Fride Creme of Almaundys – Cold Cream of Almonds, a Medieval Almond “Cheese” (Harleian MS. 279)

Name: Fride Creme of Almaundys – Cold Cream of Almonds
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 8 small feast servings
Cuisine: Medieval English
Ingredients: 8 cups thick homemade almond milk; 2 teaspoons salt, divided; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, verjuice, or sweet wine, plus more if needed; 1/2 cup white sugar, or to taste; 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons pouder douce, optional; Sweet wine, optional, for loosening; Saffron, optional, for coloring; Red anise comfits, borage leaves, or edible flowers, for garnish

Fride Creme of Almaundys, a medieval cold cream of almonds served like almond cheese

Fride Creme of Almaundys – Cold Cream of Almonds

Originally published: November 15, 2015 at 6:07 PM | Updated: May 19, 2026

Updated 5/19/2026: This post has been fully revised to current Give It Forth standards with expanded historical context, a clearer modern translation, a feast-scaled redaction serving eight, dietary notes, related almond-milk recipes, FAQ, source links, and structured recipe data.

What is Fride Creme of Almaundys? This fifteenth-century recipe from Harleian MS. 279 makes a thickened, drained almond cream: something between sweet almond curd, almond cream cheese, and a soft dairy-free spread. It was especially useful for Lenten and fast-day tables, when animal dairy might be restricted.

Almond milk cream cheese? Yes, yes, yes! This dish is definitely being added to my repertoire of things to make at feast. Despite the fact that the instructions sound forbiddingly difficult, this dish is very easy to make. It starts with my quick and dirty almond milk recipe and ends with a sweet, creamy Lenten substitute for cheese or butter.

Why Almond Cream Matters in Medieval Cooking

Almond milk appears again and again in medieval European cookery, especially in elite and urban recipe collections. It was not merely a modern-style dairy substitute; it was a flexible kitchen technology. Almonds could be ground, steeped, strained, boiled, thickened, colored, sweetened, or soured. The resulting milk or cream could stand in for dairy in fast-day cookery, enrich sauces, thicken pottages, and create elegant dishes for feast tables.

Fride Creme of Almaundys is especially interesting because it treats almond milk almost as though it were dairy. The cook makes a thick almond milk, heats it, salts it, lets it rest, drains it through linen, sweetens it, and dresses it in the manner of mortrewys, a soft, rich pottage or paste-like dish. The result is not cheese in the biological sense, since it is made from almonds rather than animal milk, but the texture and use are familiar: soft, spreadable, rich, and suited to careful presentation.

📖 Fast-day cooking: In medieval Christian food culture, periods such as Lent and many weekly fast days restricted meat and sometimes animal dairy. Almond milk gave cooks a luxurious way to create creamy sauces, soups, desserts, and “cheese-like” dishes without relying on cow, sheep, or goat milk.

This recipe also gives a glimpse into the practical intelligence of medieval kitchens. The almond cream is drained in linen, adjusted with sugar and salt, and loosened with sweet wine if it becomes too thick. This is exactly the kind of instruction that suggests hands-on cookery: the cook is expected to watch the texture and correct it as needed.

Original Text and Modern Translation

Original Text	Modern Translation
.xij. Fride Creme of Almaundys. — Take almaundys, an stampe hem, an draw it vp wyth a fyne thykke mylke, y-temperyd wyth clene water; throw hem on, an sette hem in þe fyre, an let boyle onys: þan tak hem a-down, an caste salt þer-on, an let hem reste a forlongwey or to, an caste a lytyl sugre þer-to; an þan caste it on a fayre lynen clothe, fayre y-wasche an drye, an caste it al a-brode on þe clothe with a fayre ladel: an let þe clothe ben holdyn a-brode, an late all þe water vnder-nethe þe clothe be had a-way, an þanne gadere alle þe kreme in þe clothe, an let hongy on an pyn, and let þe water droppe owt to or .iij. owrys; þan take it of þe pyn, an put it on a bolle of tre, and caste whyte sugre y-now þer-to, an a lytil salt; and ȝif it wexe þikke, take swete wyn an put þer-to þat it be noȝt sene: and whan it is I-dressid in the maner of mortrewys, take red anys in comfyte, or þe leuys of borage, an sette hem on þe dysshe, an serue forth.	12. Cold Cream of Almonds. Take almonds and pound them, and draw them up into a fine thick milk tempered with clean water. Put it on the fire and let it boil once. Then take it down, add salt, and let it rest a furlong-way or two. Add a little sugar. Then cast it onto a fair linen cloth, well washed and dried, spreading it broadly with a ladle. Let the cloth be held wide so that the water beneath may drain away. Gather the cream together in the cloth and hang it on a pin, letting the water drip out for two or three hours. Then take it down, put it in a wooden bowl, and add enough white sugar and a little salt. If it becomes too thick, add sweet wine so that it is not noticeable. When it is dressed in the manner of mortrews, garnish the dish with red anise comfits or borage leaves, and serve it forth.

Original Text

Modern Translation

.xij. Fride Creme of Almaundys. — Take almaundys, an stampe hem, an draw it vp wyth a fyne thykke mylke, y-temperyd wyth clene water; throw hem on, an sette hem in þe fyre, an let boyle onys: þan tak hem a-down, an caste salt þer-on, an let hem reste a forlongwey or to, an caste a lytyl sugre þer-to; an þan caste it on a fayre lynen clothe, fayre y-wasche an drye, an caste it al a-brode on þe clothe with a fayre ladel: an let þe clothe ben holdyn a-brode, an late all þe water vnder-nethe þe clothe be had a-way, an þanne gadere alle þe kreme in þe clothe, an let hongy on an pyn, and let þe water droppe owt to or .iij. owrys; þan take it of þe pyn, an put it on a bolle of tre, and caste whyte sugre y-now þer-to, an a lytil salt; and ȝif it wexe þikke, take swete wyn an put þer-to þat it be noȝt sene: and whan it is I-dressid in the maner of mortrewys, take red anys in comfyte, or þe leuys of borage, an sette hem on þe dysshe, an serue forth.

12. Cold Cream of Almonds. Take almonds and pound them, and draw them up into a fine thick milk tempered with clean water. Put it on the fire and let it boil once. Then take it down, add salt, and let it rest a furlong-way or two. Add a little sugar. Then cast it onto a fair linen cloth, well washed and dried, spreading it broadly with a ladle. Let the cloth be held wide so that the water beneath may drain away. Gather the cream together in the cloth and hang it on a pin, letting the water drip out for two or three hours. Then take it down, put it in a wooden bowl, and add enough white sugar and a little salt. If it becomes too thick, add sweet wine so that it is not noticeable. When it is dressed in the manner of mortrews, garnish the dish with red anise comfits or borage leaves, and serve it forth.

Recipe can be found here: Full text of Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55.

For more information on this and similar recipes, please visit Dan Myers’ Medieval Cookery by clicking the link below.

xij – Fride Creme of Almaundys. Take almaundys, an stampe hem, an draw it vp wyth a fyne thykke mylke, y-temperyd wyth clene water; throw hem on, an sette hem in the fyre, an let boyle onys: than tak hem a-down, an caste salt ther-on, an let hem reste a forlongwey (Note: Other MS. forlange.) or to, an caste a lytyl sugrether-to; an than caste it on a fayre lynen clothe, fayre y-wasche an drye, an caste it al a-brode on the clothe with a fayre ladel: an let the clothe ben holdyn a-brode, an late all the water vnder-nethe the clothe be had a-way, an thanne gadere alle the kreme in the clothe, an let hongy on an pyn, and let the water droppe owt to (Note: two.) or .iij. owrys; than take it of the pyn, an put it on a bolle of tre, and caste whyte sugre y-now ther-to, an a lytil salt; and 3if it wexe thikke, take swetewyn an put ther-to that it be no3t sene: and whan it is I-dressid in the maner of mortrewys, take red anys in comfyte, or the leuys of borage, an sette hem on the dysshe, an serue forth.

Interpreting the Recipe

The original instructions describe several important techniques:

Make a thick almond milk: This is not a thin drinking almond milk. It should be rich enough to leave body behind after straining.
Boil once: Heating thick almond milk helps it thicken and set into a creamier texture.
Salt, rest, and sweeten: The balance is not purely sweet. A little salt gives the finished almond cream a more cheese-like character.
Drain in linen: This is the key step. The texture depends on removing enough liquid to make a soft, spreadable cream.
Adjust with sweet wine: The recipe assumes correction. If the almond cream grows too thick, it may be loosened discreetly with wine.
Garnish beautifully: Red anise comfits or borage leaves make this a feast-worthy presentation rather than a plain kitchen paste.

🌰 Texture note: This is best understood as a drained almond cream or almond curd. It will not behave exactly like dairy cheese, but when properly drained and sweetened it becomes smooth, rich, and spreadable.

Humoral and Dietary Context

In medieval medical and dietary writing, almonds were generally considered nourishing, temperate, and useful in refined cookery. They were often recommended in preparations intended to be gentle, strengthening, or suitable for restricted diets. Sugar, depending on context, was also valued medicinally as well as culinarily. Sweet spices such as cinnamon, cloves, mace, cubebs, and related spice mixtures were frequently associated with warmth and digestion.

Within that framework, Fride Creme of Almaundys makes sense as more than a novelty. It is rich without meat, creamy without animal dairy, elegant without being complicated, and adaptable for feast service. The optional additions of wine, saffron, comfits, and borage place the dish firmly in the world of careful presentation and sensory balance.

🥕 Dietary Notes:

Vegan / Dairy-Free: This recipe is naturally dairy-free when made with almond milk and sweet wine or vinegar.
Vegetarian: Suitable as written.
Gluten-Free: Suitable as written, provided all garnishes and spice blends are gluten-free.
Nut Allergy: This recipe is almond-based and is not suitable for those with tree nut allergies.
Alcohol-Free: Use vinegar or verjuice instead of wine for curdling and omit the final sweet wine adjustment.
Feast Service: Serve in small bowls, molded portions, or as a spread with wafers, bread, sops, or fruit.
Camping/Event Use: Best made ahead and packed cold. Keep refrigerated in a cooler and serve in small portions with bread, wafers, crackers, or fruit. Not ideal for making from scratch at camp unless you have reliable heat, clean straining cloths, and adequate chilling.

Redacted Recipe: Fride Creme of Almaundys for Eight

Makes approximately 1 pound of almond cream, or 8 small feast servings. Yield will vary depending on the thickness of the almond milk and how long it drains.

Ingredients

8 cups thick homemade almond milk
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, verjuice, or sweet wine, plus more if needed
1/2 cup white sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Pouder Douce, optional
Sweet wine, optional, for loosening the finished almond cream
Saffron, optional, for coloring the almond milk yellow like butter
Red anise comfits, borage leaves, or edible flowers, for garnish

Method

Prepare a thick almond milk. Strain it through a sieve to remove as much of the almond meal as possible.
Pour the strained almond milk into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. If using saffron for color, add it at this stage.
Heat the almond milk gently until it reaches a boil, stirring often so it does not scorch.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the vinegar, verjuice, or wine. The almond milk should thicken and begin to curdle slightly. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Line a colander or sieve with clean cheesecloth or linen. Pour in the hot almond mixture.
Let the almond cream drain for at least 2 to 3 hours. For a thicker, cream-cheese-like texture, drain overnight in the refrigerator.
Transfer the drained almond cream to a bowl. Add the sugar, remaining salt, and pouder douce, if using. Mix until smooth.
If the mixture is too thick or crumbly, add a little sweet wine, a teaspoon at a time, until it becomes smooth and spreadable.
Serve in a bowl, shape into a small mound, or press into molds. Garnish with red anise comfits, borage leaves, or edible flowers.

Almond milk beginning to thicken and curdle while making Fride Creme of Almaundys

Almond milk beginning to curdle.

Note: Saffron can be added to the almond milk to make it yellow like butter at this stage. I did that and I was impressed with the results.

Heat for five minutes and then add a dash of wine or vinegar to your almond milk. It will immediately thicken and start to curdle. You can also add a dash of wine to the mixture instead of vinegar. Continue to cook for another five minutes or so, stirring so that the milk does not burn.

Remove from heat and strain through a cheesecloth for several hours or overnight. When the dripping has stopped, remove the almond mixture from the cloth and place it in a bowl. Unlike making cheese from dairy, the liquid that is produced from the almonds can be discarded. The whey from cheese making is full of whey protein and can be used in smoothies or baking.

Add sugar to taste in the bowl. If the mixture is a bit too dry or crumbly, wine can be added as well. In my original small batch, I used approximately 2 tablespoons of sugar and then added 2 teaspoons of pouder douce. I did not need to add wine because the addition of the sugar made the almond “cheese” very smooth, similar to cream cheese. At this point I imagine you would be able to cast it into molds, or serve it in bowls garnished with comfits or flowers if you see fit.

Feast Scaling Note: The eight-serving version above is scaled from the original working redaction of 2 cups almond milk. Because almond milk varies in richness, the final yield may differ. For feast service, prepare a test batch first and plan for small portions: this is rich, sweet, and best served as a condiment, small dish, or elegant accompaniment rather than a large bowlful.

Related Almond Milk Recipes from Harleian MS. 279

The following related recipes show how broadly almond milk could be used: as a cream, a colored dish, a thickened pottage, or a decorative feast food.

.lxxvij. Crem de Coloure.—Take an make þicke Milke of Almaundys, & do it in a potte, & sethe it ouer þe fyre; þan take a fayre Canvas, an put it þer-on, & late renne out þe Water; þen take þe halfyndele, & put it in a pot of erþe; þen take the oþer halfyndele, & parte it in [supplied by ed.] to,*. [Two. ] & make þe half ȝelow, & do þer-yn Wyn, Sugre, Clowes, Maces, powder of Canelle; take [gap: reason: blank in MS.] & grynd a lytel in a morter; [leaf 16 bk.] þan temper it vppe wyth almaunde mylke, & do euery of hem in a potte, an loke þat it be y-like chargeaunt, & sette it ouer þe fyre, an boyle it a lytyl, an serue forth.

77. Cream of Color — Take and make thick milk of almonds, and do it in a pot, and cook it over the fire; then take a fair canvas, and put it there-on and run out the water; then take the half, and put it in a pot of earth; then take the other half, and part it in two and make the half yellow, and do therein wine, sugar, cloves, mace, powder of cinnamon; take and grind a little in a mortar, then temper it up with almond milk, and do every of them in a pot, and look that it be equally thick. Set it over the fire, boil it a little, and serve it forth.

.lxxviij. Colouryd Sew with-owt fyre.—Take fowre pounde of Almaundys, & ley in Water ouer eue, an blanche hem, and on þe morwe grynde hem ryth wyl, an draw þer-of a þicke mylke; þan take Rys, and wasshem clene, an grynd hem wyl, & draw hem vppe wyth þe Mylke þorw a straynoure, an do it on a bolle, & parte it in þe vesselle, an do in al whyte Sugre, an euery vesselle Clowes, Maces, Quybibes, & pouder Canelle; An lete þat on party ben whyte, þat oþer ȝelow, & þat oþer grene with Percely; And ley of euery a leche*. [a strip.] in a dysshe, an loke þat Mylke be temperyd wyth wyne, an þatoþer with Rede wyn.

78. Colored Soup (Stew) without fire — Take four pounds of almonds, and lay them in water overnight, and blanch them. On the morrow grind them very well, and draw thereof a thick milk. Then take rice and wash it clean, grind it well, and draw it up with the milk through a strainer. Put it in a bowl and part it into vessels. Add white sugar to all, and to every vessel add cloves, mace, cubebs, and powder of cinnamon. Let one part be white, another yellow, and another green with parsley. Lay a slice of each in a dish, and see that one milk is tempered with wine and the other with red wine.

📖 Color symbolism in medieval food: Recipes such as Crem de Coloure and Colouryd Sew with-owt fyre suggest that color mattered at the medieval table. White foods could evoke purity or refinement, yellow (often colored with saffron) prosperity and celebration, while green foods, frequently tinted with herbs or parsley, might suggest renewal, springtime, or abundance. While symbolism varied by region and context, feast presentation was rarely accidental.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with bread, wafers, or trenchers as a sweet almond spread.
Use as a Lenten substitute for soft cheese or butter.
Garnish with red anise comfits for a manuscript-faithful presentation.
Use borage leaves or edible flowers for a fresh, decorative finish.
For a feast board, serve beside dried fruit, candied citrus peel, preserved fruit, or spiced wine.

Fride Creme of Almaundys – FAQ

Is Fride Creme of Almaundys actually cheese?

Not in the dairy sense. It is made from almond milk rather than animal milk, but the thickened and drained texture makes it behave like a soft almond cheese or sweet almond cream.

Can this be made for Lent?

Yes. This is one of the reasons the recipe is so useful. It creates a rich, creamy dish without meat or dairy, making it suitable for many medieval-style fast-day or Lenten menus.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. It can be made a day ahead and kept chilled. Stir before serving and loosen with a little sweet wine, almond milk, or water if it becomes too thick.

What should the texture be?

The finished texture should be smooth and spreadable, similar to a soft cream cheese or thick almond paste. Longer draining produces a firmer result.

Can I make this without alcohol?

Yes. Use vinegar or verjuice to help thicken the almond milk, and omit the final sweet wine adjustment. If needed, loosen the finished cream with a little almond milk or water.

AI Assistance Disclosure: Historical transcription, formatting, and redaction support were provided with the help of AI tools for research and editing. Some images were created or edited with AI tools. All historical interpretation and final text are curated and verified by the editor of Give It Forth.

#medievalfood #scafeast #scacook #historicfood #harleianMS279

Fride Creme of Almaundys – Medieval Almond Cream Cheese (Harleian MS. 279)