To Make Fritters

This recipe originates from the manuscript collection of Ann Goodenough, a cook and household manager active between 1700 and 1775. The use of posset (a curdled milk drink thickened with fortified wine) shows the refinement and resourcefulness of Georgian kitchens, where leftovers and dairy by-products were transformed into delicacies. Fritters made with posset curds, eggs, and apples would have graced the tables of well-off English households during the early Georgian period, enjoyed as a warm treat or dessert — a testament to the era's taste for sweet, rich, and gently spiced fare.

In the 18th century, cooks would have used an open hearth with a trivet or frying pan placed over the coals. Milking was often direct from the cow, implied here, and possets were made in dedicated posset pots. Eggs were separated by hand, and nutmeg was grated using a small hand-held grater. Fritters might be dropped by spoonfuls into a shallow pan or small cauldron with sack wine heating gently over the fire. Utensils were mostly earthenware bowls, wooden spoons for mixing, and iron knives for chopping apples. The final fritters could be finished with sugar pounded in a mortar and pestle.