To Make a Vaunt

The Oxford English Dictionary says a vaunt is "a kind of fruit pie" and admits that the word is of obscure origin. In the recipes given below however, the thin omelet-like sheets of egg which form part of the construction are themselves referred to as vaunts, and in at least one French-language cookery book of the era (Ouverture de Cuisine, 1604) they are called votes. Take note, OED. In these recipes the thinly fried eggs themselves seem to take the place of the pastry; it's almost like a filled omelet.

The first reference to a vaunt in written English is given as occurring in 1508 in Wynkyn de Worde's Boke of Kervynge [Book of Carving]. These recipe include veal kidney or beef marrow, which seems strange to us today for a fruit pie, but in past times fatty bone marrow was commonly included in such dishes to add richness. The fruits used are dried fruits. The recipes from Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin and The Good Housewife's Jewell have you cut the top omelet into strips to form a lattice on top.

A Book of Cookrye (England, 1591)

How to bake Vaunts.  Take the kidney of Veale and perboile it till it be tender, then take & chop it small with the yolkes of three or foure Egs, then season it with Dates small cut, small raisins, Ginger, Sugar, Sinamon, Saffron and a little Salte, and for the paste to laye it in, Take a dozen of Egs both the white and the yolkes, and beate them well togither, then take Butter and put it into a frying pan, and fry them as thin as a pancake, then lay your stuffe therin, and so frye them togither in a pan, then cast sugar and Ginger upon it, and so serve it forth.

Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin (1594)

To make a Vaunt. Take marrow of Beefe, as much as you can hold in both your hands, cut it as big as great dice. Then take ten Dates, cut them as big as smal dice: then take thirtie Prunes and cut the fruite from the stones, then take halfe a handfull of Corrans, washe them and picke them, then put your marrow in a cleane platter, and your Dates, Prunes, and Corrans: then take ten yolks of Egs, and put into your stuffe afore rehearsed. Then take a quartern of Sugar, and more, and beat it smal and put to your marow. Then take two spoonfuls of Synamon, and a spoonful of Sugar, and put them to your stuffe, and mingle them all together, then take eight yolkes of Egs, and four spoonfuls of Rosewater, straine them, and put a litle Sugar to it. Then take a fair frying pan, and put a litle peece of butter in it, as much as a Walnut, and set it vpon a good fire, and when it looketh almost blacke, put it out of your pan, and as fast as you can, put halfe of the yolkes of Egs, into the midst of your pan, and let it run all the bredth of your pan, and frie it faire and yellow, and when it is fryed put it in a faire dish, and put your stuffe therein, and spread it al the bottome of the dish, and then make another vaunt euen as you made the other, and set it vpon a faire borde and cut it in faire slices, of the breadth of your litle finger, as long as your Vaunt is; then lay it vpon your stuffe after the fashion of a lattice window, and then cut off the ends of them, as much as lyeth without the inward compasse of the dish. Then set the dish within the Oven or in a baking pan, and let it bake with leisure, and when it is baken ynough the marrow will come faire out of the vaunt, vnto the brim of the dish. Then draw it out, and cast theron a litle sugar, and so you may serue it .

The Good Housewife's Jewell (England, 1596)

To make a vaunt. Take marie of Beefe as much as you can holde in both your hands, cut it as big as great dice, then take dates and cutte them as bigge as small Dice, then take fortie prunes and cutte the fruites fromt he stones, then take halfe a handfull of small raisons, wash them cleane and pricke them, and put yourmarie in a fayre platter, and your Dates, Prunes and small raisons, then take twenty yolkes of egges, and put in your stuffe before rehearsed, then take a quarterne of Suger or more, and beate it small and put in your marrow, then take two spoonefulles of Sinamon and a spoonefull of Ginger, and put them to your stuffe and mingle them altogether, then take eight yolkes of egges, and foure spoonefuls of Rosewater, straine them and out a little suger in it, then take a faire frying panne and out in a little peece of butter in it, as much as a walnut & set it vpon a good fire, and when it looketh almost blacke, put it out of your panne, and as fast as you can put halfe of your egges in the misest of your panne, and frie it yellowe, and when it is fried, put it into a faire dish, and put your stuffe therein, and spredde it all the bottome of your dish, and then make another vaunt euen as ye made the other, and set it vpon a faire boord, cut it in pretie peeces, of the length of your will finger, as long as your vaunt is, and laye it vppon your stuffe after the fashion of a little windowe, and then cutte off the endes of them as muche as lieth without the inward compasse of the dish, then set the dish within the Ouen, or in a baking panne, and let it bake with leasure, and when it is baked enough, the marrowe will come faire out of the vaunt to the the brim of the dish, then drawe it out, and and cast a litle suger on it, and so serue it in.