Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 103 Creme of almondys

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2014 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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103. Creme of almondys
Blaunch grynd hem kepe hem as white as thy may & tempyr hem up with thike mylke with fayre watyr drawe hit put hit in a clene pott sette hit on the fyre stere hit well when hit by gynneth to seth take hit of yf thy have moch do ther to a dischfull of wyn venyger yf ther be a lytyll do ther yn to the pott lete hyt stond a whyle have a clene cloth holden on a bord by twyxt ij men or iiij men strat cast the creme ther yn with a ladyll as brod as they cloth & rubbe thy cloth undyr neth with a ladyll toward [crossed out: the] & froward so that thy may draw out all the watyr then gedyr hit to gedyr in to the myddyl of the cloth & bynd the corners to gedyr honge hit on a pynne & lett the watyr soke out do hit on a bolle & tempyr hit up with white wyn bose hit with a sawcer til hit be as softe as thy wolt have hit.

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This recipe appears to be a match to recipe 41 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak creme of almonds tak blanched almondes and grind them up and temper them up akurd thik mylk with faire water drawe it into the pot and sett it on the fyere and stirre it welle when it begynnethe to rise / and ye have to myche put ther to a dishefulle of venygar if ther be alitille putt ther in the lesse hille the pot and let it stand awhile then tak a clene cloth and hold it abrod betweene iiij men strait cast the creme there in and rube it undirnethe the clothe with a ladille toward and froward with the egge of the ladille to draw out the watter then gadur it to gedur unto the myddle of the clothe then bind the corners to gedur and hong it upon a pyne and let the water run out then put it in a bolle and temper it up withe wyne and bruse it with a saucer as soft as ye wille and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There are very similar recipes in other contemporary sources, including the direction beginning with "if you have much", which suggests that this was a popular recipe of the time.

Creme of Almonds. Recipe & blawnch almondes, & grinde þam & kepe þam als whyte as зe mey, & temper it thyk with watur & draw it, & put it in a pott. And sett it oure þe fyre & styr it wele; and when it begyns to rise take it of. If зe wyll haue mykyll, þan do a lityll þerto of vinegre & lat it stande a whyle, & take a clene cloth haldyn abrode betwene tiw men, & trast þerin with a ladyl als brode as þe cloth wyll striche towards & froward ay with þe ege of þe ladyll þat зe may draw oute all þe watyrs; & þan gedyre it to þe corners togydyrs & hang it vpon a pyn, & let þe water soke oute into a boll; & temper it with whyte wyne, & bruse it with a sawcer tyll it be als softe as зe wyll haue it, & serof it forth.  [MS Harley 5401 (England, 15th century)]

To make Creme of Almoundes. Blanche almounds kepe them As ye may them temper up to A thycke mylke with fayre water streyne hit and put hit in A pott and set hit on the fyre stere hit well when hit begynnys to ryse up take hit of yf thow have moche do ther to A dyschfull of VynAgyr yf thou have but a litell do the lesse hele the pot let hit stonde A whyle. Take a clene cloth holdyn a brode betwene .iiij. folkes streyte & cast the creme þer on with a ladyll as brode as the cloth And rubbe the cloth toward and froward with the egge of the ladyll that þer may woyde the water. Then gather hit to geder in þe myddyl of the cloth bynde the .iiij. Corners to geder and hang on A pynne that the Water may soke onto And then do hit in A bolle And tempyr hit up wyth white wyne And bete hit with a sawser on to the tyme that hit be softe.  [MS Pepys 1047 (England, ca. 1500)]