Medieval Apple Tarts

Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

An older medieval recipe from Forme of Cury adds pears and dried fruits and saffron. The other recipes are from the 16th century.

For To Make Tartys In Applis. Tak gode Applys and gode Spycis and Figys and reysons and Perys and wan they are wel ybrayed colourd wyth Safroun wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake wel. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

27. To make Apple Tarts Take good Apples and good Spices and Figs and raisins and Pears and when they are well cut up (and) well-colored with saffron, put them into a coffin and set it forth to bake well.

Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen, 1510, Christina van Tets (trans.)

One from the Netherlands with cream added near the end of baking.

Appel taerten Neemt appelen die alder best breken die suldy scellen ende wel cleyne sniden Maer wacht datter gheen carnen ofte sloechuysen in en vallen want die carnen souden dye gheheele taerten bederuen. Als dye appelen dus ghesneden sijn met cleynen stucken So suldi dien rant vander seluer taerten vullen tot boven toe al vol Dan suldi dair op maken eenen scheel vanden seluen deeghe daer die taerte af ghemaect es. Dan steltse inden houen ende laetse so backen alsse ghebacken is so suldise wt doen ende snidense bouen open inden scheel Soe dat die scheel maer en behouwe eenen ommerant. Dan suldise rueren met eenen houten lepel tot dat die appel wel ghebroken sijn die in de taerte ligghen Oft eest datmen wilt men machse duerdoen. Dan suldi nemen desen navulghende cruyden ende mingelense dair mede Te weten greine/ ghimber/ caneel/ noten muscaten/ groffels nagelen/ folie/ ende potsuycker Maer die dese selue taerte seer costelijck wilt maken die nemen daer toe moruwe suycker coecken ende ooc suycker daer men de coecken af maect Ende dit salmen temperen wel te gadere met sanen dan salment inde taerte doen mitten appelen ende latense also staen drooghen inden houen tot dat si drooghe es.

Apple tarts. Take apples which are best for cooking until they fall apart. You shall peel these and cut them small. But watch that no seeds or pieces of core fall in, because the seeds would taint the whole tart. When the apples are cut up thus in small pieces, so you shall fill the crust of the same tart up to the top all full. Then you shall make a lid from the same dough that the tart is made from. Then put them in the oven and let them bake thus. When they are baked so you shall take them out and cut a hole in the lid, so that the lid stays only as a ring around the edge. Then you shall stir with a wooden spoon until all the apples which lie in the tart are well broken up. Or if one wants, one may pass them through a sieve. Then one shall take these following spices and mix them therewith, to wit: grains of paradise, ginger, cinnamon, nutmegs, cloves, mace, and potsugar. But those who want to make this same tart very delicious take as well soft sugar cakes and also sugar which one uses for making cakes. And one shall stir this together with cream; then one shall put it in the tart with the apples and let it stand to dry in the oven until it is dry. [Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen (Netherlands, ca. 1510 - C. van Tets, trans.)]

Het eerste gedrukte Nederlandsche kookboek, Brussel, Thomas vander Noot (+/-1510) The First Printed Dutch Cookbook

[29] Appel taerten [30] Neemt appelen die alder best breken die suldy scellen [31] ende wel cleyne sniden Maer wacht datter gheen [32] carnen ofte sloechuysen in en vallen want die carnen [E3r] souden dye gheheele taerten bederuen. Als dye appe[2]len dus ghesneden sijn met cleynen stucken So suldi [3] dien rant vander seluer taerten vullen tot boven toe [4] al vol Dan suldi dair op maken eenen scheel vanden [5] seluen deeghe daer die taerte af ghemaect es. Dan [6] steltse inden houen ende laetse so backen alsse ghebac[7]ken is so suldise wt doen ende snidense bouen open inden [8] scheel Soe dat die scheel maer en behouwe eenen om[9]merant. Dan suldise rueren met eenen houten lepel [10] tot dat die appel wel ghebroken sijn die in de taerte lig[11]ghen Oft eest datmen wilt men machse duerdoen. Dan [12] suldi nemen desen navulghende cruyden ende minge[13]lense dair mede Te weten greine/ ghimber/ caneel/ no[14]ten muscaten/ groffels nagelen/ folie/ ende potsuycker [15] Maer die dese selue taerte seer costelijck wilt maken [16] die nemen daer toe moruwe suycker coecken ende ooc [17] suycker daer men de coecken af maect Ende dit salmen [18] temperen wel te gadere met sanen dan salment inde [19] taerte doen mitten appelen ende latense also staen droo[20]ghen inden houen tot dat si drooghe es.

[29] Apple tarts. [30] Take apples which are best for cooking until they fall apart. You shall peel these [31] and cut them small. But watch that no [32] seeds or pieces of core fall in, because the seeds [E3r] would taint the whole tart. When the apples [2] are cut up thus in small pieces, so you shall [3] fill the crust of the same tart up to the top [4] all full. Then you shall make a lid from the [5] same dough that the tart is made from. Then [6] put them in the oven and let them bake thus. When they are baked [7] so you shall take them out and cut a hole in the [8] lid, so that the lid stays only as a ring around the edge. [9] Then you shall stir with a wooden spoon [10] until all the apples which lie in the tart are well broken up. [11] Or if one wants, one may pass them through a sieve. Then [12] one shall take these following spices and mix [13] them therewith, to wit: grains of paradise, ginger, cinnamon, [14] nutmegs, cloves, mace, and potsugar. [15] But those who want to make this same tart very delicious [16] take as well soft sugar cakes and also [17] sugar which one uses for making cakes. And one shall [18] stir this together with cream; then one shall [19] put it in the tart with the apples and let it stand to dry [20] in the oven until it is dry.

A Propre new booke of Cokery, 1545

To make pies of grene apples. Take your apples and pare them cleane and core theim as ye will a Quince then make your coffyne after this maner take a little faire water and halfe a disshe of butter and a little safron and set all this vpon a chafyngdisshe till it be hote then temper your flower with this vpon a chafyngdissh till it be hote then temper your floure with this said licour and the white of two egges and also make your coffyn and ceason your apples with Sinamon ginger and suger inough. Then put them into your coffyn and laie halfe a disshe of butter aboue them and close your coffyn and so bake them.

Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin (Germany, 1553)

The recipes below are from the same German cookbook, Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin, which contains a lot of apple recipes, with numerous apple pies and tarts.

This one calls for egg yolks, which might make it more custardy.

74 An apple tart. Peel the apples and take the cores cleanly out and chop them small, put two or three egg yolks with them and let butter melt in a pan and pour it on the apples and put cinnamon, sugar and ginger thereon and let it bake. Roast them first in butter before you chop them. [Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin (Germany, 1553)]

One with beef marrow.

75 Another apple tart . Peel the apples , slice them and roast them, cut the cores cleanly out. Chop them small beforehand and put beef marrow thereon and grated bread crumbs. Stir it together well, stir into it also cinnamon , sugar and raisins and let it bake. [Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin (Germany, 16th century - V. Armstrong, trans.)]

This one precooks the apples and adds raisins.

79 An apple tart. Peel the apples cleanly and take out the cores, chop them small and fry them in fat, put raisins, sugar and cinnamon therein and let it bake. [Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin (Germany, 1553)]

One that starts with raw apple and adds a lot of sugar and cinnamon.

124 To make a very good apple tart . Peel the apples , and remove the cores, and them be afterwards be finely chopped. After that put a half pound of sugar and a half ounce of finely ground cinnamon thereon and make a dough for a tart and spread it on top. [Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin (Germany, 1553)]

This one grates the apples and adds cheese and eggs. This is the only medieval apple pie recipe I've found that calls for cheese.

177 To make an apple tart. Take apples, peel them and grate them with a grater, afterwards fry them in fat. Then put in it as much grated cheese as apples, some ground cloves, a little ginger and cinnamon, two eggs. Stir it together well. Then prepare the dough as for a flat cake, put a small piece of fat into it so that it does not rise, and from above and below, weak heat. Let it bake slowly. [Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin (Germany, 1553)]

A Book of Cookrye (England, 1591)

The next two recipes are from A Book of Cookrye (England, 1591)

This one is essentially regular apple pie recipe, but with the top crust glazed during baking using sugar and rose water.

Tartes of Apples with covers. Mince your Apples very small, season them with Sugar, sinamon & ginger, and laye thereon a faire cover, and dresse your cover when it is halfe baked with Rosewater and Sugar. [A Book of Cookrye (England, 1591)]

Here from the same cookbook is a tart recipe where the apples are precooked in wine. This pie has no top crust.

Tartes of Apples without covers. Boyle your Apples very tender in a little wine, or for lack of Wine Ale, and then strain them with Sugar, sinamon and ginger. Make a tart of it without a cover. [A Book of Cookrye (England, 1591)]