Fw: SC - Pine-nut Confection

[marilyn traber]

Here's a blast from the past, not a hazlenut recipe, but one still sort of
close to the discussion at hand...
margali


- -----Original Message-----
From: Elise Fleming <alysk at ix.netcom.com>
To: sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG <sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG>
Date: Monday, December 29, 1997 10:50
Subject: SC - Pine-nut Confection


>Greetings.  Here is the recipe from the Nostradamus book.  I will be
>sojourning in the snowy climes of Minnesota until next Sunday.  While I
>may be able to access my e-mail I probably won't be able to respond.
>
>Alys Katharine - Recipe follows
>
>"How to Make a Confection from Pine-Nut Kernels".
>
>"Take as many well-cleaned and carefully shelled pine-nut kernels as
>you will, dry them or toast them a little.  Or take them whole with
>their skins and shells and put them in a basket.  Hang this over the
>hearth near the fire and leave it there for three days.  Tus the heat
>from the fire will slowly penetrate them and dry them.  Then take them
>out and clean them thoroughly.  Next take two and a half pounds of
>nuts, being careful to keep them close at hand.  Then take some of the
>most beautiful and best Madeira sugar, dissolve sufficient of it in
>rose-water and boil it until it attains the consistency of a jelly.  If
>it is winter or a time when there is a lot of moisture in the air, boil
>it a bit longer, but if it is summer, then let it just simmer.  this is
>when it does not boil over or bubble when it boils, which is a sign
>that the moisture had been evaporated; but to be brief, when it has
>boiled to the consistency of a jelly, as I have said, thake the
>preserving pan off th efire and put it somewhere where th eliquid can
>dry off and become firm.  Then give it a good stir with a piece of wood
>and beat it continuously until it turns white.  When it begins to cool
>down a little, add the white of a whole or half an egg and beat it well
>again.  Next place it over the coals, in order to allow the moisture
>from the egg-white to stiffen, and when you see that it is properly
>white and like the first lot you boiled, take the dried, well-cleaned
>pine-nut kernels and put them into the sugar.  Stir them with the wood
>so that they are thoroughly mixed with the sugar - this should still be
>done over the coal fire, so that the mixture does not cool too quickly.
>
> Then take a wide wooden knife, like the ones used by the shoemakers,
>and cut the mixture into pieces, each weighing about ana ounce and a
>half, but not more than two, which would not be good, and spread them
>carefully on to some paper until they have properly cooked, at which
>stage put a little gold leaf on to them and your confection is ready.
>If, however, it is not possible to obtain pine-nut kernels anywhere,
>use peeled almonds instead, dividing them either into two parts or
>three and mixing them with the sugar to make this confection.  And if
>there are too few pine-nut kernels, you can replace them with pieces of
>almonds, for the latter are not dissimilar to the former in taste and
>potency.  You can also use fennel which is flowering or in seed, which
>is kept in houses and used during the wine harvest.  When your sugar
>has almost completely boiled and is hot and white with everything mixed
>in it or scattered over it, it looks like manna or or snow and is so
>beautiful and lovely."
>
>
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