[Sca-cooks] Re: Historic Cheesecake in the papers this past week

[Susan Fox-Davis]

The fine folks at Plimoth Plantation sent back a response, citing the period
source they used.  Oh well, it¹s the right century anyway.

May, Robert. The Accomplish¹t Cook. 1666. Reprint. Totnes, Devon: Prospect
Books, 1994.

To make Cheesecakes otherwayes.

Take a good morning milk cheese, or better, of some eight pound weight,
stamp it in a mortar, and beat a pound of butter amongst it, and a pound of
sugar, then mix with it beaten mace, two pound of currans well picked and
washed, a penny manchet grated, or a pound of almonds blanched and beaten
fine with rose-water, and some salt; then boil some cream, and thicken it
with six or eight yolks of eggs, mixed with the other things, work them well
together, and fill the cheesecakes, make the curd not too soft, and make the
past of cold butter and water according to these forms.

 

To make cool Butter Paste for Patty pans or Pasties.

         Take to every peck of flour five pound of butter, the whites of six
eggs, and work it well together with cold spring water; you must bestow a
great deal of pains, and but little water, or you put out the millers eyes.
This paste is good only for pattypan and pasty.

 
Yours in Service,
Selene