What desserts did medieval kings and queens eat?

1. A popular dessert during medieval times, this dish is made with ground rice or almonds and was served as a thick and creamy confection.

Frumenty:

2. A pudding-like dessert made from wheat or barley, it was often enhanced with spices and honey to add sweetness and flavor.

Posset:

3. A warm, milky drink usually mixed with wine or ale and thickened with egg yolks, posset was a comforting treat enjoyed by medieval nobility.

Tarts:

4. Although pastry as we know it today was quite rare in medieval times, tarts were popular, with fillings made from fruits like apples or berries and a crust made of oatcake.

Honey Cakes:

5. As sugar was extremely rare and expensive during those times, honey was widely used as a sweetener. Honey cakes were a common indulgence, combining honey with flour, spices, and sometimes dried fruits to create a sweet, moist cake.

Candied Fruits:

6. Fruits were often preserved and sweetened by boiling them in sugar syrup or honey. Candied fruits offered a taste of sweetness and were especially enjoyed by those who could afford the cost.

Sweet Puddings:

7. Puddings were a popular dessert course, often made with a combination of grains like rice, oats, or wheat, thickened with breadcrumbs, and flavored with honey, dried fruits, and spices.

Marzipan:

8. Medieval European royalty began enjoying this Middle Eastern import during the 13th century. Made with almond flour, sugar, and often flavored with rosewater, marzipan was a luxury dessert enjoyed by the upper class.

Comfits:

9. These tiny, candy-coated nuts or seeds were a sweet treat that found favor with medieval royalty. Their preparation required a painstaking process of multiple sugar coatings, resulting in a delicious and decorative confection.

Spiced Wines and Mead:

10. While not directly a dessert, sweetened and spiced wines, such as mulled wine or mead, were popular beverages often enjoyed towards the end of a meal and were considered a special treat.