Snoozecast Presents: Cooking and Baking

About Snoozecast Presents: Cooking and Baking

Welcome to Snoozecast's ongoing, if occasional, sleep story series about cooking and baking. It is read in a manner to help you fall asleep by the end of the episode. Be sure to check out our primary podcast feed for Snoozecast, where we release three episodes per week. Be sure to check out our primary podcast feed for Snoozecast, where we release three episodes per week in a variety of genres. Learn more about Snoozecast+, our premium listening subscription that provides ad-free listening to our expanded catalog, including unlocking all of our completed standalone sleep story series. Go to snoozecast.com/plus

Publisher

Snoozecast

Category

arts · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Nov 2019

Latest episode

7 Jul 2025

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Jul 2025

   Schoolroom Cakes

   Tonight, we’ll read recipes on schoolroom cakes along with tea cakes and biscuits from The Cake and Biscuit Book by Elizabeth Douglas, published in 1903. When this cookbook was published, most American students attended a one-room schoolhouse. A single teacher would typically have students of all ages in one class. The youngest children sat in the front, while the oldest students sat in the back. Students memorized and recited their lessons, and when they were lucky, they ate home baked treats like the ones here. At the turn of the 20th century, home baking was considered an essential domestic skill, and simple confections like spice cakes, oat biscuits, and soft tea buns were often made in large batches to share. Many cakes intended for schoolrooms used ingredients that could stretch—like treacle, lard, or buttermilk—making them ideal for feeding many mouths with limited means. The term “schoolroom cake” didn’t refer to a specific type, but rather to the spirit of the bake: something sturdy, not overly sweet, easy to pack, and nourishing enough to last a long day. - read by 'N' - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2. 

   4 Jun 2025

   Working Class Cookery

   Tonight, we’ll read recipes from A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, written by Charles Elme Francatelli and published in 1852. Born in London of Italian descent, Francatelli was a French-trained cook who worked for Queen Victoria. While best known for his lavish cookbook The Modern Cook, filled with elaborate dishes for aristocratic tables, Francatelli also had a keen interest in practical nourishment for everyday people. A Plain Cookery Book was his attempt to provide affordable, nutritious recipes for the working poor—a surprisingly progressive endeavor for someone with royal credentials. The book contains instructions for everything from humble gruels to hearty stews, with occasional flourishes of culinary elegance. Francatelli emphasized the importance of thrift and economy in the kitchen, recommending ways to stretch small amounts of meat or repurpose leftovers. Though the language may feel formal by today’s standards, many of the recipes offer a glimpse into the ingenuity of 19th-century home cooks working with limited means. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3. 

   14 May 2025

   Whipt Sillabubs

   Tonight, we’ll read a selection of recipes from the book English Housewifry by Elizabeth Moxon, published in 1764, starting with a recipe for whipt sillabubs.Moxon’s book was one of the earliest English cookery books written specifically for middle-class women managing their own households, rather than for professional cooks or the aristocracy. Her recipes are practical but far from plain, offering glimpses into both the culinary expectations and the social rituals of Georgian-era domestic life.The title page promises recipes that are “useful, substantial and splendid,” and the tone throughout is no-nonsense, with an emphasis on health and frugality—though it’s clear Moxon didn’t shy away from a bit of showiness in presentation. A whipt sillabub, for example, was a frothy dessert drink made of sweetened wine or cider and thickened cream, often served in decorative glasses and topped with foam. It’s the kind of indulgence that would have delighted guests at a genteel supper table, bridging the gap between refreshment and dessert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4. 

   7 Apr 2025

   Hickorynuts and Sunshine

   Tonight, we’ll read selections about baking breads and cakes from “The Charlotte Sunshine Cook Book” published in 1906. This episode begins with a long-form poem that sings the praises of homemade bread, followed by a collection of recipes for classic loaves—many with ingredients familiar to the early 20th-century Southern kitchen. In the latter half, we turn to cakes, including several that call for hickory nuts, lending a rustic and deeply flavorful character to the confections. Hickory nuts, closely related to walnuts and pecans, grow on various species of hickory trees native to North America. While some varieties like the bitternut are too bitter to enjoy, others—such as the shagbark—have a sweet, buttery flavor prized by foragers. Though their thick shells can be a challenge to crack, the reward is a nut considered by some to be the most delicious of all. In early American kitchens, especially before widespread commercial nut distribution, these wild-harvested treasures were a special ingredient in baked goods, adding richness and texture to cakes, cookies, and breads. Cookbooks like The Charlotte Sunshine Cook Book were often compiled by women's clubs, church groups, or civic organizations, reflecting the everyday wisdom and resourcefulness of their communities. They serve as snapshots of a particular time and place—capturing regional tastes, available ingredients, and even local customs. In this case, the cookbook comes from Charlotte, North Carolina. — read by 'N' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5. 

   26 Mar 2025

   Marmalades and Other Sweetmeats

   Tonight, we’ll read a selection of marmalade and sweetmeat recipes from Miss Leslie’s New Cookery Book, published in 1857. A type of sugar confectionery, “sweetmeats” is where the term “sweets” comes from nowadays. Despite the name, they have nothing to do with meat—at least, not in the way we think of it today. The word “mete” in Old English simply meant “food” in general, which is why older texts sometimes use it in unexpected ways. In other words, we are talking about candy. Eliza Leslie, the author of this cookbook, was one of the most influential culinary writers of 19th-century America. Known for her precise, detailed instructions, she catered to middle-class households eager to refine their domestic skills. Her recipes reflected the evolving tastes of the time, blending European traditions with distinctly American ingredients and methods. From citrus preserves to candied nuts, the art of making sweet confections was a way to showcase both skill and hospitality. These historical recipes offer a fascinating glimpse into the past—not just in terms of flavors, but also in the way food was prepared and enjoyed in an era before mass-produced candy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6. 

   29 May 2024

   Cooking with Chocolate

   Tonight, we’ll read from “Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes” by Miss Parloa. The Maya believed that cacao was discovered by the gods in a mountain along with other delectable foods, for their divine use. According to Maya mythology, the Plumed Serpent gave cacao to the Maya after humans were created by the divine grandmother goddess. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7. 

   30 Nov 2023

   Entertaining Luncheons

   Tonight, we’ll read from “For Luncheon and Supper Guests” written by Alice Bradley published in 1923. “Luncheon” is the formal word for lunch, a light mid-day meal. In the Middle Ages, before electric lighting and industrialization, the mid-day meal was large and considered dinner. There was no lunch, so later in the evening a lighter meal was had called “supper”. But by the 1800s, the large meal of dinner was pushed into the evening and thus, not only was supper squeezed out, but there was a need for something to eat in between breakfast and dinner. Up until the early 1800s, luncheon was generally reserved for ladies, who would often have lunch with one another when their husbands were out. The meal was often made up of left-overs from the previous night's plentiful dinner. Beginning in the Victorian era, afternoon tea supplemented this luncheon at four o'clock. This episode first aired in November of 2021. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8. 

   3 Jul 2023

   Baking Powder Bread

   Tonight, we’ll read from “The New Royal Cook Book by Royal Baking Powder Co.” published in 1920. When the first truly American cookbook was published in 1792, the recipes included used three possible types of leavening: baker's yeast, emptins (from the leavings of brewing beer), and pearlash. The effectiveness of such leavenings varied widely. At that time, reliable commercial products were not available. The creation of shelf-stable chemical combinations of sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar is seen as marking the true introduction of baking powder later in the 1800s. Although cooks had used both sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar previously in recipes, they had to purchase the ingredients individually from chemists and store them separately to prevent them from reacting prematurely. Regardless of the expiration date, the effectiveness can be tested by placing a teaspoon of the powder into a small container of hot water. If it bubbles vigorously, it is still active and usable. — read by N — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9. 

   12 Apr 2023

   Baking Cakezzz

   Tonight, we’ll read about baking cakes from the “Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Volume 4” This episode originally aired in March of 2021. The Woman’s Institute was founded by Mary Brooks Picken in Scranton, PA. Born in Kansas in 1886, Picken wrote the first dictionary to be published by a woman in the English language, beyond the over one hundred other books she wrote. — read by V — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10. 

    2 Mar 2023

    The Art of Breadmaking | Breadtime

    Tonight, we’ll read “A treatise on the art of making good wholesome bread of wheat, oats, rye, barley” by Friedrick Accum, published in 1821. Accum was a German chemist, whose most important achievements included advances in the field of gas lighting, efforts to keep processed foods free from dangerous additives, and the promotion of popular chemistry. Following an apprenticeship as an apothecary, he opened his own commercial laboratory enterprise in London. — read by V — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11. 

    2 Jan 2023

    Popcorn Recipes

    Tonight, we’ll read “Pop Corn Recipes” by Mary Hamilton Talbott, published in 1916. Corn was domesticated about 10,000 years ago, in what is now Mexico. Archaeologists discovered that people have known about popcorn for thousands of years. Fossil evidence from Peru suggests that corn was popped as early as 4,700 BC. Through the 19th century, popping of the kernels was achieved by hand, on stove tops. During the Great Depression, popcorn was fairly inexpensive at 5–10 cents a bag and became popular. Thus, while other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived and became a source of income for many struggling farmers, including the Redenbacher family. The snack was popular at theaters, much to the initial displeasure of many of the theater owners, who thought it distracted from the films. Their minds eventually changed, however, and Popcorn became more profitable than theater tickets. — read by V — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12. 

    4 Aug 2021

    Pennsylvania Dutch Cookery

    Tonight, we’ll read from a little cookbook titled “Pennsylvania Dutch Cookery.” The publisher and author are unknown. The Pennsylvania Dutch live primarily in Southeastern and South Central Pennsylvania. Some Pennsylvania Dutch live in the historically Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking areas of Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The continued use of the term ""Pennsylvania Dutch"" was strengthened by the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves in the 1800s as a way of distinguishing themselves from later waves of German immigrants to the United States. There are possibly more than 300,000 native speakers of Pennsylvania German language in the United States and Canada. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13. 

    7 Jul 2021

    Canoe Cookery

    Tonight, we’ll read from “Canoe and Camp Cookery : A Practical Cook Book For Canoeists, Corinthian Sailors and Outers” by H.H. Soulé under the pen name Seneca, published in 1893. Canoes were developed by cultures all over the world. Until the mid-1800s the canoe was an important means of transport for exploration and trade, and in some places is still used as such. A canoe, in American English, is a lightweight narrow vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top. In British English, the term "canoe" can also refer to a kayak, while canoes are then called Canadian or “open” canoes to distinguish them from kayaks. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14. 

    5 May 2021

    The Sugar Boiler's Assistant

    Tonight, we’ll read from “The Bread and Biscuit Baker’s and Sugar Boiler’s Assistant” written by Robert Wells and published in 1890. Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form a syrup, which is boiled until it reaches the desired concentration or starts to caramelize. The type of candy depends on the ingredients and how long the mixture is boiled. Candy comes in a wide variety of textures, from soft and chewy to hard and brittle. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15. 

    25 Dec 2020

    Baking Cookiezzz

    "Tonight, we’ll read the section on baking cookies from “Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery Volume 4”, written by The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. This is the same set of cookbooks Snoozecast’s “Breadtime” episode draws from. The Woman’s Institute was founded by Mary Brooks Picken in Scranton, PA. Born in Kansas in 1886, Picken wrote the first dictionary to be published by a woman in the English language, beyond the over one hundred other books she wrote." — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16. 

    14 Aug 2020

    History of Bread

    Tonight, we’ll read about the history of bread-making in Europe and America, from “The History of Bread”, written by John Ashton and published in 1905. The text mentions visigoths, which were an early Germanic people, and part of the larger political entity of the Goths within the Roman Empire. -- read by 'V' -- Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17. 

    24 Apr 2020

    Breadtime

    Tonight, we’ll read about the basics of bread making, from Volume 1 of 1925’s "Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery", written by The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. This institute was founded by Mary Brooks Picken in Scranton, PA. An expert on fashion, Picken also wrote the first dictionary to be published by a woman in the English language. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18. 

    27 Nov 2019

    Thanksgiving Recipes

    Tonight, we’ll read Thanksgiving recipes and sample menus from a magazine called "American Cookery", published in 1921. This periodical was formerly titled less succinctly “The Boston Cooking-School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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