*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                          Fig And Raisin 'Cream'

Recipe By     : The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black
Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Medieval

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     125  g             Dried figs (4 oz) -- well-soaked
     125  g             Seedless raisins (4 oz)
     275  ml            Red wine (not too dry) (1-1/4 c)
       1  pn            Ground black pepper -- generous
     1/3  ts            Ground cinnamon
     1/8  ts            Ground cloves
                        Dark brown sugar -- to taste
       3  ts            Rice or corn flour
       2  dr            Red food coloring -- up to 2 dr
                        Salt -- to taste

  Rapey. Take half figs and half raisins; sort them and wash them in
  water. Scald them in wine, bray them in a mortar, and draw them
  through a strainer. Cast them in a pot and therwith powder of
  pepper and other good powders; alay it up with flour of rye, and
  color it with saundres. Salt it, seeth it & mess it forth.
  
  Drain the figs, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard the stalk
  ends of the fruit and put them in a saucepan with the raisins and
  wine. Add the spices and 1 ts sugar and bring to the boil. Take off
  the heat and cool slightly, then turn the mixture into an electric
  blender and process until smooth. Add a little of the soaking water
  if the mixture is stubbornly solid.
  
  Cream the rice flour or corn flour with a little more soaking water
  or wine and brighten the tint with a drop of food colouring. Blend
  the 'cream' into the dried-fruit puree. Then return the whole
  mixture to the saucepan and simmer until it thickens slightly.
  Season with salt and a little extra sugar if you wish.
  
  The mixture can be served hot or cold over a sweet cereal dish,
  firm stewed fruit or--best of all--ice cream. Some versions in
  other manuscripts are stiffer and make a good filling for tartlets
  or fried puffs. One encloses the filling in pastry to make
  dumplings.
  
  Posted by: Tiffany Hall-Graham
 

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