The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet Part 6

Take your Plumbs, and put them into a Pot, cover them close, and set them into a Pot of seething Water, and so let them be till they be tender, then pour forth their Liquor, and strain the Pulp through a Canvas strainer, then take to half a Pound of the Pulp of Plumbs half a Pound of the Pulp of Pippins, beat them together, and take their weight in fine Sugar, with as much Water as will wet it, and boil it to a Candy height; then put in your Pulp, and boil them together till it will come from the bottom of the Posnet, then dust your Plates with searced Sugar, and so keep them in a Stove to dry.

92. _To make Almond Ginger-Bread._

Take a little Gum-Dragon and lay it in steep in Rosewater all night, then take half a Pound of Jordan Almonds blanched and beaten with some of that Rosewater, then take half a pound of fine Sugar beaten and searced, of Ginger and Cinamon finely searced, so much as by your taste you may judge to be fit; beat all these together into a Paste, and dry it in a warm Oven or Stove.

93. _To make Snow Cream._

Take a Pint of Cream, and the Whites of three Eggs, one spoonful or two of Rosewater, whip it to a Froth with a Birchen Rod, then cast it off the Rod into a Dish, in the which you have first fastened half a Manchet with some b.u.t.ter on the bottom, and a long Rosemary sprig in the middle; when you have all cast the Snow on the dish, then garnish it with several sorts of sweet-meats.

94. _To preserve Oranges and Limons that they shall have a Rock Candy on them in the Syrrup._

Take the fairest and cut them in halves, or if you will do them whole, then cut a little hole in the bottom, so that you may take out all the meat, lay them in water nine days, s.h.i.+fting them twice every day, then boil them in several Waters, till a straw will run through them, then take to every Pound of Orange or Limon one Pound of fine Sugar, and one quart of Water, make your Syrrup, and let your Oranges or Limons boil a while in it, then let them stand five or six days in that Syrrup, then to every Pound, put one Pound more of Sugar into your Syrrup, and boil your Oranges till they be very clear, then take your Oranges out, and boil your Syrrup almost to Candy, and put to them.

95. _To make Sugar Plate._

Take a little Gum-Dragon laid in steep in Rosewater till it be like Starch, then beat it in a Mortar with some searced Sugar till it come to a perfect Paste, then mould it with Sugar, and make it into what form you please, and colour some of them, lay them in a warm place, and they will dry of themselves.

96. _To make Artificial Walnuts._

Take some of your Sugar Plate, print it in a Mould fit for a Walnut Kernel, yellow it over with a little Saffron, then take searced Cinamon and Sugar, as much of the one as the other, work it in Paste with some Rosewater, wherein Gum Dragon hath been steeped, and print it in a Mould for a Walnut sh.e.l.l, and when they are dry, close them together over the sh.e.l.l with a little of the Gum water.

97. _To make short Cakes._

Take a Pint of Ale Yest, and a Pound and half of fresh b.u.t.ter, melt your b.u.t.ter, and let it cool a little, then take as much fine Flower as you think will serve, mingle it with the b.u.t.ter and Yest, and as much Rosewater and Sugar as you think fit, and if you please, some Caraway Comfits, so bake it in little Cakes; they will last good half a year.

98. _To preserve red Roses, which is as good and effectual as any Conserve, and made with less trouble._

Take Red Rose Buds clipped clean from their Whites one pound, put them into a Skillet with four Quarts of Water, Wine measure, then let them boil very fast till three Quarts be boiled away, then put in three pounds of fine Sugar, and let it boil till it begins to be thick, then put in the Juice of a Limon, and boil it a little longer, and when it is almost cold, put it into Gally-Pots, and strew them over with searced Sugar, and so keep them so long as you please, the longer the better.

99. _A fine Cordial Infusion._

Take the flesh of a c.o.c.k Chick cut in small pieces, and put into a Gla.s.s with a wide Mouth, put to it one Ounce of Harts-horn, half an Ounce of Red Coral prepared, with a little large Mace, and a slice or two of Limon, and two Ounces of White Sugar-Candy, stop the Gla.s.s close with a Cork, and set it into a Vessel of seething Water, and stuff it round with Hay that it jog not; when you find it to be enough, give the sick Party two spoonfuls at a time.

100. _For a Cough of the Lungs._

Take two Ounces of Oil of sweet Almonds newly drawn, three spoonfuls of Colts-foot Water, two spoonfuls of Red Rose-Water, two Ounces of white Sugar-Candy finely beaten; mingle all these together, and beat it one hour with a spoon, till it be very white; then take it often upon a Licoras stick. This is very good.

101. _To preserve Grapes._

Take your fairest white Grapes and pick them from the stalks, then stone them carefully, and save the Juice, then take a pound of Grapes, a pound of fine Sugar, and a pint of water wherein sliced Pippins have been boiled, strain that water, and with your Sugar and that make a Syrup, when it is well sc.u.mmed put in your Grapes, and boil them very fast, and when you see they are as clear as gla.s.s, and that the Syrup will jelly, put them into Gla.s.ses.

102. _To make Collops of Bacon in Sweet-meats._

Take some Marchpane Paste, and the weight thereof in fine Sugar beaten and sea.r.s.ed, boil them on the fire, and keep them stirring for fear they burn, so do till you find it will come from the bottom of the Posnet, then mould it with fine Sugar like a Paste, and colour some of it with beaten Cinnamon, and put in a little Ginger, then roll it broad and thin, and lay one upon another till you think it be of a fit thickness and cut it in Collops and dry it in an Oven.

103. _To make Violet Cakes._

Take them clipped clean from the whites and their weight in fine Sugar, wet your Sugar in fair water, and boil it to a Candy height, then put in your Violets, and stir them well together, with a few drops of a Limon, then pour them upon a wet Pye-Plate, or on a slicked paper, and cut them in what form you please; do not let them boil, for that will spoil the colour: Thus you may do with any Herb or Flower, or with any Orange or Limon Pill, and, if you like it, put in a little Musk or Ambergreece.

104. _To preserve white Damsons._

Take to every pound one pound of fine Sugar and a quarter of a pint of fair water, make your Syrup and sc.u.m it well, then take it from the fire, and when it is almost cold put in your Damsons, and let them scald a little, then take them off a while, and then set them on again; when you perceive them to be very clear, put them into Pots or Gla.s.ses.

105. _To make a very good Cake._

Take a peck of Flower, four pound of Currans well washed, dryed and picked, four pounds of b.u.t.ter, one pound of Sugar, one ounce of Cinnamon, one ounce of Nutmegs, beat the Spice and lay it all night in Rosewater, the next day strain it out, then take one pint and an half of good Ale-Yest the Yolks of 4 Eggs, a pint of Cream, put a pound of the b.u.t.ter into the warmed Cream, put the rest into the Flower in pieces, then wet your Flower with your Cream, and put in your Currans, and a little Salt, and four or five spoonfuls of Caraway-Comfits and your Spice, mix them all and the Yest well together, and let it lie one hour to rise, then make it up and Bake it in a Pan b.u.t.tered: It may stand two hours.

106. _To make Paste Royal._

Take Quince Marmalade almost cold, and mould it up with searced Sugar to a Paste, them make it into what form you please and dry them in a Stove.

107. _To make Paste of Pippins coloured with Barberries._

Take the Pulp of Codled Pippins, and as much of the Juice of Barberries as will colour it, then take the weight of it in fine Sugar, boil it to a Candy height, with a little water, then put in your Pulp beaten very well in a mortar, boil it till it come from the bottom of the Posnet, then dust your Plate with Sugar, and drop them thereon, and dry them in a Stove or warm Oven.

108. _To preserve Barberries._

Take one Pound of stoned Barberries and twice their weight in fine Sugar, then strip two or three handfuls of Barberries from their stalks, and put them into a Dish with as much Sugar as Barberries, over a Chafing dish of Coals, when you see they are well plumped, strain them, then wet your other Sugar with this, and no Water, boil it and sc.u.m it, and then put in your stoned Barberries, and boil them till they are very clear.

109. _To make Jelly of Currans or of any other Fruit._

Take your Fruit clean picked from the stalks, and put them into a long Gally-pot, and set it into a Kettle of Water close covered; keep the Water boiling till you find the Fruit be well infused, then pour out the clearest, and take the weight of it in fine Sugar, wet your Sugar with Water, and boil it to a Candy height, then put in your clear Liquor, and keep it stirring over a slow fire till you see it will jelly, but do not let it boil; the Pulp which is left of the Liquor, you may make Paste of if you please, as you do the Pippin Paste before named.

110. _To make a Goosberry Fool._

Take a Pint and an half of Goosberries clean picked from the stalks, put them into a Skillet with a Pint and half of fair Water, scald them till they be very tender, then bruise them well in the Water, and boil them with a Pound and half of fine Sugar till it be of a good thickness, then put to it the Yolks of six Eggs and a Pint of Cream, with a Nutmeg quartered, stir these well together till you think they be enough, over a slow fire, and put it into a Dish, and when it is cold, eat it.