We didn’t prepare formal documentation for this contest, as it was not required. However, a good general introduction to late-period sweets (and in particular the banquet) can be found on the webpage of Dame Alys Katharine at http://home.netcom.com/~alysk/articles.html. In brief, the practice of having a banquet of sweets following a feast gained popularity among the wealthy in 16th century England. We are presenting a small sample representative of the types of dishes that may have been served at such a banquet.
1. Marzipan
We prepared this marzipan by grinding blanched, slivered almonds purchased in bulk in a spice grinder, then mixing the resulting powder with sugar to taste and a small amount of rose water as a binding agent. Exact amounts didn’t seem to be crucial. Knead into a paste. This probably would have been smoother if made using the period method of mortar and pestle.
2. Candied Orange Peel
There are multiple period recipes for citrus peel candied with either sugar or honey. The recipe we used is one of our own devising:
3 oranges (choose ones that have pretty peels)
Lots of water
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
More sugar
Quarter the oranges and remove the flesh (warning: don’t sit and eat it all, as I did, unless you want to get a tummy ache, as I did –Eulalia). Using a small, sharp knife, scrape most of the pith (the white part) from the peels. Cut each quarter into long, thin strips. In a large saucepan, simmer the peels in plenty of water for about 20 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water. Let stand for between 3 and 7 days, changing the water each morning and evening.
Once the peels have stopped turning the water orange, drain them one last time and return them to a saucepan. Add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the peels have turned translucent. Fish the peels out with tongs or a fork and place on a piece of wax paper with some sugar. Roll each piece in sugar until coated, then put the pieces on a second sheet of wax paper. Let them dry overnight.
This can be done with many types of citrus fruits (citron is the best), and different types can be prepared together.
3. Quince Paste
Quince paste is delicious served with hard cheeses, especially Manchego, and can actually be bought in fancy grocery stores if you don’t want to make your own.
5 medium to large quinces (use the best-smelling ones you can find)
2 pints water
3 cups sugar (or to taste) – earlier recipes call for honey
Optional: spices to taste, this was made unspiced
Wash the quinces and rub off all the fuzz. Core and cut into roughly 1” pieces. In a large saucepan (a non-stick one is helpful), simmer the quinces in water, covered, until tender. At this point, you can either strain the incredibly hot and awkward goop through a sieve which will almost certainly result in you burning yourself unless you are patient enough to wait for the goo to cool off, or you can break out the stick blender. We opted for the latter. Being careful not to fling hot quince everywhere, blend until smooth.
Return to the stove and add the sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. The paste will darken significantly. When your stirring leaves distinct paths in the paste that stay (ie, when it gels) the paste is ready (or you can opt to cook it longer to get a thicker, darker paste). Remove from heat and ladle or pour into molds. We lightly oiled the molds using grapeseed oil to ease unmolding. Let molds set overnight. If you don’t have molds, you can also pour the paste into baking sheets lined with parchment paper, let cool overnight, and slice into squares.
4. Candied Ginger
We have not found a pre-1600 candied ginger recipe, but it was known in period and was a part of the sweets banquet. (We suspect that Europeans did not make this, rather they imported it.)
Fresh ginger (it is best to do this using young ginger, which has white, not brown, skin)
Lots of water
Equal parts sugar and water (for ~6oz ginger, we used 2 cups of each)
Wash and peel the ginger, and cut into thin slices (or whatever size pieces you like). Boil in plenty of water for five minutes and drain. Rinse, and repeat 4-5 times (more if you are not using young ginger).
Bring water and sugar to a boil. Add ginger and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Drain, and dry the ginger pieces on a baking rack overnight. The next morning, coat pieces with sugar (try coating pieces in coarse sugar for a more decorative effect and crunchier texture).
5. Fine Spiced Cakes
There are multiple extant Elizabethan cookie recipes. This is not one of them.
3 sticks of butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups flour
Spices: we made one batch with anise seeds, and one batch with long pepper, clove,
mace, cinnamon, and ginger.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add flour gradually and spices. Press into a high-sided cookie sheet or a brownie pan (roughly 9x13). Bake at 250°F for 45 minutes (or so). Remove from oven and slice into squares immediately.
In case you still find the idea of making your own sweets banquet terrifying, you can buy a relatively authentic assortment of late period sweets at fancy grocery stores (like Trader Joe’s). For a simple banquet, try: candied ginger, dried figs (and other dried fruits), nuts (especially pine nuts), quince paste (often imported from Spain and called “membrillo”), and shortbread cookies. A sweets banquet, whether made by hand, bought at the store, or a combination of the two, is an enjoyable way to add a little period flair to nearly any event, impress your friends, and have an excuse to eat candy.
©Laurel Black and Amber Grasmick