Renaissance Custard Recipes

Renaissance Custard Recipes Make Delicious, Creamy Custards

Renaissance custard recipes evolved from the Medieval custards or "crustades" which were egg and cream mixtures used as binders for fillings in tarts and puddings. Custards were also eaten on their own served in non-edible pastry cases called coffins.

Rich custard creams became popular desserts in the Elizabethan Era. They consisted of sweet, creamy egg custards flavored with spices and decorated with comfit candy and sometimes preserved fruits.

These delicious Renaissance custard recipes are fun to try.

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The Renaissance Dessert Recipes Glossary

To make fine Cuftards

Take two quarts of Cream and boil it well with whole Spice, then put in the yolks of twelve Eggs, and fix Whites well beaten and ftrained, then put in thefe Eggs over the fire, and keep them ftirring left they turn, then when they are thoroughly hot, take it off and ftir it till it be almoft cold, then put in Rofewater and Sugar, and take out the whole Spice, then put your Cuftard into feveral things to bake, and do not let them ftand too long in the Oven; when you ferve them in, ftrew on fmall French Comfits of divers colours, or elfe fine Sugar, which you pleafe.

To make a very fine Cream

Take a quart of Cream, and put to fome Rofewater and Sugar, fome large Mace, Cinamon and Cloves; boil it together for a quarter of an hour, then take the yolks of eight Eggs, beat them together with fome of your Cream, then put them into the Cream which is boiling, keep it ftirring left it curdle, take it from the fire, and keep it ftirring till it be a little cold, then run it through a Strainer, difh it up, and let it ftand one night, the next day it will be as ftiff as a Cuftard, then ftick it with blanched Almonds, Citron Pill and Eringo roots, and fo ferve it in.

To make Tuff-Taffity Cream

Take a quart of thick Cream, the whites of eight Eggs beaten to a Froth with Rofewater, then take off the Froth and put it into the Cream, and boil it, and always ftir it, then put in the Yolks of eight Eggs well beaten, and ftir them in off the Fire, and then on the fire a little while, then feafon it with Sugar, and pour it out, and when it is cold, lay on it Jelly of Currans or Rafberries, or what you pleafe.

To make Cream of divers things

Take a Quart of Cream and boil it a while, then put in eight yolks of Eggs and fix Whites well beaten, put them in over the Fire, and ftir them left they turn, then when it is almoft enough, put in fome Candied Eringo Root, Orange or Limon Pill Candied, and cut thin, preferved Plums, without the Stones, Quince, Pippin, Cherries, or the like; if you do not like it fo thick, put fewer Eggs into it.