[Sca-cooks] Re: Early Pastries

[Elise Fleming]

Lucretzia quoted Finnebhir:
>Where can I find some info on early(11-12th cen) on
baking-pastries,
>specifically subleties?

What do you (Finnebhir) consider "baking-pastries"?  Our idea of
subtleties tends to come from our modern cooking, and we often use
pastry/cake as a basis.  Lucretzia gave some examples of early
pastry, but for many of the subtleties, they were both edible and
non-edible.  A tree, for example, might be constructed of wood with
a hanging basket filled with sweets, or fruits made of sugar.  A
statue could be of wood or plaster with a marzipan or possibly
sugarpaste covering.  Or, it could be made of poured sugar (a later
period development).  The Manuscrito Anonimo from the 13th c. lists
a castle (and its furnishings) made of poured sugar.  What type of
thing were you looking for, or was it just for general information?

Alys Katharine