cookie, its ingredients and baking methods. There will also be sidebars throughout, offering tidbits of Christmas lore of the era.

Meet the author, Becky Libourel Diamond, and learn a bit more about these bygone recipes form the Gilded Age! She will also be bringing samples of her recipes from the book for the audience to try.

To add to the Gilded Age feel, the photographs for this book were taken inside of the Lyndhurst Mansion! These recipes would not have been out of place amongst the families that called Lyndhurst home!