164. To dry any Sort of Plumbs.

Take to every pound of Plumbs three quarters of a pound of Sugar, boil it to a Candy height with a little water, then put in your Plumbs ready stoned, and let them boil very gently over a slow fire, if they be white ones they may boil a little faster, then let them by till the next day, then boil them well, and take them often from the fire for fear of breaking, let them lie in their Syrup for four or five days, then lay them out upon Sieves to dry, in a warm Oven or Stove, turning them upon clean Sieves twice every day, and fill up all the broken places, and put the skins over them, when they are dry, wash off the clamminess of them with warm water, and dry them in the Oven, and they will look as though the dew were upon them.

165. To make Jelly of Quinces.

Take your Quinces, pare them and core them, and cut them in quarters, then put them into a new earthen pot with a narrow mouth, put in some of the cores in the bottom, and then the Quinces, paste it up and bake it with brown Bread, then run it thorough a bagg of boulting stuff as fast as you can, and crush it pretty hard, so long as it will run clear, to every pound of it take a pound of fine Sugar, and put into it, and let it stand till it be dissolved, then set it over a slow fire, and scum it well, and keep it stirring till it jelly, then put it into Glasses and keep it in a stove.

166. To make a Posset.

Take a Quart of White-wine and a quart of Water, boil whole Spice in them, then take twelve Eggs and put away half the Whites, beat them very well, and take the Wine from the fire, then put in your Eggs and stir them very well, then set it on a slow fire, and stir it till it be thick, sweeten it with Sugar, and strew beaten Spice thereon, then serve it in.

You may put in Ambergreece if you like it, or one perfumed Lozenge.

167. To make a Sack Posset.

Take two quarts of Cream and boil it with Whole Spice, then take twelve Eggs well beaten and drained, take the Cream from the fire, and stir in the Eggs, and as much Sugar as will sweeten it, then put in so much Sack as will make it taste well, and set it on the fire again, and let it stand a while, then take a Ladle and raise it up gently from the bottom of the Skillet you make it in, and break it as little as you can, and so do till you see it be thick enough; then put it into a Bason with the Ladle gently; if you do it too much it will whey, and that is not good.

168. Another way for a Posset.

Boil a Quart of Cream as for the other, then take the Yolks of fourteen Eggs and four Whites, beat them and strain them, take the Cream from the fire, and stir in your Eggs, then have your Sack warmed in a Bason, and when the Cream and Eggs are well mixed, put it to the Sack, and sweeten it to your taste with fine Sugar, and let it stand over a Skillet of seething water for a while.