To make a dyschefull of Snowe. Take a pottell of swete thycke creame and the whytes of eyghte egges, and beate them altogether wyth a spone, then putte them in youre creame and a saucerfull of Rosewater, and a dyshe full of Suger wyth all, then take a stycke and make it cleane, and than cutte it in the ende foure square, and therwith beate all the aforesayde thynges together, and ever as it ryseth take it of and put it into a Collaunder, this done take one apple and set it in the myddes of it, and a thicke bushe of Rosemary, and set it in the myddes of the platter, then cast your Snowe uppon the Rosemarye and fyll your platter therwith. And yf you have wafers caste some in wyth all and thus serve them forthe.
A Proper newe Booke of Cokerye
“A Dyschefull of Snowe”
Description
As written, the Dyscheful of Snowe is a big, showy presentation of "illusion" food in which we use a unique Cream whipped with Egg Whites, Sugar, and Rose Water to cover a large branch of Rosemary secured in an apple, and also fill the surrounding dish, to make it all look like a pine tree after a snowfall. The original recipe begins with a "pottel," a half-gallon, of Heavy Cream and produces as much as a gallon of the finished Cream, which would have been a large platter indeed.
The Cream itself is a marvel for the modern eater, and frankly, for the modern Pastry Chef. When I first read the directions to combine the Egg Whites and Heavy Cream at the start, I couldn't fathom what that could produce as meringue (whipped Egg Whites and Sugar) is notoriously temperamental anywhere near fats. Likewise, using granulated sugar in whipped cream typically requires that it sit overnight in the liquid cream to dissolve before whipping. To my chagrin and delight, what this did produce was an incredibly light, exceptionally stable, sweet and fragrant whipped cream that is worth serving on its own or to accompany another sweet dish.
For my version here, I am presenting a single Apple, baked with the spices typical of other Apple recipes from the same source, spiked with a sprig of Rosemary to create a miniature version of the original dish that is also more substantial for the modern taste. If you would like to serve this at a party in its original grand style, do it! You'll just multiply the recipe as needed to fill your chosen vessel. (And I strongly recommend you include the option wafers - sold as "pizzelles" to this day.)
Ingredients
Baked Apples
Whipped Cream
Decoration
Instructions
Bake the Apples
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Peel, halve and core your Apples
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Combine the Sugar, Cinnamon, and Ginger and toss the Apples in the mixture
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Place the seasoned Apple halves flat side down on a lined baking sheet and roast at 400°F until a knife easily pierces them, about 10 minutes
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Cool the apples completely before proceeding. They can be made ahead a few days, if you like.
Whip the Cream
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Combine the Heavy Cream, Egg White, second measure of Sugar, and Rose Water in a mixing bowl and beat.
This comes together extremely quickly using a stand mixer or electric beaters, but you could mix it by hand with a whisk. I do not recommend the proto-whisk described in the original recipe, but by all means, if you have the time and a clean, food-safe stick, give it a try and let me know how it goes. -
Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Stiff peaks means that the mixture holds its shape when pulled to a point. You should be able to turn the mixing bowl upside down without the mixture moving at all if it is properly whipped. Also take care not to overwhip, or the texture will begin to curdle. It's still perfectly tasty, but the mouthfeel may not be ideal.
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Place each Apple half flat side down in a small bowl, and cover completely with the Cream to create a "snow" mound.
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Roll a sprig of Rosemary in the Cream so that the tips gather it up, and pierce it into the Apple to create the illusion of a miniature pine tree standing in the snow.
In fairness, to achieve the look I got in the photo, I had to use my fingertips to carefully dress the tiny "tree." There are certain costs to miniaturization...
