How to Make a “Jelly Sandwich”

Seriously, if this is how the Girl’s Own Paper was telling Laura Ingalls to prepare “afternoon-tea dainties” in 1895, she should have just thrown chunks of salt pork at Almanzo and his terrible decision-making skills and told him to deal:

A quarter of a pound of butter, half a pound of fine sugar, three-quarters of a pound of flour, three eggs, three-quarters of a teacupful of milk and a heaped teaspoonful of baking powder.

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, put in the eggs, one by one, beating between each, then add the milk, flour and powder. Spread on well-buttered jelly cake tins and bake ten minutes in a good oven.

When half cool, spread between either jam or lemon preserve, lay together, press gently, and with a sharp knife cut into neat pieces, and ice on top or not as desired. Plain icing is most suitable, made with icing sugar and water. The lemon preserve is made by stirring in a pan two ounces of butter, half a pound of fine sugar, three eggs, beaten, the juice and grated rind of two small lemons; let it boil slowly a minute or two, turn into a jelly mould and use when cold. This preserve keeps some little time, and delicious lemon cheesecakes are made, by lining tartlet tins with puff paste or short crust, putting a spoonful of the preserve in the centre and baking till the crust is ready.

Source: an old, old wooden book from the post-Civil War era.