Principality of the Mists Bardic 2002
Mediterranean Tour Feast
Fifth Course - Dessert

• Bizcochos - Biscotti - Catalan
• Potaje Llamado Persicate - Peach Pottage - Catalan
• Baqlawa min Semsem wa Fistuk - Baklava with Sesame Seeds and Pistachios - modern Syria and Lebanon
• Hypocras - Spiced Wine and Faulx Ypocras - Spiced Fruit Juice - Medieval European
• Toronjas de Xativa que son Almojavanas - Oranges of Xativa which are Cheesecakes - Fried Ricotta Cheese Balls - Catalan

BIZCOCHOS - BISCOTTI

Duquessa Juana Isabella de Montoya y Ramirez made the Bizcochos for the feast, for which i thank her. She used a 16th century recipe that uses anise seeds for flavor, and not the recipe i suggested which does not have anise seeds.

This is the authentic 16th century Spanish/Catalan recipe that i prefer, as it has no anise (i don't like anise).

ORIGINAL
Diego Granado, Libro del Arte de Cozina (1599)
trans. by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Take twelve eggs, and remove the whites from four of them, and with a little orange-flower water beat them a great deal, and grind a pound of sugar, and cast it in little by little, always beating quickly, and cast in flour, or powdered wheat starch, and beat it with force. Having cast in the said flour, when they see that it is necessary, and very fine, and the dough must remain white, just as for fritters, and then cast it in your pots, and carry them to the oven, and when half-cooked remove them, and dust them with well-ground sugar, and cut them to your taste, and return them to the oven, and let them finish baking a second time: and if they wish when they beat them, cast in as much white wine as an eggshell, it will be good.

MY VERSION

8 eggs
4 yolks
a little orange flower water
an eggshell of white wine
1 pound sugar
(1 pound?) white wheat flour
powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 450°Fahrenheit
2. Beat eggs and orange flower water together well, adding an eggshell of white wine.
3. Add sugar little by little, beating constantly.
4. Add flour and beat with force.
5. Put the dough in a baking pan - it should make a loaf a couple inches high.
6. Bake them to the oven.
7. When half-cooked remove them, and dust them with well-ground sugar, and slice them to your taste.
8. Then return them to the oven, and let them finish baking a second time.

These would have been eaten dipped in wine, or as here, in the Faux Hypocras.

165. POTAJE LLAMADO PERSICATE - Pottage called Peach dish

My thanks to Gianetta del Bene, who cooked this dish.

ORIGINAL
Diego Granado, Libro del Arte de Cozina (1599)
trans. by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

You will take the peeled peaches, and cut them into slices, and cook them in good fat broth; and when they are cooked, take a few blanched almonds and grind them; and when they are well-ground, strain them rather thick with that broth. And then cook this sauce with sugar and a little ginger, and when it is cooked, cast in enough pot-broth or that which falls from the roasting-spit. And let it stew well for a little; and then prepare dishes, and upon each one cast sugar; and in this same way you can make the sauce of quinces in the same manner; but the quinces need to be strained with [the] almonds, and they should not be sour, and likewise the peaches.

Lady Brighid's NOTE:
Duranzo is the Spanish for "peach", but Persico ("Persian") is the word for the peach tree. The Latin name, prunus persica, means Persian plum, because the fruit was introduced to Europe from Persia.

MY VERSION

26 peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
unsalted vegetable broth to cover
3 Tb. unsalted butter
1/2 lb. blanched almonds, finely ground, about 1-1/4 cups
sugar to taste (try 1 cup for starters)
powdered ginger, to taste (try 1 Tb for starters)

1. Cook peaches in vegetable broth with butter until tender.
2. Pour off some of the broth into a bowl.
3. Stir almonds into broth until well moistened. Let stand at least 15 min. - longer might be better.
4. Strain almond broth - be sure that it is thick.
5. Stir almond broth into peaches and simmer with sugar and ginger for a little while, adding broth as needed, to blend flavors well.
6. Taste to make sure the dish is sweet enough, adding more sugar as necessary, and adjust seasoning.
7. Cool and refrigerate. You can put this in zip-close plastic bags, if you want...

Baqlawa min Semsem wa Fistuk
Baklava with Sesame Seeds and Pistachios

Conchobhar, the Bard of the Mists, specifically requested Baklavah. This recipe looked good, so i tried it. It was fabulous!

Modern, Syrian-Lebanese, adapted from:
page 16
Patisserie of the Eastern Mediterranean
by Arto Der Haroutunian
McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1989
ISBN 0-07-026665-4

MAKE SYRUP:

3-1/2 c. sugar
3 cups water
juice of 3 lemons
2 Tb. rose water
2 Tb. orange flower water

ASSEMBLE BAQLAWA:

small amount of butter to grease pans
2 lb. phyllo
3 Tb. butter
2/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup raisins, soaked about 15 min. in warm water
3 cups coarsely chopped nuts (about 1/2 lb. each almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts)
1 tsp. powdered cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 cups melted butter
2 cups shelled pistachio nutmeats, chopped

1. Put sugar in water with lemon juice on medium fire. Raise heat and bring to boil, stirring.
2. Lower heat and simmer 10 min, until it coats the spoon.
3. Remove from heat, stir in flower waters, and let cool.

1. Preheat oven to 350°Fahrenheit.
2. Grease two 12 X 8 X 2 pans with a little butter.
3. Place phyllo sheets on a large plate, open them out halfway, cover top with waxed paper, then a damp towel.
4. In 3 Tb. butter, fry sesame seeds until golden, stirring constantly.
5. Remove sesame seeds from heat and stir in raisins, chopped mixed nuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Put one sheet of phyllo in pan, cut in half.
7. With a wide pastry brush, spread with about 1 tsp. butter. Continue adding half sheets, buttering every second sheet, until there are 6 to 8 half sheets stacked in the pan.
8. Scatter half of nut-raisin mixture evenly over the pastry.
9. Repeat with another 6-8 sheets of phyllo and butter, then sprinkle with the remaining nuts-and-raisins.
10. Top with another 6-8 sheets of phyllo, buttering every second sheet. Butter top. Pour any remaining butter over all.
11. Carefully cut into pieces (about 1-3/4") without crushing. Be sure to cut through to the bottom of the pan.
12. Sprinkle all over with chopped pistachios
13. Bake at 350°Fahrenheit for 30 min.
14. Lower heat to 300 and bake an additional hour - check occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.
15. Remove from oven and let cool about 15 min.
16. Pour cold syrup evenly over all.
17. Let cool completely.
18. Loosen all pieces with a sharp knife, and transfer very carefully on serving dishes.

Faulx Ypocras

Based on several Medieval recipes for hot spiced wine, this is a non-alcoholic version served because the hall does not allow alcohol, and to make it accessible to those who do not drink alcohol.

Forme of Cury, 14th c.
Pur fait yprocras. Troys vnces de canel & iii vnces de gyngeuer; spykenard de Spayn, le pays dun denerer; garyngale, clows gylofre, poeure long, noie3 mugade3, ma3io3ame, cardemonii, de chescun i quarter donce; grayne de paradys, flour de queynel, de chescun dm. unce; de toutes soit fait powdour &c.

Anahita's Translation:
To make hypocras. three ounces of canel and 3 ounces of ginger; spikenard of Spain, the country of [denerer]; galangal, cloves, long pepper, whole nutmeg, marjoram, cardamom, of each 1 quarter-ounce; grains of paradise, cinnamon powder (or cinnamon flowers, i.e. cassia buds?), of each half ounce; of all make a powder etc.

Menagier de Paris, 14th c.
To make powdered hippocras, take a quarter-ounce of very fine cinnamon, hand-picked by tasting it, an ounce of very fine meche ginger and an ounce of grains of paradise, a sixth of an ounce of nutmeg and galingale together, and pound it all together. And when you want to make hippocras, take a good half-ounce or more of this powder and two quarter-ounces of sugar, and mix them together, and a quart of wine as measured in Paris.

To make a quart or quarter-ounce of hippocras by the measure used in Besiers, Carcassone, or Montpelier, take five drams of fine select clean cinnamon, select peeled white ginger, three drams: of clove, grains, mace, galingale, nutmeg, nard, altogether one and a fourth drams: more of the first, and of the others less and less of each as you go down the list. Grind to powder, and with this put a pound and half a quarter-ounce, by the heavier measure, of ground rock sugar, and mix with the aforesaid spices; and have wine and the sugar melted on a dish on the fire, and add the powder, and mix: then put in the straining-bag, and strain until it comes out a clear red. Note that the cinnamon and the sugar should dominate.

MY VERSION

9 cans unsweetened white grape juice concentrate
5 cans unsweetened purple grape juice concentrate
1 can cranberry juice concentrate
verjuice as needed, to make tart
2-2/3 cup sugar

SPICES
4 oz. cinnamon powder
4 oz. ginger powder
1 to 2 oz. clove powder
1 to 2 oz. nutmeg
1 oz. galangal
1 oz. spikenard
1 oz. whole grains of paradise

1. Mix together spices.
2. Put the juice concentrates into a very large kettle and add water to reconstitute. Don't worry if not well blended or dissolved. Add verjuice until it is a bit tart.
3. Add spices. You can let stand for several hours, if you like.
4. Put on high fire and bring to simmer, stirring frequently.
5. When hot, put on sideboard.

133. TORONJAS DE XATIVA QUE SON ALMOJAVANAS
Oranges of Xativa which are Cheesecakes

ORIGINAL
Diego Granado, Libro del Arte de Cozina (1599)
trans. by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

You must take new cheese and curd cheese, and grind them in a mortar together with eggs. Then take dough and knead those cheeses with the curd cheese, together with the dough. And when everything is incorporated and kneaded take a very clean casserole. And cast into it a good quantity of sweet pork fat or fine sweet oil. And when the pork grease or oil boils, make some balls from said dough, like toy balls or round oranges. And cast them into the casserole in such a manner that the ball goes floating in the casserole. And you can also make bu“uelos (Recipe 108) of the dough, or whatever shapes and ostentations you wish. And when they are the color of gold, take them out, and cast in as many others. And when everything is fried, put it on plates. And cast honey upon it, and on top of the honey [cast] ground sugar and cinnamon. However, note one thing: that you must put a bit of leaven in the cheeses and in the eggs, and in the other put flour. And when you make the balls, grease your hands with a little fine oil, and then [the balls] go to the casserole. And when it is inside, if the dough crackles it is a signal that it is very soft, and you must cast in more flour [into the dough] until it is harder. And when the fritter is made and fried, cast your honey on it, and [cast] sugar and cinnamon on top as is said above.

Lady Brighid's NOTE:
While "toronjas" is the modern word for "grapefruits", the Renaissance Spanish word for "oranges" was "torongas".

MY VERSION

2 dozen eggs
2 lb. farmer's cheese
4 containers ricotta cheese
wheat flour, as needed
non-sour "sourdough" bread sponge
mild cooking oil
honey
ground sugar
cinnamon

1. Beat eggs.
2. Mix together farmer cheese, ricotta cheese, and eggs.
3. Stir some flour into the cheese-egg mix.
4. Put about 1/2 cup sponge into the cheese-egg dough, mix well, and let rest at least 1/2 hour to rise. If the dough hasn't gotten lighter, add another 1/2 cup sponge and let rest another 15 min. Continue until you've added up to 2 cups of sponge, adding flour as necessary to keep dough firm, not gooey.
5. When cheese-dough is finally ready, heat oil in deep pan on high heat.
6. While the oil is heating, make spherical balls from the dough, not too large, about the size of a ping-pong ball, greasing your hands with a little cooking oil to keep dough from sticking.
7. When the oil in the pan is quite hot, drop in some of the cheese balls. They should float on the oil.
8. "If the dough crackles it is a signal that it is very soft, and you must add more flour [to the dough] until it is harder."
9. When the balls are golden, take them out with a slotted spoon or Chinese wire scoop and put on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, then add more into the oil.
10. After they are drained, put them on serving platters.
11. Drizzle with honey, then sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sugar.

NOTE:
I forgot to bring the flour to the event, so we didn't cook them after all. If i get another opportunity, i'll try them again.

My thanks to the mother of Gianetta and Carol for providing the dough sponge for the dish.