FoodNet

Our viands

1893

Page 128

Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Jumballs (old recipe). — J Ib. of butter, the same quantity of white sugar, i Ib. of flour, 3 oz. of almonds, 3 eggs, and a little lemon peel. Melt the butter in a pan, beat the sugar into it, break the yolks of the eggs into it, pound the almonds after they are blanched, and put with the flour and lemon peel into the pan, mix together, and make of the mixture coiled snakes, which bake. From ' Out in the Forty-five,' a tale of the last century. N.B.— The rolled ginger cakes called jumballs in London are not the old English sweetmeat of that name. Gumballs (another old recipe). — Take i Ib. of butter, lay it all night in rosewater. When you use it take it out and rub it in i Ib. of flour, then take 3 eggs with 2 of the whites and a good spoonful of barm. Mix it into RECIPES, OLD AND NEW 257 a paste. Roule it up in sugar, and tye it up in knots to your fancy. Go bake it on tin pans. Almond Jumballs (old recipe). — Blanch \ Ib. of almonds, and beat them with a spoonfull of rosewater. Then take i Ib. of sugar finely beaten, and sift a spoonfull of flower and the whites of 2 eggs, beat in by degrees to your almonds, and when 'tis well mixt, put it on your fire in a skillett; lett it boyle, but be sure you keep stirring it all the while or else it will burn. Then take it off and put it in a mortar again, and beat it till it comes to a perfect paste. Then rowl it out in long rowls and turn it in what formes you please. Bake them on wafer-paper in your oven, and when they rise take them out and lett them stand a little while, then putt them in again and lett them stand till they are enough. Lett not the oven be too hott. You must put in some coriander seed ; put the flower in last. Jumballs of Apricocks or Plums (old recipe). — Bruise the fairest apricocks in a dish and sett it on your fire, turn it and stirr it till it is as stiff as dow (dough). Then rowl it in balls and lett it lie all night. Then work some sifted sugar with your apricock paste, then lay it out in pretty fanceys and dry them on paper in a stove. A Rich Currant Cake (old recipe). — To a quartern and a half of fine flour add 6 Ibs. of currants well picked, washed, and dried, i oz. of cloves and mace, a little cinnamon, 2 grated nutmegs, i Ib. of white sugar, some candied lemon, orange, and citron cut in thin pieces ; i pint of sweet wine, a little orange-flower or rosewater, i pint of yeast, i quart of cream, 2 Ibs. of butter melted, and poured into the middle of the flour. Then strew some flour over the butter and let it stand half an hour before the fire. After which R 258 OUR VIANDS knead it well together, and put it before the fire to make it rise. Work it up very well ; put the mixture into a round tin, and bake two hours and a half in a gentle oven.