Embroidered Gauntlets: 1

A set of three petal-shaped biscuits arranged into a fan against a dark wooden background. The biscuits are covered with a deep, rich blue icing and embellished with intricate details. At the centre of the arrangement is a textured red heart with bright yellow flames, pierced with two tiny gold arrows. The heart is surrounded by curling gold vines, delicate pearl details, and hand-painted flowers. There is a large blue pansy, two pink tulip-like flowers, and two smaller pansies in shades of pink, yellow, and blue. Each biscuit is edged with gold lace made up of small icing circles.

Biscuit (cookie) flavour: Based on a recipe for metheglin (flavoured mead), an ancient drink said to have been enjoyed by Elizabeth I. Ingredients include honey, lemon, rosemary & thyme.

Decoration: Royal icing base. All designs piped in royal icing by hand and painted with food colouring gels, edible lustres, and vodka.

Context: Inspired by a pair of gloves in the collections of the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich. The gloves date from c.1630; their elaborately embroidered cuffs (or ‘gauntlets’) are made of silk, pearls, spangles, and bobbin lace. You can see a photograph of the original gloves here.