18^th Century: A Quire of Paper

The word ‘quire’ comes from the Latin ‘quaterni’ which means a set of four. It is a term used by printers and bookbinders, meaning a stack of paper that is bound into a book. This recipe is not for a stack of paper but for a pile of rich cream pancakes, thin as paper, served layered as a cake instead of individually. The pancake pile is cut into wedges and served with a dusting of fine sugar and a rich sauce.

The earliest recipe for this ‘quire of paper’ I found in a book from 1714.