An Allmond White Pott

This recipe for 'An Allmond White Pott' hails from early 18th-century England, drawn from the manuscript 'V.b.273', around 1700. Dishes like this represent the luxurious and innovative desserts gracing well-to-do tables, where imported ingredients like almonds, rose water, and candied peels were signs of sophistication and wealth. The White Pot (or 'pott') was a cozy, custard-like pudding, often enriched with cream, eggs, and sweet aromatics—a true comfort food of its time. Baking such desserts reflected not just culinary expertise, but also the global trade routes bringing citrus, spices, and sugar into English households. The presence of these ingredients tells a tale of changing tastes and the influence of continental Europe on English kitchens.

In the early 1700s, the cook would use a large copper or earthenware pot for heating the cream over a wood or coal fire. Almonds were ground by hand, using a mortar and pestle, and breadcrumbs grated from stale loaf bread. Mixing was done with sturdy wooden spoons or whisks, and the pudding was likely baked in a heavy earthenware dish set into a brick oven, with hot embers above and below for gentle, even heat. Candied peel would be sliced using a sharp paring knife, and the rose water measured with small spoons or by eye.