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Caudle

Caudle is oatmeal gruel, sweetened, with ale, brandy, or wine added to it. It may be made in several ways. The simplest is the following. Mix a table-spoonful of oatmeal with a cupful of cold water. Pour a pint of boiling water or milk over it, return it to the saucepan, and let it boil for four or five minutes, stirring it all the time. Add wine, ale, or brandy, according to taste. Sweeten, and season with nutmeg or ginger. This will be thin caudle; if it is wanted thick, two table-spoonfuls of oatmeal must be used. Or, mix two table-spoonfuls of oatmeal in a pint of water. Let it stand one hour. Then strain, and boil it. Sweeten, and add wine, ale, or brandy, with seasoning to taste. Time to boil, twenty minutes. Caudle may be made with flour or ground rice instead of oatmeal. Probable cost, 1 1/2d. per pint, exclusive of the wine. Sufficient for one person.