Mediaeval Cider Syllabub Float. Festive Fare Gluten-free Recipe

Since Mediaeval times and right up to the end of the 17th century syllabub was a drink rather than a dessert. It was also a love token offered by dairymaids and milkmaids to potential lovers and was therefore and possibly by association, a favourite beverage for farmers and farmworkers in the fields at harvest time. The recipe was seemingly simple with the few ingredients readily available on the farm, the skill was in making it. In original form it was a 'direct from the cow' recipe and although I can hand-milk, stopping the cow from putting her proverbial foot in it or kicking the whole thing over, would certainly put me off attempting it.

The recipe below is from 'The Experienced English Housekeeper' by  Elizabeth Raffald and was published in 1782. Apart from the clue in the title, she cleverly glosses over the hard part! In earlier versions the cow was milked directly into a bowl of crab apple verjus, sugar or honey. Made, as the name suggests, mainly from pressing unripe grapes or in English cookery,  crab apples, verjus was a popular Mediaeval cookery ingredient. It was preferred to vinegar or lemon as a condiment or for déglaçage, as it didn't conflict with accompanying wines. In recent years verjus has enjoyed a renaissance, particularly in contemporary organic French and American cuisine, where it is used in vinaigrettes, sauces and marinades and for the same reason. It also fits well into the ethos of organic because it uses fruit thinnings, which would otherwise be discarded.

INGREDIENTS

(makes 18-20 or more dependent on the shot glass used)

FOR THE SYLLABUB

½ a lemon
1 - 2 tablespoons of rapadura or blonde raw cane sugar
50ml or 2 fl oz of dry farm cider
150ml or ¼ a pint of raw crème fraîche épaisse*, whipping or thick cream

FOR THE CIDER FLOAT

An additional 360ml or just over 12 fl oz  of dry farm cider

*This is cream which has been left to stand and cool after full cream milk, such as A2 raw Normandy has been run through a separator. We got up at the crack of dawn to go and film the process at our local organic dairy farm, where we also helped making cider.

The Cider film is below, if you'd like to see the fun we had in making it!

You may be looking at the above list and thinking sooo simple. Well, not so because with organic quality raw products the depth of flavours is incredible. This is the irony of organic raw materials, which by their very method of production and lack of subsidy, will cost more than those of industrial farming but you do not need a whole host of extra costing ingredients, aromas and additives. If you use raw cane sugar (rapadura) the flavour will be even deeper than if you use the blonde cane sugar, the colour will change also. I like to add the raw cane sugar later as then the crystals remain intact and you get a delicious toffee taste and aroma to the syllabub. Experiment with the recipe, that's what cooking is all about!

METHOD

FOR THE SYLLABUB

In order to permit this depth of flavour to fully develop, it is best to allow at least an hour for the ingredients other than the cream (and rapadura raw sugar if you are using that) to rest and infuse. However, if this is a last-minute party-effort do not worry, just make sure you have enough left over to enjoy by yourself the day after, when it will be richer, glossier and most indulgently delicious.

Squeeze the juice from the half lemon and remove the outer layer of peel.

Add the sugar and the cider and if possible leave for at least an hour to infuse.

Incorporate the cream with a hand whisk or electric beater, just until it forms into 'leaves' or peaks. Do not over whisk!

Here if you compare the photos you'll see the difference in shade and texture to a syllabub made with rapadura.

FOR THE CIDER FLOAT

Fill the shot glass to around half way to two thirds up with chilled cider.

Add a good heaped teaspoon or more of syllabub.

Decorate the top with a fruit or similar.

Serve with a spoon and/or swizzle stick.

The cider float can be drunk in the way of an Irish Coffee, either by spooning out the topping or by a gentle mixing in of the topping.

Either way it is delicious.

You can make this in a non-alcoholic version by substituting clear apple juice for the farm cider.

Enjoy!

All that needs to be said now is Bon Appėtit!

Hope to see you here again for another recipe from my 100 Gluten-Free Organic Party Foods Challenge! In the meantime here's the cider making film:


All the best,

Sue

MORE CREAM DESSERTS

Cranachan Cream Crowdie

This is the second recipe I'm posting in my 100 gluten free party food recipe challenge. A traditional Scottish Harvest Home Celebration dessert, mini version in a tot or shot glass. Cranachan is a celebration of Scottish produce...read more

Caledonian Cream. Traditional Festive Scottish Dessert

The twenty-third recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. Caledonian cream, is associated with Burns' Night suppers, wedding breakfast menus and was a favourite of Queen Victoria's Christmas fare at Balmoral...read more

Chocolate Roulade Layer Cakes with Chocolate Ganache

The fourth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Recipe Challenge. A traditional luscious French flourless and fatless sponge or biscuit roulade, which here I've made into mini triple-layer cakes with home-made fresh apricot compote and chocolate ganache...read more

Mini Pavlova

The eleventh recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. Named for the Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova.T here is something rather wonderfully decadent in being able to eat one in just a few bites!..read more

Ice Scream - Raw Milk Rich Vanilla Ice Cream Appetisers. 

The sixteenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge.

Inspired by a scene from the 1963 Horror Comedy Spoof The Raven with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter  Lorre and a very young Jack Nicholson. We had such fun making these...read more


and....

The Triumph of the Cream Separator and la Vache Normande Heritage Breed

Looking at a machine which revolutionised the small dairy farm and is going strong today. Joining our friends on their organic farm to make cream and butter..read more

RETURN TO MAIN CONTENTS PAGE

RETURN TO 100 GLUTEN-FREE PARTY RECIPES CONTENTS 

©  Sue Cross 2017
 

Traditional Cider Syllabub - a simple, elegant and ancient festive dessert

Although syllabub puddings in literature are often associated with Wedding feasts they are delicious at any time of year and particularly in the Winter months, imbued with the very essence of festive cheer. The version pictured below is a syllabub coupe made with layers of medlar purée, rose hip syrup, medlar flavoured and plain syllabub and dark chocolate.

However, nothing beats a simple syllabub to accompany the final (third!) crop of figs freshly plucked from the garden.

A little history with a dash of verjus

Ironically syllabub started life not as a classy dessert but as a very special drink. Since Mediaeval times and right up to the end of the 17th century, it was the traditional love-token exchanged between milk-maids and their sweethearts. Known simply as a 'from the cow' recipe, in this version, the cow was milked directly into a bowl of crab apple verjus, sugar or honey. Made, as the name suggests, mainly from pressing unripe grapes or crab apples, verjus was a popular Mediaeval cookery ingredient, being preferred to vinegar or lemon as a condiment or for déglaçage, as it didn't conflict with accompanying wines. In recent years verjus has enjoyed a renaissance, particularly in contemporary organic French and American cuisine, where it is used in vinaigrettes, sauces and marinades and for the same reason. It also fits well into the ethos of organic because it uses fruit thinnings, which would otherwise be discarded. 

So with verjus back as an easily obtainable ingredient, if you would like to venture into making syllabub in the traditional manner and have a tame and/or very accommodating cow, goat or sheep, then I will provide a link at the bottom of the page to some very brave and experimental cooks.

From the 18th century onwards however, syllabub began to change, becoming much easier to prepare and much less the preserve of milk-maids.

Ingredients

1 lemon
2 - 3 tablespoons of rapadura - pure raw cane sugar
100ml or 4 fl oz of dry farm cider
300ml or ½ a pint of raw crème fraîche épaisse*, whipping or thick cream

*This is cream which has been left to stand and cool after full cream milk, such as A2 raw Normandy has been run through a separator. I know this because some few weeks ago I got up at, what was to me, the crack of dawn to go and film the process. More of this in a later article.

You may be looking at this list and thinking sooo simple. Well, not so because with organic quality raw products the depth of flavours is incredible. This is the irony of organic raw materials, which by their very method of production and lack of subsidy, will cost more than those of industrial farming but you do not need a whole host of extra costing ingredients, aromas and additives.

Method

In order to permit this depth of flavour to fully develop, it is best to allow at least an hour for the ingredients other than the cream to rest and infuse. However, if this is a last-minute party-effort do not worry, just make sure you have enough left over to enjoy by yourself the day after, when it will be richer, glossier and most indulgently delicious.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon and remove the outer layer of peel.

Add the sugar and cider and if possible leave for at least an hour to infuse.

Incorporate the cream with a hand whisk or electric beater, until it forms into 'leaves' or peaks.

Ignore cut-and-paste impostors who tell you crème fraîche does not whip, even the organic shop-bought thin version does.

Uses

Sylabub can be used to make up coupes or sundaes, it makes great frosting for a cake and an extra-sumptuous top-layer for a trifle. It is delicious with Christmas pudding read more and divine just eaten on its own.

 

It can be made with wine or spirits (use less!), sherry or Shakespearean sack (whatever that is). Like all great recipes it can be altered to suit. If you prefer, use a fruit juice but make sure it is tart enough to be carried by the cream. Have fun experimenting!

Now if you'd like to sit back and watch the film:


If you've enjoyed this recipe think about sharing it and feel free to ask questions, comment and/or make observations.

Here for the more adventurous is the 'from the goat' recipe and here a most comprehensive essay on syllabub plus'direct from the cow' recipe experience.

All the very best, 'til next time and another recipe from an old farm house in Normandie,
Sue

Return to 'WHAT'S ON THE MENU' for more Simply Organic Recipes

© 2014 Sue Cross