Recipe Manuscript

A Biskett Pudding

Name: A Biskett Pudding
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT35M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 2 large eggs; 250 ml heavy cream; 100-120 g plain flour; 115 g caster sugar; 1 tsp (2-3 g) caraway seeds; 50-75 g ladyfingers (or similar simple biscuits); Butter for greasing the dish

1700

From the treasured pages of Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Beginner 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

A Biskett Pudding

"take 2 eggs some good creame and as much flower as will make it light beat a quarter of a pound of suger a few caraway seeds beat them an houre then put some bisketts then put it in a dish & send it up but it must be baked."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe’s brief, telegraphic style—common in manuscript cookery books—assumed the reader possessed basic kitchen skills and a working familiarity with ingredients. Spellings like 'biskett' and 'creame' reflect the variable orthography of the early 18th century. Instructions to 'beat an houre' should be understood in the context of hand-beating mixtures before mechanical aids, aiming for aeration. Quantities are largely intuitive, a reminder of the era’s reliance on experience and adaptation rather than strict measurement.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 (1700)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1700

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the kitchen of the early 18th century, where this charming culinary manuscript tempts tastebuds with recipes and secrets from a bygone era. A delicious journey for both the curious cook and the history lover.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from around 1700 England, a period when home cooks frequently wrote practical, succinct instructions. Puddings of this era often utilized pantry staples—eggs, flour, sugar, and cream—reflecting both thrift and the desire for comforting, sweet dishes. The unusual addition of caraway seeds hints at the Tudor and Stuart preference for gently spiced desserts. 'Bisketts' referred to a type of dry, sweet, twice-baked biscuit, not unlike ladyfingers or sponge rusk, which were common in English households. This pudding would have signaled both culinary refinement and the social importance of the dessert course.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of 1700 used large pottery mixing bowls and wooden spoons to beat their batters—sometimes for lengthy periods by hand. Pewter or ceramic pudding dishes, often greased with butter, held the mixture. Baking would have been done in a brick, wood-fired oven, or possibly in a hearth oven with hot coals raked underneath and above, demanding skill to manage temperature for a gentle, even bake.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 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

2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
3.5-4.25 oz plain flour
4 oz caster sugar
1 tsp (2-3 g) caraway seeds
2-2.5 oz ladyfingers (or similar simple biscuits)
Butter for greasing the dish

Instructions

To prepare this early 18th-century 'Biskett Pudding', begin by whisking together 2 large eggs and 1 cup of heavy cream.
Gradually add enough plain flour (about 3.5-4.25 ounces) to achieve a light batter consistency—a bit like a thick pancake batter.
Beat in 4 ounces of caster sugar and stir through a teaspoon (about 2-3 grams) of caraway seeds, infusing the mixture with their warm, aromatic flavor.
Traditional advice was to beat the mixture for a full hour, but with modern electric mixers, a few minutes to achieve smoothness will suffice.
Crumble in some crisp, sweet biscuits—ladyfingers or simple sponge fingers make an excellent substitute for historic bisketts—then gently fold them through.
Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and bake at 350°F for about 30-40 minutes until set and lightly golden.
Serve warm, straight from the oven.

Estimated Calories

300 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the pudding takes about 10 minutes, including mixing the batter and crumbling the biscuits. Baking it in the oven takes 35 minutes. Each serving contains around 300 calories, and the recipe yields 6 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.