Recipe Manuscript

Goosberry Pudding

Name: Goosberry Pudding
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT35M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 600 g green gooseberries (fresh or frozen, or substitute with currants or raspberries); 6 eggs; 340 g caster sugar; 225 g clarified unsalted butter (or standard unsalted butter, gently melted and skimmed); Finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 40 g fresh white breadcrumbs or crushed plain, sweet biscuits; 15 ml (1 tbsp) rose water or orange flower water; Sweetmeats (candied peel, optional); 250 ml double cream (optional); 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry

1760

From the treasured pages of Dorset and Wiltshire receipt book

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dessert

Original Recipe • 1760

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

Goosberry Pudding

"Take a quart of green goosberrys pick coddle & bruise them & put them thro a hair sive take six spoonfulls of The pulp six eggs 3 quarters of a pound of fine sugar half a pound of Clarified butterr a little Lemon peel shred fine a handfull of Crumbs of bread or biscuit a spoonful or rose water or orange flower water Mix alltogether & have ready your dish with a puff paste round it put in your pudding you may add sweetmeats if you please bake it in a gentle oven thus you may do with Currants or raspberrys some add a pint of thick Cream"

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of the 18th century were succinct and conversational, often lacking precise measurements, oven temperatures, or detailed timings. Ingredients were measured by handfuls or spoonfuls, with weights and measures based on household norms. The use of 'coddle & bruise' for the fruit and 'thro a hair sive' refers to simmering gently and pressing through a fine sieve, steps that ensured a smooth, pudding-ready puree. Spellings like 'goosberrys,' 'Clarified butter,' 'rose water,' and 'sive' reflect the variable orthography of the era. The list of optional additions, flexibility with fruit, and understated instructions suggest a practiced cook expected to rely on experience and instinct.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Dorset and Wiltshire receipt book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Dorset and Wiltshire receipt book (1760)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1760

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming 18th-century culinary treasury brimming with recipes for preserved fruits, savory meats, delicate pastries, broths, creams, puddings, pickles, medicinal remedies, and even a splash of homemade cordials and punch—essential reading for every aspiring Georgian gourmand.

Kindly made available by

Penn State University Libraries

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from an English receipt (recipe) book compiled around 1760, likely passed down through country households in Dorset and Wiltshire. The collection documents a lavish and eclectic assortment of culinary, medicinal, and household wisdom—ranging from preserves and pickles to puddings and punch. The gooseberry pudding illustrates the love of tart-sweet flavors in Georgian kitchens and the prevalent use of bread or biscuit as a subtle thickener in batters. The notes about sweetmeats, rosewater, and the interchangeability with other berries speak to the resourcefulness and seasonal sensibilities of the time, when recipes were fluid and adapted to available ingredients.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original preparation would have relied on a mortar and pestle or a heavy spoon to bruise the fruit, a sieve made of horsehair for straining, and a large bowl for mixing. Eggs would be beaten by hand with a whisk or bundle of twigs. Ingredients were baked in ceramic or metal dishes, lined with hand-rolled puff paste, and set in the gentle heat of a woodfired brick oven. Cookware would have been minimal but sturdy—wooden spoons, coarse graters for zest, and perhaps a pewter spoon for measuring.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

35 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 5 oz green gooseberries (fresh or frozen, or substitute with currants or raspberries)
6 eggs
12 oz caster sugar
8 oz clarified unsalted butter (or standard unsalted butter, gently melted and skimmed)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 oz fresh white breadcrumbs or crushed plain, sweet biscuits
0.5 fl oz (1 tbsp) rose water or orange flower water
Sweetmeats (candied peel, optional)
9 fl oz double cream (optional)
1 sheet ready-made puff pastry

Instructions

Begin by washing and topping and tailing about 1 lb 5 oz of green gooseberries.
‘Coddle’ them by simmering gently in a saucepan with a splash of water until they soften—about 10 minutes.
Bruise with a spoon and press through a fine sieve to make a puree.
Measure out six heaping tablespoons (about 6 oz) of gooseberry pulp.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk 6 eggs until frothy.
Add 12 oz caster sugar and 8 oz melted clarified (unsalted) butter.
Finely zest a bit of lemon peel and add, then stir in about 1 packed handful (roughly 1 1/2 oz) of fresh white breadcrumbs or crushed plain biscuits.
Mix in a tablespoon (0.5 fl oz) of rose water or orange flower water.
Combine all thoroughly.
Line a medium-sized tart or pie dish with ready-made puff pastry.
Pour in the pudding mixture.
Optionally, fold in a few chopped candied sweetmeats or a splash (about 9 fl oz) of double (heavy) cream.
Bake at 340°F (gentle oven) for around 35 minutes, or until set and lightly golden.
Serve warm or cold.

Estimated Calories

480 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It usually takes about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients, like washing and cooking the gooseberries, and mixing everything together. Baking the tart takes about 35 minutes. This recipe makes about 8 servings. Each slice has about 480 calories.

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.