Marchpane with Rose Water
A paste of almonds and sugar perfumed with rose water, dried until it becomes a firm, pearly cake that is decorated and preserved. Pure sugar and flower: the showpiece sweet of the Elizabethan banquet.
A paste of almonds and sugar perfumed with rose water, dried until it becomes a firm, pearly cake that is decorated and preserved. Pure sugar and flower: the showpiece sweet of the Elizabethan banquet.
Remember that line of my servant, at the Capulets': let them set aside a little marchpane! For this cake of pounded almonds and sugar, scented with rose water, is too precious to be devoured at once. Dry it very gently until it hardens and shines like ivory, then gild it, cut it into letters and coats of arms to amaze the company. Keep it dry, it will keep for weeks — a gift worthy of a lady, and it outlasts the guests.
- •Sweet almonds — a pound (base)
- •Sugar — in nearly equal parts (sweetness and structure)
- •Rose water — a few drops (signature fragrance)
- •Fine sugar for finishing — a little (icing/dusting)
Marchpane with Rose Water
A paste of almonds and sugar perfumed with rose water, dried until it becomes a firm, pearly cake that is decorated and preserved. Pure sugar and flower: the showpiece sweet of the Elizabethan banquet.
Why this dish? The marchpane, a great cake of almonds and sugar, was the centerpiece of the sweet 'banquet' for those who could afford it — and a gift that kept for weeks. Shakespeare mentions it in Romeo and Juliet: a servant asks to have some marchpane set aside during the Capulets' ball.
Remember that line of my servant, at the Capulets': let them set aside a little marchpane! For this cake of pounded almonds and sugar, scented with rose water, is too precious to be devoured at once. Dry it very gently until it hardens and shines like ivory, then gild it, cut it into letters and coats of arms to amaze the company. Keep it dry, it will keep for weeks — a gift worthy of a lady, and it outlasts the guests.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sweet almonds — a pound (base)
- Sugar — in nearly equal parts (sweetness and structure)
- Rose water — a few drops (signature fragrance)
- Fine sugar for finishing — a little (icing/dusting)
Ingredients
- Almond flour — 250 g (base)
- Powdered sugar — 250 g (sweetness and structure)
- Rose water — 1 to 2 tsp (signature fragrance)
- Egg white (or a little sugar syrup) — 1, or as needed (binder)
- Powdered sugar for finishing — a little (icing)
Method
- Mix the almond flour and powdered sugar.
- Add the rose water, then the egg white little by little until a smooth, pliable paste forms, neither sticky nor dry.
- Roll out into a disc about 1 cm thick on parchment paper, smooth the edges.
- Dry in a very low oven (90-100°C) for 30-40 minutes, until the top is firm and pearly (do not color).
- Let cool, dust with a little sugar and decorate (patterns scored with a point, optional gilding). Store in a dry box.
How it was made : Marchpane was worked in a mortar, sometimes pounded for hours, then shaped into decorative forms — castles, coats of arms, letters — colored and gilded with gold leaf for the wealthiest. It was as much a spectacle as a sweetmeat.
The contemporary twist : Cut into small stars with a cookie cutter and stamped with a 'Globe Theatre' seal, dusted with edible gold powder.
Sources : Thomas Dawson, The Good Huswifes Jewell (1585-1596) · Sir Hugh Plat, Delightes for Ladies (1602) · William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Scene 5
William Shakespeare · Charactorium