* This is probably the plum-porridge with which the "Man in the
South" is reported to have "burnt his mouth," and may also be
regarded as the origin of our famous Christmas plum-pudding.
260 OUR VIANDS
To make a Tansie (old recipe). — Break 18 eggs and put
away the white ; put to them i quart of cream, i pint of
the juice of spinage, i spoonfull of the juice of tansie, the
crumbs of a penny loaf; mix it together, and put a piece
of butter in your skillet, put your tansie into it, keep stirring
it over the fire till it is as thick as hasty pudding, then put
a piece of butter in a frying-pan, and put in your tansie with
a spoon, spread it abroad handsome, and turn it with a pye-
plate once or twice, frying him crimpr,.but not burn him; let
it be an inch thick. If the colour be not to your mind, heate
a fire-shovel, hold it over it, and make it what colour you
will, and serve it to the table with sweet oranges and sugar.
To make Cheesecakes (old recipe). — Take i quart of
cream and i gallon of milk, run it tender as you do cold
cheese (i.e., make of it a light curd with rennet), when 'tis
come, brake it and draw the whey clean from it; work
your curd with a spoon through a hair sieve, put to it f Ib.
of butter, and as much sugar as will sweeten it, with the
yolk of 6 eggs, and a little grated nutmeg and a drop of
rosewater : work it well, and mix i Ib. of currants, washed
and picked, amongst it ; put it into your paste, bake it half
an hour, then take them out and serve them to the table.
To make Rice Cheesecakes (old recipe). — Boil 2 quarts of
cream or milk with a little whole mace and cinnamon, then
take off the fire, remove the spice, and put in \ Ib. of rice
flour, and place it on the fire again to boil, stirring it together ;
then take it off, and beat the yolks of 24 eggs, set it on the
fire again, and keep stirring till it is as thick as curds ; add
| Ib. of blanched almonds pounded, and sweeten to your
palate ; or, if you chuse, you may put in \ Ib. of currants,
well picked, and rubbed in a clean cloth.
RECIPES, OLD AND NEW 261
Lemon Cheesecakes (old recipe). — Take 2 large lemon peels,
boil and pound them well together in a mortar, with about
6 oz. of loaf-sugar and the yolks of 6 eggs ; mix all well
together, and fill your patty-pans about half full. Orange
cheesecakes you may do the same way, but be careful to boil
the peels in two or three waters to get out the bitterness.
To make a Custard (Q\& recipe). — Boil i quart of cream or
milk, with a stick of cinnamon, a large mace, and a quartered
nutmeg ; when half cold, mix with it the yolks of 8 eggs and
4 whites beaten well, some sack, sugar, and orange-flower
water. Set it on the fire, and stir it till a white froth rises ;
skim that off, then strain it, and fill your custard cups, and
let them just boil up in the oven, or if you boil the eggs
in the cream all together, then you may put it in your
custard cups overnight, and they will be fit for use.
To make Oatmeal Pudding (old recipe). — To J pint of
oatmeal, bruised, put \ pint of milk, boyling hot. Let
it stand all night, put to it i Ib. of suet, \ Ib. of raisins,
and as many currants, 5 eggs, three of the whites, a handful
of grated bread, a little nutmeg, some salt, a little sugar, and
a glass of white wine. Boyle it three hours.
Our viands
1893Page 130
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
* This is probably the plum-porridge with which the "Man in the
South" is reported to have "burnt his mouth," and may also be
regarded as the origin of our famous Christmas plum-pudding.
260 OUR VIANDS
To make a Tansie (old recipe). — Break 18 eggs and put
away the white ; put to them i quart of cream, i pint of
the juice of spinage, i spoonfull of the juice of tansie, the
crumbs of a penny loaf; mix it together, and put a piece
of butter in your skillet, put your tansie into it, keep stirring
it over the fire till it is as thick as hasty pudding, then put
a piece of butter in a frying-pan, and put in your tansie with
a spoon, spread it abroad handsome, and turn it with a pye-
plate once or twice, frying him crimpr,.but not burn him; let
it be an inch thick. If the colour be not to your mind, heate
a fire-shovel, hold it over it, and make it what colour you
will, and serve it to the table with sweet oranges and sugar.
To make Cheesecakes (old recipe). — Take i quart of
cream and i gallon of milk, run it tender as you do cold
cheese (i.e., make of it a light curd with rennet), when 'tis
come, brake it and draw the whey clean from it; work
your curd with a spoon through a hair sieve, put to it f Ib.
of butter, and as much sugar as will sweeten it, with the
yolk of 6 eggs, and a little grated nutmeg and a drop of
rosewater : work it well, and mix i Ib. of currants, washed
and picked, amongst it ; put it into your paste, bake it half
an hour, then take them out and serve them to the table.
To make Rice Cheesecakes (old recipe). — Boil 2 quarts of
cream or milk with a little whole mace and cinnamon, then
take off the fire, remove the spice, and put in \ Ib. of rice
flour, and place it on the fire again to boil, stirring it together ;
then take it off, and beat the yolks of 24 eggs, set it on the
fire again, and keep stirring till it is as thick as curds ; add
| Ib. of blanched almonds pounded, and sweeten to your
palate ; or, if you chuse, you may put in \ Ib. of currants,
well picked, and rubbed in a clean cloth.
RECIPES, OLD AND NEW 261
Lemon Cheesecakes (old recipe). — Take 2 large lemon peels,
boil and pound them well together in a mortar, with about
6 oz. of loaf-sugar and the yolks of 6 eggs ; mix all well
together, and fill your patty-pans about half full. Orange
cheesecakes you may do the same way, but be careful to boil
the peels in two or three waters to get out the bitterness.
To make a Custard (Q\& recipe). — Boil i quart of cream or
milk, with a stick of cinnamon, a large mace, and a quartered
nutmeg ; when half cold, mix with it the yolks of 8 eggs and
4 whites beaten well, some sack, sugar, and orange-flower
water. Set it on the fire, and stir it till a white froth rises ;
skim that off, then strain it, and fill your custard cups, and
let them just boil up in the oven, or if you boil the eggs
in the cream all together, then you may put it in your
custard cups overnight, and they will be fit for use.
To make Oatmeal Pudding (old recipe). — To J pint of
oatmeal, bruised, put \ pint of milk, boyling hot. Let
it stand all night, put to it i Ib. of suet, \ Ib. of raisins,
and as many currants, 5 eggs, three of the whites, a handful
of grated bread, a little nutmeg, some salt, a little sugar, and
a glass of white wine. Boyle it three hours.