12th Night, Shrewsbury Cakes recipe.
Well, all, I'm about to drop off the face of the Earth for a couple-three days, since this weekend is 12th Night for our historical group (a little late, but it helps to do it over a three-day weekend). I'll get back to posting and answering comments on a more regular basis afterwards.
In the meantime, I have a recipe to share, which started out as historical research, and ended up being so popular I made these cookies for my Mundane Christmas packages this year. :)
It's a redaction by Karen Hess from Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery (great book!), which makes it debatable for a medieval/Renaissance group (many recipes in the book are post-16th c.), but similar cookie-like recipes exist from the late end of our Period, so it's what I would consider "questionable but passable." Personally, I suspect that the original would have had less butter in it than given here, but this rich and tasty version is so popular, I'm not going to argue that too hard . . . ;) The rosewater isn't in the original recipe or redaction, but since I had some on the shelf and it would have been a common Period addition to sweet treat such as this, I tried it and really liked the result. (If you want to be totally non-historical and just make these as everyday cookies, I'm betting a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract would be excellent, too!)
Shrewsbury Cakes
2 c. butter (1 box/four sticks)
2 egg yolks
2 c. sugar (regular granulated white sugar is fine)
3 c. flour (not self-rising)
1/2 tsp. each ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
(Optional: 2-3 tbsp. rosewater.)
Soften the butter at room temperature, and cream with the egg yolks. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the moist ingredients in batches, mixing thoroughly (I find it helps to get in there and knead it around with your fingers). If you're using the rosewater, sprinkle it over the dough as you're mixing it together; it'll help incorporate the flour as well as adding flavor. When you have a a nice smooth dough, roll it out to about 1/4 in. thickness and cut in rounds with a glass (or whatever sort of cutter you want, really, but round is traditional; naked ladies are optional), put on an ungreased baking sheet (parchment paper is nice, but not necessary) and bake at 350F for 12-17 minutes (until just starting to brown at the edges).
Makes about 3 doz., depending on the cutter size you use.
In the meantime, I have a recipe to share, which started out as historical research, and ended up being so popular I made these cookies for my Mundane Christmas packages this year. :)
It's a redaction by Karen Hess from Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery (great book!), which makes it debatable for a medieval/Renaissance group (many recipes in the book are post-16th c.), but similar cookie-like recipes exist from the late end of our Period, so it's what I would consider "questionable but passable." Personally, I suspect that the original would have had less butter in it than given here, but this rich and tasty version is so popular, I'm not going to argue that too hard . . . ;) The rosewater isn't in the original recipe or redaction, but since I had some on the shelf and it would have been a common Period addition to sweet treat such as this, I tried it and really liked the result. (If you want to be totally non-historical and just make these as everyday cookies, I'm betting a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract would be excellent, too!)
Shrewsbury Cakes
2 c. butter (1 box/four sticks)
2 egg yolks
2 c. sugar (regular granulated white sugar is fine)
3 c. flour (not self-rising)
1/2 tsp. each ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
(Optional: 2-3 tbsp. rosewater.)
Soften the butter at room temperature, and cream with the egg yolks. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the moist ingredients in batches, mixing thoroughly (I find it helps to get in there and knead it around with your fingers). If you're using the rosewater, sprinkle it over the dough as you're mixing it together; it'll help incorporate the flour as well as adding flavor. When you have a a nice smooth dough, roll it out to about 1/4 in. thickness and cut in rounds with a glass (or whatever sort of cutter you want, really, but round is traditional; naked ladies are optional), put on an ungreased baking sheet (parchment paper is nice, but not necessary) and bake at 350F for 12-17 minutes (until just starting to brown at the edges).
Makes about 3 doz., depending on the cutter size you use.