Rose Pudding

English
Serves 6
The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black


Rosee.  Take thyk milk; sethe it.  Cast therto sugur, 
a gode porcioun; pynes, dates ymynced, canel, & powour gynger; 
and seeth it, and alye it with flours of white rosis, and flour 
of rys.  Cole it; salt it & messe it forth.  If thou wilt in 
stede of almounde mylke, take swete crem of kyne.
(CI. IV. 53.)

       Petals of one full-blown but unshrivelled white rose
    4 level tablespoons rice flour or cornflour
275 ml/10 fl oz/1 1/4 cups milk
  50 g/2 oz caster sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
575 ml/20 fl oz/2 1/2 cups single cream
       Pinch of salt
  10 dessert dates, stoned and finely chopped
    1 tablespoon chopped pine nut kernels


ÔThyk milkeÕ in the old recipe looks suspiciously like sour 
milk or curd cheese, but in fact it means rich almond ÔmilkÕ 
for a ÔfastingÕ meal.  Hastily cream is offered as an alternative 
for other diners.

  Take the petals off the rose one by one, and snip off the end 
which was attached to the seed-case.  Blanch the petals in boiling 
water for 2 minutes, then press them between several sheets of soft 
kitchen paper and put a heavy flat weight on top to squeeze them dry.  
(They may look depressingly greyish but blending will cure the dishÕs 
complexion.)  Put the rice flour or cornflour in a saucepan, and 
blend into it enough of the milk to make a smooth cream.  Stir in 
the remaining milk.  Place the pan over low heat, and stir until 
the mixture starts to thicken.  Turn it into the goblet of an 
electric blender, and add the sugar, spices and rose-petals.  
Process until fully blended, then add and blend in the cream and salt.

  Turn the mixture into a heavy saucepan, and stir over very low 
heat, below the boil, until it is the consistency of softly whipped 
cream.  Stir in most of the chopped dates and pine nut kernels, and 
stir for 2 minutes more.  Turn into a glass or decorative bowl and 
cool.  Stir occasionally while cooling to prevent a skin forming.  
Chill.  Just before serving decorate with the remaining dates and nuts.
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