The Complete Confectioner

London, Matthews & Leigh, 1807.
Second-hand hardcover

Nutt, Frederick, The Complete Confectioner. (4th Ed) Matthews & Leigh: London, 1807. 8vo (185x115mm) rebound half bnd, black calf, oatmeal cloth bds [2]-xxiv,269,[5]pp. 10 plates. lacks half-title; faint foxing

NUTT, Frederick [Frederic John (ca.1765-1820s?)]

The Complete Confectioner, or the whole art of confectionary, made easy: with receipts for liqueures, home-made wines, &c.

London : Matthews and Leigh, 18, Strand, 1807. Fourth edition, first published 1789. Printed by J Smeeton, 149 St Martins Lane.

Duodecimo (185x115mm) recently recased, half bound smooth black calf, 5 raised bands, tan gilt lettered spine labels, oatmeal cloth boards, new endpapers, [v],vi-xxiv,269,[1],[6 publisher advertisements]pp : [A]12, B - M12, N6. Nine engraved plates, two folding, eight of dessert table settings and plate X, an early piping syringe. Lacks half-title, frontispiece and plate VII (folding); pages lightly age-toned and faintly foxed, mostly to the margins; several discrete paper repairs not affecting the text; fore-edge slightly chipped in several places.

¶ The chapters are: Biscuits; Wafers; Drops; Prawlongs &c.; Jellies &c.; Jams &c.; Essence for Ices; Waters &c. for Routs; Ice Creams; Natural Creams; Water Ices of All sorts; Fruits preserved in Brandy; Preserved Sweetmeats, Wet; Dried Fruits; Liqueurs; Cheese; Puddings; Home-Made Wines. The 264 recipes are written longhand, with weights or volumes for most ingredients.

Elizabeth David, in her posthumously published "The Harvest of the Cold Months" describes the recipes as including: "plenty of up-to-date recipes, all carrying the implied guarantee that they were those used by one or other of the three finest confectioners in London. Ices in particular were offered in impressive variety. There were thirty-one different ice-creams - called so, unusually for the period - many made with fresh fruit, others with jams or fruit jelly, some with a basis of fruit syrups and a flavouring of some potent essence such as bergamot orange. Ginger, chocolate, coffee, pistachio were other flavourings used by Nutt..." ¹

First published anonymously, Nutt's name appeared in this, the fourth edition of 1807. Apprenticed to Negri & Witten of Berkley Square, Nutt trained under Negri who opened 'The Pot & the Pineapple' in 1757. In 1799 renamed as 'Gunter's Tea Rooms' it became the byword for the best ices and confections for high society in late Georgian and Regency times. Other famous confectioners, Robert Abbott, William Jarrin, William Jeanes and William Gunter all apprenticed here (before writing their own confectionery books). In other words, Nutt was a serious pastry chef and confectioner of the highest level to the upper levels of society. His recipes include a higher level of precision than the general domestic cookery books of the time, although they assumed much when providing the method in the recipe ²; and commanded a much higher price; this volume sold for 6s, 6d. Notwithstanding its expense, it proved to be a popular book, running to several more editions in the 19th century as well as American editions.

A nice rebound copy of an important professionally orientated book with interesting recipes including wine biscuits for the height of Regency society.

§ cf Oxford p.117 in a note; Axford p.73; Maclean p.108; Bitting p.347; Noling p.314; Cagle 906-909 (all earlier editions); cf Gabler G32170, later editions.

¹ David, Elizabeth. Harvest of the Cold Months. London, Michael Joseph, 1994. p.312-315
² Lehman, Gilly. The British Housewife. Prospect Books, 2003 p.269

Item #11003

Price: $450.00 AUD

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