Recipe Manuscript

To Make Paste For Tarts (Mrs Leigh'S)

Name: To Make Paste For Tarts (Mrs Leigh'S)
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 450 g plain flour; 225 g unsalted butter; 30–45 g white granulated sugar; 2 large egg yolks; 30–50 ml just boiled water

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720 approximately

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Beginner Intermediate Dessert Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1720

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make Paste For Tarts (Mrs Leigh'S)

"Take a pound of Flowre, half a pound of butterr rub'd verry well into it, two or three Spoonfull of Sugar, the yolks of two Eggs, & mix it up with a little Scalding water."

Note on the Original Text

Early 18th-century recipes often assume a level of kitchen knowledge, omitting step-by-step instructions or exact measurements. Terms like 'rub'd verry well' refer to the technique of combining the butter and flour until crumbly. 'Scalding water' means just-off-boiling water. Spellings ('Flowre', 'rub'd', 'verry') reflect the era's fluid orthography, and the recipe expects the cook to know when the dough is the right texture and how much water to add by feel rather than by recipe.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 approximately - Click to view recipe in book

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

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from early 18th-century England, a time when home cooks, mostly women, recorded their trusted recipes in manuscript books. Mrs. Leigh's pastry would have been used as a base for sweet or savory tarts at the family table or for entertaining. The inclusion of sugar and egg yolk in the pastry points to a taste for delicately enriched crusts, which were becoming popular as sugar became more available and affordable.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The dough would be made by hand, using a large bowl or wooden trencher. A knife or fingers would be used to 'rub in' the butter. Scalding water would be heated in a kettle or pan over an open fire. Mixing and forming the dough relied on touch rather than precision measures or machines. Rolling would be done with a simple wooden rolling pin, and the pastry cut and shaped by hand.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 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

3 3/4 cups plain flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1–1.5 oz white granulated sugar (2–3 tbsp)
2 large egg yolks
2–3 tbsp just boiled water

Instructions

To make a pastry for tarts in the style of Mrs.
Leigh (circa 1720), start by taking 3 3/4 cups of plain flour and rubbing in 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons (1–1.5 ounces) of granulated sugar.
Add the yolks of 2 large eggs and mix gently.
Bring the dough together with a splash (2–3 tablespoons) of scalding (just off boiling) water, adding only as much water as needed to hold the pastry together.
Knead briefly until smooth, then let it rest before rolling out for tarts.

Estimated Calories

350 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the pastry dough and another 20 minutes to bake it for tarts. Each serving has about 350 calories. This recipe makes 10 servings.

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.