A Jelly Sack Posset

This recipe hails from the late 17th century, specifically between 1693 and 1694, found in the manuscript of Jane Staveley. Possets like this were a classic English treat, often consumed as a restorative or a luxurious dessert. They belonged to a culinary landscape before refrigeration, when fortified wines like sack and thickened, spiced creams were esteemed for both their comfort and their supposed medicinal virtues. Originally, a posset was a hot milk drink curdled with wine or ale, perfumed with spice, and sometimes thickened with eggs or bread. Over time, the posset evolved to become a showpiece dessert layered with cream and custard, and the ‘jelly sack posset’ is a particularly elegant example of the type.

The original preparation would have required an open hearth or charcoal brazier, a heavy-bottomed pan or posset pot for heating the cream, and a separate basin or bowl for warming the sack and eggs. A fine strainer or cloth would be employed to strain the eggs, while a long-handled spoon was essential for steady, constant stirring over the fire. Once poured, possets were often transferred to special posset cups or jugs, vessels with dual chambers to catch the curd and clarify the drink.