This cherry fritter was also from the collection presented at Kingdom A&S several years ago. It comes from one of my favorite sources The Cookbook of Sabina Welserin, a German manuscript cookbook dated by her own hand to 1553.

Cherry puffs (Modern redaction)

• 2 tbsp lard or other fat

• 1/2 cup hot water

• 1 cup sifted flour

• 2 egg whites

• 1 pound sour cherries. (See notes)

Melt lard in hot water. Beat in flour in small increments. Dough will get very stiff and clumpy, thin with egg whites. (Make sure to have some extra ingredients on hand. This batter has a tendency to thicken as it sits and you may need to adjust the viscosity)

Dip cherries into batter in 3-4 at a time to make small fritters. And fry till lightly browned.  This batter stays light colored.

Notes on cherries: The original calls for fresh cherries with stems to be tied together in bundles of 4.  If you can get them fresh go for it. You may pit the cherries or leave the pits in, but be sure to warn your guests.  Pitting the fresh cherries is difficult to do while retaining stems, but it can be done with practice.  Frozen or canned/jarred cherries work just fine. Thaw and/or drain well before dipping in batter.

For the English translations of the recipes I have relied on the work of Valoise Armstrong. Her translation has been published privately in conjunction with Cariadoc's Miscellany and is available on line.

165 To bake sour cherry puffs

Take hot water, lay fat the size of a walnut into it, and when the fat is melted, then make a batter with flour, it should be thick. Beat it until it bubbles, after that thin it with egg whites. If you like, you can also put a few egg yolks into it. Tie four sour cherries together, dip them in the batter and fry them. Shake the pan, then they will rise. The fat must be very hot.

 This dish was served at our Junefaire Feast

See the whole story of the Feast at Story of the Feast Junefaire 2006

For more fruit fritters see

• Apple Fritters

• Apple Puffs

• Apple Pillows

• Puffed Apples

For more recipes from the Cookbook of Sabina Welserin see

• Almond Tarts

• Chard Pie

• Dutch Oven Custard

• Genovese Tart

• Raison Pie

• Rice Buns

A few more fritters

• Dulcamine

• Frytours of Mylke

• Imperial Fritters

• White Fritters