Lady Margaret of Buckrode

Documentation for Tartys in Applis

Recipe:
(Original from Form of Cury by Richard IIs master cooks transcripted by Samuel Pegge1)
For To Make Tartys In Applis. Tak gode Applys and gode Spycis and Figys and reysons and Perys and wan ey
are wel ybrayed colourd wy Safroun wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake wel.
(Redaction my own)
For to make tarts of apples. Take good apples and good spices and figs and raisins and pears and when they are
well pounded color with saffron well and do it in a coffyn and do it forth to bake well.
Origin:
This particular recipe is from the Form of Cury1 a collection of late 14th century English recipes.
Explanation:
The spices called for in the recipe are only given as good spices and the only specific spice mentioned is
saffron. Good spices is another term for powder douce which is a spice blend that varies in both ingredients and
proportions depending on the individual mixing it and region where it was sold not unlike todays Italian herb blend.
Samuel Pegge states that it is a mix of galingale, sugar and other aromatic spices, the Le Mnagier de Paris2 says that
mixing hippocras powder and sugar together creates a mix called powder dukes. Hippocras powder (documentation in
the following pages) is described as a mix of cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, nutmeg and galingale with wine or
to contain the aforementioned spices in addition to mace, spikenard and cloves. I used the spices described for the
second hippocras powder.
I am also choosing to leave the fruit thinly sliced rather than ground to provide more texture to the filling. The
figs used are dried because figs are currently out of season and I was unable to obtain any fresh in addition to the fact
that since figs and apples are in season at different times it is possible that dried figs were used in period as well to
make this dish.
I have chosen to use a pie crust recipe from The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin3 for the coffyn
because it is a hot water pie crust similar to what wouldve been used in the late 1300s (documentation in the
following pages). It also is a rather plain crust that wont compete with the intricate flavors of the filling.
I did toss the fresh fruit lightly in lemon juice to prevent discoloring while I finished prepping the rest of the
filling. The filling also sat overnight to allow the flavors to come together before being placed in the coffyn and baked.

1) Form of Cury, Master-Cooks of Richard II, Transcription by Samuel Pegge, 1390 (transcription 1791), England
2) Le Mnagier de Paris, unknown author, Translation by Janet Hinson, 1393 (translation undated), France
3) The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin, unkown author, 1594, England