 There are a few cookbooks from this period. As early as 1500, a
small anonymous book titled This Is the Boke of Cokery appeared,
and in 1508, a carving manual called Here Begynneth the Boke of
Kervynge appeared. Both are still pretty much medieval.

 About 1545, at the end of Henry’s reign, there appeared another
anonymous cookbook: A Proper Newe Booke of Cokerye, which
begins to depart from earlier medieval texts, particularly in the
appearance of fruit tarts and other pies with crusts that were meant
to be eaten. There is also evidence of continental infl uence.

 When Henry died in 1547 and his young and sickly son Edward
took the throne, his advisors initiated a full and thorough Protestant
reform throughout the country. Theologically, England joined the
Swiss (Calvinist) tradition. In addition, a Puritanical spirit was
unleashed, one that looked with derision upon the supposedly

To Make a Dyschefull of Snowe

I

n addition to appearing in A Proper Newe Booke of Cokerye,
the following recipe is found in Scappi’s cookbook and other
continental cookbooks and was apparently very popular
across Europe.

Take a pottell of swete thycke creame and the whytes of eyghte
egges, and beate them together wyth a spone, then putte them in
youre creame and a saucerfull of Rosewater, and a dyshe full of
Suger wyth all, then take a styke and make it cleane, and than cutte
it in the end foure square, and therwith beate all the aforesayde
thynges together, and ever as it ryseth take it of and put it into a
Collaunder, this done take one apple and set it in the myddes of
it, and a thycke bush of Rosemary, and set it in the myddes of the
platter, then cast your snowe uppon the Rosemarye and fyll your
platter therwith. and yf you have wafers caste some in wyth all and
thus seve them forthe.