12th Night Feast - Gyngerbrede Harl. MS 279, 1430 - Gingerbread

Marchpane, Gingerbread, Coriander Flavored Marzipan (Callishones) decorated
with White Coriander Comfits

iiij - Gyngerbrede. Take a quart of hony, and sethe it, and skeme it clene; take Safroun, pouder Pepir, and throw ther-on; take gratyd Brede, and make it so chargeaunt (Note: stiff) that it wol be y-lechyd; then take pouder Canelle, and straw ther-on y-now; then make yt square, lyke as thou wolt leche yt; take when thou lechyst hyt, an caste Box leves a-bouyn, y-stykyd ther-on, on clowys. And 3if thou wolt haue it Red, coloure it with Saunderys y-now.

4. Gingerbread - Take a quart of honey and cook it, and skim it clean; take saffron, powder pepper and throw there-on; take grated bread, and make it so stiff that it will be sliced; then take powder cinnamon, and strew there-on enough; then make it square, like as you will slice it; take when you slice it, and cast box-leaves above, stick there-on cloves. And if you will have it red, color it with saunders enough.

Gingerbread

1 pound honey (I use raw honey)
1 pound bread crumbs
2 tsp. pepper ** see below
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Opt. 1 tbsp. ginger, 1 tsp. grains of paradise, ½ tsp. white pepper

Bring honey to boil and skim off the scum that rises.\, once the honey is cleaned remove from heat. Add spices to bread crumbs and mix well (you don't want clumps of spice), mix honey and spiced bread crumbs together, shape, and allow to cool. Once mixture is cool it can be sliced. I prefer to shape the gingerbread into bite sized balls.

**I like to use this mix for pepper which is my version of powder forte)

1 tbsp. mixed peppers (black, long pepper, grains of paradise and cubebs)
1/2 tsp. each nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger
1/4 tsp. clove

Baronial 12th Night - To make white leach of creame - A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen (1602) and Jellied Ypocras

To make white leach of creame - A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen (1602) - To make white leach of creame. TAke a pint of sweete creame, and sixe spoone-fuls of Rose water, and two graines of Muske, two drops of oyle of Mace, or one piece of large Mace, and so let it boyle with foure ounces of Isin-glasse: then let it run downe through a gelly bagge, when it is cold, slice it like brawne, and so serue it out: this is the best way to make leach.

A White Leach

1 pint half and half
3/8 of a cup rosewater
1 drop musk flavoring
2 tsp. ground mace
2 packages unflavored gelatine

Bloom the gelatine in the rosewater. Put half and half and mace into a pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for approximately five minutes, stirring constantly so that half and half does not burn. Add gelatin and stir until it is fully dissolved. Strain mixture into your mold or on a cookie sheet and place in refridgerator to cool for several hours.

To serve, cut into small squares or unmold.


Jellied Ypocras

I cannot take credit for the Jellied Ypocras. The recipe was came from Eulalia Hath A Blogge; Eulalia Piebakere's SCA projects and adventures in medieval reenactment.

Here is my recipe based on her interpretation:

Jellied Ypocras

3 cups red wine (I used Welch's Sangria flavored juice instead)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
5 cloves
5 peppercorns
1 large piece of mace
½ nutmeg
½ stick of cinnamon
4 packets unflavored gelatine

Pour the wine into a pot and add sugar and spices, bring to a boil. Bloom the gelatine in the water. Boil the wine and sugar for five minutes. Strain the wine into a bowl and add the gelatine until completely dissolved. Place and fridge and leave until the jelly has set completely.

To serve, cut into small squares or diamonds and pile lightly onto a serving dish.

Baronial 12th Night - Spiced apples and pears Chiquart's 'On Cookery’, 1420

                                    

Spiced apples and pears Chiquart's 'On Cookery’, 1420 Again, pears cooked without coals or water: to instruct the person who will be cooking them, he should get a good new earthenware pot, then get the number of pears he will be wanting to cook and put them into that pot; when they are in it, stop it up with clean little sticks of wood in such a way that when the pot is upside down on the hot coals it does not touch them at all; then turn it upside down on the hot coals and keep it covered over with coals and leave it to cook for an hour or more. Then uncover them and check whether they have cooked enough, and leave them there until they are cooked enough. When they are cooked, put them out into fine silver dishes; then they are borne to the sick person. Chiquart's 'On Cookery, 1420

Spiced apples and pears

Approximately 2 pound apples and pears
¼ cup sugar (I used brown)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp. anise seeds (opt)
1/4 cup water

Peel and core your fruit and slice into even slices. Mix well with spices and sugars and place into a baking dish. Add water and bake in a 400 degree oven until tender. Alternatively, you can place in a crockpot and cook on low overnight.

Baronial 12th Night - Cheese & Nuts

Cheese & Nuts 

While researching dietary theory, specifically 15th century England, and brainstorming ways that the theory could be applied to modern day feasts specifically for SCA events, I learned that it was customary to serve later in the meal ripened or hardened cheeses (especially after meat) and nuts (after fish). Since I had served both at this event, I put together a "dessert" plate of cheeses, dried fruits and nuts.

For the nuts I used a mixture of walnut, almond, hazel and pistachio nuts. The cheeses included mild cheddar in slices, white cheddar curds, gouda, blue cheese and brie. I also added dried fruit to the tray including raisins and currants mixed together, dried cherries, dried apricots, dates and figs.