Recipe Manuscript

Schnee-Ballen

Name: Schnee-Ballen
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 300 g plain wheat flour; 250 ml whole milk; 60 g unsalted butter (fresh); 2 whole eggs; Neutral fat for frying (clarified butter or lard – about 750 ml, as needed for deep shallow frying)

"Snow Balls"

1699

From the treasured pages of Freywillig-auffgesprungener Granat-Apffel, Deß Christlichen Samaritans

Written by Eleonora Maria Rosalia

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1699

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

Schnee-Ballen

"Erstlich nimb ein gutes Mund-Mehl / ein Seitl gute Milch / 2. Strizel frischen Butter / laß den Butter in der Milch zergehen / alsdann schlag 2. gantze Ayr darein/ spritels wol ab/ schütts unter das Mehl / und mach einen Taig an/ walge ihn dünn auß/ und formire mit dem Krapffen-Rädl / Schnee-Ballen / bachs kühl im Schmaltz / daß nicht zu braun werden."

English Translation

"First, take good fine flour, a ladle of good milk, 2 sticks of fresh butter; let the butter melt in the milk. Then beat 2 whole eggs into it, whip well, pour it into the flour, and make a dough. Roll it out thinly, and with a pastry wheel, shape snow balls; fry them gently in fat, so that they do not become too brown."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in the terse, functional style common to early modern cookbooks—minimal quantities, assuming the cook's experience. German orthography was not standardized, leading to spellings like 'Ayr' for Eier (eggs) and 'Taig' for Teig (dough). Directions are compact, emphasizing process order rather than detailed explanation. The recipe expects the reader to understand techniques like 'spritz well' (beat well) and to judge the frying temperature by eye.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Freywillig-auffgesprungener Granat-Apffel, Deß Christlichen Samaritans - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Freywillig-auffgesprungener Granat-Apffel, Deß Christlichen Samaritans (1699)

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

Writer

Eleonora Maria Rosalia

Era

1699

Publisher

Leopold Voigt

Background

This delightful tome by Duchess Eleonora Maria Rosalia is a treasure trove of culinary wisdom from 17th-century Vienna. Interwoven with remedies and secrets for well-being, it features a charming section described as a 'ganz neues und nutzbahres Koch-Buch'—an entirely new and useful cookbook—offering tried-and-true recipes, kitchen secrets, and practical tips to nourish both body and soul.

Kindly made available by

Wien Bibliothek

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the late 17th-century Viennese court, collected by Duchess Eleonora Maria Rosalia of Troppau and Jägerndorf in her monumental compendium blending culinary recipes with medicinal advice. A product of its time, the Schnee-Ballen reflects the Baroque love for fried, subtly sweet pastries served at grand tables, and the courtly penchant for showy, cleverly shaped foods. The name 'snowballs' may refer to their pale, round appearance and their association with winter feasting—and possibly with festive excess!

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In 1699, cooks used sturdy wooden bowls for mixing, a pot or cauldron over an open hearth for heating milk and butter, and a hefty spoon or bare hands for working the dough. Dough was rolled out with simple rolling pins. The characteristic shapes were cut using a 'Krapffen-Rädl'—a crimped pastry wheel, not unlike today's pastry cutters. Frying was done in iron or copper pans filled with rendered fat, over steady coals to control the temperature.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 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

2 1/2 cups plain wheat flour
1 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (fresh)
2 whole eggs
Neutral fat for frying (clarified butter or lard – about 3 cups, as needed for deep shallow frying)

Instructions

To create Schnee-Ballen ("Snowballs") in the modern kitchen, start by warming 1 cup of good-quality whole milk with about 4 tablespoons of fresh, unsalted butter.
Let the butter melt gently into the milk.
In a separate bowl, measure 2 1/2 cups of fine, plain wheat flour.
Whisk together the warm milk-butter mixture with two whole eggs, then beat this liquid well so it's frothy.
Pour this liquid into the flour, mixing by hand or with a spoon, to work it into a smooth (but soft) dough.
Once combined, roll the dough out thinly on a lightly floured surface.
Use a pastry wheel (or a knife) to cut and shape little balls or clusters, reminiscent of snowballs.
Heat neutral fat (such as clarified butter or lard) in a deep pan to a moderate temperature—hot enough to fry, but not so hot the pastries brown too deeply.
Gently fry the snowballs, aiming for a very light color ('kühl' means calmly, slowly).
Drain and serve, optionally dusted with powdered sugar.

Estimated Calories

180 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients and make the dough, then about 20 minutes to fry all the snowballs in batches. Each serving is estimated at around 180 calories, and this recipe makes about 8 snowballs or servings.

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.