To Make Mrs Blounts Bisket
From the treasured pages of Receipt book
Unknown Author
To Make Mrs Blounts Bisket
"Take ye yolks of Eight egges & half a pound of peny Sugar well Beaten & siotted & put to ye Eges keeping it stired till ye sugar is all disolved, take half a pound of Almonds Blanched & well Beaten wth ye whits of six Eges & take a quarter of a pound of fine Flower well dryed a littell Citron & Orring peel Cutt in small peices & Dryed grate in ye peel of two Lemmons & squese in ye juice of one if ye Lemmons into ye Eges & Sugar if you like to keep it if not you may omitt ye juice of Lemmon put all ye together & beat it till ye oven is hott a slow oven with Doe Best Butter ye tin pans you put it in to Bake when you think thay are enough turn ym out of ye pans & sett ym in to ye oven a gaine to harden with ye Lidd of ye oven downe a Littell more & half an hour will Bake ym ye whits of Eges must be beaten first & as ye froth rises put it into ye Almonds by Degrees as ye Almonds are Beating"
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in the characteristic style of early modern English manuscripts: informal and conversational, assuming the reader understands the basic mechanics of cooking. Spellings are irregular ('egges', 'doe', 'ym'), and some words are phonetic versions of spoken usage. Measurements are imprecise by modern standards, relying on ratios ('half a pound') and the cook's judgment for time and texture. The instructions are continuous and fluid, reflecting both the oral traditions of teaching and the practical skill expected from early modern cooks.
Title
Receipt book (1700)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1700
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step back into the bustling kitchens of the 18th century, where this delightful collection offers a taste of bygone feasts, whimsical recipes, and the art of refined entertaining.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe originates from an early 18th-century English manuscript recipe collection, dating to the 1700s. 'Mrs Blount's Bisket' would have been a luxurious treat, combining costly almonds, citrus peel, and sugar—a celebration of trade and affluence in Georgian England. Biscuits of this kind often blurred the line between confection and cake, designed for special occasions and to showcase household skills. The candied fruit and fragrant lemon would have been a sign of cosmopolitan taste, while the use of refined sugar and almonds marks this as a fashionable, upscale recipe for its day.
Back in the 1700s, cooks would have used large mixing bowls, a wooden spoon or whisk for beating eggs, a grater for the lemon zest, and a mortar and pestle (or possibly a stone hand mill) for crushing almonds. Tins for baking would be shallow and heavy, greased with best butter to line them. The baking would happen in a brick or stone oven, carefully regulated for a slow, gentle heat by adjusting the fuel and the oven door or lid. An additional important tool was patience—the frothing of egg whites was achieved by hand, and cooks had to rely on sight, touch, and experience rather than timers or thermometers.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Servings
12
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 large egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar (finely ground)
- 1 cup blanched almonds (ground)
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 tablespoons chopped candied citron
- 2 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
- Unsalted butter (for greasing tins)
Instructions
- Begin by separating 8 large eggs, reserving the yolks.
- Whisk the yolks with 1 cup of finely ground granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is pale.
- Blanche 1 cup of almonds, then grind them finely.
- In a separate bowl, beat the whites of 6 eggs until soft peaks form, gradually folding in the ground almonds to create a moist almond paste.
- Sift 1 cup of plain flour and add it to the mixture along with a handful (about 2 tablespoons) of finely chopped candied citron and orange peel.
- Grate the zest from two lemons and optionally squeeze in the juice of one lemon.
- Gently fold all the mixtures together until well combined.
- While preparing the dough, preheat your oven to 300°F (a 'slow oven').
- Butter several muffin or small cake tins.
- Spoon the batter into the tins and bake for about 30 minutes, or until set and just lightly golden.
- When done, carefully remove the biscuits from their pans, place them back into the oven (now just warm) to dry out and harden for an additional 10–15 minutes, with the oven door just slightly open.
Estimated Calories
200 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 25 minutes to prepare the ingredients and batter, and around 40 minutes to bake and finish the biscuits. Each biscuit contains about 200 calories, based on 12 servings from this recipe.
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.
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