Recipe Manuscript

Almond Cheese Cakes

Name: Almond Cheese Cakes
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 225 grams whole blanched almonds (or ground almonds as substitute); 2 teaspoons rose water; 10 large egg yolks; 60 ml sweet sherry (or dessert wine, or omit if unavailable); 225 grams caster (superfine) sugar; 225 grams unsalted butter, softened; 270 grams plain flour; 170 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed (for pastry); 1 egg yolk (for pastry); About 50 ml lukewarm water

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dessert

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

Almond Cheese Cakes

"Blanch half a pound of almonds beat them in a marble morter with rose water, beat the yolks of ten eggs with a little sack or half a pound of loaf sugar beaten or sifted, then take half a pound of fresh butterr beat it to cream or continue doing so for half an hour, then make a thin paste for your tins, a pint of flour 6 ounces of butterr rub it in wet with the yolk of an egg, a little water blood warm, mix it not too light, roul out the botoms put them into the tins, fill them as they go into the oven, when they are baked jse them as you do a plumb cake but not quite so thick"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a continuous, narrative style typical of early 18th-century manuscripts, with little punctuation and few precise measurements by modern standards. 'Sack' refers to a type of sweet fortified wine; 'loaf sugar' is refined sugar sold in a cone, usually grated. 'Blanch' means to remove the almond skins. Instructions for the crust ('paste') and filling are combined, and quantities are often given as weights (e.g., 'half a pound'), which can be easily converted to metric. Spelling reflects the orthography of the period (e.g., 'morter' for 'mortar', 'sifted' may imply finely ground), and phrases like 'beat it to cream' mean to mix the butter until light and fluffy.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of 1720 (1720)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1720

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step back to the early 18th century and discover a delightful treasury of recipes and culinary secrets, where traditional flavors meet timeless technique—a feast for curious cooks and history lovers alike.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from early 18th-century England, around 1720—a time when almonds, rose water, and rich butters were prized for luxurious baked confections. Published in a private or handwritten household manuscript, this Almond Cheese Cake was a fashionable dessert served at genteel tables. At that time, 'cheese cake' often referred to any sweet curd or custard tart, not necessarily containing cheese, and almond variants were a statement of wealth and continental taste.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks in the early 1700s would use a heavy marble mortar and pestle to grind the almonds, wooden mixing spoons, and deep earthenware bowls for beating the eggs and butter. The dough would be mixed by hand and rolled with a wooden pin. Small metal or ceramic tart tins lined with butter were typical for baking, and pastries would be baked in wood-fired ovens, carefully tended to maintain an even temperature.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Servings

Ingredients

8 ounces whole blanched almonds (or ground almonds as substitute)
2 teaspoons rose water
10 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sweet sherry (or dessert wine, or omit if unavailable)
8 ounces caster (superfine) sugar
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
2 cups plain flour
6 ounces cold unsalted butter, cubed (for pastry)
1 egg yolk (for pastry)
About 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lukewarm water

Instructions

Begin by blanching 8 ounces of whole almonds, then grinding them finely in a mortar or food processor with about 2 teaspoons of rose water to make a fragrant paste.
In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks of 10 large eggs together with 1/4 cup sweet sherry (substitute with dry sherry or dessert wine if needed) and 8 ounces of superfine (caster) sugar until smooth and pale.
Soften 8 ounces of unsalted butter at room temperature, then beat it until creamy and light—this may take about 8-10 minutes with an electric mixer, or longer if done by hand.
Combine the almond paste, egg mixture, and creamed butter, mixing thoroughly.
To make the pastry base, rub 6 ounces of cold butter into 2 cups of plain flour to create fine crumbs.
Moisten with the yolk of 1 egg and enough lukewarm water (about 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) to form a tender but not overly soft dough.
Roll out the dough thinly, line small tart tins or shallow muffin pans with it, and trim the edges.
Fill each pastry-lined tin with the almond custard mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes or until just set and lightly golden.
Allow to cool slightly, then serve.
Enjoy them as one would a plum cake, though slice them more thinly.

Estimated Calories

350 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing these almond tarts takes about half an hour to get the ingredients ready and to assemble the pastry and filling. Baking them takes another 20 to 25 minutes. Each tart has about 350 calories, and the recipe makes around 12 small tarts.