To Make A Oringc Puding

This recipe comes from the handwritten collection of Ann Goodenough, a domestic cook active in England between 1700 and 1775—a period when preserving citrus peels in sugar was a cherished luxury and puddings referred as often to baked sweets as to savory dishes. This 'Oringc Puding' is a fine example of how 18th-century cooks blended candied fruits and rich custards within pastry, offering guests a taste of exotic imported ingredients like sack (a fortified wine) and orange peel. At the time, sugar and citrus were both symbols of wealth and good taste, reflecting Britain’s expanding trade networks and culinary curiosity.

In the 18th century, the orange peel would have been pounded in a large mortar and pestle, while sugar would be ground finely by hand. The custard mixture was beaten with a wooden spoon or whisked with a bundle of sticks (a birch whisk). The mixture was cooked over a charcoal brazier or open hearth, with a heavy-bottomed pan and continual stirring. Pastry was rolled with a wooden pin and baked in a pie dish or tart tin in a wood-fired oven—often watched closely to avoid burning. Baking implements were simple but sturdy: mortars, pestles, wooden and earthenware bowls, tin or ceramic tart molds, and wrought iron spoons.