To Make Chocolate Creame
From the treasured pages of Cookery book of Jane Webb, compiled by several people
Written by Jane Webb
To Make Chocolate Creame
"Take a pint of Creame & boyle it & 3 Eggs beaten and stir'd in the creame over the fire very well if thicken take it off & put in a spoonfull of chocolate & mill it in a chocolate pot when cold put it in Chinia Basons or glasses"
Note on the Original Text
This recipe is brief and assumes familiarity with kitchen techniques such as boiling, thickening with eggs, and the use of a chocolate mill. Spelling is typical of the early 18th century ('boyle' for boil, 'Chinia Basons' for porcelain bowls). Recipes of this time rarely specified quantities with precision or gave step-by-step details, reflecting both the oral nature of culinary tradition and the expectation that readers would adapt based on experience and available ingredients.
Title
Cookery book of Jane Webb, compiled by several people (1738)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Jane Webb
Era
1738
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful glimpse into the culinary world of early 18th-century England, this manuscript offers a playful array of recipes and kitchen wisdom, reflecting the tastes and ingenuity of its era.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from a manuscript associated with Jane Webb, believed to be compiled between 1725 and 1750 in England. During this period, chocolate was gaining popularity as a novel imported luxury. Recipes like this one show how chocolate began to move from being drunk as a beverage to being incorporated into desserts and creams. The use of rich cream and eggs reflects the early 18th-century British fondness for custards, while the addition of chocolate demonstrates the era's experimental embrace of exotic ingredients.
The original method called for a saucepan over a hearth or open flame to heat the cream, and a whisk or spoon to stir in the eggs. Once the chocolate was added, it would be aerated with a 'chocolate mill'—a wooden whisk used to froth chocolate drinks. The finished cream was then cooled and served in porcelain (Chinia) bowls or glasses, reflecting the fashionable serving ware of the time.
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings
4
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream (or double cream)
- 3 large eggs
- 0.5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder or 0.5 oz grated dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao or higher, as substitute for historical chocolate cakes)
- Optional: additional sugar to taste, as historical chocolate was often less sweet
Instructions
- Begin by heating 2 cups of heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a gentle boil.
- Beat 3 large eggs in a separate bowl.
- Slowly whisk the eggs into the hot cream, stirring constantly.
- Return the mixture to the stove and continue to stir until it thickens to form a rich custard—this should only take a few minutes.
- Once thickened, remove from heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon (about 0.5 ounce) of high-quality cocoa powder or grated dark chocolate, and whisk or froth until fully dissolved.
- If you have a milk frother, use it to aerate the mixture for extra creaminess.
- Allow the chocolate cream to cool completely, then pour into small dishes or glasses for serving.
Estimated Calories
350 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will need about 5 minutes to prepare the ingredients and around 10 minutes to cook the custard on the stove. Each serving contains about 350 calories, and the recipe makes 4 servings.
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