A Tudor Tarte of Prunes
As requested, here is the recipe for the prune tartlets from last fortnight's afternoon tea:
To make a Tarte of Prunes. Take Prunes and wash them, then boil them with faire water, cut in halfe a peny loaf of white bread, and take them out and strain them with Claret wine, season it with sinamon, Ginger and Sugar, and a little Rosewater, make the paste as fine as you can, and dry it, and fill it, and let it drie in the oven, take it out and cast on it Biskets and Carawaies.
Modern Redaction
1x 410gm can prunes in syrup / 350 g dried prunes
100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
200 ml red wine
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
100 g sugar
1 Tb rosewater
Short Pastry
Bibliography:
BREARS, Peter Food and cooking in C16th Britain: History and Recipes English Heritage Food Series, 1985.
This contains the original recipe which comes from the Tudor cookbook "A.W.: A Book of Cookrye Very necessary for all such as delight therin".
To make a Tarte of Prunes. Take Prunes and wash them, then boil them with faire water, cut in halfe a peny loaf of white bread, and take them out and strain them with Claret wine, season it with sinamon, Ginger and Sugar, and a little Rosewater, make the paste as fine as you can, and dry it, and fill it, and let it drie in the oven, take it out and cast on it Biskets and Carawaies.
Modern Redaction
1x 410gm can prunes in syrup / 350 g dried prunes
100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
200 ml red wine
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
100 g sugar
1 Tb rosewater
Short Pastry
- Preheat the oven to GM 7/425°F/220°C.GM 7/425°F/220°C.
- Soak dried prunes for a couple of hours, or preferably overnight. This step isn't necessary for canned prunes in syrup.
- Preheat the oven to GM 7/425°F/220°C.GM 7/425°F/220°C.
- Line a flan or pie dish with the pastry. Small individual tartlets are also ideal as this is very rich.
- Bake pie case or tartlets blind at GM 7/425°F/220°C for 15 minutes or so until a light golden colour.
- Remove baking beans/beads and paper and turn the oven down.
- Simmer the prunes for 10 - 15 minutes until tender.
- Drain and stone the prunes. Don't forget to do this!
- Blend the prunes and other ingredients together to form a smooth thick paste.
- Spoon the filling into the pastry case/s. The prune mixture will puff up, so don't overfill.
- Bake at GM4/350°F/180°C for 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes (tartlets will require less time than a single tart).
- Serve either hot or cold.
Bibliography:
BREARS, Peter Food and cooking in C16th Britain: History and Recipes English Heritage Food Series, 1985.
This contains the original recipe which comes from the Tudor cookbook "A.W.: A Book of Cookrye Very necessary for all such as delight therin".