To make cakes
ELINOR FETTIPLACE’S RECEIPT BOOK
Take flower & sugar & nutmeg & cloves & mace & sweet butter & sack & a little ale barme, beat your spice, & put in your butter & your sack, cold, then work it well all together, & make it in little cakes, & so bake them, if you will you may put in some saffron into them and fruit.
Elinor Fettiplace’s Cakes
Description
The word "cake" has a convoluted history, and at the time when this recipe was written, it could indicate anything from shortbread to a risen dough. Reading this recipe for the first time, as a Pastry Chef it immediately reads to me as an enriched dough like a sweet bun, and that is what I have done with it. Hilary Spurling agrees with me, and provides a similar recipe in her book. I further contrast this with the recipe from The Good Housewife's Jewel that indicates similar ingredients, but gives very specific directions that clearly result in a shortbread. I believe that if Elinor Fettiplace had intended a shortbread, she would have gone to the effort to explain that. Likewise, both of Elinor's cake recipes call for a fair quantity of liquid - something that is not compatible with shortbread. Elinor's recipe indicates fruit or Saffron. I chose common raisins, plumped in hot water, but you could use anything you like. If you're a fan of Saffron, do that instead - but I am not.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Rinse the Raisins and plump in warm water
Prepare the Dough
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Warm the Ale to body temperature, and combine with the Yeast and a pinch of the Sugar.
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In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the Flour, remaining Sugar, and Salt
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After the Yeast has proven in the Ale, add the mixture to the bowl and combine well.
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Knead the dough until it is uniformly hydrated, then rest, covered, for 30 minutes
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Add the Sherry, then knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test.
Enrich the Dough
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Add the Butter while kneading, little by little, and knead until it is smooth
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Drain the Raisins and add to the bowl.
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Knead the Raisins into the dough, just until incorporated
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All the dough to rise at room temperature, covered, until it no longer springs back when a floured finger is pressed into it
Shape and Bake
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Form the dough into 50g balls and shape them by rounding on an unfloured work surface
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Place 12 rolls on each baking sheet, and allow them to proof, covered, until doubled in size - this may take several hours
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Preheat a convection oven to 375°F (400°F if not a convection oven)
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Brush with milk
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Score each bun in a small cross shape
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Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown, turning halfway through
