[Ansteorra] Candied Walnuts or Almonds - Sources?

[Stefan li Rous]

Rose,

What you are looking for will often be found filed as "comfits",  
sugar coated nuts, spices, fruit peel etc. There are quite a number  
of recipes.

The first place I would look, well I've got a slight bias, is in this  
file in the FOOD-SWEETS section of the Florilegium:
comfits-msg       (62K)  2/16/08    Period candied spices and seeds.  
Recipes.

Among the entries in there:

----
in Culpeper's Herbal while looking for something
else. It's brief, and none too clear, but says:
      "Lastly, amongst the Barks, Cinnamon, amongst the Flowers,  
Roses, and
Marigolds, amongst the fruits, Almonds, Cloves, Pinenuts, and Fistick- 
nuts,
are said to be preserved but with this difference, they are encrusted  
with
dry sugar, and are more called confects than preserves."
Ldy Diana
----
Actually, yes, sugar coated almonds, filberts, walnuts and pinon  
nuts, as
well as seeds and spices are listed in Rumpolt.  (For those who don't  
know him
yet, it is 1581 German that I am still working on transcribing and  
translating.
and yes, I take requests.)

A translation of that chapter is webbed here:
http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_zucker1.htm

and instructions that I have found WORK for making them are here (thanks
Dame Hauviette):
http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_ASnovfeast.htm

This does NOT document sugared almonds in the Catalan area, but does  
let you
have nice sugared almonds if you are doing a late period German feast.

Gwen Cat
-----
  There are detailed directions for candying comfits in Sir Hugh
Plat's Delights for Ladies, pp 32-39.  He recommends small bits of  
cinnamon
sticks, aniseed, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, orange
rinds, ginger, cloves, almonds, and balls of flavored breadcrumbs
Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu

There are more references and recipes in this file.

Also, see this file in the same section:
Smooth-Cmfits-art (12K)  5/30/07    "Historic Comfits Using Modern  
Equipment" by
                                        Dame Alys Katharine, O.L., O.P.

Not walnuts or almonds but similar and maybe of interest:
Cndied-Ginger-art (14K)  5/ 4/07    "Candied Ginger for Remembraunce  
- Two
                                        Versions" by THL Johnnae llyn  
Lewis

The definitions given in this file might be of use to you in  
interpreting the period candying recipes.
Candying-art       (9K)  6/29/99    Period and modern descriptions of  
the
                                        candying process by Alys  
Katharine.

Perhaps you might wish to store your new comfits in a period manner?  
See this file:
confctny-boxs-msg (12K)  6/27/07    Period confectionary boxes.

For some more information on comfits and other decorated foods, see  
these files as well.
Cft-Banquets-art  (46K)  6/ 2/07    "Confections and the Banquet" by  
Alys
                                        Katharine, O.L., O.P.
Dresng-t-Dish-art (52K)  7/21/07    "Beyond the Soeltie: Garnished,  
Fringed,
                                        Dressed and Flourished"
                                        by Maestra Serena da Riva.
entertaing-fds-art(46K)  2/10/06    "Subtleties, Entremets and  
Illusion Foods"
                                        by Baroness Faerisa Gwynarden.
Sgr-a-Cnftns-art  (20K) 12/26/00    "Of Sugar and Confections" by Alys
                                        Katharine, O.L., O.P. (Elise  
Fleming).

I assume you were asking about candying whole nuts. If you end up  
with some crushed almonds, you could always make hais.
hais-msg          (18K)  1/11/06    A medieval, Middle East sweet  
made of dates,
                                        bread crumbs, ground nuts,  
and sugar.

I hope this is enough to help get you started.

Oh, yes. And just for you,
Roses-a-Sugar-art (21K)  7/15/98    "Divers Pretty Things Made Of  
Roses & Sugar"
                                        by Mistress Renata Kestryl of  
Highwynds.

Stefan

On Apr 26, 2009, at 3:08 PM, Rose & Chad wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> Does anyone know of any sources for recipes or information about  
> candied walnuts or almonds (preferably walnuts)? I have seen them  
> mentioned in several places, such as the Goode Cookery, but they  
> are just referred to by name with no recipe or ingredient  
> information. I am trying to find a historically accurate recipe.
>
> My local library is pretty mediocre but I can get just about any  
> book with the library exchange... but don't know where to look as  
> far as books go, either. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
>
> Rose the Obnoxious
> love at roseandchad.net

--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****