Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour and salt to batter. Stir in raisins, fruits, vanilla and mix. Spread half the batter in a 9″x 9″x 2″ pan, lined with waxed paper or foil. Blend almond paste, sugar and egg whites together and spread half over the cake batter. Cover with the rest of the batter and bake at 275·F for 2-1/2 hours until lightly browned. Remove from oven, spread the rest of the almond paste over the batter and bake a further 30 minutes until lightly browned. Slice 3/8 inch thick and cut into 2 inch pieces. Yields about 100 pieces.

Note: The name, Simnel, unfortunately has nothing to do with pretender Lambert Simnel. It came from Siminelllus, which was a Roman festive bread eaten during the Spring fertility rites. Marzipan balls were placed on top of the cake to represent the apostles, minus Judas Escariot. This cake was originally used for the 4th Sunday in Lent, Mothering Sunday, when servant girls were given one day off to visit their mothers, and take them a cake. Marzipan balls and the top layer of almond paste can be glued/stuck to the top of the cake quite nicely by brushing the top of the cake with apricot jam.

We’ve had the opportunity to taste test many of the following recipes at our annual medieval banquets…

Mustard Soup

(Adapted from E.B. Aresty The Delectable Past)

Melt 2 tbsp.
butter
Stir in 2 tbsp. flour, and blend smoothly
Add 2-1/2 cups thoroughly skimmed hot chicken stock (or chicken broth powder). Whisk until smooth (this will take some time!)
Add 1/2 tsp. salt, and a dash of white pepper
1/2 tsp. finely minced onion
Cool mixture slightly and add 3 tbsp. prepared dijon mustard just before serving. Can be served hot or cold.

Cheese, Egg, and Onion Pie

(Adapted from C. Hieatt and S. Butler’s Pleyn
Delyt)

6 eggs
4 oz. mild white cheese, grated
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 large onions, sliced or chopped as you prefer
2 tbsp. butter
spices to taste (nutmeg, etc.)
Single crust pie shell

Microwave (this isn’t the medieval part!) onions and butter for 5 minutes on high, or parboil onion and mix with butter. Place half the cheese on the bottom of the pie shell, then a layer of the onions, and top with the remainder of the cheese. Mix eggs, breadcrumbs and spices together, and pour over top into shell. Bake at 350° F for 30-40 minutes.

Canel Cucumber

2 large cucumbers
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. sugar

Cut washed cucumbers into 1/4″ circles. Mix cinnamon with sugar, and place mixture in a salt shaker. Shake cinnamon sugar onto each cucumber round. Serve.

Fruyte Fritours (Fruit Fritters)

4 large firm pears
4 large apples
2 eggs
2 tbsp. ale
1-1/2 tbsp. oil
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. butter
4 tbsp. brown sugar

Pare fruit, core and cut into moon-shaped wedges that are firm, not flimsy. Beat eggs with the salt; add eggs and ale to the flour and stir until blended (should be the consistency of thick pancake batter). Coat each fruit slice with batter. Heat butter and oil in a skillet, and saute fruit until golden brown. Drain on a rack. While still warm, sprinkle each fritour with brown sugar and serve.

Caraway Seed Shortbread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. powdered cardamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
3/4 tsp. allspice
1-1/4 tbsp. caraway seeds
1 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all dry ingredients except flour, separate into two portions and set one aside. On a kneading surface, mix one of the spice mixtures into the flour. Squeeze the butter in your hands, and gradually add the spiced flour, working it into the butter on the board, mixing well. Press the batter into an 8″ square shallow baking pan. With a sharp knife, mark off the batter shallowly into “fingers” about 2″ long by 1″ wide. Sprinkle the reserved spice mixture over top, and bake about 1 hour until firm and yellow, at 350F. Cool in the pan, then break shortbread into fingers and serve. Tastes great when several days old, and keeps well in an airtight container.

Chardwardon (Spiced Pear Sauce)

1 lemon, room temperature
8 firm, ripe pears
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. ginger
1 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt

Squeeze lemon juice into a shallow bowl. Quarter the pears and remove skin and core. Put pears in juice to cover all surfaces. Boil water with salt. Drain the pears, and discard the lemon juice. Add pears to boiling water; stir in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Simmer on low heat until pears are soft (about 12-15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Serve warm or cool. Excellent alone, or with hard cheese and dark bread. Wonderful if topped with Swithin Cream (see below).

Swithin Cream

(To eat with apple wedges, on Chardwardon, or on dark bread)

2 large lemons
10 yellow dandelion flowers or golden squash blossoms
1/8 tsp. salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar

Finely grind lemon rind and set aside. Remove dandelion petals, and cut them (or squash blossoms) into tiny pieces. Gently mix with lemon rind. Whip cream with rotary beater, adding salt and sugar until thick peaks form. Carefully mix petals into cream.

Mushrooms and Leeks

(Eleanor MacKinnon)

8 small leeks, topped and tailed and thoroughly washed
3 tbsp. butter
1-3/4 lbs. mushrooms, quartered
8 oz. vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger root, chopped small
2 tbsp. butter mashed with 2 tbsp. flour
salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the leeks and fry them in butter until they collapse. Add mushrooms and mix thoroughly, Add stock, sugar, saffron and ginger and simmer (covered) until vegetables are cooked. Add butter and flour in little pieces to thicken juices (keep liquid under boiling). Stir constantly. Season to taste and serve.

A Sop of Onions

(R.A. Beebe Sallets, Humbles & Shrewsbury
Cakes)

1/2 cup butter
4 large onions, sliced into rings
salt and pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Melt the butter in a deep frying pan and add onions. Saute over low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions soften. Add salt and pepper to taste, sour cream and nutmeg. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil, or the cream will curdle. Serve as is, or add broth and serve as a soup. Serves 4.

Missionary Punch

1- 6 oz can frozen orange juice, partially thawed
3 cans of water
4 cups apple cider
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
Orange slices

In a slow cooker, combine orange juice, water, cider, nutmeg and ginger. Tie cinnamon and cloves in a small cheesecloth bag and add to cooker. Cover and heat on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cheesecloth bag. Garnish with orange slices. Keep hot and serve punch from slow cooker.

Cranberry Orange Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour 10 teaspoons sugar,divided 1 tablespoon grated orange peel 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/3 cup cold butter or margarine 1 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup orange juice or rose water 1/4 cup half-and-half cream 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk	GLAZE (optional) 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon orange juice
	ORANGE BUTTER (optional) 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 to 3 tablespoons orange marmalade

In a bowl, combine flour, 7 teaspoons sugar, orange peel, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. In a small bowl, combine cranberries, orange juice, cream and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. On a floured surface, gently knead 6 – 8 times. Pat dough into an 8 inch circle. Cut into 10 wedges. Separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with milk; sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400° for 12 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine glaze ingredients if desired; drizzle over scones. Combine orange butter ingredients; serve with warm scones.
Yield: 10 scones.

Meat Turnovers

Filling:
Prepare and brown filling
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Pastry:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to 1/16 inch thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps and cut more circles. Mound a heaping teaspoon of filling on half of each circle. Moisten edges with water; fold pastry over filling and press edges with a fork to seal. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Prick tops with a fork. Bake at 375° for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

Saumon Rosted

Roast Salmon in Onion Wine Sauce

6 Salmon steaks for broiling
1-1/2 cups red wine
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
4 small onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vinegar
Garnish: 6 foils of parsley wet in vinegar

Broil salmon steaks, (roast on a grid iron) about 5 minutes for each side. Slowly simmer wine with spices, onions and vinegar, about 12 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the salmon and serve. Wet parsley foils in vinegar to garnish each salmon steak.

Bosworth Jumbles

by Betty Fleet

6 Tablespoons (6 oz.) butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, spooned into measuring cup
1 large egg
2 cups flour (1/2 lb): sift measured flour into mixture

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and beat in well. Sift in 1 cup of flour and beat well. Sift in 2nd cup of flour and mix.

Gather dough into a ball and kneed until glossy and elastic (this will not take long). Divide dough into 16 – 18 balls. Roll between the palms to form ‘logs’ (cylinders) 3 to 4 inches long. Gently form each into the shape of an ‘S’ and place on a well-greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 18 minutes until golden. If a harder biscuit is preferred, bake at 300°F for 25 minutes.

Medieval Menu

First Remove

Second Remove

Third Remove

Sweets and Subtleties

Beverages and More

Simnel Cake (Easter Fruitcake)

(Also known as an Almond Teacake)

by Marguerite Johnson

Cake:

Almond Topping and Filling: