William Salmon’s 1696 Recipe for ‘Apple Florentines’

“Apple-Florentines, to Fry : Take about a dozen Pippins, pare them, cut them and almost cover them with Water, and almost a pound of Sugar, let them boil on a gentle fire, close covered, with a stick of Cinnamon, minced Orange-peel, a little Dill-seed beaten, Rose-water : when this is cold and stiff, make it into a little Pasty with rich Paste, and fry it.”

William Salmon – The Family-Dictionary; Or, Household Companion, 2nd edtn (1696)

This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned an Apple Florentine dish, but it is rather different to the previous one, as described in the description of “Apple Florentine at Christmas” by a writer with the initials E.H.B., which was penned in 1832.

Clearly there has been some evolution over in the intervening years, from the seventeenth century’s simple, fried apple pastry described in the recipe above – essentially an apple fritter, which I’ve also posted recipes for once or twice or thrice or, er, quarce (apparently) – to a the nineteenth century’s enormous, hot ale-infused apple pie that was celebrated and devoured at Christmas. And onwards, into the various versions of “Apple Florentine”, recipes for which can be found online today.

There’s a research project in there, on the etymology of the term “Florentine” – clearly pertaining to the Italian city of Florence in some way – in a culinary context. If anyone knows of a food historian that’s already done the legwork, please do let me know, via the comments. Otherwise, I’ll add it to my ever-expanding ‘future article ideas’ list.