Sweetened Butter? (was Re: SC - Harvest Moon Shoot proposed menu)

[Catherine Deville]

Lady Aelfwyn posted her proposed menu for Harvest Moon Shoot which included
honey butter (which I assume from her statements has been determined by
this list to be OOP) and Christianna replied with documentation on herb
butter (from Hugh Plat _Jewel-house of Arte & Nature_ 1594 entitled "2. How
to make sundry sorts of most dainty butter with the saide oils
") which contained the following:

>   This laste Sommer I did entertaine divers of my friends with this kinde
> of butter amongst other country dishes, as also with cinnamon, mace, and
> clove butter (which are all made in one selfe same manner) and I knew not
> whether I did please them more with this new found dish, or offend them
> by denying the secret unto them, who thought it very strange to find the
> naturall taste of herbs, and spices coueied into butter without any
> apparent touch of color.  But I hope I have at this time satisfied their
> longings.  2re, if by som means or other you may not give a tincture to
> your creme before you chearne it, either with roseleaves, cowslep leaves,
> violet or marigold leaves, &c. And thereby chaunge the color of your
> butter.
>   And it may be that if you wash your butter throughly wel with rose
> water before you dish it, and work up some fine sugar in it, that the
> Country people will go neere to robbe all Cocknies of their breakfasts,
> unlesse the dairie be well looked unto...

<remainder snipped>

This last paragraph, mentioning the working of sugar into butter, along
with the fact that butters served with the essential oils of cinnamon, mace
and cloves implies to me that folks may have had a taste for sweet butters.
honey was more readily available than sugar.  So why do we believe that
honey butter is not period (again, I realize that this may be an old
argument and a pointer to the flori-thingy will suffice if it's been over
done>) ?

Which brings me to my next question, but I'll post it seperately as it's a
seperate topic.

I remain, in service to Meridies,
Lady Celia des L'archier