SC - SC-SHORT BREAD AS PERIOD

[jeffrey s heilveil]

Whilst planning this dessert feast, I stumbled across a seemingly period
shortbread.  The deal is that it was called "fine cakes."  The source is
taming of the Shrew (1594)
To make fine cakes  Take a quantity of fine wheate Flower, and put it in
an earthen pot.  Stop it close and set it in an Oven, and bake it as long
as you would a pasty of Venison, and when it baked it will be full of
clods.  Then searce your flower through a fine sercer.  Then take clouted
Creame or sweet butter, but Creame is best: then take sugar, cloves, mace,
saffron and yolks of eggs, so much as wil seeme to season your flower.
Then put these things into the Creame, temper all together.  Then put
thereto your flower.  So make your cakes.  The paste will be very short;
therefore make them very little.  Lay paper under them.  (John Partridge
[The widowes Treasure] in Lorna J. Sass's "To the Queen's Taste)

Her redaction is as follows:
6oz butter (room temp)
.5 cup sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
1.75 C sifted flour
.5 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp mace
pinch ground saffron
Egg white

1.  In a bowl, cream butter.  Add sugar and beat until fluffy.
2.  Add egg yolk and beat until thoroughly blended.
3.  In another bowl, combine sifted flour and spices, stirring to
distribute evenly.
4.  Sift dry ingredients into bowl containing butter-and-sugar mixture.
Combine by stirring or with hands.
5.  Press mixture into a 9-in square baking pan.
6. Brush top lightly with egg white.
7. Bake at 325 for 45min or until cake feels firm when pressed lightly in
the center.
8. Cut into squares while still hot.
9. cool in pan on wire rack.

I was told this redaction is tasty too.  I don't know if this helps,
but...


Your servant,
Bogdan din Brasov

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