Oxford Night Caps | 1827

MILK PUNCH.

Warm two quarts of water and one of new milk, then mix them well together, and sweeten it with a sufficient quantity of loaf sugar. Rub a few knobs of loaf sugar on the peeling of a lemon; put them into a jug with the above, and pour into it gradually half a pint of lemon juice, stirring the mixture as it is poured in. Then add one quart of white brandy. Strain it through a flannel bag or a fine hair sieve. Bottle it off, and if placed in a cool cellar it will keep ten days or a fortnight. Jellies are sometimes used in making this Punch, but they are not necessary, as the milk will sufficiently temper the acrimony of the lemon juice.

 

OXFORD MILK PUNCH.

Dissolve two pounds and a half of double refined sugar in one gallon of cold spring water; add to it a quarter of a pint of orange flower water, the juice of twenty limes and eight pot oranges. Stir it well together; pour one quart of boiling milk into it, and then add three quarts of white brandy and three quarts of orange brandy shrub; strain it through a flannel bag or fine hair sieve. Take out what is wanted for present use, and bottle off the remainder.

 

NORFOLK MILK PUNCH.

Cut the peeling of six Seville oranges and six lemons extremely thin. Pound it in a stone mortar. Add thereto a pint of brandy, and let it remain about six hours; then squeeze the juice of six Seville oranges and eight lemons into it. Stir it well, and pour into it three more pints of brandy, three pints of rum, and three quarts of water. Make two quarts of skimmed milk boiling hot; grate a nutmeg into it; mix it gradually with the other ingredients; add a sufficient quantity of fine loaf sugar to sweeten it, (about two pounds.) Stir it till the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture stand twelve hours, then strain it through a flannel bag till it is quite clear. It is then fit for use. It has been said, that if this Punch is bottled oft’ and well corked, it will keep in any climate, and for any length of time. The bottles it is put into must be perfectly dry.

 

RESTORATIVE PUNCH (Vulgo STORATIVE).

Extract the juice from the peeling of one Seville orange and one lemon; the juice of six Seville oranges and six lemons, six glasses of calves-feet jelly in a liquid state, a sufficient quantity of loaf sugar, (about half a pound 😉 put the whole into a jug, pour on it one quart of boiling water; add four glasses of brandy, stir it well together, and it is fit for use.

* Many of the first statesmen of the present day (should they see this) will recognize it as the liquor invariably drank by them at College before they attended their debating parties.

 

LEMON PUNCH TO KEEP.

Cut the rind off six lemons if large, eight if small, squeeze out the juice, put the rind and the juice together, and add one quart of white brandy. Let it remain closely covered for three or four days.

Let the juice of six or eight additional lemons be squeezed into two quarts of water, put into it a sufficient quantity of double refined sugar to sweeten the whole. Boil it well, and when quite cold, pour into it a bottle of sherry or madeira. Then mix it well with the lemon and brandy, and, if sufficiently sweet, strain it through a flannel bag into a small cask. At the expiration of three months bottle it off, and if the bottles are well corked and kept in a cool place, it will be fit to drink in a month.

 

EGG PUNCH.

One quart of cold water, the juice of six lemons and six pot oranges, four glasses of calves-feet jelly in a liquid state; stir the whole well together; let it remain covered over for half an hour; then strain it through a hair sieve, and add to it one bottle of capillaire, two glasses of sherry, half a pint of brandy, and one bottle of orange shrub. Put some pulverised sugar and ten fresh laid hens’ eggs into a bowl, beat them well together, and gradually unite the two mixtures by keeping the eggs well stirred as it is poured in; then whip it with a whisk until a fine froth rises, and if sweet enough it is fit for immediate use.

* This Punch should be drank as soon as it is made, for if kept any length of time it will turn sour.

* Omit the wine and spirits, and freeze the remainder, and a mould of ice may be obtained equal to any in use.

 

SHRUB PUNCH.

To make the above into Shrub Punch of a superior flavour and quality to that in general use, merely leave out the eggs.

 

LEMONADE.

To convert Egg Punch into a delicious Lemonade, leave out the wine, spirits, and oranges, and add the juice of four more lemons and a proportionate quantity of sugar.

 

ORANGEADE.

The mixture may also be made into Orangeade by omitting the wine, spirits, and lemons, and squeezing into it the juice of twelve oranges in addition to those mentioned in the recipe for Egg Punch.