Recipe Manuscript

Panecitos Americanos

Name: Panecitos Americanos
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 230 grams all-purpose flour; 130 grams powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder (modern equivalent of 'Royal'); 175 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 7 egg yolks; 8 egg whites; Raisins (about 30 grams); Blanched almonds (about 30 grams); Candied lemon peel, cut into thin strips (about 15 grams, substitute: homemade or store-bought candied citrus peel); Additional butter for greasing molds; Dry sherry (about 50 ml, substitute: non-alcoholic grape juice); Extra powdered sugar (for syrup); Lemon juice (a few drops)

"American Buns"

1910

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar

Unknown Author

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1910

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Panecitos Americanos

"Se ponen en una cazuela 230 gramos de harina, 130 gramos de azúcar en polvo y una cucharada de royal; se mezcla bien todo y luego se añaden 175 gramos de mantequilla derretida y fría, cinco yemas de huevo y una clara, pasas, almendras mondadas y tiritas de limón cubierto; se bate la masa por espacio de diez minutos y luego se le agregan otras dos yemas y siete claras batidas á la nieve. Se untan los moldes con bastante mantequilla se vacía en ellos la masa, llenándolos hasta la mitad, y se meten á cocer al horno; después de cocidos los panecitos y ya fríos se rocían con Jerez mezclado con azúcar y unas gotas de limón."

English Translation

"Place 230 grams of flour, 130 grams of powdered sugar, and one tablespoon of baking powder in a pan; mix everything well and then add 175 grams of melted and cooled butter, five egg yolks and one egg white, raisins, blanched almonds, and strips of candied lemon peel. Beat the dough for ten minutes and then add two more yolks and seven egg whites beaten until stiff. Grease the molds well with plenty of butter, pour the dough into them, filling them halfway, and bake in the oven. After the buns are baked and cooled, sprinkle them with sherry mixed with sugar and a few drops of lemon."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the formal, instructional Spanish style of the early 20th century: ingredients are listed within the preparation steps, not separately, and actions are given in sequential, paragraph form. Measurement units are grams—a reflection of both European culinary influence and the precision desirable in bakery recipes of the period. The use of 'Royal' refers to the bygone era when baking powder brands were named, not generic, and clarifies the rising agent. Spelling and phrasing, such as 'yemas de huevo' (egg yolks) and 'batidas á la nieve' (whipped to stiff peaks), blend technical exactitude with poetic touches, showing the recipe’s domestic, almost intimate, transmission.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar (1910)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1910

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful scrapbook of Mexican home cooking, this charming manuscript transforms an English grammar school notebook into a culinary time capsule. Handwritten lessons cozy up to clipped recipes from early 20th-century newspapers, serving up a flavorful blend of educational notes and savory secrets. A true window into the kitchens and tastes of historical Mexico.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for Panecitos Americanos hails from an extraordinary 1910 Mexican manuscript: a school notebook later repurposed into a family recipe collection. During this era, home cooks commonly gathered recipes from newspapers like 'Diario del Hogar' and pasted them into personal notebooks—an act of both preservation and culinary creativity. The recipe itself bridges Mexican and international influences; its name ('American Buns') hints at cosmopolitan tastes, while the ingredients and flavors reflect European and Mexican baking traditions. The syrup of sherry and lemon, along with raisins and almonds, add old-world elegance, speaking to early 20th-century urban Mexican tastes, when such flavor combinations were celebrated at family gatherings and festivities.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 1900s, this recipe would have been made in a home kitchen equipped with a large earthenware or metal mixing bowl, a sturdy wooden spoon, and perhaps a hand egg beater for whipping egg whites. Small metal or ceramic molds—'moldes'—were greased with butter for baking the little cakes in a wood- or coal-fired oven. Ingredient measurements were likely weighed on a kitchen scale, as was typical for precise European-style baking. The syrup would be mixed in a small bowl and applied with a spoon or brush.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder (modern equivalent of 'Royal')
6.2 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
7 egg yolks
8 egg whites
Raisins (about 1 ounce)
Blanched almonds (about 1 ounce)
Candied lemon peel, cut into thin strips (about 1/2 ounce, substitute: homemade or store-bought candied citrus peel)
Additional butter for greasing molds
Dry sherry (about 3 tablespoons, substitute: non-alcoholic grape juice)
Extra powdered sugar (for syrup)
Lemon juice (a few drops)

Instructions

To make Panecitos Americanos, begin by sifting together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon baking powder (‘Royal’ refers to a classic brand of baking powder) in a large mixing bowl.
Mix until evenly combined.
Add 6.2 ounces (or 3/4 cup) of unsalted butter, melted and cooled, followed by 5 egg yolks and 1 egg white.
Incorporate a small handful of raisins, a handful of blanched almonds, and a few strips of candied lemon peel (these provide bursts of texture and aroma as in the original).
Beat the thick batter by hand or with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes.
Next, add 2 additional egg yolks and 7 egg whites, previously beaten to stiff peaks, carefully folding them in to aerate the mixture.
Generously butter small baking molds and fill them halfway with batter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) until golden and cooked through (about 20-25 minutes, depending on mold size).
Allow to cool completely.
For serving, mix a little dry sherry with powdered sugar and a few drops of lemon juice, then sprinkle or brush this syrup over the cooled cakes.

Estimated Calories

320 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and baking these traditional cakes takes around 70 minutes in total. Each serving contains about 320 calories. This recipe yields 12 small cakes.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.