Recipe Manuscript

Pasta De Fondo

Name: Pasta De Fondo
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 250 grams plain wheat flour; 125 grams unsalted butter (or lard, as could be original substitute); 2 whole eggs; 250 grams fresh strawberries (frozen can be used as substitute); 125 grams granulated sugar

"Base Dough Pasta"

1919

From the treasured pages of Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel

Written by Julia Sánchez Rangel

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

Original Recipe • 1919

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

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

Pasta De Fondo

"Harina 250grs Mantequilla 125grs Huevos 2. Se hace una pasta suave y se pone en la tarta. Relleno: Fresa 250grs Azucar 125. Se pone a hervir y cuando se espese se pone en la tartaleta cocida."

English Translation

"Flour 250g Butter 125g Eggs 2. Make a soft dough and place it in the tart. Filling: Strawberry 250g Sugar 125g. Bring to a boil and when it thickens, put it in the baked tart shell."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a direct, almost telegraphic style, expecting the reader to have basic prior knowledge of pastry-making. Ingredients are listed with quantities, but procedures are brief. This was common practice; precise timing or temperatures are not given, as cooks adjusted based on experience and observation. Spelling and punctuation are consistent with early 20th-century Mexican Spanish, with minimal use of accents and abbreviations for quantities or steps. Modern readers need to fill in some of the procedural gaps, drawing from standard techniques of the time.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel (1919)

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

Writer

Julia Sánchez Rangel

Era

1919

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful handwritten collection of recipes for pastries, traditional desserts, candies, and sweet confections—a charming glimpse into early 20th-century baking, perhaps penned during the second year of a culinary course.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is taken from an early 20th-century Mexican manuscript, handwritten by Julia Sánchez Rangel in 1919. The notebook, likely a product of a pastry or confectionery course, reflects the growing interest in European-style baking and sweets among urban Mexican households at the time. The incorporation of strawberries, a seasonal luxury, and the use of enriched shortcrust pastry, reveal the influence of French and Spanish culinary traditions infused with local produce. The handwritten format emphasizes both the domestic and educational nature of culinary transmission in this era.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1919, the dough for the tart would have been mixed by hand in a large bowl, using wooden spoons or simply fingers for better incorporation of the butter. Rolling pins and tart or pie plates made of tin or ceramic would be used to form the shell. The strawberry and sugar mixture would be cooked slowly over an open flame or coal stove, in an enamel or clay saucepan, stirred with a wooden spoon until thick. Baking would be done in a wood-fired or coal oven, requiring close attention and skill to manage the heat.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 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 plain wheat flour
9 tablespoons unsalted butter (or lard, as could be original substitute)
2 whole eggs
1 cup fresh strawberries (frozen can be used as substitute)
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Begin by making the pastry dough: combine 2 cups of plain wheat flour with 9 tablespoons of softened butter.
Add 2 whole eggs and gently mix to form a soft, cohesive dough.
Press this dough into a tart pan to form an even layer.
For the filling, place 1 cup of fresh strawberries and 2/3 cup of granulated sugar in a saucepan.
Heat slowly, stirring, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and thickens into a jam-like consistency.
Allow the cooked mixture to cool slightly.
Bake the tart shell until lightly golden.
Once cooled, spoon the strawberry filling into the pre-baked tart shell.
Let it set before serving.

Estimated Calories

320 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and baking this strawberry tart takes about an hour. You will spend some time mixing the dough and making the filling. The recipe makes about 8 servings, and each slice is about 320 calories.

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.