place it on a hot fire, and when boiling, add at once three ounces of
well-sifted flour. Stir briskly with the spatula all round; take it from
the fire, set on a table, and add immediately a saltspoonful of powdered
sugar, mixing well for one minute more. Break in an egg, stir briskly
for one minute, break in another, mix again, and then another, mixing
all together for two minutes. Slide down the pastry-bag (No. 1079) a
tube (No. 3), pour in the above preparation, and press down the top with
the hands onto the edge of the paste in the baking-sheet, so as to make
an even border half an inch high, and with the remainder of the paste
press down onto another baking-sheet into twenty-four small, round
choux, half an inch in diameter, leaving them one inch apart. Glaze the
surfaces with beaten egg, and place them in a brisk oven to bake for
twelve minutes. Remove, and let them get thoroughly cold. Spread over
the paste, inside the border, two tablespoonfuls of apple sauce (No.
1328); then put it in a moderate oven to bake for twenty-five minutes.
Remove, and put to cool for thirty minutes. Make a paper cornet, cut
off a quarter of an inch from the point and put into it three ounces of
currant jelly (No. 1326). Press this out gently, dividing it evenly into
the twenty-four small choux. Cook one pound of granulated sugar as for
No. 1264. Oil two square feet of the surface of a marble table, and
place at hand the pan containing the sugar. Plunge one of the grapes
into this; remove it immediately with a fork and lay it on the oiled
table. Proceed the same with the other twenty-three, being careful to
lay them one inch apart from each other. Now dip twelve of the sections
of prepared oranges into the sugar, one by one, and lay them on the
oiled table exactly the same as the grapes. Dip carefully the surfaces
of the small choux into the sugar, and lay them on the same oiled table.
Then take the St. Honoré bottom in the baking-sheet, and proceed to
arrange it as follows: with the cooked sugar standing on the right, lift
the choux up, one by one, dipping one side of each lightly in the cooked
sugar, arranging them on top of the pâte-à-chou border close together to
form a crown. Should the sugar be too thick, return it to the stove, and
let it boil up once; then take it off, and dip the thin part of the
oranges lightly in it, and lay them over the small choux, the thick part
upward, each one adhering to the other, until they form the crown. Dip
the tops of the grapes lightly into the same sugar, and place one on
each join of the oranges, with another in the centre, the stems being
upward; attach to the small choux the six remaining grapes, dividing
them evenly. Arrange a fancy paper on a dessert-dish, and lay the St.
Honoré over carefully, then take the froth part only of the whipped
cream; transfer it to another vessel, and, with the whip, beat briskly
for five minutes, adding half a gill of good cognac, a quarter of a gill
of Swiss kirsch, and three ounces of well-pounded and sifted macaroons
(No. 1210). Mix well together for two minutes longer, and fill the empty
space of the St. Honoré with three-quarters of this preparation, keeping
it as high as possible. With the use of the pastry-bag and fancy tube
press down the rest of the cream, and decorate artistically the top and
sides, taking care not to put any on the oranges, and send to the table.
=1213. Gingerbread à la Française.=--Make a hollow space in a pound of
flour laid on the table. Peel and chop up very fine five ounces of
almonds; put them into the hollow with a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg,
the same quantity of ground cloves, four ounces of powdered sugar, and
seven ounces of fresh honey. Knead the ingredients well for five
minutes, then mix in the flour, and knead the preparation with the hands
in all directions for fully thirty minutes without ceasing. Finish by
forming it into a ball. Lay this on a dish, cover it with a napkin, and
place it in a temperature of about 60° for six hours. Lay the paste on a
floured table, and roll it out eighteen inches long by twelve wide.
Butter well a baking-sheet, lay the paste on top, and put it in a very
slow oven to bake for forty-five minutes. Remove, lay the baking-sheet
on the table, cut the cake immediately into small pieces, lozenge
shaped, one and a half inches long by one inch wide, or any other shape
desired; let cool off thoroughly for about twenty minutes, then dress
on a glass bowl, and serve. The above cakes can be glazed with a glace à
l’eau, as for No. 1197, and served the same.
=1214. Strawberry Shortcake.=--Put into a vessel half a pound of
powdered sugar with half a pound of well-washed butter, grate in the
rind of half a sound lemon, and, with the hand, mix well for ten
minutes. Break in five whole eggs, one at a time, meanwhile mixing for
ten minutes longer, always with the hand. Then add gradually half a
pound of well-sifted flour, and mix for three minutes. Cover a
baking-sheet with brown paper, place on top three tin cake-rings, nine
inches in diameter and one inch high. Divide the preparation equally
into the three rings; then place in a moderate oven to bake for thirty
minutes. Remove, and allow the cakes thirty minutes more to cool. Lift
up the paper, with the cakes, turn it upside down on the table, remove
the paper, and detach the cakes from the rings by passing a knife all
around. Pick and clean thoroughly three pints of fine, sound, ripe
strawberries; have a dessert-dish with a fancy paper over, lay one of
the cakes on top of this, spread over evenly two tablespoonfuls of
whipped cream (No. 1254), then cover with half the strawberries, nicely
and evenly divided. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar, then cover
with another cake, spread over the same quantity of cream as before,
then arrange the other half of the strawberries on top; dredge again
with powdered sugar, and lay the last cake over all, sprinkling with
more sugar. Slide down a tube (No. 2) into a pastry-bag (No. 1079), put
into it six tablespoonfuls of whipped cream à la vanille (No. 1254), and
with it decorate the top of the cake in an artistic manner, and send to
the table.
=1215. Blackberry Shortcake.=--Prepare and proceed exactly the same as
for strawberry shortcake (No. 1214), only substituting three pints of
well-picked, and thoroughly cleaned, fine, sound, ripe blackberries for
the strawberries, and serving the same.
=1216. Baba.=--Have ready half a pound of the best flour, one drachm of
compressed yeast, and half a gill of warm water. Put three ounces of the
flour into a vessel, make a hollow in the centre, and in it lay the
yeast and water; with the hands mix the yeast gently with the water for
three minutes, then mix all together gradually for three minutes more.
Cover the vessel with a towel, and leave it in the warmest place in the
kitchen (not on the stove), and after thirty minutes it will rise to
twice the size. Lay the remainder of the flour on the table, make a
hollow in the centre, putting in it an ounce of powdered sugar and four
raw eggs. Mix the sugar and eggs with the hands; then add a gill of
cream and half a gill of good Madeira wine. Season with a drachm of very
fine salt, and mix all with the flour for five minutes. Make a hollow in
the centre again, and into this put five ounces of good, fresh, soft
butter; mix well again for two minutes. If the prepared yeast-dough be
now raised to its proper height, mix the two pastes together for at
least five minutes; return it to the vessel, leave it in the same warm
place, covering it as before. When rested one hour, have ready two
ounces of cleaned Sultana currants (No. 1080), two ounces of cleaned
raisins (No. 1081), and one ounce of finely chopped citron. Grease with
cold butter the inside of a cylindrical copper or tin form large enough
to hold three pints. If the paste be now raised to twice the size, mix
in the raisins, currents, and citron, stirring for five minutes; put it
in the mold, and lay it in a warm place (not on the stove) for another
twenty minutes. Then place it in a moderate oven for one hour. When a
good golden color, remove, and let it cool slightly. Place a round dish
over the mold, turn upside down, lift off the form, and glaze the cake
with a glace à l’eau (No. 1197). Decorate the top and dish with candied
fruits, and send to the table.
=1217. Baba au Madère.=--Prepare a baba cake exactly the same as for the
above (No. 1216); but do not glaze it. Slit the cake in two, and remove
the top piece. Pour a pint of cold water in a very clean pan, add half a
pound of sugar and half a medium-sized sound lemon. Place it on the
stove, and boil well for three minutes; then remove, and at once add a
gill of good sherry wine and half a gill of curaçoa. Lay the top part of
the cake in a round, flat-bottomed vessel. To avoid breaking it, a wire
basket is recommended, with which it can be lowered carefully onto the
pan. Pour gradually over it the prepared sauce; let it rest for two
minutes, then replace it carefully on top of the other half of the cake.
Arrange it nicely on a dessert serving-dish, garnish tastefully with
candied cherries, and decorate the border with small, thin slices of
candied pineapple.
For Baba au Rhum, substitute Jamaica rum for the sherry.
=1218. Baba, Crême à la Vanille.=--Prepare a baba cake as for No. 1216.
When removed from the mold and laid on a dish, cut it into six equal
parts. Take six ounces of apricot marmalade (No. 1335), and proceed as
follows: take one piece of cake in the left hand, and with a knife in
the right, cover both sides, where they were cut, with the marmalade.
When finished, arrange the six pieces together on the dish, and give
them the same form as before they were cut; to be eaten with the
following sauce (No. 1219).
=1219. Crême à la Vanille Sauce.=--Boil one pint of cold milk in a
saucepan; put three egg yolks into a small vessel with two ounces of
powdered sugar, one ounce of flour, and a piece of vanilla-bean one inch
long. Beat well together with a wire whip for two minutes. Pour this
into the boiling milk. Stir again briskly with the whip until it boils
once more; remove from the fire, and add half a gill of maraschino. Beat
again for one minute, and pour the cream nicely over the cake before
sending to the table.
=1220. Home-made Cake.=--Put into a bowl half a pound of sugar and half
a pound of good butter. Mix thoroughly with the hand for fifteen
minutes. Break four eggs, leaving the whites in a basin, and drop the
yolks in with the butter and sugar. Mix again. Now beat the whites to a
froth and add them to the other ingredients. Grate in half a
saltspoonful of nutmeg; add half a pound of flour; mix well again; stir
in two ounces of well-cleansed currants (No. 1080), and two ounces of
peeled sweet almonds (No. 1207) cut into small pieces. Mingle all well
together with the hand for five minutes, and with the other hand drop in
one gill of brandy. Have a round cake-mold holding two quarts; butter it
lightly with a hair brush, and sprinkle in a little sugar. Drop a third
of the preparation into the mold; spread over it two ounces of candied
orange, shred into thin slices; then add half of the remaining
preparation; spread on top of it two ounces of shred, candied citron,
and fill the mold with the rest. Lay a piece of brown paper over, and
put the mold into a very moderate oven for two hours. Let it get a good
golden color. Remove, and cool off in the mold, which will take about
three hours. Remove the cake by turning it bottom up. Arrange a lace
paper on a dessert-dish. Glaze the cake with a glace à l’eau (No. 1197),
dress it on the dish, and decorate the top and border tastefully with
assorted candied fruits.
=1221. Plain Galette.=--Knead well and finely together in a vessel one
pound of good flour with six ounces of fresh butter, one gill of cold
water, and a saltspoonful of salt. After ten minutes, when it becomes
soft, roll it into a flat, circular cake--using a rolling-pin, well
floured, to prevent its adhering. Place it in a baking-pan. Bake in a
very slow oven for thirty-five minutes. When a nice light color, remove
and let it cool. Serve it on a dessert-dish, over a folded napkin.
=1222. Rice Cake.=--Boil two ounces of rice for twenty-five minutes.
When well done, drain, and add to it a short paste, made of half a pound
of flour, six ounces of butter, two egg-whites, and half a saltspoonful
of salt. Pound the paste and rice well together in a mortar, and have a
baking-pan covered with a sheet of buttered paper; lay the paste on top,
spreading it out about six inches square. Put it in the oven for twenty
minutes. Remove it, detach it from the paper, lay it on a dessert-dish,
with a folded napkin, and serve hot.
Vermicelli cake is prepared the same way, only the vermicelli should not
cook longer than twelve minutes.
=1223. Mille-feuilles Cake.=--Take a pound of short paste or feuilletage
(No. 1076), and divide it into five equal parts. Roll out each piece
twelve inches long by four wide, then lay them in a baking-pan, sprinkle
a little powdered sugar over, and place them in the oven for ten
minutes. Remove, and form the cake by laying these one on top of the
other, with layers of preserves between, each layer being of different
colored preserves. Put the fifth piece on top of the last layer for a
cover. Then cut the cake into six equal pieces; decorate either with
different colored preserves, or with whipped cream (No. 1254), and serve
on a dessert-dish with a folded napkin.
=1224. Almond Cake.=--Make a plain paste in a vessel with four ounces of
butter, three egg yolks, half a pound of well-sifted flour, four ounces
of powdered sugar, a quarter of a pound of finely pounded almonds (No.
1207), a saltspoonful of salt, and about six drops of orange-flower
water. Mix and stir well for five minutes. It will then be of a proper
consistency, spread it round about eight inches in diameter on a
buttered paper in a pan, and with a light hair-brush moisten the surface
slightly with beaten egg. Bake twenty minutes. Remove, detach from the
paper, set away to cool, and serve.
=1225. Cake de Pithiviers.=--Put in a vessel four ounces of pounded
almonds (No. 1207), half a pound of powdered sugar, two ounces of
chopped, candied lemon-peel, and a quarter of a pound of good, fresh
butter. Mix in gradually four eggs, well beaten, and finish as for the
almond cake (No. 1224), serving it the same.
=1226. Madeleine.=--Rub the rind of two small lemons on a lump of sugar;
crush it very fine with a roller, mixing three ounces of powdered sugar
with it. Put two ounces of this into a saucepan with two ounces of
sifted flour, one egg yolk, and two whole eggs, two teaspoonfuls of good
brandy, and half a saltspoonful of salt. Stir all together with a wooden
spatula, and after two minutes, when the paste is well mixed, stir it
again for one minute only. Put two ounces of good butter into a separate
saucepan; as soon as the scum rises, stir it carefully for one minute,
and let it cool slightly. Then spread it well over the sides of a
three-pint madeleine-mold. Put the saucepan containing the preparation
on a very slow fire; stir slightly to prevent it adhering to the bottom
of the saucepan, and as soon as it becomes liquid take it off, and fill
the mold. Lay it in a moderately heated oven for forty-five minutes;
remove, and let cool. Unmold it on a dessert-dish over a folded napkin,
and serve.
=1227. Madeleine Printanière.=--Prepare the cake as for the above (No.
1226) until the mold is ready to be filled. Butter the interiors of
twelve small madeleine-molds, fill them with the preparation, lay them
on a pastry baking-pan, and place them in a moderate oven for twenty
minutes. Remove, let them cool, unmold, and turn them up-side down; cut
a piece from the thinnest part of the top of each madeleine to serve as
a cover. With a dessert-spoon scoop out of each madeleine a cavity one
inch deep, fill this with a plombière à la vanille (No. 1294). Replace
the covers, lay them on a wire grate, and, with a brush, glaze gently
with glace à l’eau (No. 1197), flavored with two tablespoonfuls of
strawberry juice, and sprinkle over with three ounces of well-chopped
pistache. Place in the oven for one minute more; then dress on a
dessert-dish with a folded napkin, and serve.
=1228. Milan Cake.=--One pound of flour, half a pound of butter, half a
pound of powdered sugar, and four whole eggs. Sift the flour on the
table. Make a hollow in the centre, and fill it with the sugar and
butter, and the grated rind of a lemon. Knead well the butter and sugar
for three minutes; add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate the
flour slowly, so as not to burn the paste. Let it rest for about half an
hour in a cool place. Then roll out about a quarter of an inch thick.
Cut out six pieces with a round cake-cutter; glaze the surfaces with
beaten egg and milk, and bake in a moderate oven for twenty minutes.
When cold, dress on a dessert-dish with a folded napkin, and serve. Keep
the rest of the paste for further use, as it will remain sweet and fresh
for two or three days.
=1229. Rum Cake.=--Half a pound of flour, two ounces of sugar, three
whole eggs, one ounce of butter, and two drachms of compressed yeast.
Sift the flour on a board. Take one third of it; make a hollow in its
centre, and put into it the yeast and half a gill of warm milk. When the
yeast is dissolved, mix well for one minute. Then put it into a bowl,
cover with a cloth, and let it rise in a warm place until twice the
size. Take the rest of the flour, make a hollow in the centre, and put
into it the sugar, eggs, and six drops of orange-flower water. Knead
well together, slowly incorporating the flour; then gradually add the
butter and the prepared yeast-dough. Mix all together for five minutes;
return to the bowl, and again lay it aside to rise to twice its size.
Butter well six round rum-cake molds, fill them about three quarters
high with the dough, and let it rise until they are full; then lay them
on a baking-pan in a moderate oven for twenty minutes. When well
browned, remove, unmold, place them on a pastry-wire, and pour over them
a sauce made thus: put a quarter of a pound of sugar in a saucepan with
half a pint of water, adding half a sliced lemon. When boiling, take
from the fire, and pour in half a gill of rum, then throw it over the
cakes. Dress on a dish, and serve.
=1230. Rice Cake à la Mazzini.=--Put a pint of cold milk into a saucepan
on a hot stove, and when it boils add half a pound of well-cleaned rice
and let it cook slowly for twenty minutes, stirring frequently to the
bottom with a spatula. Then set the saucepan in a cool place for thirty
minutes. Add six ounces of powdered sugar; mix well for one minute, and
break in three whole eggs; flavor with eight drops of orange-flower
water, mixing well together for three minutes longer. Take a quarter of
a pound of pie-paste (No. 1077), roll it out very thin, and with it line
a three-pint, round, channeled mold; fill it with the preparation, and
place it in a moderate oven to bake for forty minutes. Remove, and let
it become thoroughly cold, which will take an hour. Then unmold, and lay
the cake over a round pastry-grate. Have a quarter of a pound of vanilla
éclair glazing (No. 1245), put it in a saucepan, adding a teaspoonful of
cold water. Place it on the hot range, and with a spatula mix it gently
and thoroughly until it becomes lukewarm; then pour it over the cake.
Arrange the cake on a dessert-dish, and serve.
=1231. Biscuits à la Cuillère, or Lady-fingers.=--Put four ounces of
powdered sugar and the yolks of five eggs into a small bowl. Beat
thoroughly with a spatula for five minutes. Put the whites of the eggs
into a copper basin, and with a wire whip beat them to a stiff froth.
Add to the sugar and yolks four ounces of flour; mix together gently for
half a minute, and immediately add the whites. Beat gently for one
minute more, and the preparation will be ready. Take a well-cleaned
pastry-bag (No. 1079), slide into it a No. 2 tube, and with a wooden
spoon or small skimmer pour the preparation into the bag. When it is all
in, close the upper part of the bag very firmly, and lay it aside for
one moment. Take two separate sheets of solid brown paper, each
measuring seventeen inches long by five inches wide; lay them on the
table, one beside the other. Take hold of the lower part of the bag near
the tube with the left hand, and the upper part with the right, press
with the latter, and drop the batter on the paper in straight strips
four inches long by one inch wide. Make ten of equal size on each paper,
being careful to leave an empty space of three quarters of an inch
between each. Then with a sugar-dredger sprinkle them lightly with
powdered sugar three times, at one minute’s interval between each
sprinkling. When finished, lift up one paper at a time, keeping it
perfectly straight, and shake off the loose sugar, being particular that
the biscuits do not detach from the paper. Now lay them in a pastry
baking-pan, and let rest for, two minutes; put them into a slow oven,
and bake for twenty minutes, until of a light golden color. Remove, lift
them from the pan, and lay on a table to cool off. Have ready a
dessert-dish with a folded napkin, then detaching the biscuits gently
from the paper with the hands, dress them neatly on the dish, and send
to the table.
=1232. Biscuit à la Richelieu.=--Put half a pound of sugar, half a pound
of peeled and pounded almonds as for No. 1207, and four egg yolks into a
bowl, and with a spatula mix well together for two minutes. Place the
whites of eight eggs in a copper basin, with half a saltspoonful of
salt, and with a wire whip beat them to a stiff froth: add this to the
above preparation, with three ounces of melted butter, three ounces of
flour, and a teaspoonful of vanilla flavoring. Mix slowly together for
three minutes. Butter a plain mold holding three quarts; line the
interior thoroughly, and pour in the preparation; place it in a moderate
oven for an hour and a half, then remove, and let it cool, and unmold.
Dress on a dessert-dish with a folded napkin, and serve.
=1233. Biscuit à la Livornaise.=--Prepare the paste exactly as for the
above (No. 1232), and when ready have a square tin pan, lined all
through with paper. Spread the paste over an inch thick with a knife,
and put it in a moderate oven for eighteen minutes. Take it out, and
when cool lay the cake on a table; detach the paper, sprinkle the
surface freely with powdered sugar, and cut it into any shaped pieces
desired. Dress on a dessert-dish with a folded napkin, and serve.
=1234. Petits Biscuits Ambrosiennes.=--Proceed the same as for biscuits
à la cuillère (No. 1231). After the paste has been placed in the bag,
have a well-cleaned pastry baking-pan, well buttered and lightly
sprinkled with flour. Drop the paste carefully into the pan, forming
biscuits, each about two inches long, by one inch wide. There should be
in all about forty biscuits. Place them in a moderate oven for twenty
minutes. Remove, and lay them on a table. With a hair-brush spread over
them six ounces of apricot marmalade (No. 1335), and glaze them with a
glace à l’eau (No. 1197), flavored with half a gill of white curaçoa.
Sprinkle over them four ounces of finely chopped pistaches; shake the
pan lightly, and they will adhere to the glace. Set for two minutes in
the oven to get dry; remove, and when cool, dress neatly in a glass
bowl, and serve.
=1235. Almond Biscuits.=--Take two ounces of sweet almonds and half an
ounce of bitter, peel, and pound them as for No. 1207. Then put them in
a vessel with eight ounces of powdered sugar. Add the yolks of five
eggs, and beat the preparation thoroughly for five minutes; then
separately beat the whites to a froth with a pastry wire whip, and mix
in with the yolks and sugar, adding also one ounce of flour. Stir
thoroughly with a wooden spatula until perfectly firm, which will
require about five minutes. It is now ready. Have six paper boxes, any
shape desired, and fill them with the preparation, using a tablespoon
for the purpose. Sprinkle the tops with a little finely powdered sugar,
arrange them in a pastry baking-pan, and put in a slow oven for fifteen
minutes; they must get a good golden color. Remove, and when cooled off,
dress nicely on a dish, and serve.
=1236. Chausson Cakes.=--Roll half a pound of feuilletage paste (No.
1076) into a piece eighteen inches long by three wide, and pare off the
edges lightly. Cut out six square pieces, all the same size, and with a
pastry-brush moisten the surfaces with beaten egg. Fold up each piece by
laying one corner over the other, so they will have a triangular shape.
Put them on a baking-sheet in the oven for twenty minutes; remove them
to the oven door; dredge plenty of powdered sugar over, put them back,
and close the door for one minute and a half, to allow the sugar to melt
thoroughly. Remove from the oven, and cool for twenty minutes. The cakes
will have risen about two inches in front. Then, with the thickest part
of a larding-needle, make a hollow in front of each cake. Put three
ounces of currant jelly (No. 1326) into a paper cornet, and with it fill
the insides of the cakes. Dress them on a dessert-dish with a folded
napkin, and serve.
=1237. Petites Bouchées des Dames.=--Put into a pastry-bag (No. 1079)
half the quantity of biscuits-à-la-cuillère preparation (No. 1231).
Butter and flour a baking-sheet, and form about fifty small, round
biscuits the exact shape of macaroons. Sprinkle slightly with powdered
sugar, and place in a brisk oven to bake for twelve minutes. Remove, and
set to cool for fifteen minutes. Then lift them from the pan, and lay
them upside down on a table. With a knife make a small cavity in the
centre of each, half an inch in diameter, and fill these with a pastry
cream (No. 1242). Fasten them, two by two, to enclose the cream; they
will then be ball-shaped. Dip carefully one after the other into a glace
preparation as for chocolate éclairs (No. 1243). Lay them on a
pastry-grate to dry for fifteen minutes; then dress on a dessert-dish
with a folded napkin, and send to the table.