Recipe Manuscript

To Make Plane Ginger Bread

Name: To Make Plane Ginger Bread
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 24
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 2.4 kg plain (all-purpose) flour; 115 g granulated sugar, sifted; 28 g ground ginger (or fresh ginger, dried and ground); 1 whole nutmeg, grated (~5 g); 900 g golden syrup (substitute for black treacle if preferred); 115 g unsalted butter; 30–45 ml double cream or whole milk

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipt book

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Beginner Intermediate Dessert Snack

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 Plane Ginger Bread

"Take 2 quarts of fine Flower a quarter of a pound of searsed suger one ounce of searsed Ginger a whole Nutmeg grated mix these in your Flower then have 2 pound treakl and a quarter of a pound of fresh buter melt together with 2 or 3 spoonfulls of Cream or new milke poure it into your Flower mix it altogether with your hand the longer you beat it with your hand the lighter it will be then fill your litle Cofins not above halfe full For they will rise. aboute halfe an hour will bake them"

Note on the Original Text

As was customary in the early 1700s, recipes were written with minimal punctuation, no lists of ingredients, and idiosyncratic spelling (e.g. 'flower' for 'flour,' 'treakl' for 'treacle,' and 'searsed' for 'sifted'). Quantities and instructions are woven together in prose, and precise measurements or oven temperatures are absent, relying on the cook’s hands-on knowledge. The term 'cofin' here is an old word for a pastry case or small mold. The recipe tells the cook to beat the dough with their hands—physical kneading was believed to lighten bread and cakes. Instructions are brief and practical, assuming a level of kitchen literacy that would be standard for experienced household cooks of the era.

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 is taken from a handwritten cookbook dated around 1700—a time when gingerbread was a popular treat in both English homes and fairs. It was valued both for its flavor and its supposed medicinal qualities, as ginger was thought to aid digestion. Baking gingerbread at the dawn of the 18th century would have been a festive affair, often associated with holidays and celebrations. Recipes like this one circulated orally and in manuscript form, well before printed cookbooks became common.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of the period would have used large wooden bowls for mixing by hand, mot long wooden spoons, and sieves made from linen for sifting flour and sugar. Heavy-bottomed pans sat over open hearths to melt butter and treacle. The 'coffins' mentioned in the recipe refer to small, box-like pastry molds or possibly wooden forms—today we’d use muffin tins or small loaf pans. Baking would be done in a wood-fired oven, with close attention paid to timing and the heat of the fire, guided by experience rather than exact temperatures.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 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

8 1/2 cups (2 lb 10 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
4 oz granulated sugar, sifted
1 oz ground ginger (or fresh ginger, dried and ground)
1 whole nutmeg, grated (~0.2 oz)
2 lb (4 cups) golden syrup (substitute for black treacle if preferred)
4 oz unsalted butter
2–3 tbsp double cream or whole milk

Instructions

To make this plain gingerbread in a modern kitchen, begin by sifting 8 1/2 cups (2 lb 10 oz) of plain (all-purpose) flour into a large bowl.
Add 4 oz of sifted sugar, 1 oz of ground ginger, and the finely grated zest of one whole nutmeg.
Mix these dry ingredients thoroughly.
Separately, gently melt 2 lb (4 cups) of golden syrup (as a modern substitute for 2 pounds of treacle) together with 4 oz of unsalted butter in a saucepan.
Stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons (2–3 tbsp) of fresh cream or whole milk to enrich the mixture.
Pour the warm syrup-butter mixture into the dry ingredients.
Using your hands, mix and knead thoroughly—the recipe asks you to work the dough well, as this will lighten the finished product.
Spoon the dough into greased muffin tins or similar molds, filled no more than halfway to allow for rising.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

Estimated Calories

350 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and dough. Baking takes about 30 minutes. Each piece has around 350 calories, and the recipe makes 24 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.