How To Make White Puddings
From the treasured pages of The Lady Cravens Receipt Book
Written by Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven
How To Make White Puddings
"First gett Hoggs Gutts then take white Bread and grate it very Small and putt with it Sugar, Currance mace and a little Salt then take Almonds and Blanch them and Beat them in a Mortor & putt them to the Bread but before you putt in your Almonds you must mix your Bread & the other things with a quantity of boyling Hott Creame to make it fitt to a piece of past then take Some beef Suett Chapp it Small and putt in your Almonds and Suett togeather with a raw Egg and mix all these well togeather the quantitys of each must be as you intend to make the Number of your Puddings"
Note on the Original Text
This recipe, like others from the period, is written in prose, casually omitting precise quantities and cooking times. The author assumes the cook has experience and can judge consistency and amounts by look and feel. The spelling reflects early modern English, with words like 'boyling Hott Creame' and 'putt in your Almonds.' Ingredients are listed as they are used, without a clear, separate list, and steps are blended together in one continuous paragraph. Reading and interpreting such a recipe requires a dash of culinary intuition—and perhaps a taste for adventure!
Title
The Lady Cravens Receipt Book (1703)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven
Era
1703
Publisher
Coome Abbey
Background
A delectable manuscript brimming with 18th-century English delights, Lady Craven's receipt book whisks readers from luscious cakes and puddings to savory feasts and creamy cheeses. Elegantly organized and sprinkled with recipes from an illustrious social circle, this culinary collection offers a sumptuous taste of aristocratic home economics.
Kindly made available by
Penn State University
This recipe comes from the early 18th century and is preserved in Lady Elizabeth Craven’s manuscript receipt book, created between 1702 and 1704 in England. At the time, 'receipt books' were compiled collections of culinary and medicinal formulas exchanged among the upper classes, often reflecting personal social networks. Lady Craven’s recipes are frequently attributed to friends and acquaintances, revealing both her standing and the interconnectedness of noble households. White Puddings, sweet rather than savoury, were a luxurious treat that showcased expensive ingredients like almonds and spices. These would have been made for feasts or special occasions, linking the cook and household to continental, courtly trends in food.
In Lady Craven's time, this pudding would have been assembled using basic kitchen equipment. Bread was grated on a hand-held grater; almonds pounded in a stone or wooden mortar with a pestle. Beef suet would be chopped with a sturdy knife on a well-worn board. A large bowl or pan would serve for mixing, and a wooden spoon for stirring and combining ingredients. Hog casings would be carefully cleaned and stuffed by hand, perhaps with the aid of a homemade horn funnel or sausage-stuffer. Cooking took place over an open hearth or in a large iron pot, simmering gently to avoid bursting the delicate casings. Finished puddings might be served on pewter platters or fine china for Lady Craven’s table.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings
6
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
- Hog casings (sausage skins), cleaned and soaked
- 7 oz white bread, grated into fine crumbs
- 1 3/4 oz granulated sugar
- 2 3/4 oz currants
- 1/2 tsp ground mace
- Pinch of salt
- 3 1/2 oz blanched almonds, finely ground
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp boiling cream
- 2 3/4 oz beef suet, finely chopped (or vegetable suet as substitute)
- 1 raw egg
Instructions
- To make white puddings in the modern kitchen, begin by acquiring cleaned hog casings (sausage skins).
- Grate about 7 oz of white bread into fine crumbs.
- In a large bowl, combine the crumbs with 1 3/4 oz of sugar, 2 3/4 oz of currants, 1/2 teaspoon ground mace, and a pinch of salt.
- Next, blanch 3 1/2 oz of almonds by pouring boiling water over them and slipping off the skins, then crush them finely (a food processor may be used).
- Gently mix the almonds into the bread mixture.
- Pour in enough boiling hot cream (about 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) to bring the mixture together into a soft, thick paste.
- Finely chop 2 3/4 oz of beef suet (or use vegetable suet if beef is unavailable) and add it to the bowl along with the almonds.
- Add one beaten raw egg to bind the mixture.
- Mix all well until you have a cohesive, slightly sticky dough.
- Stuff this mixture carefully into the hog casings, tying off into palm-sized individual puddings.
- Poach the puddings very gently in simmering (not boiling) water for about 15–20 minutes until set.
- Serve warm, perhaps with extra cream or stewed fruit.
- Quantities can be increased proportionally depending on how many puddings you intend to make.
Estimated Calories
300 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparing the ingredients, such as grating bread, blanching and grinding almonds, and making the mixture, will take about 30 minutes. Cooking the puddings by poaching takes 20 minutes. This recipe makes about 6 palm-sized puddings, with each serving around 300 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.
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