Recipe Manuscript

To Make Goosberys Biskits

Name: To Make Goosberys Biskits
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT2H10M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500 g fresh gooseberries (or substitute with green grapes for a milder flavor); Equal weight of caster sugar (e.g., 300 g gooseberry pulp to 300 g sugar); 2–3 egg whites (from large eggs, about 60 g total); Plain small biscuits (optional, as a base for each biskit)

1675

From the treasured pages of Cookery book of Lettice Pudsey, Seisdon, Staffordshire

Written by Lettice Pudsey

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1675

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make Goosberys Biskits

"scald your goosberys till ye are soft, yn rub ym through a sisse take ye same waight of your pulp in double refind sugar & ye whits of 2 or 3 eggs acording as you do for quantity beat ym together for 2 or 3 hours till ye look white yn drop ym upon tinn plates, or pewter on little biskits lett them so dry in ye sun, when ye top is a little dry turn them"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in highly abbreviated, phonetic 17th-century English. Common usages include 'scald' for gently cooking, 'sisse' (sieve), 'yn' (then), 'ym' (them), and 'ye' (the or you), reflecting both older spelling conventions and dialect. Instructions lack exact timings, temperatures, or quantities, assuming a cook's familiarity and adaptability. Whisking 'for 2 or 3 hours' highlights both the lack of modern equipment and the importance of labor in producing refined confections.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookery book of Lettice Pudsey, Seisdon, Staffordshire - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookery book of Lettice Pudsey, Seisdon, Staffordshire (1675)

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

Writer

Lettice Pudsey

Era

1675

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the 17th-century kitchen with Lettice Pudsey's delightful collection of recipes, where flavors, creativity, and tradition mingle to create a feast fit for Restoration-era tables. Expect a medley of hearty English fare, intriguing ingredient combinations, and a pinch of culinary wisdom from a bygone age.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from late 17th-century England, attributed to Lettice Pudsey around 1675. It reflects a time when sugar was an expensive luxury and often used in impressive, labor-intensive confections to showcase both wealth and culinary skill. Gooseberries were a common English fruit, valued for their tartness and used in both savory and sweet dishes. Preserving fruit in meringue-like forms allowed for a delicate treat that lasted beyond gooseberry season.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Preparation would have required a brass or copper pan for scalding the gooseberries over a hearth fire, followed by pushing the fruit through a coarse sieve with a wooden spoon. The mixture would be beaten by hand, often with a large whisk or bundle of twigs, for up to several hours. To shape the biskits, cooks used tin or pewter plates, dropping the mixture in small rounds (sometimes onto small biscuits as a base). Drying was achieved by setting the plates in full sunlight, or near the gentle heat of a warm hearth, turning the confections as they started to harden.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 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 lb (16 oz) fresh gooseberries (or substitute with green grapes for a milder flavor)
Equal weight of caster sugar (e.g., 10 oz gooseberry pulp to 10 oz sugar)
2–3 egg whites (from large eggs, about 2 oz total)
Plain small biscuits (optional, as a base for each biskit)

Instructions

Begin by gently simmering approximately 1 lb (16 oz) of fresh gooseberries in a saucepan with just enough water to cover, until they are soft but not falling apart (about 10 minutes).
Once softened, push the gooseberries through a fine mesh sieve to extract the pulp, discarding skins and seeds.
Weigh the resulting pulp and mix in an equal amount (by weight) of double refined caster sugar—so, for 10 oz of pulp, use 10 oz of sugar.
Add in the whites of 2 to 3 large eggs, depending on your batch size.
Whisk the mixture vigorously—preferably using an electric mixer—until it turns pale, glossy, and forms soft peaks (this will take 10-15 minutes, or up to 2 hours by hand as described historically!).
Drop spoonfuls of this meringue-like mixture onto parchment-lined baking trays, optionally placing each dollop on a small round of plain biscuit.
Let them air-dry in a warm place or low oven (140–175°F) until the tops are dry to touch, then gently turn them over to finish drying on the underside.
They should be crisp and dry throughout.

Estimated Calories

90 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You need about 10 minutes to cook the gooseberries. Preparing the fruit, mixing ingredients, and whisking the mixture by electric mixer will take about 25 minutes. Drying the biscuits in a low oven takes 2 hours, but most of this is hands-off time. Each serving has about 90 calories. This recipe makes around 12 biscuits.

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.