Recipe Manuscript

To Make An Oringe Puding

Name: To Make An Oringe Puding
Prep time: PTPT1H30M
Cook time: PTPT40M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 6 Seville oranges (or bitter oranges); 900 g unsalted butter; 16 large eggs; 70 ml sweet sherry or sack (substitute: medium-sweet sherry or white dessert wine); 250–350 g caster sugar (to taste, make it quite sweet); 250–300 g puff pastry (shop-bought or homemade); Water, for boiling

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

To Make An Oringe Puding

"Take the out rines of 6 Civill oringes boyle them very tender Change the water you boyle them in prety often least they be so bitter beat them in a stone morter with 2 pound of butterr beat them to a fine pulp then. beat 16 eggs with half a quarter of a pint of sack and mix altogether sweeten it with suger to your tast but you must make it very sweet and put it in a dish first Cover your dish with fine puff past Cutting out the edges and laying litle rowles of past Crose the puding. M."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the unpunctuated, continuous style common to early modern English manuscripts. Directions are sequential but lack detail by today's standards, assuming an experienced cook who could fill in gaps from practice. Spelling and measurements are inconsistent: 'oringes' for oranges, 'boyle' for boil, and 'sack' for sherry. Quantities like 'half a quarter of a pint' require interpretation (here, approximately 70 ml), and 'to your tast' is left to the cook. While the recipe relies on visual and sensory cues, it sweetly insists on making the pudding 'very sweet,' a reminder of the period's fondness for sugar.

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 comes from an early 18th-century English manuscript, probably compiled around 1700. It is a fine example of the period's fascination with citrus fruit, a luxury product brought to England from the Mediterranean and highly prized for both their flavor and medicinal properties. Such puddings would have been a showstopper at aristocratic tables, showcasing not only the delicate, bitter flavors of Seville oranges but also the wealth and cosmopolitan taste of the household. 'V.b.272' refers to a collection of household recipes, likely kept by women managing large households. Recipes like this illustrate the influence of both French patisserie (the use of puff pastry) and English love of rich, eggy custards.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Originally, the cook would have used a large iron or copper pot to boil the orange peels, refreshing the water as directed to reduce bitterness. A sturdy stone mortar and pestle were essential to pound the softened rinds and butter into a smooth pulp—this was real work before the introduction of food processors! Eggs were beaten with a simple two-pronged fork or a whisk made from birch twigs. For assembly, a rolling pin and a knife were needed for the pastry, and a ceramic or tin baking dish would have held the pudding. The dish would be baked in a wood-fired or coal-fired oven, requiring skill to judge heat by hand.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time

40 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

6 Seville oranges (or bitter oranges)
2 lb unsalted butter
16 large eggs
2.5 fl oz sweet sherry or sack (substitute: medium-sweet sherry or white dessert wine)
9–12 oz caster sugar (to taste, make it quite sweet)
9–10.5 oz puff pastry (shop-bought or homemade)
Water, for boiling

Instructions

Begin by peeling 6 Seville oranges, keeping only the outer rinds (zest) and avoiding as much pith as possible, as it is quite bitter.
Simmer these rinds in plenty of water, changing the water several times, until they are very tender.
Drain, then pound the softened rinds in a food processor (or traditional mortar and pestle if you wish) with 2 lb of unsalted butter until you have a smooth, fine orange-butter pulp.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat 16 large eggs with 2.5 fl oz of sweet sherry (sack).
Combine this with the orange pulp.
Sweeten the mixture to taste, but err on the side of generous—start with around 9–12 oz of sugar.
Roll out a sheet of good quality puff pastry (roughly 9–10.5 oz) to line a baking dish of your choice, trimming the edges and using the trimmings to create decorative strips to cross over the top of the pudding.
Pour in the orange mixture, arrange your pastry strips in a lattice pattern, and bake at 350°F for about 35–40 minutes or until the pudding is just set and the pastry is golden.

Estimated Calories

700 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing this dish takes some time, especially simmering and pounding the orange rinds to make the orange-butter pulp. Baking is straightforward and mostly hands-off. Each serving is rich and quite substantial, so keep the portions moderate.

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.