To Make New Colledge Puddings
From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720 approximately
Unknown Author
To Make New Colledge Puddings
"Take a penny Loafe grate it very fine, half a pound of Corrants, a quarter of a pound of Sweet meats, a quarter of an ounce of double refine Sugar, a Small glass of Sack, & some Nutmeg, mix it up with two Eggs, rowl them in the shape of Eggs or Sausages, brown them gently in a Stew pan over a moderate fire: then put them up with Sack & Sugar in Melted butterr, & so serve them. half an hour will do them."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is typical of its time: brief, presuming the reader is an experienced cook familiar with terms like 'sweet meats' (candied fruits). Amounts are often vague or given in period measures ('penny loaf'). The instruction 'rowl them in the shape of Eggs or Sausages' refers to shaping by hand, not rolling in a coating. Spelling and terms like 'Sack' (a type of sherry) and 'Corrants' (currants) reflect early 18th-century English orthography, and 'New Colledge' uses the older spelling of 'college.' The lack of times and temperatures demands a practiced hand and local knowledge of one’s fire or oven.
Title
Cookbook of 1720 approximately (1720)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1720
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful window into early 18th-century kitchens, this historical culinary tome brims with recipes, culinary wisdom, and the flavors of a bygone era—offering food enthusiasts a taste of both tradition and intrigue.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe hails from early 18th-century England, around 1720, during a period of innovation and refinement in English puddings. Such dishes were served in esteemed locations like the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, thus the name 'New Colledge Puddings.' The recipe embodies a moment when affordable luxury ingredients like dried fruits, sugar, and fortified wines became more accessible, appearing in festive fare and genteel tables. These rich, sweet, buttery puddings bridge the gap between practical leftover usage and celebratory treat.
In the early 1700s, the cook would have used a grater for the bread, a sturdy bowl and spoon for mixing, and perhaps a wooden board for shaping the puddings. Cooking would be done over a hearth fire, using a heavy-bottomed stewpan or frying pan. For the sauce, a small saucepan for melting butter and dissolving sugar was essential. Presentation was important, so a large platter would have carried the finished puddings, drenched in their glossy sherry-butter sauce.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings
8
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
- 4 oz white bread (stale), grated into fine crumbs
- 8 oz currants
- 4 oz candied citrus peel (substitute for 'sweet meats', or use mixed candied fruit)
- 1/4 oz (2 tsp) double refined (caster) sugar
- 2 fl oz sweet sherry (substitute for sack)
- 1/2 whole fresh nutmeg, finely grated
- 2 large eggs
- 2 oz unsalted butter, melted (for sauce and frying)
- 3/4 oz caster sugar (for sauce)
- 1 fl oz sweet sherry (for sauce)
Instructions
- Start by taking about 4 oz of white bread (roughly the size of a small loaf) and grate it into fine breadcrumbs.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F if you wish to bake instead of pan-fry, though traditionally a gentle stove-top was used.
- Add 8 oz of currants, 4 oz of candied citrus peel (or mixed sweetmeats), and 1/4 oz (about 2 tsp) of finely grated nutmeg to the bowl.
- Pour in a small glass (about 2 fl oz) of sweet sherry (as a sack substitute) and add 1/4 oz (about 2 tsp) of caster sugar.
- Beat two large eggs and mix thoroughly into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Shape the mixture into small balls, ovals, or sausage forms by hand.
- Gently brown the shaped puddings in a nonstick frying pan with a little butter over medium-low heat, turning to brown evenly.
- This should take about 15-20 minutes.
- For serving, make a sauce of melted butter (about 2 oz), with 1 fl oz sweet sherry and 3/4 oz caster sugar stirred in until dissolved.
- Pour this sauce over the browned puddings and serve warm.
- They can also continue cooking in the sauce gently for up to half an hour for extra succulence.
Estimated Calories
265 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients, like grating bread and mixing everything. Cooking the puddings takes around 20 minutes on the stove. This recipe makes about 8 servings, and each serving has about 265 calories.
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.
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