[Sca-cooks] back to food by request

Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius adamantius.magister at verizon.net
Wed May 31 14:02:31 PDT 2006


On May 31, 2006, at 4:49 PM, Martha Oser wrote:

> All righty, here's a question I've been wanting to ask...
>
> I'm looking for a period cake recipe that includes almonds, honey,  
> flour,
> butter and eggs.  The modern recipe that's inspiring me also has  
> sour cream
> in it (period?) and baking soda (not period, right?).
>
> Anyone have anything that will fit the bill?
>
> Many thanks,
>
>  -Helena

Hmmm. That combination in a cake? Maybe something Islamic...

But Kenelm Digby has this one, which sort of comes close to what  
you're talking about:
> Take four quarts of fine flower, two pound and half of butter,  
> three quarters of a pound of Sugar, four Nutmegs; a little Mace; a  
> pound of Almonds finely beaten, half a pint of Sack, a pint of good  
> Ale-yest, a pint of boiled Cream, twelve yolks, and four whites of  
> Eggs; four pound of Currants. When you have wrought all these into  
> a very fine past, let it be kept warm before the fire half an hour,  
> before you set it into the oven. If you please, you may out into  
> it, two pound of Raisins of the Sun stoned and quartered. Let your  
> oven be of a temperate heat, and let your Cake stand therein two  
> hours and a half, before you Ice it; and afterwards only to harden  
> the Ice. The Ice for this Cake is made thus: Take the whites of  
> three new laid Eggs, and three quarters of a pound of fine Sugar  
> finely beaten; beat it well together with the whites of the Eggs,  
> and ice the Cake. If you please you may add a little Musk or  
> Ambergreece.
I believe the other day I mentioned having made a cake subtlety in  
the shape of a ship. This was the cake recipe. IIRC, I used Digby's  
original quantities. The only difference was that I covered it with a  
thin layer of marzipan before decorating it.

Adamantius


"Why don't they get new jobs if they're unhappy -- or go on Prozac?"
     -- Susan Sheybani, assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry  
Holt, 07/29/04





More information about the Sca-cooks mailing list