Recipe Manuscript

To Make Wafers

Name: To Make Wafers
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT10M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 250 ml single (thin) cream; 50-70 grams plain wheat flour; 40 grams sifted caster sugar (add more or less to taste); 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (or to taste); 1/4 teaspoon ground mace (or to taste); Butter (for greasing the irons)

1712

From the treasured pages of Cookery and medicinal recipes by Kendall Rose and Anne Cater

Written by Rose Kendall, Anne Cater, Elizabeth Clarke, Anna Maria Bold

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1712

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make Wafers

"Take thin Cream and thichen it with Flower but not so thick as panncake, put in sifted Sugar to sweeten it, to inst such and as much Beaten cloves and mace as you like, hint your wafers upon hot Irons, het Butter thm and turn thm up like leaves."

Note on the Original Text

Like many 17th and 18th-century English recipes, this one is written in an informal, almost conversational tone. The instructions are brief and assume familiarity with basic techniques, such as making batters and using wafer irons. Ingredient quantities are often given as 'as much as you like' or left to the cook's discretion, reflecting the oral transmission of culinary knowledge and an expectation of the cook's experience. Spelling is highly variable and phonetic—'thichen' for 'thicken,' 'thm' for 'them,' and phrases like 'panncake' for 'pancake.' The text omits punctuation and offers few exact timings or temperatures, which was common for manuscript recipes of the time.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookery and medicinal recipes by Kendall Rose and Anne Cater - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookery and medicinal recipes by Kendall Rose and Anne Cater (1712)

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

Writer

Rose Kendall, Anne Cater, Elizabeth Clarke, Anna Maria Bold

Era

1712

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the inviting kitchens of the past with this enchanting collection of culinary wisdom from England's early modern era. Crafted by a talented array of women, this book promises savory pies, sweet confections, and secret family recipes—an aromatic tour through centuries-old feasts sure to delight the curious palate.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe originates from an English household manuscript dating between approximately 1675 and 1750, with contributions from women such as Rose Kendall, Anne Cater, Elizabeth Clarke, and Anna Maria Bold. During this period, cookery manuscripts were often collectively composed by multiple women within extended families or social circles, sharing their refined recipes and household knowledge for future generations. Wafers such as these were a favorite sweet in early modern English households, served with desserts, cheeses, or after-dinner drinks. They not only showcased skill with the cumbersome wafer irons but also the mistress's ability to create delicacies from relatively simple ingredients.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The primary tool for this recipe was the wafer iron: a heavy, hinged, metal implement with decorative patterned plates, heated directly over a fire or on the coals of the hearth. Cooks needed bowls and whisks (or even wooden spoons for stirring the batter), and brushes or cloths for spreading butter on the irons. Skilled hands quickly removed and shaped the hot wafers before they cooled and hardened.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 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 cup single (thin) cream
2 to 2.5 ounces plain wheat flour
1.5 ounces sifted caster sugar (add more or less to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground mace (or to taste)
Butter (for greasing the irons)

Instructions

Begin by taking 1 cup of single (thin) cream and whisking in about 2 to 2.5 ounces of plain wheat flour until you achieve a batter that is thinner than pancake batter.
Add 1.5 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) of sifted caster sugar (or to taste) to sweeten, and stir in about 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves and ground mace—or adjust the spices to your preference.
Preheat traditional wafer irons or modern pizzelle or wafer cone irons.
Brush them with melted butter to prevent sticking.
Pour about 1-2 tablespoons of the batter onto the hot irons, close them, and cook for 30-60 seconds or until the wafer is golden and crisp.
While still warm, remove each wafer and fold or shape them as desired—rolling or bending into decorative shapes like leaves.
Allow them to cool and crisp up before serving.

Estimated Calories

70 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparation takes 10 minutes to mix the batter and get your irons ready. Cooking each wafer takes about 1 minute. You get around 10 wafers from this recipe, and each has about 70 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.