A recipe for the cheesecake popularised by Jane Austen
We’ve all got to eat, but some of us take more pleasure in it than others. Jane Austen, the author behind such notable works of fiction as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma, was a bonafide foodie, frequently mentioning meals in her literature. Of course, in Austen’s time, diet could reflect much about one’s social standing, but she even discussed culinary matters at length in her famous letters to friends and family.
Born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, Austen spent the majority of her life in rural England. The Austen family enjoyed a modest social standing as members of the gentry, a class wedged between ordinary working people and the aristocracy. Social commentary was the essence of much of Austen’s literature, and her family stature and geographic setting greatly inspired the themes and characters within.
Historians have scoured Austen’s various letters to determine what sort of foods she enjoyed most. Some savoury meals include legs of mutton, lobster and pea soup, but she was also clearly a sweet tooth. Besides frequently mentioning the British classic apple pie, the writer famously declared her love for Devises cheesecakes.
Austen once took a trip to the Wiltshire town of Devises with her nieces, where they ordered the local delicacy. In a 1799 letter to her sister Cassandra, Austen wrote: “Our journey yesterday went off exceedingly well; nothing occurred to alarm or delay us… At Devizes, we had comfortable rooms and a good dinner, to which we sat down about five; amongst other things, we had asparagus and a lobster, which made me wish for you, and some cheesecakes, on which the children made so delightful a supper as to endear the town of Devizes to them for a long time.”
Austen’s mention of Devises Cheesecakes has helped maintain the dessert and town’s popularity over the past couple of centuries. Unlike the standard cheesecake, this recipe doesn’t involve cream cheese; instead, it was conceived as an efficient way for bakers to use leftover cake. The crumbs are combined with a custard base and encased in a pastry shell.
Hence, this recipe is well-suited to the slap-dash bakers out there. What it lacks in aesthetic finesse and salubrity, it makes up for in simplicity and tastiness. See the recipe for Devises Cheesecakes as enjoyed by Jane Austen and her nieces in 1799 below. Enjoy!
The Jane Austen cheesecake recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet (about 1/2 lb.) thawed frozen puff pastry
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 rennet tablet (**See note)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup cake crumbs (angel food or pound cake work well)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease 6 ramekins (6-ounce size). Roll out 1 sheet thawed frozen puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 12” x 15” rectangle. Make 6 circles, about 5” in diameter, on pastry. Cut out circles, press into ramekins, and prick all over with a fork. Refrigerate.
- In a small pan, stirring constantly, melt butter over medium heat until it is golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Dissolve rennet tablet in 2 tablespoons warm water in a small saucepan. Over low heat, add milk and sugar and stir 5 seconds, just long enough to get the sugar off the bottom of the pan. Using a kitchen thermometer, cook without stirring until mixture reaches 98°F. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
- Remove ramekins from the fridge. Stir egg, cake crumbs, nutmeg and cinnamon into milk mixture. Stir in brown butter. Spoon filling into ramekins and bake until pastry is golden, about 25 minutes.
