A caudle was a hot drink that recurred in various guises throughout British cuisine from the Middle Ages into Victorian times. It was thick and sweet, and seen as particularly suitable and sustaining for invalids and new mothers. At some periods of history, caudle recipes were based on milk and eggs, like eggnog. Later variants were more similar to a gruel, a sort of drinkable oatmeal porridge. Like the original forms of posset, a caudle was usually alcoholic.
The Holyoke Caudle Cup, silver c. 1690, by John Coney, Fogg Art Museum
Jan Steen, 'The Caudle Makers', 1668
A silver caudle spoon, Dutch, 17th-century
Richard Dagley's illustration "Taking caudle" of Thomas Gaspey's poem. The new mother reclines in a four-poster bed, recouping her energy. A member of the household sits at the foot of the bed, entertaining a visitor, who keeps her bonnet on; both of them are drinking caudle. A maidservant shows the baby to the visitor, while a dog and cat look on.
A posset was originally a popular British hot drink made of milk curdled with wine or ale, often spiced, which was often used as a remedy.
A glass of the modern lemon posset dessert, served with almond bread
Posset pot, Netherlands, Late 17th or early 18th century, Tin-glazed earthenware painted in blue V&A Museum no. 3841-1901 Victoria and Albert Museum, London
A 1661 posset pot from England.
