Fine Cakes from 1587 vs. Fine Cakes from 1615

This was an experiment to see which Fine Cakes recipe was better: 1587 by Thomas Dawson or 1615 by Gervase Markham.


Original Recipes:


1587 from The Good Huswife's Jewell by Thomas Dawson:

To make fine Cakes.

Take fine flowre and good damaske wa∣ter you must haue no other liquor but that, then take sweete butter, two or thrée yolkes of egges, and a good quantitie of su∣ger, and afewe cloues, and mace, as your Cookes mouth shall serue him, and a litle saffron, and a litle Gods good about a spon∣ful if you put in too much they shall arise, cut them in squares like vnto trenchers, and pricke them well, and let your ouen be well swept and lay them vpon papers and so set them into the ouen, do not burn them if they be three or foure dayes olde they be the better.

1615 from The English Huswife by Gervase Markham

To make fine cakes.
  
Take a pottle of fine flower, and a pound of butter, and a pound of Sugar, a little Mace, and good store of water to mingle the flowers into a stiff paste, and a good season of Salt, and so knead it, and roul out the Cakes thin, and bake them on papers.

My Interpretations of the Recipes:


1587:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp ground mace
pinch saffron
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp rosewater
1 tsp yeast

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mix the ingredients together. Bake for 13-14 minutes.
Yield: 18 cookies



1615:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp mace
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mix the ingredients together. Bake for 15 minutes.
Yield: 15 cookies

For an instructional video, please click here.