The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet / Stored with all manner of rare receipts for preserving, candying and cookery. Very pleasant and beneficial to all ingenious persons of the female sex

by active 1670 Hannah Woolley

180. To make most excellent Cake.

Take a strik'd Peck of Flower, six pounds of Currans, half an Ounce of Mace, half an Ounce of Cinamon, a quarter of an Ounce of Cloves, as much of Nutmeg, half a pound of fine Sugar, and as much Rosewater as you please; beat your Spice, and put that and your Fruits with a little Salt into your Flower, then take Cream or new Milk as much as you think fit, dissolve thereinto two pounds of fresh Butter, then put it in a Basin with the sugar and a Pint of Sack, knead it with a Wine-Pint of Ale-Yest, knead it till it rise under your hand, let all things be ready and your Oven hot before you go to knead the Cake.

181. To make Pomatum the best way.

Take the Caul of a Lamb new killed, pick it clean from the Skin, and lay it in Spring-water nine days, shifting it every day twice, then melt it, then take yellow Snails, stamp them, and put them into a Glass with Rosewater four days, stop the Glass and shake it three or four times a day, then take white Lilly roots, stamp them, and strain them, put the Juice of them into the Glass with the Snails, then set a Skillet on the fire with fair water, and let it boil, then put your dried Lambs Caul into an earthen basin, and let it melt, then take your Glass with Snails and roots, and drain it through a thick cloth, then put it into that tried stuff, then take half an Ounce of white Sugar-Candy unbeaten put it in, and stir it over the fire, till that be dissolved, then take it from the fire, and put in three Ounces of sweet Almonds, keep it boiling and stirring a little longer, then take it off, and let it stand till it be reasonably cool, then beat it with a wooden Slice till it be very white, then put in a little Rosewater, and beat it a little longer, and then keep it in Gallipots; you must put in a crust of bread when you melt it in the Skillet, and when the Sugar-Candy goes in, take it out.

182. To make the Bean Bread.

Take a pound of the best Jordan Almonds; blanch them in cold water, and slice them very thin the long way of the Almond with a wet Knife, then take a pound of double refined Sugar well beaten, and mix with your Almonds, then take the White of one Egg beaten with two spoonfuls of Rosewater, and as the Froth ariseth, cast it all over your Almonds with a Spoon, then mix them well together, and lay them upon Wafer sheets, upon flowered Plates, and shape them as you please with your knife and your fingers; then strew Caraway Comfits, and Orange and Citron Pill cut thin, or some Coriander Comfits, so set them into an Oven not too hot, and when they have stood about half an hour, raise them from their Plates, and mend what you find amiss before they be too dry, then set them into the Oven again, and when they are quite dry, break away the Wafers with your fingers, and then clip them neatly with a pair of Scizzers, and lay on some Leaf-Gold if you please.

183. To make an excellent Cake with Caraway Comfits.

Take five Pounds of Manchet Paste mingled very stiff and light without Salt, cover it, and let it be rising half an hour, when your Oven is almost hot, take two pounds and half of Butter, very good, and melt it, and take five Eggs, Yolks and Whites beaten, and half a pound of Sugar, mingle them all together with your Paste, and let it be as lithe as possible you can work it, and when your Oven is hot and swept, strew into your Cake one Pound of Caraway Comfits, then butter a baking-Pan, and bake it in that, let it stand one hour and quarter; when you draw it, lay a course Linnen Cloth and a Woollen one over it, so let it lie till it be cold, then put it into an Oven the next day, for a little time, and it will eat as though it were made of Almonds, you must put in your Sugar after your Butter.

184. To make Diet Bread or Jumbolds.

Take a Quart of fine Flower, half a Pound of fine Sugar, Caraway seeds, Coriander seeds and Aniseeds bruised, of each one Ounce, mingle all these together, then take the Yolks of eight Eggs, and the Whites of three, beat them well with four spoonfuls of Rosewater, and so knead these all together and no other Liquor, when it is well wrought, lay it for one hour in a linnen cloth before the Fire, then rowl it out thin, tie them in Knots and prick them with a Needle, lay them upon Butter'd Plates, and bake them in an Oven not too hot.