SC - marchpane for use with clotted cream

[Philip & Susan Troy]

> Date: Fri, 5 May 2000 11:29:54 +1000
> From: "Glenda Robinson" <glendar at compassnet.com.au>
> Subject: Re: SC - marchpane for use with clotted cream
> 
> Here's a recipe that goes REALLY well with clotted cream.
> 
> The only major substitution we had to make was using more Rose-water instead
> of Damaske water - figuring (after a bit of research) that Damaske water was
> probably from damask roses.

Probably. The distinction could also conceivably be geographical, i.e.
it could be made from damask roses _and_ be imported from Syria.

Puck, are you getting this? This looks suspicously like an English
version of the German recipe you've been working with.

Adamantius 

> Marchpane Conceits
> To make a Marchpane  (The Treasurie of Hidden Secrets, 1600)
> Take halfe a pound of blanched Almonds, and of white Suger a quarter of a
> pound, af Rose-water halfe an ounce, & of Damaske water as much: beat the
> Almonds with a little of the same water, and grind them small; set them on
> a few coales of fire till they waxe thick, then beate them againe with
> suger, fine: then mixe the sweet waters and them together, and so gather
> them, and fashion your Marchpane; then take wafer cakes of the broadest
> making, cut them square, past them together with a little liquor, and when
> you have made them as broad as will serve your purpose, have ready a hoop
> of a greene hazel wand, of ye thicknesse of halfe an inch, on the inner
> side smooth, without any knags: lay this hoope upon your Wafer cakes
> aforesaid and then fill your hoope with the geare above named, ye same
> driven smooth above with the back of a silver spoon, as ye doo a Tarte, and
> cut away all parts of the cakes, even close by the outside of the hoop,
> with a sharpe knife, that it may be round: then having white paper
> underneath it, set it upon a warme hearth, or upon an instrument of yron or
> brasse, made for the same purpose, or into an Oven, after the bread is
> taken out, so it be not stopped: it may not bake, but only be hard and
> thorow dryed, and ye may while it is moyst stick it full of Comfets of
> sundry colours, in a comely order, yee must moist it over with Rose-water
> and suger together: make it smooth, and set it into the oven or other
> instrument, the cleerer it is like a Lantern horne, so much the more
> commended. If it be thorough dried, and kept in a dry and warme ayr, a
> Marchpane will last many yeeres. It is a comfortable maete meet for weake
> folks, such as have lost the taste of meates by much and long sicknes. The
> greatest secret that is in making this cleere, it with a little fine flower
> of Rice, Rosewater and suger beaten together, and layd thin over the
> Marchpane ere it goe to drying. This will make it shine, like Ice, as
> Ladies report.
> 

- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com