How To Make Marrow Pasties
From the treasured pages of Various Cookeries
Unknown Author
How To Make Marrow Pasties
"Take a quart of Cream & put to it half a penny Manchet thin sliced, then set it on the fire, let it boyle till half be boyled away, then take the Marrow of 2 Bones, put the Marrow into a little spring water let it ly a while, then take it out & shred it small & put it into the milk, the Milk must be almost cold, then put in the yolks of 4 Eggs & One Nutmegg grated in, put in Sug.r to yo.r tast, then put your past into your Tinns as you do for tarts, then fill'em, but not too full, then lay some past over'em lay'd in narrow pieces cross-wise like dice in room of Lids, the past is the same you make for tarts."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in the straightforward, sequential style of the era, focusing on actions rather than measurements or temperatures. Quantities are described in familiar household terms: 'quart of cream', 'half a penny manchet', 'marrow of 2 bones'. Spelling is variable ('boyle', 'past' for pastry, 'yo.r' for your) and abbreviations abound. Recipes often expected basic kitchen knowledge: there are no precise baking times or temperatures, and ingredients like 'past' assume the reader knows how to prepare tart pastry. These manuscript recipes were mnemonic aids for experienced cooks rather than exact how-to documents—recipes for those already well-versed in the rhythms of the kitchen.
Title
Various Cookeries (1690)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1690
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful glimpse into late 17th-century kitchens, this book brims with recipes, methods, and culinary wisdom passed down through generations, capturing the essence of historical gastronomy.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe dates from the late 1600s, a time when English cookery was embracing both rich dairy and sophisticated pastry work. Marrow—beef bone marrow—was considered a luxurious ingredient, used in both savory and sweet dishes to impart richness and depth of flavor. The recipe comes from a manuscript identified as 'V.a.561', which suggests it was written by or for a household of some means. Such recipes were often kept by women managing large homes and kitchens, preserving practical culinary knowledge as well as trends from fashionable urban circles.
Back in the late 17th century, this recipe would have been prepared using a hearth with a range of pots and pans: a heavy saucepan or cauldron for simmering cream and bread, a knife and wooden board for slicing bread and marrow, and a mixing bowl for combining the filling. Pastry would be rolled with a pin and shaped by hand, then baked in metal or earthenware tart tins, likely in a wood-fired oven or over embers with a metal 'baking' cover to surround the heat.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 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 quart heavy cream
- 5 ounces white bread (crusts removed, thinly sliced; substitute: brioche or milk bread)
- 3.5 ounces bone marrow (from approximately 2 large marrow bones; substitute: unsalted butter for a vegetarian version)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole nutmeg, grated (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more to taste
- Shortcrust pastry (enough for lining and lattice: ~18 ounces ready-made or homemade)
- Spring water, for soaking marrow
Instructions
- Begin by slicing about 5 ounces of white bread (manchet was a fine white bread) into thin pieces.
- In a saucepan, heat 1 quart of heavy cream and add the sliced bread.
- Simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until the volume has reduced by about half and the mixture is thickened.
- While the cream and bread cool, soak bone marrow (from two large marrow bones, about 3.5 ounces total) in cold water for 10-15 minutes to remove impurities.
- Remove the marrow, chop it finely, and add to the still-warm (but not hot) cream mixture.
- Beat 4 egg yolks and grate about 1 whole nutmeg.
- Stir these into the cooled cream and marrow mixture along with sugar to taste (start with 1/4 cup, adjusting as needed).
- Line individual tart tins or muffin tins with shortcrust pastry, ensuring the pastry is similar to that used for sweet tarts.
- Fill each tin with the mixture, leaving space at the top.
- Decorate with thin strips of pastry in a criss-cross lattice, as you would for small pies.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is set.
Estimated Calories
500 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It will take about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients, and 30 minutes to bake the tarts. This recipe makes about 8 small tarts, and each serving is around 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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