Recipe Manuscript

Currants Cakes

Name: Currants Cakes
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 2
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 large egg white; 2 large egg yolks; 50 grams unsalted butter; 45 ml rose water; 150–180 grams fine wheat flour (plus extra for dusting); 50 grams white sugar, finely ground; Dried currants (25–30 grams per cake); Optional: Substitute dried currants with Zante currants or small raisins

1764

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Mary Puleston

Written by Mary Puleston

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1764

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

Currants Cakes

"Take ye white of an egg & 2 yolks as much buter as an egg 3 spoonfull of Rose-water as much fine flour as will knead it; being sweetned with Sugar finely beaten, role ym as thin as may be cut ym by ye bigness of ye plate & strow ye Currants upon ye plate one by one, yn lay another past upon it & do it close about ye edge wth ye finger & cut it about wth ye Jagging Iron"

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this period were written in plain, conversational English, assuming the cook was already skilled in the basics—amounts and times are often vague, and instructions casual. Spelling reflects contemporary or regional usage, with abbreviations like ‘ye’ for ‘the’, ‘ym’ for ‘them’, and ‘wth’ for ‘with’. ‘Past’ refers to pastry, and much is left to the cook’s discretion, especially ingredient quantities and baking times. Method is passed on more by tradition and experience than by precise measurement.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Mary Puleston - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Mary Puleston (1764)

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

Writer

Mary Puleston

Era

1764

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A tantalizing compilation of 18th-century culinary wisdom, this collection artfully preserves the flavors, techniques, and charms of British cookery before 1764—inviting modern gourmets to savor a taste of history with every recipe.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for Currants Cakes hails from the manuscript cookbook compiled by Mary Puleston, who died in 1764. Such handwritten collections were typical of well-off households in 18th-century Britain, where recipes were shared among family and friends, adapting both fashionable and traditional dishes of the era. The cakes reflect the period’s fondness for aromatic waters (here, rose water), enriched doughs, and dried fruits, all popular in the English baking tradition. Cakes like these would have been served for tea or as part of a dessert table, enjoyed by those with the means to afford refined sugar, butter, and exotic products like rose water and currants.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In 18th-century kitchens, this recipe would have been prepared with basic but effective tools. A large wooden or earthenware bowl for mixing; a rolling pin (sometimes literally just a smooth rod or bottle); a small plate to use as a template for cutting the cakes; a knife or pastry wheel (the ‘jagging iron’) for trimming and sealing the edges; and an open hearth oven or bakehouse oven for baking. Everything was done by hand, from kneading to sealing the pastry rounds.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

15 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 large egg white
2 large egg yolks
3.5 tablespoons (1.75 ounces) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons (1.5 fl oz) rose water
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups fine wheat flour (plus extra for dusting)
1/4 cup white sugar, finely ground
Dried currants (1 to 1.25 ounces per cake)
Optional: Substitute dried currants with Zante currants or small raisins

Instructions

Begin by separating the white from one large egg, and combine it with two yolks in a mixing bowl.
Add unsalted butter, measuring an amount equivalent in volume to a large egg (about 3.5 tablespoons or 1.75 ounces).
Pour in three tablespoons (about 1.5 fl oz) of rose water.
Gradually incorporate enough fine wheat flour (approximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups) to form a smooth, kneadable dough.
Sweeten to taste with finely ground white sugar, starting with about 1/4 cup.
Roll the dough out as thinly as possible, aiming for perhaps 1/8 inch thickness.
Using a plate or circular cutter (roughly 6 inches in diameter), cut rounds from the dough.
Lay a generous, even layer of dried currants (about 1 to 1.25 ounces per cake) on one round, pressing them in gently, then cover with a second round of pastry.
Seal the edges by pinching them together with your fingers, and use a pastry wheel (jagging iron) to trim and crimp the edges.
Bake on a parchment-lined tray at 350°F (180°C) for 12-18 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Estimated Calories

320 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 25 minutes to prepare the dough, shape, and fill the cakes, plus 15 minutes to bake. Each cake has about 320 calories. This recipe makes 2 cakes.

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.