FOOD NEWS
18th Century Pancakes Used A Very Unusual Ingredient
BY KAREN HART
In the 18th century before leavening ingredients like baking soda were easy to find and purchase, snow was the single ingredient you needed for ultimate fluffy pancakes.
It worked because powdery snow contains a small amount of ammonia, which can give baked goods a fast rise, resulting in a texture that is feathery light.
In "Miss Parloa's New Cook Book: A Guide to Marketing and Cooking," which was published in the 1880s, you'll find a recipe for pancakes that uses this chilly ingredient.
While the recipe doesn't tell you how much snow to use, it is somewhere between 3/8 to 1/2 cup. However, since snow has a tendency to melt, you may want to collect a bit more.