Type | Sweet alcoholic beverage |
---|---|
Country of origin | Mediterranean |
Flavour | Fruits or kernels, usually almond, or the kernels of peach, apricot or cherry |
Ratafia is a broad term used for two types of sweet alcoholic beverages, a flavouring essence whose taste resembles bitter almonds, [2] later to a ratafia flavoured biscuit, a biscuit to be eaten along with ratafia, and later still, to a cherry variety. [3] [4] [5] [6]
The Oxford English Dictionary lists the word's earliest date of use as 1699. [3]
Ratafia liqueurs are alcoholic beverages, originally Italian, compound liqueurs or cordials made by the maceration of ingredients such as aromatics, fruits, in pre-distilled spirits, followed by filtration and sweetening, the flavouring ingredients being merely infused in it. [7] [3] Ratafia may be flavored with kernels (almond, peach, apricot, or cherry), [3] lemon peel and spices in various amounts (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, mint, rosemary, anise, etc.), typically combined with sugar. Other flavorings can be used, such as vegetables and fresh herbs.
The liqueur is typical of the Mediterranean areas of Spain, Italy, and north-east of France (Champagne and Burgundy). In the south-central region of Italy, (specifically Molise and Abruzzo) ratafià is made exclusively with fresh cherries and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines. [8]
Lazzaroni Amaretto, Luxardo Albicocca, Kahlua, Heering Original Cherry Liqueur, Alpenz Saint Elizabeth Allspice Dram, Carlshamms Flaggpunsch, Seale John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum are ratafia liqueurs. [8]
The liqueur form of ratafia is mentioned humorously in the lyrics of the song "The Unfortunate Miss Bailey", written by Lou Gottlieb and released by the Kingston Trio in 1959 on their album Here We Go Again!.
The second type, ratafia de Champagne, [9] [6] a fortified wine, is a type of mistelle , a mixture of marc (grappa) and the unfermented juice of the grape, and is the type produced in France.
D.H. Lescombes, in New Mexico, uses Moscato grapes fortified with brandy to stop the fermentation early, which keeps the residual sugar high. [10] [11]
a small macaroon flavoured with almonds
− Collins English Dictionary [12]
Ratafia biscuits are made with ratafia essence, sweet almonds, apricot kernels, rosewater, egg white, sugar. [13] [14] Originally made with sweet and bitter almonds, now apricot kernels. [13] Amaretto is a ratafia liquor, thus the ratafia biscuits. [13] [15]
In 1727, The Compleat Housewife by Eliza Smith included a recipe for To make Ratafia Bisket, [16] with the ingredients: bitter almonds, sugar and egg white, making it a confection that is very similar to a modern macaroon. [3] [17] [18]
In 1789, The Complete Confectioner, by Frederick Nutt, a confectioner, formerly apprenticed with Domenico Negri, [19] an Italian who opened "The Pot and Pineapple" confectionery shop at 7-8 Berkeley Square, London, founded 1757, included a recipe, "No. 29. Ratafia Biscuits":
Take half a pound of sweet almonds, and half a pound of bitter almonds, and pound them in a mortar very fine, with whites of eggs; put three pounds of powdered sugar, mix it well with the whites of eggs, to the proper thickness into a bason; put two or three sheets of paper on the plate you bake on; take your knife, and the spaddle made of wood, and drop them on the paper, let them be round, and about the size of a large nutmeg; put them in the oven, which must be quick, let them have a fine brown, and all alike, but be careful they are not burnt at bottom, else they will not come off the paper when baked; let them be cold before you take them off. [20] [21] [22]
Ratafia essence was suggested in a BBC recipe in their 1940 publication Food Facts For The Kitchen Front, for making mock marzipan, along with soya flour, margarine and sugar. [23]
Trifle is a layered dessert of English origin. The usual ingredients are a thin layer of sponge fingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another fortified wine, a fruit element, custard and whipped cream layered in that order in a glass dish. The contents of a trifle are highly variable and many varieties exist, some forgoing fruit entirely and instead using other ingredients, such as chocolate, coffee or vanilla. The fruit and sponge layers may be suspended in fruit-flavoured jelly, and these ingredients are usually arranged to produce three or four layers. The assembled dessert can be topped with whipped cream or, more traditionally, syllabub.
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal, sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract.
Amaretto is a sweet Italian liqueur that originated in Saronno. Depending on the brand, it may be made from apricot kernels, bitter almonds, peach stones, or almonds, all of which are natural sources of the benzaldehyde that provides the almond-like flavour of the liqueur. It generally contains 21 to 28 percent alcohol by volume.
Disaronno Originale is a type of amaretto—an amber-colored liqueur with a characteristic almond taste, although it does not actually contain almonds. It is produced in Saronno, in the Lombardy region, and is sold worldwide. According to the company, the liqueur is an infusion of apricot kernel oil with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The liqueur is sold in an oblong glass decanter designed by a craftsman from Murano.
Crème de Noyaux is an almond-flavored crème liqueur, although it is actually made from apricot kernels or the kernels of peach or cherry pits, which provide an almond-like flavor. Both Bols and Hiram Walker produce artificially colored red versions of the liqueur while Noyau de Poissy from France is available in both clear (blanc) and barrel-aged amber (ambre) versions.
Jujube is a gummy type of candy drop.
An apricot kernel is the apricot seed located within the fruit endocarp, which forms a hard shell around the seed called the pyrena.
Sorbet is a frozen dessert made using ice combined with fruit juice, fruit purée, or other ingredients, such as wine, liqueur, or honey. Generally, sorbets do not contain dairy products.
The Compleat Housewife; or, Accomplish'd Gentlewoman's Companion is a cookery book written by Eliza Smith and first published in London in 1727. It became extremely popular, running through 18 editions in fifty years.
Zuccotto is an Italian dessert with origins in Florence. Zuccotto is a semi-frozen, chilled dessert made with alchermes, cake and ice cream. It can be frozen, then thawed before serving. This dessert is traditionally made in a special pumpkin-shaped mold. It is widely believed to have been inspired by the dome of Florence's duomo. Others allude to its shape as closely resembling a cardinal's skullcap or zucchetto. The original recipe included ricotta cheese, cocoa and citrus peel for the filling; it was actually monochrome, white. The outside of the biscuit was impregnated with essence or alkermes[it] liqueur, which gave the dessert a vibrant red color. The zucotto was rediscovered only in the 1930s, but underwent some changes to suit twentieth-century tastes. The dessert is thought to have been invented by the famous Renaissance chef Buonatalenti. Nowadays it consists of a biscuit that is soaked in liqueur, such as amaretto. In addition to ricotta, the filling usually consists of gelato, which makes it look like semifreddo, butter cream or cream, cottage cheese, chocolate chunks and almonds. There are recipes with cherries, fruit and dried fruit. The top is sprinkled with icing sugar. After cooking, the zucotto is chilled or frozen.
Bread and butter pudding is a traditional bread pudding in British cuisine. Slices of buttered bread scattered with raisins are layered in an oven dish, covered with an egg custard mixture seasoned with nutmeg, vanilla, or other spices, then baked.
Amaretti di Saronno refer to a type of amaretto, a bitter-sweet flavored macaron, that is traditional to Saronno, a comune of Lombardy, Italy. It is one of many types of traditional amaretti, but the only one made with apricot kernels.
The Cooks and Confectioners Dictionary: or, the Accomplish'd Housewives Companion was a cookery book written by John Nott and first published in London in 1723.
A miserable cake is a type of almond sponge cake that is a traditional Belgian recipe. The cake is filled with pudding made by whisking hot sugar syrup into an egg white foam, known as a pâte à bombe. The cake base is made from almonds, known as a biscuit joconde.
Biscuit cake is a type of no bake tea cake, similar to American icebox cake, found in Irish, English, Danish, Arabic, Bulgarian and Jewish cuisine. It is made with digestive biscuits and is optionally prepared with a chocolate glaze.
Tansy was a traditional Easter food in medieval English cuisine. Its name came from the Tanacetum vulgare plant. The simplest version of the recipe was made by baking a batter flavored with green tansy juice. Later recipes, like the one from the 16th-century Good Housewife's Handbook added more ingredients like parsley, feverfew and violets to an egg batter that was fried like pancakes, though with a slightly green coloring from the addition of tansy and other herbs. Baked tansy could also be given a green color by adding spinach juice. An 18th-century recipe from The Compleat Housewife added sack to the batter and sweetened the fried tansies with gooseberries and a topping of crushed sugar.
Notes
Unlike the French ratafia de Champagne that classifies as a fortified wine, ratafia liqueur is associated with Mediterranean countries, primarily Italy, Catalonia, and southern France. This versatile liqueur is typically based on a neutral spirit that is macerated with fresh fruits, citrus zest, and various botanicals such as rosemary, cinnamon, mint, anise, and cloves, while similar versions may use apricot kernels or bitter almonds. Although the recipes may vary, the choice of fruits and herbs typically includes different berry varieties.
No. 29. Ratafia Biscuits
No. 29. Ratafia Biscuits
No. 29. Ratafia Biscuits
Sources