Abraham & Mary Lincoln's Recipes

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S SCALLOPED OYSTERS

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups coarse cracker crumbs
2 dozen oysters, scrubbed, shucked, drained, with liquid reserved
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup cream
2 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix melted butter and cracker crumbs together; sprinkle a third of mixture evenly on bottom of greased shallow baking dish. Add a layer of half of the oysters. Stir together the pepper, cream, reserved oyster liquid, sherry and Worcestershire; pour half of sauce mixture over oysters.

Add another third of the butter and crumb mixture to baking dish and top with remaining oysters. Spoon or pour on remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over the top and bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned. Serves 6.

MARY TODD LINCOLN'S VANILLA-ALMOND CAKE

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/3 cups milk
1 cup almonds, finely chopped
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten
White Frosting

Cream together sugar, butter, and vanilla extract.

Stir together the cake flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in almonds. Gently fold in the egg whites. Pour into two greased and lightly floured 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans. Bake at 375 degrees F for 28 to 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Fill and frost with White Frosting.

White Frosting: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and dash salt. Bring mixture to boiling, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

In mixing bowl place 2 egg whites; very slowly pour the hot sugar syrup over, beating constantly with electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

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