A Queens Delight Part 5

_Candy Orange Peels after the Italian way._

Take Orange Peels so often steeped in cold water, as you think convenient for their bitterness, then dry them gently, and candy them with some convenient syrup made with Sugar, some that are more grown, take away that spongious white under the yellow peels, others do both together.

_The Vertues._

They corroborate the Stomach and Heart.

_To Candy Citrons after the Spanish way._

Take Citron Peels so large as you please the inner part being taken away, let them be steeped in a clear lye of water and ashes for nine dayes, and s.h.i.+ft them the fifth day, afterward wash them in fair water, till the bitterness be taken away, and that they grow sweet, then let them be boiled in fair water till they grow soft, the watry part being taken away, let them be steeped in a vessel of stone twenty four hours, with a Julip, made of white Sugar and three parts water; after let them be boiled upon a gentle fire, to candiness of Penidies or Paste; being taken out of that, let them be put into a gla.s.s vessel, one by one, with the julip of Roses made somewhat hard or with sugar; some do add Amber and Musk to them.

_The Vertues._

It comforteth the Stomach and Heart, it helpeth concoction.

_Candied Cherries, the Italian way._

Take Cherries before they are full ripe, the stones taken out, put clarified sugar boiled to a height, then pour it on them.

_Chicory Roots candied the Italian way._

Take Chicory new and green, the outward Bark being taken away, then before they be candied, let them be cut in several parts, and gently boiled, that no bitterness may remain, then set them in the air placed severally, and put sugar to them boiled to a height.

Touching Marmalets, and Quiddony, as followeth.

_To make Marmalet of Damsins._

Take two quarts of Damsins that be through ripe, and pare off the skin of three pints of them, then put them into an earthen Pipkin, those with the skins undermost then set the Pipkin into a pot of seething water, and let the water seethe apace untill the Damsins be tender. Cover the Pipkin close, that no water gets into them, and when they are tender, put them out into an earthen pan, and take out all the stones and skins, and weigh them, and take the weight with hard sugar, then break the sugar fine, and put it into the Damsins, then set it on the fire, and make it boil apace till it will come from the bottome of the skillet, then take it up, and put it into a gla.s.s but sc.u.m it clear in the boiling.

_To make white Marmalet of Quinces._

Take unpared Quinces, and boil them whole in fair water, peel them and take all the pap from the core, to every pound thereof add three quarters of a pound of Sugar, boil it well till it comes well from the pans bottom, then put it into boxes.

_To make Marmalet of any tender Plum._

Take your Plums, & boil them between two dishes on a Chafing dish of coals, then strain it, and take as much Sugar as the Pulp doth weigh, and put to it as much Rose-water, and fair water as will melt it, that is, half a pint of water to a pound of Sugar, and so boil it to a Candy height, then put the pulp into hot sugar, with the pap of a roasted apple. In like manner you must put roasted apples to make Past Royal of it, or else it will be tough in the drying.

_To make Orange Marmalet._

Take Oranges, pare them as thin as you can; boil them in four several waters, let them be very soft before you take them out, then take two quarts of Spring-water, put thereto twenty Pippins pared, quartered, and coared, let them boil till all the vertue be out, take heed they do not lose the colour; then strain them, put to every pint of water a pound of sugar, boil it almost to a Candy-height, then take out all the meat out of the Oranges, slice the peel in long slits as thin as you can, then put in your peel with the juyce of two Lemmons, and one half Orange, then boil it to a Candy.

_To make Quiddony of Pippins of Ruby or any Amber colour._

Take Pippins, and cut them in quarters, and pare them, and boil them with as much fair water as will cover them, till they be tender, and sunk into the water, then strain all the liquor from the Pulp, then take a pint of that liquor, and half a pound of Sugar, and boil it till it be a quaking gelly on the back of a spoon; so then pour it on your moulds, being taken out of fair water; then being cold turn them on a wet trencher, and so slide them into the boxes, and if you would have it ruddy colour, then boil it leasurely close covered, till it be as red as Claret Wine, so may you conceive, the difference is in the boiling of it; remember to boil your Quinces in Apple-water as you do your Plums.

_To make Quiddony of all kind of Plums._

Take your Apple-water, and boil the Plums in it till it be red as Claret Wine, and when you have made it strong of the Plums, put to every pint half a pound of Sugar, and so boil it till a drop of it hang on the back of a spoon like a quaking gelly. If you will have it of an Amber colour, then boil it with a quick fire, that is all the difference of the colouring of it.

_To make Marmalet of Oranges, or Orange Cakes, &c._

Take the yellowest and fairest Oranges, and water them three days, s.h.i.+fting the water twice a day, pare them as thin as you possible can, boil them in a water changed five or six times, until the bitterness of the Orange be boiled out, those that you preserve must be cut in halves, but those for Marmalet must be boiled whole, let them be very tender, and slice them very thin on a Trencher, taking out the seeds and long strings, and with a Knife make it as fine as the Pap of an Apple; then weigh your Pap of Oranges, and to a pound of it, take a pound and a half of sugar; then you must have Pippins boiled ready in a skillet of fair water, and take the pap of them made fine on a Trencher, and the strings taken out, (but take not half so much Pippins as Oranges) then take the weight of it in sugar, and mix it both together in a Silver or Earthen Dish; and set it on the coals to dry the water out of it, (as you do with Quince Marmalet) when your sugar is Candy height, put in your stuff, and boil it till you think it stiff enough, stirring it continually: if you please you may put a little Musk in it.

Touching Pastrey and Pasties.

_To make Sugar Cakes._

Take three pound of the finest Wheat Flower, one pound of fine Sugar, Cloves, and Mace of each one ounce finely sea.r.s.ed, two pound of b.u.t.ter, a little Rose-water, knead and mould this very well together, melt your b.u.t.ter as you put it in; then mould it with your hand forth upon a board, cut them round with a gla.s.s, then lay them on papers, and set them in an Oven, be sure your Oven be not too hot, so let them stand till they be coloured enough.

_To make clear Cakes of Plums._

Take Plums of any sorts, Rasp.i.s.s are the best, put them in a stone Jug, into a pot of seething water, and when they are dissolved, strain them together through a fair cloth, and take to a pint of that a pound of sugar, put to as much color as will melt it, and boil to a Candy height; boil the liquor likewise in another Posnet, then put them seething hot together, and so boil a little while stirring them together, then put them into gla.s.ses, and set them in an Oven or Stove in a drying heat, let them stand so two or three weeks, and never be cold, removing them from one warm place to another, they will turn in a week; beware you set them not too hot, for they will be tough; so every day turn them till they be dry; they will be very clear.