To Make Rife Florintine
From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Ann Smith, Reading
Written by Ann Smith
To Make Rife Florintine
"Take one lb of Rife dryd thorn in milk with a Little wholl mace then foafon itt with mace Cinamon Sugar a Little fack ½ A Gills a Little Rofe water ½ lb of Currants ½ lb of Raisons 3 or 4 ggs a Little Butter for Lay itt on puff paft upon A Difhe & Bake itt Scraped on fome Sugar & Scrvc itt vp"
Note on the Original Text
The original text, like most recipes of the period, is more a prompt for an experienced cook than a strict formula: quantities are often vague ('a Little foafon'), and assumed knowledge bridges the gaps. Spelling is fluid—'Rife' stands for rice, 'foafon' is 'season,' 'foafon itt with mace Cinamon Sugar a Little fack' asks you to flavor the mixture accordingly. 'Dryd thorn in milk' likely means 'thoroughly boiled' or 'simmered.' Eggs ('ggs') and 'Buttcr' are beaten in as binders and enrichers. 'Lay itt on puff paft upon A Difhe' means to use puff pastry in a dish as a lining. 'Scraped on fome Sugar' is a flourish at serving.
Title
Cookbook of Ann Smith, Reading (1698)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Ann Smith
Era
1698
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step into the sumptuous kitchens of 17th-century England with Ann Smith’s culinary treasury, where traditional recipes and time-honored techniques invite you to savor the flavors of history. Each page promises a feast of inspiration and a glimpse into the artful dining of a bygone era.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe, titled 'To Make Rife Florintine,' hails from Ann Smith's collection, dated 1698. The late 17th-century English kitchen was a place of international influence and opulent flavors, with cooks eager to adapt exotic ingredients into their repertoire. Rice puddings, often baked in pastry, were beloved by the well-to-do, evoking the luxury of imported spices, dried fruits, and the strikingly precious rosewater. The term 'Florintine' hints at continental inspiration, as many English puddings were fancifully named after Italian or French confections, regardless of their true origin.
Cooks of the late 1600s would have used a wide-bottomed pot or cauldron to cook rice over an open fire or on a hearth. Spices would be ground fresh with a mortar and pestle. A wooden spoon was essential for mixing everything together. The pastry would be rolled out with a wooden rolling pin and transferred to a shallow baking dish, often of pewter or earthenware. Baking was done in a brick oven, heated by wood or peat.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 10 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
- 1 lb dry rice (short-grain or pudding rice preferred)
- Enough whole milk to cover rice (about 4 to 5 cups)
- 1 whole blade of mace
- Pinch ground mace
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra to serve
- 1 fl oz sweet sherry (substitute for 'sack')
- 2 tsp rosewater
- 8 oz currants
- 8 oz raisins
- 3 or 4 large eggs
- 2 oz unsalted butter, softened
- Puff pastry (to line baking dish, about 9 oz)
- Extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Start by simmering 1 lb of dry rice in enough milk to cover it, adding in one whole mace blade for gentle spicing.
- Cook until the rice is tender.
- Remove the mace.
- Next, season the rice with a small pinch each of ground mace and cinnamon, around 1/4 cup of sugar, and a splash (about 1 fl oz) of sweet sherry (as 'sack').
- Stir in 2 teaspoons (2 tsp) of rosewater for floral arowma.
- Add 8 oz each of currants and raisins, and then beat in 3 to 4 eggs and 2 oz of softened butter until well mixed.
- Prepare a baking dish lined with puff pastry, spoon the rice mixturre on top, spreading evenly.
- Bake in a moderate oven (about 350°F) until set and golden, about 35-40 minutes.
- Once out of the oven, generously sprinkle with more sugar and serve warm, straight from the dish.
Estimated Calories
500 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will first need about 10 minutes to measure and prepare all the ingredients. Cooking the rice in milk until tender takes around 25-30 minutes. Lining the dish with pastry and mixing the filling takes about 10 minutes. Baking in the oven takes about 35-40 minutes. In total, you spend about 20 minutes actively preparing before it bakes. The recipe makes about 8 servings, each with roughly 500 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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