A. W.’s A Book of Cookrye, 1584 and 1591

’To make a Tarte of Cheese. Take good fine pastry and drive (roll) it as thin as you can. Then take cheese, pare it, mince it, and bray it in a mortar with the yolks of eggs till it be like pastry. Then put it in a fair dish with clarified butter, and then put it abroad into your pastry and cover it with a fair cut cover, and so bake it. That done, serve it forth.’

My Redaction: 

Ingredients: 

- pie or tart pastry

- 6 cups hard cheese (ie cheddar) 

- 2 egg yolks

- 1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

Grate the cheese finely into a bowl. Add the egg yolks and work together with your hands into a paste/dough consistency. Divide into equal amounts (either in 6 for 5” pies or 12 if using muffin size) brush with melted butter. 

Prepare your pastry. The thinner the better. Place the filling in the pastry and cover. Make sure the edges are well sealed. Cut vents in the crust. I found what worked best for me was a cross in the centre. 

Place the pie dishes or muffin tin on an edged baking sheet to catch any spill over. When baking there will be oil that will come to onto the lid and will probably dribble over the sides. 

Bake for 30 - 40 min in a 350F oven. They are done when the pastry begins to brown. 

Remove from tins immediately after baking. Serve warm. 

Another similar recipe: 

For tarts owte of lente

http://www.godecookery.com/pepys/pepys23.htm

16th Century 'Tarte Owte of Lente': Tudor cook-along

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x4i_TLneUjU