A Book of Simples

by Unknown

345. The Carraway Comfit Cake without Fruit in it.

Take 2 pound of fine flour 3 quarters of a pound of fresh butter a pound of Sugar both these put into the flour dry (the butter in many small pieces) 7 yolkes and but 3 eggs more which put into the 7 with their whites also and beat them very well together with 4 spoonfulls of Sack and as much rosewater first steeping in the Sack and rosewater 6 pennyworth of saffron some nutmegs grated then take half a pint of cream boyled and cool’d again then take a pint and quarter of very good ale yest and mingle it with the cream eggs and spices sack and rosewater, warming it altogether milk warm keeping it stiring while you warm it & when warm pour it into your flour, covering it over lightly with the flour & so let it stand a quarter of an hour close cover’d then mingle it all very well together and add thereto a pound and a half of carraway comfits w^ch when all very well mix’d put into a paper hoop & set it in an oven prepared for it 3 quarters of an hour for if it stand to long it will run abroad & be heavy.

346. The Lady Marquess of Worcester’s Re^ct to sugar all Sorts of Sharpe Fruits or Herbs to dry or Flowers.

Take the whites of eggs and beat them to a froth and when the froth is high dipe your fruits herbs or flowers and have some fine sugar double searched and while they are wet with the froth dipe in your herbs fruits or flowers into your sugar your fruit must be spent but your herbs and flowers will keep all the year.

347. To preserve Chyna Oranges.

Take what quantity you please of chyna oranges and with a smaller grater grate off the yellow peel (the deepest and ripest oranges do best and clearest) let your grater be very clean else it will change the colour, and take great care you grate not to deep and as you grate them put them in water or they will turn blackish and when you have done them all wash them in 2 or 3 waters and have a kettle of clear water to set them over the fire for a quarter of an hour let them boyle in this first water then have another kettle of water boyling and shift them into it so shifting them into fresh kettles of boyling waters 5 or 6 times so boyling them till they be so tender as a straw may go through them then take them and with a penknife cut out a round piece in the bottome and keep it to go in again, after you have first taken out all the seeds very clean with your little finger and preserved them and are going to pot them up then only you must put in the piece you cut out as a Stople to them you must weigh them when they are boyled and to every pound of orange you must take 2 pound and a half of double refined sugar and to every pound of sugar you may put almost half a pint of fair water, divide your sugar into 3 parts then take one part and put into all the quantity of water stir it together in a great Skellet and set it on the fire and let it boyle a little and Scumme it clear then take it off the fire and let it be pretty coole then put in your oranges and set them on a soft fire and let them not boyle but simber a little while then take them off the fire puting your oranges 1^st into a pot and then pour on the sirrop to them and let them stand 3 days then take the oranges from the sirrop and put your sirrop into a skellet and put the second part of the sugar and pare and core and quarter 6 John apples and put them into your sirrop and set it on the fire leting it boyle quick till it be much thicker than it was before when you think it thick enough take it off y^e fire and let it be almost cold then put in y^e oranges again and set them on ye fire and let them simber half an hour as before turning them often (or they will not be all over of one colour) then take them off the fire and pot them up as before to stand 3 days more, and at the 3^d days end take out the oranges and put in y^e 3^d part of your sugar into the sirrop and 6 more John apples ordered as before in with the sirrop and boyle it very thick then take it off and set it acooling as before then put in the oranges and give them one boyling up or 2 but have a care in boyling they do not harden but take them off the fire and when they are quite cold tye them up in your pot very close to keep for your spending remember to take out the apples before you put in your oranges or that they be so tender as to make the sirrop. Probatum.

348. A Cake for Ordinary Uses.

Take 4 pound of fine flour warm it in an earthen pan by the fire then break in a pound of fresh butter and a pound of sugar mixing both very well into y^r dryed flour then take 10 eggs put in but 3 of the whites and beat them very well then put to your eggs when well beaten 3 spoonfulls of rosewater and a quarter of a pint of sack a quart of good ale yest more yest if not very good a pint of cream boyled and cooled again some salt a nutmeg grated and some cloves & mace beaten also small mixing all very well together and warm it milk warm & so pour it to your flour very well covering it up warm for a quarter of an hour then put in a pound of raisons of the Sun stoned and cut small 3 pound of currants clean washt rubbed and dryed all which mixt very well together and put it into a paper hoop and set it in a oven as hot as for small bread and let it stand one hour and a quarter which will be long enough.

349. Madame Brewen’s French Way to make ye Runnet or Trifle Cream.

Take the blossomes of hartiechokes when they blow and keep them dry all ye year for your use as you do other flowers and when you would make this cream put a few of these blossomes in about a spoonfull of flowers to a pint of cream or new milk and it will turn it as well as runnet and give a more pleasant flavour.