A Rice Pudding For Baking
From the treasured pages of Receipt book of Mary Hookes
Written by Mary Hookes
A Rice Pudding For Baking
"Take half a pound of Rice & wash it, & boile it in 3 quarts of milke till it be thick, when take a qr of a pound of Almonds beaten with rose water 4 yolkes of eggs, so take it of ye fire & stir in a qr of a pint of juice of Butter, & sugar till it be melted, your Dish must be butterred, & Puff past laid so on ye top, you must bake itt in one houre."
Note on the Original Text
Recipes of the period were written with brevity and the assumption that the reader was already familiar with common kitchen processes. Quantities were generalized by weight or volume, and precise temperatures or times were rare, since kitchen thermometers were not yet in use. Abbreviations such as 'qr' for 'quarter' and 'ye' for 'the' reflect the quirks of early modern orthography. Spelling was variable ('milke', 'boile'), and punctuation was often sparing. The recipe was more a memory aid for experienced cooks than a step-by-step guide for novices.
Title
Receipt book of Mary Hookes (1700)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Mary Hookes
Era
1700
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful voyage into the kitchens of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, this book teems with forgotten flavors, aromatic recipes, and the elegant wisdom of early modern cookery. A treasure trove for culinary adventurers craving a taste of the past!
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This rice pudding recipe hails from the manuscript collection of Mary Hookes, dating from approximately 1675 to 1725—a period spanning the late Stuart and early Georgian eras in England. At this time, rice was a luxury import, and the use of almonds, rose water, and eggs reflects the influence of both Middle Eastern ingredients and indulgent courtly desserts popular among the English elites. Baked rice pudding was a favored dish at banquets and special occasions, often lending itself to improvisation with spices, dried fruit, or even a splash of sack (sherry or fortified wine). The addition of a puff pastry crust shows the merging of English custard traditions with French patisserie trends popularized during the Restoration.
In the historical kitchen, rice pudding would have been made over an open hearth using a large, heavy-bottomed pot or cauldron for simmering the rice and milk. Almonds would have been ground by hand with a mortar and pestle. Eggs were beaten with a fork or small whisk, and the mixture was cooked slowly to avoid curdling. The assembled pudding was then baked in a deep earthenware or metal dish, covered with pastry, and set in a brick oven or in a Dutch oven beneath the hot coals. Specialized pastry wheels and wooden spoons would have been used to shape and serve the dish.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Servings
8
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 oz rice (short or medium grain, such as Arborio or pudding rice)
- 3 quarts whole milk
- 4 oz blanched almonds (ground, or sub with almond meal)
- 1–2 tsp rose water
- 4 egg yolks
- 5 fl oz unsalted butter (melted)
- 1/2–3/4 cup granulated sugar (to taste)
- 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
- Butter (for greasing the dish)
Instructions
- Begin by rinsing 8 ounces of rice and place it in a large saucepan with 3 quarts of whole milk.
- Gently simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, which can take about 45–60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grind 4 ounces of blanched almonds in a food processor (or with a mortar and pestle for authenticity) with a splash of rose water until a fine paste forms.
- When the rice pudding is thick, remove it from the heat.
- Stir in the almond paste, 4 egg yolks, 5 fluid ounces unsalted butter, and sugar to taste (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup).
- Mix until everything is incorporated and the butter has melted.
- Butter an ovenproof dish thoroughly.
- Roll out a sheet of ready-made puff pastry and place it over the top of the pudding mixture.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about one hour, until set and golden on top.
- Let it cool slightly before serving.
Estimated Calories
560 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients. Cooking the pudding on the stove takes around 1 hour, and baking it in the oven takes another hour. This recipe serves 8 people, and each serving has about 560 calories.
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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