Recipe Manuscript

To Make Marble Dropps

Name: To Make Marble Dropps
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 24
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 20g gum arabic (edible); 60ml rose water or orange flower water; 450g icing sugar (double refined sugar); 1 egg white; Peach color: apricot/peach essence with a little orange food coloring; Yellow color: a pinch of saffron or turmeric; Blue color: food-grade natural indigo or blue spirulina; Green: blend blue and yellow mixtures; Red: edible beetroot powder or cochineal (vermilion substitute); Chocolate: 10g grated dark chocolate; Extra icing sugar for mixing; Baking parchment or waxed paper (substitute for glazed paper)

1707

From the treasured pages of Mrs. Rachel Kirk Book 1707

Written by Rachel Kirk

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1707

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make Marble Dropps

"Steep your gumm as you did the other either in Rose water or Orange water and take a pound of double refined Sugar and Searse it fine then mix to it as much gumm as you think convenient and strain through a Mufflin then take an egg white and beat it to a froth with a little Rose or and the gumm as you think will make it of a right Stuffness the day before you must leave out a little of your Sugar lest you mix your colours too thin when you have mixed your sugar and gumm together take out a part for every-colour to one part mix a little Scutlimcelo water to make a peach colour for lemon colour gum bage for blew you must have powder blew and Serse your blew very fine for green mix some of your blew and lemon colour for red you must mix a little Vermilion or bage and you may make chocolate colour grater chocolate and putt it into your gumm and Sugar to every one of your colours as you mix them putt into every one of them a little dry Sugar mix them all well together and lett them stand half an hour beat them up and drop them as you think convenient upon glazed paper bee sure you glaze your paper very well else they will not leave well:"

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this era were written for experienced cooks, with measures left imprecise ('as much as you think convenient') and steps relying heavily on intuitive judgment. Spelling was fluid ('blew' for blue, 'bage' possibly for 'beige' or 'bark'), and punctuation minimal or absent. The method prioritizes sequence and hands-on assessment—mix, check thickness, adjust. The explicit directions for coloring show both creativity and the limitations of available dyes. The candymaker was expected to taste, test, and adapt constantly.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mrs. Rachel Kirk Book 1707 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mrs. Rachel Kirk Book 1707 (1707)

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

Writer

Rachel Kirk

Era

1707

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A remarkable collection of early 18th-century recipes, Rachel Kirk's work invites readers into the kitchens of the past where classic culinary traditions and timeless flavors come alive. Expect a charming medley of savory feasts and sweet treats reflective of the era's sophisticated palate.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for 'Marble Dropps' is taken from Rachel Kirk's 1707 manuscript, a fascinating window into the early eighteenth-century English kitchen. Sweets like these were luxurious confections, often prepared for special occasions and enjoyed by the elite. Marble Dropps would have been small, vividly colored candies, designed to delight both eyes and taste buds. They were made at a time when sugar and exotic ingredients like rose water were costly, signaling refinement and social status. Such recipes also spotlight the merging of medical and culinary traditions—gum arabic was prized both as a stabilizer for candies and as a gentle medicinal. The emphasis on proper paper and handling reflects the fine art of confectionery in the period.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1707, the cook would have used a stone mortar and pestle to pulverize the sugar until fine, and a muslin cloth to strain the gum mixture. Mixing was done with wooden spoons and sturdy bowls, while egg whites were whisked by hand—possibly with bundle twigs or a simple whisk. Droplets were formed by spoon or paper cornet onto rigid sheets of glazed paper, often prepared with a shiny, fat-based coating to prevent sticking, then dried on wooden boards or racks near a cool hearth.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

0 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

0.7 oz gum arabic (edible)
2 fl oz rose water or orange flower water
1 lb icing sugar (double refined sugar)
1 egg white
Peach color: apricot/peach essence with a little orange food coloring
Yellow color: a pinch of saffron or turmeric
Blue color: food-grade natural indigo or blue spirulina
Green: blend blue and yellow mixtures
Red: edible beetroot powder or cochineal (vermilion substitute)
Chocolate: 0.35 oz grated dark chocolate
Extra icing sugar for mixing
Baking parchment or waxed paper (substitute for glazed paper)

Instructions

To recreate 'Marble Dropps' today, begin by soaking about 0.7 oz gum arabic in 2 fl oz rose water or orange flower water until dissolved—this could take several hours or overnight.
Sift 1 lb icing sugar until fine.
Mix in as much gum solution as needed to create a glue-like paste, filtering through a fine cloth (like muslin) if desired for smoothness.
Whisk one egg white with a teaspoon of rose or orange flower water until frothy and combine with enough of the gum mixture to achieve a thick, pipeable consistency.
Divide the batch for distinct colors.
Color each portion: For peach, add a few drops of an apricot or peach essence with a touch of natural orange coloring.
For yellow, use a pinch of saffron or turmeric dissolved in water.
For blue, use a tiny amount of powdered food-grade indigo or natural blue coloring.
For green, combine some of the blue and yellow portions.
For red, use food-grade natural cochineal or beetroot powder, or a touch of edible vermilion substitute.
For chocolate, grate a little dark chocolate and mix it in.
Into each colored mixture, fold in a small spoonful of icing sugar for extra structure.
Let stand 30 minutes.
Beat again, then drop marble-sized portions onto baking parchment with a glossy finish (well-buttered if in doubt).
Allow to air dry until hard and easy to remove.

Estimated Calories

50 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Soaking the gum arabic overnight takes the most time, but active work is mostly mixing, coloring, and shaping the marbles. There is no baking, just drying time. Prep includes dissolving, mixing, and dividing the mixtures.

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.