SC - exellent small cakes

[Mary Morman]

Excellent Small Cakes

Modern cakes and cookie recipes are inappropriate for pre-17th century
recreation because they use baking powder or baking soda - 19th century
inventions.  These "small cakes" are somewhat like a shortbread, but rise
slightly due to the use of eggs and cream. 

The original recipe is from Sir Kenelme Digbie's The Closet Opened printed
in 1669 by Digbie's nephew and including his uncle's store of recipes used
at court.

"Excellent Small Cakes

Take three pound of very find flower well dryed by the fire, and put to it
a pound and a half of loaf Sugar sifted in a very fine sieve and dryed;
Three pounds of Currnats well washed and dryed in a cloth and set by the
fire;  When you flower is well mixed with the Sugar and Currants, you must
put in it a pound and a half of unmelted butter, ten spoonfuls of Cream,
with the yolks of three new-laid Eggs beat with it, one Nutmeg; and if you
please, three spoonfuls of Sack.  When you have wrought your paste well,
you must put it in a cloth, and set it in a dish before the fire, til it
be through warm.  Then make then up in little cakes, and prick them full
of holes; you muct bake them in a wuick oven unclosed.  Afterwards Ice
them over with Sugar.  The Cakes should be about the bigness of a
hand-breadth and thin:  of the cise of the Sugar Cakes sold at Barnet.

This recipe uses the redaction made by Mistress Johanna von Griffenhurst
and is made as follows.

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/8 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
6 tablespoons whipping cream
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 ounces of currants

Mix all ingredients well into a stiff dough and cook 12-15 minutes in a
325o oven until slightly brown on the bottom.


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