A Marrow Florentain
From the treasured pages of Cookbook
Unknown Author
A Marrow Florentain
"Take a peny Hale Coarfutin Sippets and the marrow of two Bones Slyced and a pound of Raisans Some few Dates cut very Small then take a deep dish and Cay some Sippets in the bottom So Cay Some marrow on the Sippets throw Salt on the marrow then lay the other Layer of Bread and more marrow dates raisans cannel and Salt So Cay in all the bread and marrow then Sippets upon the top of it then fill up your dish with Custard Stuff which will bind all together then bake it Serve it up hot."
Note on the Original Text
Recipes of this era were written as continuous prose, with minimal punctuation or standardized spelling, and a great deal of assumed kitchen knowledge. Words like ‘Cay’ mean ‘lay’ or ‘place,’ ‘Sippets’ are pieces of bread used to soak up liquid, and ‘Coarfutin’ is likely ‘coarser-cut’ bread used for layering. Measurements relied on coinage (a ‘penny loaf’) or practical amounts, and instructions focused on order of assembly rather than precise timings or temperatures. The syntax reflects oral tradition, aiming for brevity and efficiency rather than clarity for novices.
Title
Cookbook (1706)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1706
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step back to the early 18th century with this charming culinary collection, brimming with period recipes that tantalize the tastebuds and offer a delicious glimpse into historic kitchens.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from c.1706, a time when elaborate layered dishes were fashionable in English kitchens. Rich meats like marrow, combined with fruits and custard, created luxurious sweet-savoury puddings that showcased wealth and access to rare ingredients such as dates and raisins. Florentine-style dishes (‘Florentain’) were popularized during the Stuart period, often drawing on Italian or continental influences, and regularly used in both aristocratic and well-to-do households. This dish would have been served as a centrepiece for a grand meal, likely at the second course, blurring the lines between savoury and sweet.
In the early 18th century, this dish would have been assembled in a deep ceramic or tin-glazed earthenware dish. Bread would be sliced with a large kitchen knife, marrow extracted with a spoon from roasted bones or raw bones split by the butcher. Custard was mixed by hand with a wooden spoon, then poured over the assembled layers. Baking was done in a wood-fired oven, the dish covered with a lid or pastry if desired, and monitored carefully to avoid burning. Serving was done directly from the dish to the table, piping hot.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Servings
6
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
- 7 oz white bread, crusts removed (for sippets)
- 3.5 oz beef marrow (from about 2 large marrow bones)
- 5.3 oz raisins
- 1.5 oz dates, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 0.5 oz (1 tbsp) sugar
Instructions
- To make a modern version of 'A marrow florentain' you will need thinly sliced white bread (about 7 oz) to serve as 'sippets,' or crustless bread pieces.
- Prepare 2 beef marrow bones and extract the marrow, slicing it into pieces (you’ll get about 3.5 oz of marrow).
- Layer the bottom of a deep baking dish with some bread, add slices of marrow, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then scatter a mixture of 5.3 oz raisins and 1.5 oz finely chopped dates.
- Continue layeing bread, marrow, raisins, dates, a little cinnamon, and salt, finishing with bread on top.
- Make a simple custard by whisking together 1 2/3 cups of whole milk with 3 large eggs and a heaped tablespoon (0.5 oz) sugar, then pour over the layered dish, allowing it to soak in.
- Bake at 340°F until the custard is set and bubbling and the top is golden, about 35-40 minutes.
- Serve hot, as they did in the early 18th centry.
Estimated Calories
380 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the bread, marrow, fruit, and custard. Baking takes around 40 minutes. The finished dish serves 6 people and each serving contains about 380 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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