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The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook
mixture dry. In the past,baking powder was single
acting, and a batter had to be baked quickly once
liquid was introduced. But nowadays nearly all
baking powder is double acting (made possible by
the two acids), which gives the baker a little more
time to get the batter in the oven. Store baking
powder in a cool, dry place and make sure it has
not sat on the shelf too long, as it loses its leaven-
ing power when old.
Flours: When I call for flour, I am using all-
purpose (UK plain) flour, which has a protein
content of 9 to 11 percent and is generally ideal
for cakes, pastries,sauces, and the like. Bread (UK
strong white) flour has a higher protein content
of 11 to 13 percent, which yields a more elastic
dough with a better rise. I also call for semolina
flour, made from durum wheat, for the spinach
balls on page 144 and for rice flour, finely milled
from white rice,for both savory and sweet recipes.
Yeast: Although Mrs. Patmore would have used
fresh yeast, active dry yeast is of great quality
these days, so I use it. If you prefer fresh yeast,
you will need to use about two and a half times
more fresh yeast by weight than active dry yeast
(1 teaspoon active dry yeast is 4 g).
MEAT AND POULTRY
If your budget permits, purchase meat and poul-
try that have been sustainably raised and with
the animals’ welfare topmost in mind. This varies
from species to species and can mean everything
from cage-free chickens to pasture-raised beef
and lamb to free-range pork. It is both the most
responsible way to shop and what would have
been available to the kitchen staff at Downton.
Remember, too, it’s Christmas, so you may want
to fast from meat and poultry for a month and
then splurge on the very best bird or beef roast
you can find!
If you are vegetarian or vegan, I apologize
for the paucity of options in the following pages,
but the mission of this book is to reflect the food
on the table of the Crawleys. Although cookery
books about vegetarian food and vegetables were
available at the time, that type of cooking would
not have reached an aristocratic household like
Downton, especially one where the surrounding
countryside offered so much game.
EQUIPMENT
The average outfitted kitchen will have the
cookware, bakeware, and tools needed for mak-
ing nearly every recipe in this book. The notable
exception is the game meat mold for the Yorkshire
Christmas Pie on page 113. In other cases, if you
lack a specific cooking vessel, an easy fix is almost
always possible. For example, you can substitute
heatproof bowls of roughly equal size for pudding
molds (basins).
For the ice cream recipes, I’ve provided meth-
ods that require no machine, and for most of the
batters and doughs, I have given hand methods,
making them just as Mrs. Patmore would have
made them. But you are welcome to use an ice
cream maker, stand or handheld mixer, and food
processor for ease. Two inexpensive kitchen tools
I consider essential are an oven thermometer and
an instant-read thermometer. Too often ovens
do not heat to the set temperature, so using the
thermometer will allow you to adjust the setting
mechanism to ensure the oven is at the correct
temperature. (If you have a convection oven,
never turn the fan on when using the recipes in
this book.) An instant-read thermometer is indis-
pensable for checking doneness for everything
from your holiday turkey to a meat pie.