Recipe Manuscript

To Make White Hippocras

Name: To Make White Hippocras
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 liter dry white wine; 90 grams cinnamon sticks, coarsely crushed; 15 grams mace blades; 3 whole nutmegs, cracked or coarsely grated; 225 grams fine white sugar; 500 ml fresh whole milk; Additional cinnamon stick (a little, for straining); 2–3 pieces candied ginger (or fresh ginger if candied unavailable)

1626

From the treasured pages of Medicinal and cookery recipes of Mary Baumfylde

Written by Mary Baumfylde

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Drink

Original Recipe • 1626

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

To Make White Hippocras

"Take a quart of white wine and put into it iii ounces of Synamon! brufed and halfe an ounce of mace iii nuttmeggas and halfe a pound of fme Sugar, and let it steepe 24 6 howers, then take a Jelly bagg, and put a little fresh Synamon m the bottome of it, and 2 or 3 stices of smger, then take a pymt of new milke, and power a little of the milke and a little of the wine, and soe power it often through the bagg untill it be cleare"

Note on the Original Text

The original recipe is written in early modern English, with variable spelling (e.g., 'Synamon' for cinnamon, 'nuttmeggas' for nutmegs, and 'fmge' likely a variant for ginger). Weights are given in ounces and pounds, sometimes less precise than today's standards. Directions are terse and assume familiarity with cooking processes, such as steeping and clarification using a milk-washing method—then common for fining and clarifying wines. The recipe's structure is characteristic of manuscript culture, blending terse instructions with implicit knowledge expected from domestic cooks of the period.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Medicinal and cookery recipes of Mary Baumfylde - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Medicinal and cookery recipes of Mary Baumfylde (1626)

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

Writer

Mary Baumfylde

Era

1626

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A sumptuous journey into early 17th-century English cookery, this delightful volume offers a tantalizing glimpse into the recipes, flavors, and culinary secrets that once graced aristocratic tables. Prepare for a taste of history, presented with wit and wisdom!

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for white Hippocras originates from early modern England, within the household manuscript tradition, and is attributed to Mary Baumfylde around 1626. Hippocras was a popular spiced and sweetened wine, enjoyed at feasts and occasions, serving both as a digestive and a luxurious treat. The recipe survives within a rare collection of household and culinary manuscripts, reflecting both medicinal and entertainment uses of spiced wines in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was a fashionable beverage among the gentry, showing how culinary knowledge circulated in manuscript form before the era of printed cookbooks.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

To create this drink in the 1600s, the cook would use large earthenware or glass pitchers for steeping the wine and spices, a pestle for bruising the whole spices, a 'jelly bag' (a fine linen or muslin straining sack) suspended over a bowl for clarifying the liquid, and a spoon for stirring. The milk clarification would require careful handling, as repeated straining helped to refine and polish the finished drink.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Servings

Ingredients

1 quart dry white wine
3 ounces cinnamon sticks, coarsely crushed
0.5 ounce mace blades
3 whole nutmegs, cracked or coarsely grated
8 ounces fine white sugar
2 cups fresh whole milk
Additional cinnamon stick (a little, for straining)
2–3 pieces candied ginger (or fresh ginger if candied unavailable)

Instructions

To recreate white Hippocras as enjoyed in the 17th century, begin by pouring 1 quart of dry white wine into a large glass or ceramic bowl.
Add in 3 ounces of coarsely crushed cinnamon sticks, 0.5 ounce of mace blades, 3 whole nutmegs cracked or coarsely grated, and 8 ounces of fine white sugar.
Stir gentley, cover, and allow this aromatic mixture to steep at room temperature for 24 to 36 hours.
Next, prepare a fine sieve or jelly bag ready for straining.
Place a small ammount of freshly broken cinnamon and 2 to 3 pieces of candied ginger (or fresh ginger slices if unavailable) at the bottom of the sieve.
In a separate bowl, have 2 cups of fresh whole milk ready.
Begin straining: pour a little milk followed by a little of the steeped wine mixture alternately through the jelly bag into a clean vessel.
Repeat this process several times, until the liquid runs clear and the resulting Hippocras is well-filtered and bright.
Chill before serving.

Estimated Calories

240 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You need a little time to set up your ingredients and workspace before starting. Most of the time is spent letting the wine and spices steep, and straining the mixture. Each serving contains about 240 calories, and this recipe makes 8 servings.