Recipe for
Aliter dulcia (Sweet Roman Toast)
by Apicius, VII, XI, 3
This recipe is an odd mix of sweet and savory. People love sweets, and the Romans were no different. However, De Re Coquinaria does not contain an abundance of what we would term sweet dishes or dessert recipes. A few survived, including this recipe, which is really, basically, the "French Toast" that most of us are familiar with but, this version is egg and dairy-free! It is possible many more such recipes have been lost to the ravages of time.
Original recipe: Aliter dulcia: muteos afros optimos rades et in lacte infundis. Cum biberint, in furnum mittis, ne arescant, modice. Eximes eos calidos, melle perfundis, compungis ut bibant. Piper asperges et inferes
Translation: Another sweet dish: cut the crust from the best African mustaceum bread and soak it in milk. When it is saturated, bake it in oven, but not for too long to avoid drying it out. Remove the bread when it is hot, and pour honey over it. Prick holes in it so that it absorbs the honey. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
Ingredients
- 12 stale sweet wine cakes
- 2pt (1.1L) milk
- 3 tbsp (45ml) honey pepper
Preparation
- Remove the crusts from the cakes and steep them in milk.
- When they are saturated put them in the oven at gas mark 4, 350°f (180°c) for about 20 minutes.
- Warm the honey and pour it over the hot cakes, pricking them to absorb more honey.
- Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
