Recipe Manuscript

To Make Sugar Pufs

Name: To Make Sugar Pufs
Prep time: PTPT2H20M
Cook time: PTPT1H20M
Yield: 20
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 450 grams icing (confectioner's) sugar, double refined if possible; 3-4 egg whites, from fresh eggs; 45 ml (3 tablespoons) orange flower water; 15 ml (1 tablespoon) gum tragacanth (gum dragon), soaked in orange flower water (or substitute with a very small amount of xanthan gum gelled in water); Tiny pinch of musk, finely ground (optional, substitute with zest of half an orange or a few drops of fragrant vanilla for modern palates); Additional egg white, if needed

1672

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Constance Hall

Written by Constance Hall

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1672

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make Sugar Pufs

"Take a pound of Double refin'd sugar, searce it through atiffany sieve, put into it 3 whites of new laid eggs, 3 spoonfulls of orring flower water, and a spoonfull of gum Dragon being steep'd in orring flower water, you must put in some musk braded very small in a spoonfull of your paff, if you feel goth too thick you may put in it another white of egg you must Beat it an hour and a half or 2 hours not letting it stand still at all drop upon pie plates, and set it in an oven after you have Drawn brown bread this you may make a cake with."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in the practical, conversational style typical of 17th-century manuscript cookery books, assuming the reader's familiarity with ingredients, methods, and local tools. Spelling is largely phonetic ('orring' for 'orange', 'paff' for 'paste'), reflecting both the changing English orthography of the period and the informal nature of personal recipe collections. Quantities rely on intuition ('a spoonfull', 'if you feel goth too thick'), and instructions are continuous, expecting the reader to interpret pauses and process steps. The lengthy beating and low, residual heat are time-tested techniques for aerating and setting sugar-egg mixtures before the advent of modern ovens.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Constance Hall - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Constance Hall (1672)

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

Writer

Constance Hall

Era

1672

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A spirited foray into 17th-century kitchens, this collection by Constance Hall brims with the flavors, secrets, and delicacies of Restoration-era England—perfect for cooks keen to revive a dash of history in their modern menus.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from the notebook of Constance Hall, dating to 1672, a period flourishing with sweet confections in English households. Sugar puffs, as described here, are an early forerunner to modern meringues and marshmallows—a luxury treat celebrating the quality of refined sugar, imported flavorings like orange flower water, and rare spices or essences such as musk, which denoted wealth and sophistication. In elite 17th-century English kitchens, such recipes reflected both the evolving techniques of pastry and the growing global palette, as sugar and exotica became more accessible, though still pricy. Hall's recipe captures the baroque pleasure of sweetmeats meant for display as much as for taste.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In Constance Hall's 1672 kitchen, the cook would use a large mortar and pestle to pound and sift sugar through a delicate linen or silk sieve ('tiffany'). Egg whites were separated and laboriously whisked by hand, using bundles of birch twigs or early wire whisks. The 'gum dragon' was soaked in small bowls, and musk was powdered in a specialized spice grinder. Dropping the mix onto 'pie plates' refers to using flat, shallow earthenware or tin plates as baking trays. Finally, the mixture was set in the residual heat of a cooling bread oven, which provided a gentle, drying environment for delicate sweets.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

2 hrs 20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 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

1 pound icing (confectioner's) sugar, double refined if possible
3-4 egg whites, from fresh eggs
1.5 fl oz (3 tablespoons) orange flower water
0.5 fl oz (1 tablespoon) gum tragacanth (gum dragon), soaked in orange flower water (or substitute with a very small amount of xanthan gum gelled in water)
Tiny pinch of musk, finely ground (optional, substitute with zest of half an orange or a few drops of fragrant vanilla for modern palates)
Additional egg white, if needed

Instructions

To make Sugar Puffs in the manner of the 17th century, begin with 1 pound of finely sifted icing (confectioner's) sugar.
Combine this with the whites of three fresh eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Add three tablespoons (about 1.5 fluid ounces) of orange flower water for fragrance and subtle floral flavors.
Prepare about 1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounce) of gum tragacanth (sometimes called 'gum dragon') by soaking it in orange flower water until jelly-like, then add this to the mixture.
If you wish to recreate the authentic aroma of the period, crush a tiny pinch of musk (or, if unavailable, a hint of orange zest or very fragrant vanilla) and blend it with a spoonful of your mixture before adding it back to the whole.
Should your mixture become too stiff during beating, add another egg white.
Using an electric mixer or a sturdy whisk, beat everything together vigorously for 1.5 to 2 hours, aiming for a light, marshmallowy texture.
Using spoons, drop dollops of the mix onto lined baking sheets or shallow plates.
Bake them gently in a low oven (around 250°F), ideally after baking bread so the oven is cooling down, until set and dry.
You can shape the mix into small cakes if desired.

Estimated Calories

90 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the Sugar Puffs takes about 15–20 minutes to measure ingredients and set up. Beating the mixture by machine or hand will take up to 2 hours. Baking them at a low temperature needs around 60–80 minutes until set and dry. Each serving has about 90 calories, and you'll get roughly 20 puffs from this recipe.

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.