How to Make Milk Snow

From A Proper New Booke of Cookery, English, mid-16th century:

To make a dyschefull of Snowe. Take a pottell of swete thycke creame and the whytes of eyghte egges, and beate them altogether wyth a spone, then putte them in youre creame and a saucerfull of Rosewater, and a dyshe full of Suger wyth all, then take a stycke and make it cleane, and than cutte it in the ende foure square, and therwith beate all the aforesayde thynges together, and ever as it ryseth take it of and put it into a Collaunder, this done take one apple and set it in the myddes of it, and a thicke bushe of Rosemary, and set it in the myddes of the platter, then cast your Snowe uppon the Rosemarye and fyll your platter therwith. And yf you have wafers caste some in wyth all and thus serve them for forthe.

My Redaction:

1 C whipping cream

1-2 tsp rosewater, to taste

2 Tbl sugar

1 egg white

Sprigs of rosemary (optional)

Combine non-rosemary ingredients in a bowl. Beat with a mixer until quite stiff. Serve on a plate sprinkled with rosemary sprigs or other wintry-looking decoration.

Notes:

I wanted this for a dinner party based on an April menu in Bartolomeo Scappi's Opera, wherein he serves a dish of milk snow along with some biscotti. However, although he references it, Scappi does not give a recipe. There are several others from the same general time period, with small variations in ingredients. I chose this one for the slightly stiffer texture that the egg white gives it.