Cocoa-Nut Gingerbread (Original receipts)

Instructions

1. Mix well together ten ounces of fine wheaten flour, and six of flour of rice (or rice ground to powder), the grated rind of a lemon, and three-quarters of an ounce of ginger.
2. Pour nearly boiling upon these a pound of treacle, five ounces of fresh butter, and five of sugar, melted together in a saucepan.
3. Beat the mixture, which will be almost a batter, with a wooden spoon, and when quite smooth leave it until it is perfectly cold.
4. Then add to it five ounces of grated cocoa-nut, and when it is thoroughly blended with the other ingredients, lay the paste in small heaps upon a buttered tin.
5. Bake them in very slow oven from half to three-quarters of an hour.
6. Proportions: flour, 10 oz.; ground rice, 6 oz.; rind of 1 lemon; ginger, 3/4 oz.; treacle, 1 lb.; sugar, 5 oz.; butter, 5 oz.; cocoa-nut, 5 oz.: 1/2 to 3/4 hour.
7. Or (Acton's alternative proportions, printed as 'Or:'): flour, 1/2 lb.; ground rice, 1/2 lb.; ginger, 3/4 oz.; rind of 1 lemon; butter, 5 oz.; sugar, 5 oz.; treacle, 1 lb.; cocoa-nut, 6-1/2 oz.
8. Obs. (Acton): the cakes made by them are excellent.