Herb Dumplings
225g (8oz) Currants
150-170g (5-6oz) Bread
Hot Milk
6 Eggs
Handful Mildest Herbs
Candied Orange
White Wine
Butter
2 tbsp Caster Sugar
½ Nutmeg
Sugar
Salt
Cut the bread into slices, removing the crusts.
Scald the bread with a little boiling milk but do not over wet it.
Beat the eggs well with the sugar, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
Mix all of the above thoroughly with the currants and finely chopped herbs.
Prepare either some cloths lightly dusted with flour, or sheet of kitchen foil or a double thickness of greaseproof paper, brushed with melted butter.
Place the mixture on the coverings, each should be the size of a medium apple..
Wrap loosely but securely, leaving enough space for it to rise.
Tie or seal each of the coverings.
Place in the steamer and cover tightly.
Steam for 30 minutes.
Make a sauce from white wine, butter, sugar and a little candied orange.
Serve immediately.
*A Penny Loaf weighs just over 150g (5oz), so this measure has been substituted.
To make Herb Dumplings
Take a penny loaf, cut off the out crust, and the rest in slices, put to it as much hot milk as will just wet it, take the yolks and whites of six eggs, beat them with two spoonfuls of powder sugar, half a nutmeg, and a little salt, so put it to your bread; take half a pound of currans well cleaned, put them to your eggs, then take a handful of the mildest herbs you can get, gather them so equal that the taste of one be not above the other, wash and chop them very small, put as many of them in as will make a deep green, (don't put any parsley among them, nor any other strong herb) so mix them all together, and boil them in a cloth, make them about the bigness of middling apples; about half an hour will boil them; put them into your dish, and have a little candid orange, white wine, butter and sugar for sauce, so serve them up.
English Housewifry - 1764
Note: This recipe has not been tested by The Foody, please read the original recipe text before attempting to cook it.
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