To make French flummery is a traditional British recipe, based on Hannah Glasse's recipe of 1747, for a classic dessert of sweetened cream set with isinglass (gelatine in the modern redaction) that's served with baked pears. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To make French flummery.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Hannah Glasse's 1747 volume The Aft of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, the classic Georgian cookbook.
To make French flummery.
YOU muſt take a quart of cream and half an ounce of iſinglaſs, beat it fine, and ſtir in into the cream. Let it boil ſoftly over a ſlow fire a quarter of an hour, keep it ſtirring all the time ; then take it off the fire, ſweeten it to your palate, and put in a ſpoonful of roſe-water and a ſpoonful of orange-flower water ; ſtrain it and pour it into a glaſs or baſon, or juſt what you pleaſe, and when it is cold turn it out. It makes a fine ſide-diſh. You may eat it with cream, wine, or what you pleaſe. Lay round it baked pears. It both looks very pretty, and eats fine.
Soak the gelatine in water for 20 minutes. Drain then add to a pan with the cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the gelatine has dissolved.
Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly before beating in the rose-water. Allow to cool further then turn into a mould or individual dishes. Place in the refrigerator and chill until sit.
In the meantime, core your pears. Place, standing upright, in a dish and drizzle over the honey and put inside. Pour 100ml water into the baking dish then place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 35 minutes, or until tender.
Turn the flummery out onto a serving dish, arrange the baked pears around the outside, pour over a little cream and serve.
For more information on the origins and development of flummery recipes over the years, see this page on Flummery.
