Recipe Manuscript

Imperial Orange Cream

Name: Imperial Orange Cream
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT10M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 570 ml double cream; 2 large fresh orange peels, thinly pared (10–15 g; Seville oranges if available, or regular oranges as substitute); Juice of 4 Seville oranges (about 120 ml; use regular oranges if Seville unavailable); Juice of 1 lemon (about 30 ml); 60–80 g refined sugar (powdered sugar preferred); 1 teaspoon orange flower water

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipt book

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert

Original Recipe • 1700

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

Imperial Orange Cream

"Take an ale pint of thick Cream and boyle it with 4 or 5 pasterells of Orange peele Cut thin let it just boyle then take it of the fire keep it stirring till it be no warmer than milk from the Cow; have ready in a China bason or small Glases the juice of 4 Sevill Oranges and one Lemon strain and sweeten it with refined sugar and a little orange fflower water set the bason or Glases on the ground the juice being in them run the Cream in thro' a funnel or tea pot as high as you can from the bason that it may bubble, upon the top of the Cream set it by five or six hours if the weather ben't hot you may make it over night"

Note on the Original Text

Like most manuscript recipes of the period, the instructions are written in continuous prose without standardized measurements or temperatures, relying instead on familiar household quantities—'an ale pint', '4 Sevill Oranges', and so on. Spelling and punctuation are inconsistent by modern standards ('boyle', 'ben't', 'Glases'). Key verbs like 'boyle', 'strain', and 'sweeten' would have been well-understood to domestic workers. The method assumes a skilled cook comfortable with intuitive cooking, recognizing stages like 'no warmer than milk from the Cow'. The process of pouring from a height ('as high as you can from the bason that it may bubble') adds both texture and a certain theatrical flair typical of the time.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Receipt book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Receipt book (1700)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1700

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful glimpse into the kitchens of the early 18th century, this historic culinary manuscript promises a feast of recipes, remedies, and perhaps a pinch of mystery. Expect both practical fare and elegant inspiration for the curious cook.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe, taken from a manuscript dated around 1700, reflects the elegant dairy desserts popular in English aristocratic circles of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Seville oranges, with their pleasing bitterness, were prized in Britain long before the mass importation of sweeter citrus varieties. The inclusion of orange flower water and refined sugar demonstrates the cosmopolitan and luxury-loving tendencies of the era’s kitchens, where continental flavors and costly ingredients marked a dish as elite. Such creamy orange curds would have graced the dessert tables of affluent English households, displaying both culinary skill and fashionable taste.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in the early 1700s, cooks would have used a heavy saucepan or posnet over a gentle fire to heat the cream, and a well-sharpened knife to pare the orange zest thinly, taking care to avoid the bitter white pith. A wooden spoon would be kept handy for stirring, and juices strained with fine cloth or a hair sieve. Cream would be combined and set in decorative china bowls or delicate posset glasses. A simple funnel, or perhaps even the spout of a teapot, would help pour the warm cream from a height to create the signature bubbles atop the dessert.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 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 pint (20 fl oz) double cream
2 large fresh orange peels, thinly pared (⅓–½ oz; Seville oranges if available, or regular oranges as substitute)
Juice of 4 Seville oranges (about 4 fl oz; use regular oranges if Seville unavailable)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1 fl oz)
2–3 oz refined sugar (powdered sugar preferred)
1 teaspoon orange flower water

Instructions

Begin by taking 1 pint (20 fl oz) of double cream and gently heating it in a pan with the thinly peeled zest of 2 large oranges (about ⅓–½ oz).
Allow the mixture to come just to a boil, then immediately remove from heat.
Stir occasionally as it cools, ensuring it doesn’t form a skin and allowing it to cool till just warm to the touch—about 98°F, or the warmth of fresh milk from a cow.
While the cream is cooling, juice 4 Seville oranges and 1 lemon, straining the juice (you’ll need about 5 fl oz total).
Sweeten this juice well with powdered sugar to taste (start with 2–3 oz) and add 1 teaspoon of orange flower water.
Place this sweetened juice in a serving bowl or divide between small glasses.
Next, pour the still-warm cream into the bowl or glasses from as high above as you feel comfortable (using a jug), so that bubbles form on the cream’s surface.
Let the mixture set at cool room temperature for 5–6 hours (or overnight if the weather is cool), until lightly set and creamy.
Serve chilled.

Estimated Calories

330 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 10 minutes to prepare everything, and another 10 minutes to heat and cool the cream. The dessert needs to set for several hours, but there's no active cooking after the cream is heated. Each serving is around 330 calories, and this recipe makes 4 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.