To Make Rospis Cakes

This 'Rospis Cakes' recipe comes from an early 17th-century English household manuscript, compiled during the 1600s, a period when sugar work and fruit preserves started becoming fashionable among wealthier classes. The recipe reflects a time when imported sugar was a luxury, and fruits—especially berries—were preserved at summer's peak for enjoyment year-round. Such sweetmeats were prized for banqueting, a fashionable social custom amongst the gentry, and were served as delicate confections at the end of grand meals.

In the 17th century, cooks would have used a large brass or copper pot over an open hearth to boil the fruit. A wooden pestle or spoon was used to break up the berries, and a metal pan or small cauldron for boiling the sugar syrup. Cooking over coals or flame required skill in judging temperatures, as thermometers were rare or nonexistent, so the 'candy height' would be gauged by texture and appearance. The finished mixture would be spread on plates, and dried in a 'stove'—meaning a warm, dry room or a bread oven after baking had finished—sometimes on parchment or pewter plates.