this recipe for “cornish muffins” caught my eye just a few weeks in the past as i used to be sitting in the huntington library studying room msshm 84007, a recipe e book that was compiled in the final decade of the XVII century. century and the first many years of the eighteenth century. he intrigued me to see a recipe for a cake that began with claret, an imported Bordeaux wine, and referred to as for mace, a spice created from the shell of a nutmeg, as the essential seasoning. the cornish pies i made this weekend are candy purple spice biscuits.
unique recipe
Cornish muffins
take the claret, and the egg yolks, the mace and the sugar and the salt and blend them in a flor, knead all of them collectively, then put a superb quantity of butter on them and knead them once more till stiff.
[huntington library msshm 84007, 85v]
I used to be initially curious if Cornish pies have been just like conventional Cornish recipes. though my searches turned up many recipes for hevva cake (which I’m now trying ahead to attempting), I didn’t discover any conventional cake that resembles these. Readers, you probably have any concepts, please share!
nonetheless, i did discover a comparable recipe for “making cornish pies” in hannah woolley’s queen cabinet or wealthy cupboard: stocked with all kinds of bizarre receipts for preserves, sweets and cooking. very nice and useful to all witty females (1670), g1v:
After I received to my kitchen and began updating this recipe, there have been loads of variables to contemplate: what quantities of components would create a “laborious” combine? how a lot mace would create a pleasant spicy taste? mace is a stunning heat spice created from the membrane that surrounds the nutmeg kernel, however it may be fairly intense. it’s offered dried in fragrant leaves and can also be offered floor. I additionally contemplated: how a lot sugar ought to I add? how a lot sweetness would come from wine versus sugar (in 1690, 1720, now)? the fashionable merlot I used in the take a look at of my recipe is way drier than the 18th century claret. (I speak about claret imports and got here in extra element in this put up). Beginning with a single egg yolk as my information ratio from the unique recipe, I stirred up a rosy batter, tasting for warmth and sweetness as I went.
up to date recipe
This recipe made 12 spice cookies. double or triple to make a bigger batch.
1/4 cup (57.5 grams) crimson wine (resembling Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Bordeaux mix) 1 egg yolk 1/4 teaspoon mace 2 tablespoons sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/ 2 cups (68 grams) flour 2 tablespoons (28.4 grams) butter
Take away the butter to come back to room temperature. it must be easy and spreadable earlier than integrating it into the dough.
Preheat your oven to 350f (180c). line baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease properly).
Beat the wine, egg yolk, mace, sugar, and salt. add flour with a spoon. the dough will likely be a pink paste.
add the butter. stir with a spoon first, then knead together with your fingers till properly mixed.
type small cookies (about 2 teaspoons of dough every) and place them on the ready baking sheets.
bake for quarter-hour. the undersides must be golden brown and the tops ought to stay mild.
Let cool earlier than consuming.
as the cookies have been baking, the reddish-pink coloration light to a light-weight purple, purple, mild magenta as the mild modified. the perfume of mace and wine wafted from them as they cooled. Like a mulled crimson wine, these Cornish pies are a candy and spicy delight.
