Pear Tart

A Bake Mete (Harleian 279 , 15th century English)

Take and make fair little coffins; then take Pears, & if they are little, put 3 in a coffin, & pare clean, & between every pear, lay a gobbet of Marrow; & if thou have no little Pears, take great, & gobbet them, & so put them in the oven a whyle; then take thine mixture like as thou take to Doucetes [see below], & pour thereon; but let the Marrow & the Pears be seen; & when it is enough, serve forth.

Doucetes: take Cream a good cupful, & put it in a strainer; then take yolks of Eggs & put thereto, & a little milk; then strain it through a strainer into a bowl; then take Sugar enough and put thereto… then colour it with Saffron; then take thine coffins, & put in the oven empty, & let them be hardened… & pour thine mixture into the dish, & from the dish into the coffins; & when they do rise well, take them out, & serve them forth.