What are pastry spices?

[Have fork will travel]

OK I need some help from some senior citizens out there.

In my mom's recipe book, there's a recipe for Mrs. Wyre's Speculaas, a spice cookie.

It includes:

Shortening
brown sugar
almonds
flour
cinnamon
nutmeg
coriander
cardiman
soda
salt
allspice
cloves
ginger

and the tricky one:
pastry spices.

Now, what I want to know is: What are pastry spices? Mom made this recipe from the '30s through the '70s. I didn't find it in a box of spices that I packed up when we cleaned out her house about 15 years ago.

I want to make a batch of this, but I'd sure like to find out what "pastry spices" are. Any help is appreciated.

Paul

 

[forty_caliber]

Does the term appear in the ingredients list or in the "directions" text?

It sounds almost like the author may have coined a term referring all of the spices in the recipe.

.40

 

[Have fork will travel]

Pastry Spices?

Well, the recipe says:

4 tsp pastry spices
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cardiman
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1/3 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger

The way it's written, I am making the assumption that at one time, there was a product called "pastry spices" but I really don't know.

Cheers!

Paul

 

[DaveSoMD]

OK I need some help from some senior citizens out there.

In my mom's recipe book, there's a recipe for Mrs. Wyre's Speculaas, a spice cookie.

It includes:

Shortening
brown sugar
almonds
flour
cinnamon
nutmeg
coriander
cardiman
soda
salt
allspice
cloves
ginger

and the tricky one:
pastry spices.

Now, what I want to know is: What are pastry spices? Mom made this recipe from the '30s through the '70s. I didn't find it in a box of spices that I packed up when we cleaned out her house about 15 years ago.

I want to make a batch of this, but I'd sure like to find out what "pastry spices" are. Any help is appreciated.

Paul

Wow. talk about a search. Here is what I found

1930s BEN-HUR Pastry Spice Tin Nice One TAKE A PEEK - eBay (item 380273118462 end time Oct-26-10 11:30:24 PDT)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=380273118462

Pasty spice was a blend made by Schilling Spice company. They were bought by McCormik in the 40's. Not sure when or if the pastryty spice was discontinued but I couldn't find it. This is from a different company buy you can make out the list of spices on the tin. They look almost identical to your list.

Maybe the recipe is supposed to be those listed spices OR pastry spice, like some pumpkin pie recipes list the individual spices OR pumpkin pie spice.

Hope this helps.

 

[ChefJune]

You won't find "pastry spices" any more, and in fact, you listed most of them in your recipe.

Although you will have a hard time if you are looking for "cardiman," because that spice's name is "cardamom."

After reading the recipe, I think if you just omit the extra 4 teaspoons of "pastry spices" you will have a pretty spicy cookie.

 

[Kayelle]

I think Dave is right......

Maybe the recipe is supposed to be those listed spices OR pastry spice, like some pumpkin pie recipes list the individual spices OR pumpkin pie spice.

I also think the recipe was meant to say, 4 tablespoons of pastry spice, rather than 4 teaspoons. If you add up all the listed spices it totals out to about 4 tablespoons of spices. I'm sure the word or was left out.

PS........great sleuthing Dave!!

 

[Have fork will travel]

OK, thanks guys. I talked to my wife and I think we're going to make a batch without the "pastry spices" and see what it tastes like. But Kayelle had a great deduction that maybe it should have been 4 tbs.

Meanwhile, I'm going to contact McCormick and see what they have to say. Once I get this figured out, I'll post the recipe.