For Maids Who Brew & Bake
by Sheilah Roberts

To make leach of Almonds [Blancmange]

Take halfe a pound of sweet Almonds and beat them in a mortar; then straine them with a pinte of sweet milke from the cow; then put to it one grain of muske, 2 spoonfuls of Rose-water, two ounces of fine sugar; the weight of three whole shillings of isinglasse that is very white and so boil them, then let all run thorow a strainer, then you may slice the same, and so serve it.

½ cup of sugar

2 cups of whole milk

1 tbsp. gelatine soaked in ¼ cup of the warmed milk

¼ cup of ground almonds or 1 tsp. of almond flavouring

1 tsp. of rosewater

Scald the milk and sugar in a saucepan and take out ¼ cup. Mix the gelatine with this milk and then add it to the saucepan with the other ingredients. Bring the mixture gently to the boil stirring constantly. Pour it into a jug, and when nearly cold, transfer it into a well-oiled mold. Chill for several hours and then turn out carefully on a dish. Serve on its own or with jelly.

Our English Housewife must be of chaste thoughts, stout courage, patient, untired, watchful, diligent, witty, pleasant, constant in friendship, full of good Neighbour-hood, wise in discourse, but not frequent therein, sharp and quick of speech, but not bitter or talkative, secret in her affairs, comfortable in her Counsels, and generally skilful in all the worthy knowledges which do belong to her vocation.

(Gervaise Markham, 1656)

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a description of the favourable attributes to be found in a man of that time. I’m sure it couldn’t have been more demanding than what they asked for in a housewife.