Chapter XX: =Entremets (Sweets)= (1)

Pastry, Confectionery, and Ices are so closely allied to Cookery, and they are so surely its complements, that it is impossible to omit them when dealing with Entremets, even though the latter be limited to the kind proper to the kitchen.

However, these subjects, which could supply matter for voluminous works, are too complex for it to be possible to cope thoroughly with them here.

I shall therefore confine myself to the expounding of their fundamental principles and the essential operations relating thereto, a knowledge of which is absolutely necessary for the successful preparation of Kitchen Entremets and Ices. The directions given hereafter are certainly too inadequate to convert an ordinary cook into a pastry-cook, a confectioner, or a “glacier”; but they will at least admit of his carrying out a complete dinner, if the necessity so to do should occur.

=Elementary Preparations of Pastry which may be Applied to Entremets=

2338—VARIOUS ALMOND PREPARATIONS

It is important that one should have skinned, splintered, and chopped almonds.

_To Skin Almonds._—Throw them in a saucepan of boiling water, place the utensil on the side of the fire without allowing the boiling to continue, and let the almonds soak for seven or eight minutes. As soon as the skin slips when pressing them between one’s fingers, turn them out on to a strainer; cool them in cold water, and skin them. This done, wash them in cold water; drain them well; spread them on a very clean tray, and dry them in a mild oven.

_Splintered Almonds._—Having skinned and washed the almonds, split them in two, and cut each half into five or six splinters. Dry the latter in the drying-box, and place them in the front of the oven for a while to colour slightly.

They serve for nougat, and sometimes take the place of pignolis.

_Chopped Almonds._—Having skinned the almonds, slightly dry them and chop them with a knife; rub them through a canvas sieve, the coarseness of which should be in accordance with that required for the chopped almonds.

Spread the latter on a tray covered with a sheet of paper, and dry them in the drying-box, stirring them from time to time the while.

_Grilled Almonds._—These are either splintered or chopped almonds set to bake on a tray in a moderate oven. Be sure to stir them frequently, that they may colour evenly, and withdraw them when they are of a nice golden shade.

_Pralined Almonds._—Proceed as for grilled almonds, but sprinkle them frequently with icing sugar, which turns to caramel under the influence of the heat of the oven, and swathes the almonds in a pale-brown coat of sugar.

2339—VARIOUS PREPARATIONS OF FILBERTS AND HAZEL-NUTS

Filberts are a large kind of hazel-nut, generally covered with red skins.

After having cracked and suppressed the shells, set the filberts on a dish, and place them in the front of the oven until their skins are slightly grilled. They need then only be rubbed between the fingers in order to clear them of their skins. Chopped filberts are prepared like chopped almonds, and should be included in the permanent “_mise en place_” of the pastry cook.

2340—VARIOUS BUTTERS

_Softened Butter._—More particularly in winter, when it is very hard, butter should be softened, _i.e._, thoroughly kneaded in a towel, to:—

1. Extract the butter-milk, which is always present in more or less large quantities.

2. Make it sufficiently soft to mix with the various ingredients of which the pastes are made up.

_Pomaded Butter._—After having well softened it as above, put it in a bowl or basin, previously rinsed with hot water and thoroughly wiped. Work the butter with a spatula or a wooden spoon until it acquires the consistence of a pomade—a necessary condition for certain of its uses.

_Clarified Butter._—In pastry, clarified butter is used more especially for the buttering of moulds. Put the butter to be clarified into a saucepan, and cook it over a very slow fire until (1) the caseous substances liberated in the cooking process have accumulated and solidified on the bottom of the saucepan; (2) it appears limpid, of a golden colour, and exhales a slight, nutty smell.

Strain it through muslin, and put it aside until required.

2341—THE BUTTERING AND GLAZING OF MOULDS

All moulds, large and small, should be buttered so as to ensure the easy turning-out of cakes cooked in them. Clarified butter, owing to its purity, is the best for the purpose. It may be applied with a brush, care being taken that all the inside surfaces get uniformly covered with it. One unbuttered spot is sufficient to make a moulding stick, or to completely spoil a cake.

For certain cakes, chopped or splintered almonds are sprinkled in the mould. For others, especially biscuits, the moulds are flour-dusted—that is to say, a veil of very dry flour or fecula is allowed to settle on the layer of butter, which, at the turning out, appears like a glazed crust upon the cake.

2342—HOW TO BEAT THE WHITES OF EGGS

The best utensil for the purpose is a copper or nickel basin in which the whisk may act at all points owing to the spherical shape of the receptacle. Tinned or enamelled utensils set up a kind of greasiness which does not allow of one’s bringing the whites to the stiffness necessary for some purposes.

Begin whisking the whites gently, and draw them up with the whisk until all their molecules have disaggregated and they begin to stiffen. They may then be whisked until they are sufficiently stiff to be taken up bodily by the whisk.

_Preventive Means._—To facilitate the beating of whites of eggs, there may be added to them at the start a pinch either of salt or alum per ten whites. When, towards the close of the operation, the whites begin to granulate, owing to any one of the various causes, add immediately one tablespoonful of powdered sugar per ten whites, and then whisk briskly, to restore them to their normal state.

2343—VEGETABLE COLOURING MATTERS

Every pastry-cook’s stock should include a series of vegetable colouring matters, comprising carmine, liquid spinach green, yellow, &c.

When required, the blending of these colours yields the intermediate tones. The colours may be bought.

2344—THE COOKING OF SUGAR

From the state of syrup to the most highly-concentrated state in which it is used in pastry sugar passes through various stages of cooking, which are:—The small thread (215° F.) and the large thread (222° F.), the small ball (236° F.) and the large ball (248° F.), the small crack (285° F.) and the large crack (315° F.). When the last state is overreached, the sugar has become caramel (360° F.).

Put the necessary quantity of loaf sugar in a small, copper saucepan; moisten with enough water to melt it, and boil. Carefully remove the scum which forms, and which might cause the sugar to granulate.

As soon as the sugar begins to move stiffly in boiling, it is a sign that the water has almost entirely evaporated, and that the real cooking of the sugar has begun.

From this moment, with moistened fingers or a little piece of moistened linen, take care to remove the crystallised sugar from the sides of the utensil, lest it makes the remaining portion turn.

The cooking of the sugar then progresses very rapidly, and the states of its various stages, coming one upon the other in quick succession at intervals of a few minutes, may be ascertained as follows:—

It has reached the _small-thread stage_, when a drop of it held between the thumb and the first finger forms small resistless strings when the thumb and finger are drawn apart.

It has reached the _large-thread stage_, when, proceeding in the same way, the strings formed between the parted finger and thumb are more numerous and stronger.

From this moment recourse must be had to cold water in order to ascertain the states of the sugar.

When a few minutes have elapsed after the test for the large-thread state, dip the end of the first finger, first into cold water, then into the sugar, and plunge it again immediately into the bowl of cold water, which should be ready at hand. The sugar taken from the finger forms a kind of soft ball, and it is this state which is called the _small ball_.

When, upon repeating the procedure, the sugar removed from the finger rolls into a firmer ball, the _large-ball stage_ is reached.

After the cooking has continued for a few seconds longer, the sugar lying on the finger peels off in the form of a thin, flexible film, which sticks to the teeth. This is the _small-crack stage_. Tests should then be made in quick succession, until the film taken from the end of the finger breaks “clean” in the teeth, like glass. This is the _large-crack state_, the last of the cooking stages, and as soon as it has been reached the utensil should be taken off the fire, lest a few seconds more turn the sugar to _caramel_.

To prevent the granulating of the sugar, a few drops of lemon juice may be added to it; or, better still, a tablespoonful of glucose per lb.

2345—GLACE A L’ANCIENNE

Put the required amount of icing sugar in a small saucepan, the quantity used being in proportion to the object to be glazed.

If it be flavoured with vanilla, orange, or lemon, dilute it with a little water, keeping it somewhat stiff; add some vanilla-flavoured sugar or grated orange-rind, and stir it up well for a few minutes. Then make it lukewarm, so that it may run easily and dry quickly, and pour it over the object to be treated.

For the above-mentioned flavours, an infusion of vanilla or orange-rind may be prepared, and this may serve in diluting the glaze. The flavours may also be used in the form of essences, provided it be remembered that they are usually very strong thus, and must be used with caution.

If liqueur glazes are in question, such as Kirsch, Rum, Anisette, or Marasquin, &c., the glaze is diluted with the liqueur and made lukewarm as directed above.

2346—GLACE AU FONDANT

_Preparation of the “Fondant.”_—Put some loaf sugar into a small saucepan, the quantity being in accordance with the amount of “Fondant” required.

Moisten with just enough water to melt the sugar, and set to cook as directed under “The Cooking of Sugar.”

Stop the cooking precisely at 230° F. between the _large-thread stage_ and the _small-ball stage_, and pour the sugar on a moderately-oiled marble slab. Let it half cool for a few minutes; then, with a spatula, move it about well in all directions, taking care that no portion of the sugar on the marble is left untouched by the spatula, for any such portion would harden and form lumps in the Fondant.

After ten to fifteen minutes’ work with the spatula, the sugar should have become a white, slightly granulated paste. Heap the latter together, and scrape the marble slab with the blade of a strong knife. Carefully knead this paste (No. 2357) with the palm of the hand until it is very thin and smooth, whereupon the Fondant is ready for use.

It need now only be heaped in a receptacle, covered with a damp cloth, and kept somewhat dry.

_To Glaze with “Fondant.”_—Put the required amount of it into a saucepan; work it over a slow fire for a while, in order to soften it, and moisten it, little by little, with water when a dry flavour or an essence is used, or, otherwise, with the selected liqueur.

Warm slightly in order to make the glaze very liquid and to ensure its speedy drying, and pour it, at one tilt, over the object to be glazed.

With the help of some colour, the glaze is generally given the tint of the fruit which flavours it.

2346a—SUCRE EN GLACE (Icing Sugar)

This is sugar strained through a silken drum-sieve. The sugar strained through this silk has the delicacy of starch. At times it is used instead of Fondant for the glazing of cakes, but it is mostly used for white and caramel glazings. For this purpose the sugar is held in a tin box, covered with a lid pierced with small holes, called a sugar dredger.

To _glaze white_ is to cover a cake, a fritter, or other object with a coat of icing sugar. This operation is effected by shaking the sugar dredger over the object to be glazed.

_To glaze with caramel_ is to cover a _Soufflé_, a _souffléd_ omelet, fruit fritters, a custard, _Pannequets_, or other objects with a coat of icing sugar. By placing the sugar-coated object in fierce heat, a few minutes suffice to melt the sugar, which is converted into a brilliant covering of caramel.

2347—SUGAR GRAINS

These are used in pastry to border certain cakes, or to surround the sugared-paste bases on which cakes are set. For this purpose the parts to which the sugar is expected to adhere must be besmeared with cooked apricot.

To make them, roughly pound some loaf sugar, and sift the latter first through a coarse strainer, and then through a finer one, according to the size the sugar grains are required to be. The powder will, of course, fall and leave the grains clean.

2348—COLOURED SUGAR GRAINS

To colour sugar grains, spread them on a piece of paper, and add a drop of liquid vegetable-colouring or a very little coloured paste per tablespoonful of sugar. The amount of colouring matter may either be lessened or increased, according to the strength the shade is required to be.

Rub the sugar in the hand to colour it evenly; dry it in a moderately warm drying-box, and keep it in the dry in well-closed boxes.

2349—VANILLA SUGAR

The vanilla sticks which have served in preparing infusions still possess some flavour. Reserve them, therefore, for the making of vanilla sugar.

After having gently dried them in the drying-box, finely pound them with twice their weight of loaf sugar; sift through a silken sieve, and again pound the bits remaining on the silk of the sieve until every particle goes through. Keep the preparation in a well-closed box in the dry.

2350—CANDIED FRUIT

These are used in the decoration of certain cakes, and as the constituent ingredients of others.

They comprise angelica, golden and green _chinois_, cherries, plums, red and white pears, &c.

Candied fruit may be bought ready-prepared.

2351—APPLE JELLY FOR DECORATING

Quarter, peel, and core the apples (preferably russets), and throw them, one by one, in a bowl of fresh water to prevent their getting brown.

Then put them in a copper basin with one and one-half pints of water per two lbs. of apples, and cook them gently without touching them.

This done, pour away their juice, and return it to the basin together with two lbs. of sugar per quart. Boil; skim with great care, that the jelly may be clear, and cook over a fierce fire until the jelly has reached a stage which may be ascertained thus:—(1) When on taking the skimmer out of the basin, the jelly adhering to it seems to mass itself towards the middle of the skimmer; or:—(2) When the jelly breaks up into large drops, separated one from the other.

Then take the jelly off the fire; add some carmine to it, drop by drop, until it acquires a rosy hue; strain it again through a fine piece of linen, that it may be perfectly limpid, and finally pour it into tin receptacles to cool.

Put aside until wanted.

2352—PRALIN

(1) If it be for the purpose of covering certain cakes, or for forming a glaze on a fruit entremet, prepare it thus:—Put the whites of two eggs and three tablespoonfuls of icing sugar in a small basin. Mix and stir briskly with a small, wooden spoon, until the paste becomes somewhat thick. Then, subject to the purpose for which it is intended, add a more or less large quantity of chopped almonds, according as to whether the pralin be required thick or slightly liquid for spreading. Cover it with a piece of white paper, moistened with white of egg, that it may remain moist if kept for some time.

(2) If it is to be added to a _soufflé_ preparation, to a _souffléd_ omelet, to a preparation of ice, or to a custard, it is a nougat powder which is prepared as follows:—

Gently melt one lb. of powdered sugar in a small saucepan, taking care not to let it acquire a deeper shade than old gold. Mix twenty oz. of dried almonds with it; turn the whole out on to the corner of a slightly-oiled marble slab (or on an overturned saucepan-lid), and leave to cool. When the nougat is quite cold, pound it and rub it through a sieve.

Pound and rub what remains in the sieve until the whole goes through.

Put the powder in a well-closed box, and place the latter in a dry place.

2353—CURRANTS AND SULTANAS

Sultanas and currants should always be at hand, ready and cleaned. To clean them, first dredge them and then rub them in a towel, closed to form a sort of purse. Now, turn them into a sieve or colander, which shake vigorously, that the flour and the detached stems may be eliminated; then examine them, one by one, to make sure that no stems remain.

Currants should be examined with very particular care, as small stones often get in among them.

Put the currants and the sultanas aside, each in a box or a drawer.

2354—ESSENCES AND FLAVOURINGS

The various essences used in pastry are bought ready-made. The flavourings consist of those products treated by infusion, such as vanilla; of grated or infused products, such as lemon and orange rinds; and liqueurs in general.

Fruit juices only become flavours when a liqueur in keeping with the fruit from which they were extracted has been added to them.

2355—GILDING PREPARATION

This consists of beaten eggs. Its purpose is to ensure the colouration of certain cakes, whereon it is smeared by means of a brush. In some cases this gilding may be combined with a little water, as, for instance, when the heat of the oven is too fierce, and cakes are required of a light colour. In some cases, especially in that of small, dry cakes, it consists entirely of egg-yolks diluted with a few drops of water.

=The Pastes=

2356—ORDINARY SHORT PASTE

Sift one lb. of flour over the mixing-board; make a hollow in its midst, and put therein one-sixth oz. of salt, one-third pint of cold water, and one-half lb. of butter well softened—especially in winter. Mix the flour gradually with the butter and the water; mass the whole a moment or two, and knead it (see No. 2357) twice. Then roll it up in a ball; wrap it in a piece of linen that its surface may not dry, and put it aside in the cool.

_Remarks_: A kneaded paste should be prepared either one day, or at least a few hours, in advance, in order that it may lose that elasticity which it acquires from the kneading.

Pastes, after they have rested awhile, are much more easily treated, and bake a much more definite and lighter colour, than those that are used as soon as they are prepared.

2357—THE KNEADING OF PASTES

The object of kneading paste is to combine the ingredients of which it is composed thoroughly, and also to smooth it. Proceed as follows:—

When the paste is mixed, roll it into a mass; put it in front of one; then press it away from one, little by little, between the board and the palm of the hand. For the paste to be perfectly smooth, it ought to be treated twice in this way.

2358—FINE, SHORT OR FLAWN PASTE (For Fruit Tarts)

Sift one lb. of flour on to the mixing-board, and hollow it out. Put in the hollow one-third oz. of salt, one and one-half oz. of powdered sugar, an egg, one-fourth pint of cold water, and ten oz. of butter. First, thoroughly mix the butter, the egg, the water, and the seasoning, and then gradually combine the flour with it.

Knead the paste; press it out twice; roll it into a ball, and wrap it up as before with the view of setting it aside in the cool to rest.

2359—DRESSING PASTE (Pâte à Pâté)

Take one lb. of sifted flour, four oz. of butter, one egg, one-third oz. of salt, and one-fourth pint of water. Mix as already directed; knead twice; roll up the paste, and set it in the cool to rest. This paste should be kept somewhat firm.

2360—DRESSING PASTE WITH LARD

Take one lb. of sifted flour, four oz. of lard, one-quarter pint of tepid water, one egg, one-third oz. of salt, and proceed exactly as in the case of No. 2359.

2361—DUMPLING AND PUDDING PASTES

Break up ten oz. of very dry beef suet, and carefully clear it of all little pieces of skin and connective tissue. Chop it up as finely as possible; sift one lb. of flour on to the mixing-board; hollow it out; and put into the hollow one-half oz. of salt, one and one-half oz. of sugar, one-third pint of water, and the chopped suet. Mix up these various ingredients, and, by degrees, combine the flour with them.

Mass the paste together, without kneading it, and put it aside in the cool until it is wanted.

2362—DRY SUGARED PASTE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES

Take one lb. of sifted flour, seven oz. of butter, five oz. of powdered sugar, three eggs, and one-half tablespoonful of orange-flower water.

Mix in the usual way, knead it twice; roll it into a ball, and keep it wrapped up, in the cool, until required.

2363—PASTE FOR SMALL GUMMED TEA-CAKES

Take one lb. of sifted flour, ten oz. of butter, ten oz. of sugar, one egg, the yolks of four, and a tablespoonful of orange-flower water.

Mix up gradually; mass the paste together, and roll it out into a thin layer, twice. Roll it up, and let it rest awhile in the cool before it is used.

2364—GUMMING

In the case of certain small cakes, especially those served at tea, it is usual to gum their surfaces in order to make them glossy. For this purpose a thin solution of gum arabic is used, and it is smeared over the cakes as they leave the oven, by means of a small brush.

Cakes may also be gummed with a syrup formed from milk and sugar, which mixture may be used instead of gum arabic with advantage.

2365—GALETTE PASTE

Hollow out one lb. of sifted flour and put in its midst one-third oz. of salt, two oz. of powdered sugar, one-quarter pint of water, and one-half lb. of softened butter.

Mix, taking care to include the flour only by degrees; thoroughly knead, that the ingredients may be well combined, and mass the paste together without making it too elastic. Leave it to rest in the cool for at least an hour; then roll it out thrice, at intervals of eight minutes, for the reasons given under the directions for puff-paste.

2366—PUFF-PASTE

(1) Sift one lb. of flour on to the mixing-board. Make a hollow in it, and put therein one-third oz. of table salt and about one-half pint of cold water, and mix without kneading. Mass the paste together, and let it rest for twenty minutes, that it may lose its elasticity, which will be all the more pronounced for its having been very much worked. It is to avoid this elasticity, therefore, that the mixing of puff-paste should be effected with the smallest amount of kneading possible.

(2) Spread the prepared paste on a flour-dusted board, in the shape of an even galette. Spread thereon one lb. of softened butter, without completely covering the paste; draw the edges of the paste towards the centre, in such wise as to enclose the butter completely, and to form a square thickness of paste.

(3) Leave to rest for a further ten minutes and then begin the working of the paste; rolling it out to the length of one and one-half feet, and keeping it one in. thick. Fold this layer over thrice, and press upon it with the roller so as to join the superposed layers. The whole of this operation constitutes one turn.

Begin another turn immediately, turning the paste the reverse way, and folding it as before. Set it to rest in the cool for eight or ten minutes, and then effect two more turns.

Ten minutes after the two last turns (there should be six in all), the puff-paste is ready to be cut up and used.

_Remarks relative to puff-paste_: Good puff-paste should be buttered to the extent of one lb. per one and one-half lbs., _i.e._, one lb. of butter for every one lb. of flour mixed with one-half pint of water. The consistence of the paste and the butter should be exactly the same, if they are to be evenly mixed; the butter ought therefore to be softened—more particularly in winter.

In preparing puff-paste, remember to put it in a cool place while it is resting; but never directly upon ice; for, though the ice would not affect the paste, it might seriously affect the butter.

It would harden it to the extent of preventing its perfect mixture with the mass, and lumps would form. Puff-paste should be rolled out very regularly, with the view of thoroughly distributing the butter throughout the preparation, and thus ensuring its uniform rising.

Puff-paste should not be worked too speedily; for, if it be so worked, it will be found to acquire an elasticity which not only makes it difficult to cut up, but also tends to make it shrink in the baking.

2367—PUFF-PASTE TRIMMINGS OR HALF PUFF-PASTE

These are very useful in pastry work, for tartlets, _barquettes_, _croûtons_, &c. When the puff-paste is cut up, the trimmings should therefore be rolled into a ball, and put aside in the cool. Nevertheless they must be used within the space of two days in summer and four days in winter.

2368—ORDINARY BRIOCHE PASTE

(1) Sift one lb. of flour on to the board; take a quarter of it, make a hollow in it, and put therein one-quarter oz. of very fresh, dry yeast. Mix the yeast and the flour with a little tepid water, so as to obtain a soft paste which is the leaven. Roll this paste into a ball; make two slits in its top, at right angles to one another, and place it in a small basin.

Cover the latter, and put it in a somewhat warm place, that the leaven may be sure to ferment.

(2) Make a hollow in the remaining flour, and put into it one-quarter oz. of salt, and one and one-half oz. of sugar, together with two tablespoonfuls of milk to melt it, one-third of the whole amount of the butter to be used, namely, four oz., and four eggs.

Begin by thoroughly mixing the butter, eggs and seasoning, and then combine the flour therewith, by degrees. When the paste forms a compact mass, knead and pull it about with the hands, that it may be light. When, at the end of a few minutes, it has acquired a certain resilience, make a hole in the middle of it and add one egg. Mix the latter with the paste; work it afresh, and after an interval of two minutes add one more egg in the same way. The total number of eggs for the quantities of other ingredients given above should be six.

(3) Add the remaining butter (eight oz.) to the paste; the former being _manied_ and even softened, just sufficiently to make it of the same consistence as the paste.

Spread it on the latter, and mix the two; kneading small portions at a time, and combining those portions so as to mix the two elements completely.

At this stage, overturn the paste and spread the leaven (which should now be equal to twice its original bulk) upon it.

Mix it well as in the case of the butter, without working the paste.

Finally, put the paste into a basin; cover it, and place it in a temperate room.

For it to have the desired lightness, this paste should ferment for from ten to twelve hours. However, at the end of five or six hours, the process is arrested by the working of the paste; that is to say, by turning it out upon a flour-dusted board and beating it with the palm of the hand.

It is then returned to the basin to ferment afresh, for five or six hours; and then it is once more beaten just before being used.

2369—MOUSSELINE BRIOCHE PASTE

_Mousseline_ brioche paste is made from the ordinary kind, combined with a little butter and developed in the mould by fermentation before the baking process—which procedure makes it exceedingly light and delicate.

This paste is used in the preparation of certain timbales for fruit sweets, and it is prepared as follows:—

Take the required amount of ordinary brioche paste, and add to it, per lb. of paste, two oz. of best butter, softened to the consistence of an ointment, that it may thoroughly mix with the paste. Roll the paste into a ball, and put it in a liberally-buttered mould, only filling two-thirds of the latter with it. The remaining third of the mould gets filled by the rising of the paste. Place the mould in a temperate room, until the paste has risen to the edges of the mould; besmear the surface of the paste with a brush dipped in melted butter, and bake in a moderate oven.

2370—ORDINARY BRIOCHE PASTE (For Rissoles, Small Patties à la Dauphine, and Various other Preparations)

_Quantities_: one lb. of flour, seven oz. of butter, four fair-sized eggs, salt, a pinch of powdered sugar; one-third oz. of very dry, fresh yeast, and a little tepid milk.

(1) Make the leaven with a quarter of the flour, the yeast and the lukewarm milk, and set it to ferment while the paste is being prepared.

(2) Prepare the paste as already directed, and keep it fermenting as before for ten hours, taking care to arrest the process once.

The work is the same as in the preceding case, in every particular, except in regard to the amount of butter, which in this instance is only half as much; in regard to the amount of sugar, which should only be just sufficient to ensure the colouring of the paste; and finally in regard to its firmness, which should admit of the paste being worked with a rolling-pin.

2371—SAVARIN PASTE

_Quantities_: One lb. of flour; twelve oz. of butter; one-half oz. of very dry, fresh yeast; eight eggs; about one-third pint of milk; one-half oz. of salt, and one oz. of sugar.

_Procedure_: Savarin paste may be prepared in several ways; but the one given below is as simple and expeditious as could be desired.

Sift the flour into a basin (or a round wooden bowl, better suited to the work); hollow it out; add the yeast, and dissolve the latter by means of tepid milk, stirring slightly with the tip of the finger.

Add the eggs; mix the whole; work the paste by hand for a few minutes; detach those portions of it which have adhered to the side of the utensil, and add them to the whole.

Distribute the softened butter in small quantities over the paste. Cover, and place in a temperate room until the paste has grown to twice its original bulk. Then add salt; knead the paste, that it may thoroughly absorb the butter, and pat it briskly until it is sufficiently elastic to be taken up in one lump.

At this stage add the sugar, and work the paste again that the former may thoroughly mix with it. The sugar should only be added at the close of the operation; for, since it impairs the cohesiveness of the paste, it would render the latter much more difficult to work were it added at the start.

THE USES OF THIS PASTE

If it be for Savarins with syrup, it is customary to sprinkle the previously-buttered moulds with slightly-grilled, chopped or splintered almonds. Take the paste in small quantities at a time, and line the moulds with it to the extent of one-third of their height.

The remaining two-thirds of each mould become covered when the paste rises owing to fermentation.

Proceed in the same way for Savarins which are to be kept dry, for fruit crusts or other uses; but then the sprinkling of the moulds with almond may be omitted.

2372—PÂTE A BABA

_Quantities_: One lb. of flour; one-half lb. of butter; seven eggs; two-thirds oz. of yeast; one-fifth pint of milk; one-third oz. of salt; two-thirds oz. of sugar; three oz. of currants and sultanas in equal quantities.

_Procedure_: Proceed exactly as for Savarin paste, and add the currants and sultanas at the last with the sugar. In moulding, a few pipped Malaga raisins may be laid on the bottom of the moulds. As in the case of the Savarin, the paste should only fill one-third of the mould.

2373—ORDINARY PÂTE A CHOUX

_Quantities._—One pint of water; eight oz. of butter; one-third oz. of salt; one oz. of sugar; one lb. of sifted flour; sixteen fair-sized eggs, and a tablespoonful of orange-flower water.

_Procedure._—Put the water, butter, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and boil. When the liquid boils and rises, take the saucepan off the fire; add the flour, and mix. Return the saucepan to a moderate fire, and stir the paste until it ceases to stick to the spoon, and the butter begins to ooze slightly.

Take the saucepan off the fire; add the eggs, two at a time, taking care to mix each couple thoroughly with the paste before inserting the succeeding couple. When all the eggs have been absorbed, finish the paste with orange-flower water.

2374—COMMON PÂTE A CHOUX (For Souffléd Fritters, Gnochi, Potatoes à la Dauphine)

Proceed as directed above, but reduce the quantity of butter to three oz., and the number of eggs to twelve; avoid drying this paste overmuch.

2375—RAMEQUINS AND GOUGÈRE PASTE

This is prepared exactly like ordinary “Pâte à Choux,” except that:—

1. Milk takes the place of water.

2. The sugar and orange-flower water are omitted.

3. For the quantities given (No. 2373), eight oz. of fresh Gruyère, cut into dice, are added to the paste, after all the eggs have been added to it.

2376—PÂTE A GÉNOISE FINE

Put into a copper basin one lb. of powdered sugar and sixteen eggs. Mix the two; place the basin upon hot cinders or on the hob, and whisk its contents until they reach the _“ribbon” stage_ (see remarks below). Then add the selected aroma (vanilla sugar, orange rind, or liqueur, in the proportion of one tablespoonful of vanilla sugar or orange rind, and one liqueur-glass of liqueur, to the quantities given above), twelve oz. of sifted flour, and eight oz. of melted butter, the latter being carefully poured into the paste without allowing it to bubble. Mix these ingredients with the paste, raising the latter by means of a spatula that it may not get heavy.

Bake it in buttered and dredged moulds.

_Remarks._—A preparation of Biscuit or _Génoise_ reaches the _“ribbon” stage_ when it becomes thick, draws out in ribbon-form, and takes some time to level itself again when a spoon is pulled out of it. This state of the paste is also indicative of its lightness.

2377—ORDINARY GÉNOISE PASTE FOR CUTTING UP

_Quantities._—One lb. of sugar, twelve eggs, thirteen oz. of flour, eight oz. of butter, and the quantity of flavouring thought sufficient.

Proceed exactly as in the preceding recipe, in everything pertaining to the working of the paste.

This paste is baked in buttered and dredged cases, in which it is spread in layers one and one-quarter inches thick, that it may rise to about one and three-quarter inches thick, while baking.

2378—LADY’S-FINGER BISCUIT PASTE

Stir one lb. of sugar and sixteen egg-yolks in a basin until the preparation has whitened slightly and has reached the _ribbon_ stage. Now add a tablespoonful of orange-flower water; mix therewith twelve oz. of sifted flour, followed by sixteen egg-whites, whisked to a stiff froth. Take care to effect the mixture by raising and cutting the preparation with the spatula, that the former may be quite light.

_To Shape the Biscuits._—Put the paste, little by little, into a canvas piping-bag, fitted with a pipe of one-half inch bore. Close the bag; lay the biscuits on sheets of strong paper; sprinkle them with powdered sugar, and rid them of any superfluous sugar by holding the sheets end upwards.

Jerk a few drops of water upon the biscuits by means of a moistened brush in order to assist the beading of the sugar, and remember that a very moderate oven is the best for the effecting of this beading.

2379—SAVOY-BISCUIT PASTE

Stir one lb. of sugar and fourteen egg-yolks in a basin until the preparation reaches the _ribbon_ stage. Flavour with vanilla sugar; add six oz. of very dry, sifted flour mixed with six oz. of fecula, and finally mix therewith the fourteen egg-whites, which should be in a very stiff froth.

Carefully set the preparation in buttered and fecula-dredged moulds, filling the latter only two-thirds full, and leaving the remaining third to be covered by the rising of the paste while baking.

Bake in a regular, moderate oven.

2380—PÂTE A BISCUIT MANQUE

Stir one lb. of sugar with eighteen egg-yolks in a basin until the preparation is white and light. Add three tablespoonfuls of rum, thirteen oz. of sifted flour, and ten oz. of melted butter, carefully poured away. Mix, raising it with the spatula in so doing.

Set the preparation in special buttered and dredged moulds, filling the latter only two-thirds full with it. Bake in a moderate oven.

2381—PUNCH BISCUIT PASTE

Stir one lb. of sugar, twelve egg-yolks, and three eggs in a basin, until the whole becomes frothy. Aromatise with a bare tablespoonful of orange sugar, the same amount of lemon sugar, and three tablespoonfuls of best rum, and add twelve oz. of sifted flour, ten oz. of melted butter, and the whites of eight eggs whisked to a stiff froth. Mix with the usual precautions, that the paste may not be heavy.

Bake the preparation in buttered moulds, in cases or in rings, according to the purpose it is intended for. Use a moderate oven.

2382—ORDINARY MERINGUE

Whisk the whites of eight eggs until they are as stiff as it is possible to make them. Sprinkle them with one lb. of powdered sugar, and mix them with the latter carefully, that they may retain all their lightness.

2383—MERINGUE A L’ITALIENNE

Cook one lb. of sugar to the _large-ball_ stage, and meanwhile whisk the whites of eight eggs to a stiff froth, so as to have them ready simultaneously with the sugar.

Pour the cooked sugar into the egg-whites, slowly and without a pause, and mix up briskly with the whisk.

2384—MERINGUE A L’ITALIENNE (another recipe)

Mix one lb. of very best powdered sugar and the whites of eight eggs in an untinned copper basin. Place the utensil on hot cinders or on the side of the stove, that the preparation may be lukewarm while in progress.

Whisk the meringue until it is sufficiently consistent to span the members of the whisk. If it is not to be used at once, transfer the paste to a small basin; cover it with a round piece of paper, and set it in the cool.

2385—ALMOND PASTE

Instead of the antiquated and difficult method of making almond pastes in the mortar, a crushing machine is now used which not only yields a much smoother paste, but also greatly simplifies the work. Almond paste, which consists of almonds, sugar, and egg-whites, in quantities varying in accordance with the purpose of the paste, is now sold ready-made. It has only to be finished with a little sugar, white of egg, and other things, subject to the use to which it is to be put.

2386—MELTING ALMOND PASTE (For Stuffing and Imitating Fruit)

Pass eight oz. of dry, skinned almonds through the crusher.

Place them in the mortar, together with the selected aromatic essence; either a tablespoonful of vanilla sugar or a small glassful of liqueur; and add to them, little by little, working the while with the pestle, one lb. of sugar cooked to the _small-crack_ stage.

With this generic recipe, the melting paste may be varied at will by an increase or decrease in the quantity of sugar.

2387—PISTACHIOS

These should belong to the pastry-cook’s stock, but, as a rule, they are only prepared just before being served. To skin them, proceed as in the case of almonds.

2388—PISTACHIO PASTE FOR INFUSION

As soon as the pistachios are skinned, washed, and dried, crush them in the mortar to a very smooth paste, which set in boiled milk, to infuse.

As the colour of pistachios is weak, it is strengthened in preparations containing them with a few drops of vegetable green, while its aroma is thrown into relief with a trifle of vanilla.

2389—MELTING PISTACHIO PASTE

Put seven oz. of pistachios and two oz. of almonds through the crusher; both should have been just skinned. Put the paste into the mortar; add to it two tablespoonfuls of syrup, strongly flavoured with vanilla, followed by eight oz. of sugar, cooked to the _small-crack_ stage, and added to the paste little by little.

Transfer the paste to a marble slab, and finish it by combining three tablespoonfuls of icing sugar with it.

=The Preparation and Cooking of Various Pastry Crusts used in Cookery=

2390—VOL-AU-VENT CRUST

Prepare the puff-paste as directed under No. 2366. Make the layer of paste of an even thickness of four-fifths inch; set thereon an overturned plate or a saucepan-lid, the size of which should be that intended for the Vol-au-vent, and cut the paste obliquely, following round the edges of the lid or plate with a small knife. Turn the layer of paste over, and set it on a slightly moistened round baking sheet; groove it all round; _gild_ it, and describe a circle on top of it with the point of a knife, one and one-quarter inches away from the edge, to form the cover of the Vol-au-vent. Streak this cover criss-cross-fashion; also streak the body of the Vol-au-vent with the point of a small knife, and bake it in a rather hot oven.

Upon withdrawing the Vol-au-vent from the oven, remove its cover, and clear it of the soft crumb which will be found on its inside.

2391—BOUCHEE OR SMALL-PATTY CRUSTS

Bouchées are really small Vol-au-vents. Roll out the paste, making it a good one-third inch thick. Cut this layer with a grooved round cutter three inches in diameter; set the roundels of stamped-out paste on a moistened tray; _gild_, and make a circular incision in each of them, one-half inch from their edges, either with the point of a small knife or with an even, round cutter dipped in hot water.

Bake in a hot oven, and clear the insides of the bouchées of their crumb on taking them out of the oven. “Mignonnes Bouchées,” which are used as a garnish, are stamped out with a round cutter two inches in diameter, and are slightly thicker than ordinary bouchées.

2392—SMALL HOT PATTIES

Roll out the puff-paste to a thickness of one-sixth inch, and stamp it out with an even round cutter three inches in diameter. With the trimmings resulting from this operation, rolled somewhat more thinly, make an equal quantity of roundels, and lay them on a tray. Slightly moisten the edges of these roundels with a brush; garnish their centres with some forcemeat, rolled to the size of a hazel-nut; cover the forcemeat with the roundels stamped out from the first; press upon these with the back of a round cutter two inches in diameter; _gild_ them, and bake them in a hot oven for twelve or fourteen minutes.

2393—CROÛTES ET CROUSTADES

For tartlet crusts, which are put to various uses, take either even or grooved, large or small moulds, subject to the requirements.

Roll out a piece of short paste to a thickness of one-fifth inch; stamp it out with a grooved round cutter of a size in proportion to the moulds used; line the buttered moulds with these roundels of paste; pierce the paste on the bottom of each with the point of a small knife; line with good-quality paper; fill up with lentils, split peas, or rice, and bake in a moderate oven. When the paste is baked, withdraw the dry vegetable used and the paper, and place the crusts in the drying-box, that they may be quite dry; or _gild_ them inside, and set them in the front of the oven for a few minutes.

2394—TIMBALE CRUST

Butter a Charlotte-mould, and decorate its sides with some sort of design made from noodle-paste trimmings to which a little powdered sugar has been added. Shape a piece of short paste (of a size in proportion to the mould) like a ball; roll it out to a disc; sprinkle it with flour, and fold it in two. Draw the ends gently towards the centre, so as to form a kind of skullcap, and take care to not crease the paste. Make this skullcap of an even thickness of one-third inch, and place it in the mould.

Press it well upon the bottom and sides of the mould, that it may acquire the shape of the latter; line the mould inside with good buttered paper; fill up with lentils or split peas, letting them project in a dome above the edges of the paste, and cover with a round sheet of paper.

Prepare a round layer of paste, one-fifth inch thick, a little larger diametrally than the timbale one. Slightly moisten the inside edges of the timbale; cover it with the prepared disc of paste, and seal it well down to the edges of the timbale, pressing it between the fingers in such wise as to form a crest reaching one-half inch beyond the brim of the mould all round.

Pinch this crest with paste-pincers inside and out.

With a round or oval grooved fancy-cutter stamp out some imitation leaves from a very thin layer of paste, and imitate the veins of the leaves with the back of a knife; or stamp out some triangles of paste; shape them like leaves, and set these (slightly overlapping one another) upon the dome of the timbale in superposed rows.

Finish with three roundels of paste, stamped out with a grooved round cutter of a different size from the first, and make a hole in the centre of each roundel with a round, even fancy-cutter. _Gild_ and bake in a moderate oven. When the outside of the timbale is well browned, detach and remove the cover formed by the leaves. Withdraw the split peas and the paper; _gild_ the timbale inside, and leave it to dry in the front of the oven or in the drying-box.

2395—FLAWN CRUST

With short or any other kind of paste prepare a layer one-sixth inch thick, the diameter of which should be one-fourth as long again as that of the flawn-ring used. Raise this layer, and place it upon the previously-buttered flawn-ring, pressing it with the fingers, that it may assume the shape of the mould. Then roll the pin across the ring, in order that the overlapping paste may be cut away; press the thickness of paste that has been formed between the fingers in such a way as to make it project above the edges of the flawn-ring, and form a regular crest. Pinch this crest with the pastry pincers, and set the flawn-ring on a small round baking sheet.

Prick it with the point of a small knife; line its bottom and sides with slightly-buttered, good paper; fill the ring with dry lentils or split peas, and bake in a moderately hot oven for about twenty-five minutes.

Then remove the lentils and paper, as also the ring, and return the flawn to the oven for a few minutes to brown, if it is not already sufficiently coloured.

If the paste be required very dry, place the flawn in the drying-box for a little while, or _gild_ it inside, and set it in the front of the oven for a few minutes.

2396—THE LINING AND COVERING OF RAISED AND DRESSED PIES

The moulds for Raised Pies are oval or round. If they are round, make a layer of patty paste, one-half inch thick, in proportion to the size of the mould.

Sprinkle this paste with flour, fold it in two, and shape it like a skullcap, after the manner described under “Timbale Crust.” It is only necessary to press this skullcap of paste into the buttered mould in order to give it the shape of the latter. If the mould is oval, proceed in the same way, giving the skullcap an oval shape.

When the raised pie is filled, first cover the garnish with a somewhat thin, round, or oval layer of paste, in accordance with the shape of the mould, and seal it well down upon the moistened edges. Then cut away the superfluous paste of the crest, so as to make the latter even and neat, and pinch it outside and in. Raised pies are covered in two ways—either with a layer of puff-paste, or with leaves of paste stamped out with a round cutter or a knife, the veins being imitated with the back of a knife.

In the first case, prepare a layer of puff-paste one-third inch thick, equal in size to the inside of the patty. Drop this layer of paste upon the cover of the pie, after having slightly moistened it; _gild_ and streak it, and make a slit in the top for the escape of steam.

In the second case, prepare the paste leaves as directed above, and lay them on the pie (slightly overlapping one another) in superposed rows, starting from the bottom. On the top of the pie set three or four indented roundels of paste, graduated in size, and stuck one upon the other, each roundel having a hole in its centre for the escape of steam.

_Gild_ and set the pie in the oven.

The baking of raised pies made with raw forcemeat is effected in a moderately-heated oven. Bear in mind that the larger the pie is, the more moderate should be the oven.

VARIOUS CUSTARDS

=Hot Custards=

2397—CRÈME ANGLAISE

This custard allows of various methods of preparation which are subject to the purpose for which it is intended. It is the chief sauce for entremets, and whether it be poached in a deep dish or in a mould, it constitutes one of the oldest and best-known entremets. This last kind of custard will be examined hereafter. At present I shall only deal with the variety used either as a sauce or an accompaniment, cold or hot. It is extremely difficult to prescribe fixed quantities for this custard, for the former depend a great deal upon the consumers’ tastes, and, whereas some like a thick custard, others go to the extreme of wishing it just liquid enough to be drunk like any other beverage.

The quantities given below are suited to a custard of medium consistence, but if a thicker custard were desired, the number of egg-yolks would have to be proportionately increased, and _vice-versâ_.

The quantity of sugar also varies, subject to the consumers’ tastes, and, as the amount used (except in the case of unreasonable excess) does not affect the consistence of the custard, it may be graduated from three to ten or twelve oz. per quart, as taste may dictate. Six oz. of sugar per quart of milk constitutes a happy medium.

English custard admits of all the aromatic essences used for entremets, but the one which suits it best is vanilla. When this last-named flavour or that of filberts, almond pralin, or coffee is used, it is well to put the required quantity to infuse for twenty minutes in the boiling milk, after the latter has been measured off. Chocolate is first melted and then gradually added to the custard before it is cooked. Other aromatic essences or liqueurs are added to the custard after it has been strained.

English custard admits of two methods of preparation:—

_Recipe A._—Put twelve raw egg-yolks and three-quarters lb. of powdered sugar in a bowl. Mix the sugar a little with the yolks, and stir the latter briskly with a spatula until they have entirely absorbed the sugar, and the resulting paste is white and has reached the _ribbon_ stage. Then pour one quart of boiling milk into the paste, little by little, mixing the whole the while with a whisk. Then put the preparation on the fire, stirring it with a spatula, and cook it until it approaches the boil and properly coats the withdrawn spoon. Take care not to let it boil, for this would turn the preparation. In any case, when the sauce is intended for hot sweets, by adding a tablespoonful of arrowroot, it may be prevented from turning.