Recipe Manuscript

To Make Orange Biskett

Name: To Make Orange Biskett
Prep time: PTPT40M
Cook time: PTPT10M
Yield: 24
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 450 g sweet almonds (Jordan almonds preferred), blanched and peeled; 1 large orange, peel only, boiled until tender; 450 g white sugar, finely ground and sifted; 1 egg white; Additional sifted icing sugar (for the glaze); Splash of water (for grinding the almonds)

1709

From the treasured pages of Cook-book of Margaret Turner

Written by Margaret Eyre

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1709

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Orange Biskett

"Take a pound of Jurdan Almonds, blanch them & beat them with a little water to keep them from oyling, then have a ready a good Orange pild boiled tender in fair water & wring ye water clean out of them, & beat them very well into your Almonds, & beat in a pound of fine shugar wch must be first beaten & sifted. when it is beaten well, role it out pretty thin, & cut it out with tin prints, lay them on papers & take some fine shugar beaten and sifted, wett it with ye white of an Egg beat it very well, but lett it not be too thick, & ice them very thin & put them in your baking pan, put fire only on ye top of it & lett them lie till ye Ieeing be hard, & take them out, turn them on Ice ye other side, put them in again till they are hard, & lay them between papers in a wainscott box & keep them for your use."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in early modern English, with orthography and spelling different from what we're used to now. For instance, 'oyling' means releasing oil, 'biskett' is an older form of 'biscuit', and 'ye' stands for 'the.' There are no specific oven timings or temperatures, as baking relied on the baker's judgment and the variable heat of hearth fires. Ingredient amounts and pastry skills were assumed to be known by the reader, who would likely be an experienced household cook. The recipe emphasizes texture and visual cues—such as a hard but not burnt glaze—to guide preparation.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cook-book of Margaret Turner - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cook-book of Margaret Turner (1709)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Margaret Eyre

Era

1709

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the refined world of early 18th-century cookery with Margaret Eyre, where recipes are whispered secrets and culinary wonders await. From hearty roasts to delicate sweets, this charming tome serves up inspiration fit for the tables of historic England.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from an early 18th-century English household, penned around 1709 by Margaret Eyre. Such 'bisketts' were popular at the time for their elegant use of imported ingredients like almonds and sugar, signaling wealth and refined taste. The orange element adds a perfumed Continental note, prized in luxury baking as England's global trade connections broadened. Biscuits like these were not everyday fare—they were reserved for special occasions, to be savored with tea or given as lavish gifts. The wainscot box storage hints at the value placed on keeping these morsels in perfect condition.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Historically, the almonds were blanched by hand, then ground using a large mortar and pestle, which required considerable effort for a fine paste. Rolling was done with a straight wooden pin. Shaped tin cutters, now called cookie cutters, stamped the biscuits out. Bakes were arranged on parchment or stiff white paper. Icing was brushed on with a feather or small bundle of twigs, and 'baked' in a hearth oven, where heat came exclusively from above using a baking pan (possibly a Dutch oven or closable tin placed under hot coals). Storage relied on wooden (wainscot) boxes lined with paper to protect the biscuits' delicate iced finish.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 lb sweet almonds (Jordan almonds preferred), blanched and peeled
1 large orange, peel only, boiled until tender
1 lb white sugar, finely ground and sifted
1 egg white
Additional sifted confectioners’ sugar (for the glaze)
Splash of water (for grinding the almonds)

Instructions

Begin by blanching 1 pound of sweet almonds (Jordan almonds were the premium choice in the past), peeling off their skins, and grinding them finely with a splash of water to avoid releasing their oils.
Separately, peel a large orange, and simmer the peel in ample water until completely soft, ensuring all bitterness is removed.
Squeeze out any excess water from the softened peel, then finely chop or blend it.
In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine the almonds and orange peel until they form a smooth, fragrant paste.
Add 1 pound of finely ground, sifted white sugar to the almond-orange mixture and combine thoroughly.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4–1/3 inch thickness.
Use cookie cutters to form shapes, then place the pieces onto lined baking trays.
For the icing, beat one egg white with enough sifted confectioners’ sugar to make a thin glaze, and brush this sparingly over the biscuits.
Bake under a grill or in an oven preheated to 350°F, ideally with top heat only, just until the glaze sets and hardens but the biscuits remain pale.
Flip the biscuits, reapply glaze, and repeat for the other side.
Cool and store in layers between parchment in an airtight tin.

Estimated Calories

100 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 40 minutes to prepare and assemble these biscuits, plus 10 minutes to cook both sides. Each biscuit has about 100 calories, and the batch makes around 24 biscuits.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.