Recipe Manuscript

To Make A Fresh Cheese

Name: To Make A Fresh Cheese
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 6 whole eggs; 1 liter heavy cream (minimum 35% fat); 1 tablespoon rose water (culinary-quality); 2 tablespoons fine white sugar; Extra: more cream, rose water, and sugar for serving

1738

From the treasured pages of Cookery book of Ann Goodenough

Written by Ann Goodenough

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Beginner Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1738

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make A Fresh Cheese

"Take Six whole Eggs beate them very well and put them into a quart of creame and Set it on the fire Still Stiring it that it may not turne to flakes Upon the fire when it begins to turne to curds then tye it up in a Cloth if you would put it whole to the table Season it on the fire with Rose water and fine Sugar then tye it up in the cloth and Let it drayne untill it bee cold then Serve it up with creame Rose water and Sugar."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe employs a conversational, run-on style common in early modern English cookery books, giving broad instructions without precise timing or temperatures. Spelling is archaic but understandable: 'creame' for cream, and 'tye it up in a cloth' instead of 'tie'. Measurements are also approximate—'a quart' being about 1 liter. The recipe assumes the cook has experience with curdling and draining dairy, and it blurs the lines between what we now think of as cheese, custard, and dessert.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookery book of Ann Goodenough - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookery book of Ann Goodenough (1738)

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

Writer

Ann Goodenough

Era

1738

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey into the kitchens of early 18th-century England, this collection captures the flair and flavors of its time with recipes crafted by the inventive Ann Goodenough. Expect a charming medley of hearty roasts, comforting pies, and time-honored confections, perfect for those wishing to dine as they did in Georgian days.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the early-to-mid 18th century, a time in England when the domestic kitchen was alive with inventive approaches to dairy and desserts. Ann Goodenough, active between 1700 and 1775, likely provided this recipe as a genteel, impressive dish for special occasions or guests. Cream, eggs, sugar, and rose water were luxury ingredients symbolizing refinement, and such a ‘fresh cheese’ would be a soft, sweet, unaged delicacy quite different from today’s typical cheeses. This dish sits somewhere between a set custard and what we might now call ricotta or paneer, showing the playful side of historical English cookery.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Traditionally, cooks would have used a heavy iron saucepan or a copper preserving pan over an open hearth or range fire. Constant stirring would be done with a sturdy wooden spoon. Cheesecloth, linen, or muslin would be used to tie and drain the curds, and a colander or wooden draining board might support the draining. Serving would require a shallow dish or plate for presentation.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Servings

Ingredients

6 whole eggs
1 quart heavy cream (minimum 35% fat)
1 tablespoon rose water (culinary-quality)
2 tablespoons fine white sugar
Extra: more cream, rose water, and sugar for serving

Instructions

To recreate this fresh cheese in a modern kitchen, start by whisking together 6 whole eggs with 1 quart of heavy cream (minimum 35% fat).
Pour this mixture into a saucepan and set it over gentle, medium-low heat.
Stir constanly and slowly, ensuring the mixture heats evenly without scorching or forming lumps.
As it nears a simmer, you’ll notice curds starting to form.
When you begin to see clear separation but before large clumps form, season gently with about 1 tablespoon of rose water and 2 tablespoons of fine sugar, stirring to dissolv.
Once curds are visible and the mixture thickens, pour into a large piece of clean muslin or cheesecloth set over a colander.
Tie up the corners to make a pouch and let the cheese drain until cold and firm—about 1-2 hours.
Unwrap, turn out onto a plate, and serve with a drizzle of fresh cream, some more rose water, and a generous dusting of sugar.

Estimated Calories

600 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend a few minutes preparing your ingredients, about 20 minutes cooking gently on the stove while stirring, and around an hour waiting for the cheese to drain and firm up. Each serving is rich, since it's mostly cream and eggs.