The Compleat Confectioner: or, the Whole Art of Confectionary Made Plain and Easy..

London: Printed and sold at Mrs. Ashburner's China Shop ... at Yewd's Hat Warehouse ... Kirk's Toyshop ... Deard's Toyshop ... by I. Pottinger ... and by J. Williams .., 1770. First edition. 8vo in 4s, 21x13cm., iv, 304, xvi pp. Facsimile author's signature printed on iv and first page of text, index at rear. Original sheep boards, backstrip partly deteriorated, held together with wood grain tape. Lacking front endpaper, title attached to front board and bearing two former owner inscriptions, toned, chipped, and brittle. Otherwise, complete and clean internally, a good serviceable copy which would benefit from some restorative work.

Very uncommon edition of this 18th century dessert book from bestselling English cookery author, Hannah Glasse (1708-1770).  This copy is the first issue, "Printed and sold at Mrs. Ashburner's China Shop," published ca. 1760-1770.  

The collection contains a wonderful range of sweet recipes of the time, though it is thought perhaps borrowing heavily from contemporaries.  It also details instructions for techniques such as pickling and preserving, with the young hostess as the target audience:


"...every young lady ought to know both how to make all kind of confectionary, and dress out a desert; in former days, it was look'd on as a great perfection in a young lady to understand all these things, if it was only to give directions to her servants."  

ESTC (T31003)  locates just a handful of copies each in the UK and US.  



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