The Compleat Confectioner: Or The Art of Candying and Preserving in its utmost Perfection

First published in the early 18th century, The Compleat Confectioner by Mary Eales, confectioner to the English court, is a culinary classic of the Georgian era and one of the earliest cookbooks written by a woman in England. It reveals the refined art of candying fruits, making preserves, jams, syrups, and sweetmeats, as practiced in the royal kitchens and fashionable households of the time.

Eales offers precise recipes and practical instructions for crafting sugared delights—ranging from candied flowers and preserved fruits to jellies, pastes, biscuits, and marmalades—along with methods for storing and perfecting them for long use. Her work captures the elegance and indulgence of early modern confectionery, when sugar was not merely an ingredient but a symbol of art, status, and celebration.

More than a recipe book, The Compleat Confectioner stands as a culinary document of its age, preserving the techniques, tastes, and artistry that defined the golden age of English dessert-making.

Complete edition of Mary Eales’s historic confectionery manual

Includes original 18th-century recipes for sweets, preserves, and candies

A key text in the history of English cookery and domestic arts

Essential for readers of culinary history, food heritage, and historical gastronomy