The Modern Housewife or, Menagere Part 32

704. _Flancs_, with any kind of fruit, like a vol-au-vent, are more easily made, and are equally as good a side dish. This may be made of half-puff or short paste, and fill with raw cherries and some pounded sugar over: bake together. Greengages, apricots, or any kind of plums, will require a hotter oven than for flour only in it, the fruit giving moisture to the paste; if baked in a slow oven will be heavy, and consequently indigestible.

705. _Another._--If you have no mould, make a quarter of a pound of paste (No. 688), roll it round or oval to your fancy, a quarter of an inch thick, wet the edge all round about half an inch, raise that part and pinch it round with your thumbs and fingers, making a border all round, put on a baking-sheet, fill with fruit one row, if large two; remove the stones, and sift sugar over according to the acidity of the fruit; it will take less time, too, than if in a mould: you see what variation can be made with very little trouble or expense.

706. _Flanc of Apples._--I just perceive that I had forgot to give you a few receipts in this way of cake, which I make very pretty when we have a party. Take eight Ripstone pippins, cut in four, peel a nice shape, rub with lemon, put half a pound of sugar in a pan, cover with cold water, juice of a lemon; boil till rather thick, then add half the apples, simmer till tender, put them on a plate, do the remainder the same way, reduce the syrup a little, put the apples in a basin, pour syrup over: when cold, dish in pyramid in the crust, which you have prepared as No. 703, pour over the syrup, which should be a jelly. I often cut in fine strips the rind of a lemon or orange, boil with the apples, and ornament also with pieces of young angelica preserved, cut in diamond, placing a piece between each apple. Flancs of pears may be made precisely the same way, but with good ripe eating pears cut in two lengthwise, leaving the stalk cut in half.

707. _A plainer way._--Peel and cut eight apples in thin slices in a pan, with two ounces of pounded sugar, the rind and juice of a lemon, the rind well chopped, put on fire, stir till forming a thick marmalade, and tender, melt a little currant jelly, pour over and serve.

708. _Small Fruit Tarts._--The next in order to sweet vol-au-vents, and which are easier to make, are tartlets, their appearance being inviting, and their expense limited, and very easy to serve. They may be made from the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of any puff paste which remains, should be enveloped in paper, and kept in a cold place, or in the flour tub. Make them as follows:--Have ready twelve or more small tartlet pans, which b.u.t.ter, line each with a bit of puff paste cut with a cutter the size of a crown piece, force up the edges with your thumb and finger, put a small ball (made of flour and water) in each, bake them nicely in a very hot oven; when done take out the ball (which may be kept for other occasions), the tartlets, and shake powdered sugar over the bottom of each, and glaze with a salamander, turn them over, and shake sugar in the interior, which also salamander; fill with any kind of preserve, marmalade, or fruit, for sweet vol-au-vents. They may be made with cream as follows:--Make your tartlets as before, placing cream instead of the ball of flour, made thus: put half a pint of milk in a stewpan, when boiling, add half a stick of vanilla, reduce the milk to half in another stewpan, have the yolks of two eggs and a quarter of an ounce of powdered sugar, and one ounce of sifted flour, with a grain of salt, pour in the milk, taking out the vanilla, place over a slow fire, keep stirring till it thickens; when cold, fill the tartlets, and bake nicely in a moderate oven; when cold, add a little jam, have ready a meringue of four eggs (see No. 711), lay a teaspoonful of each upon them, spreading it quite flat with a knife, ornament the top with some of the mixture, put into a paper cornet, sift sugar over, place in a slow oven till a light brown color, and the meringue quite crisp; if the oven is too hot, cover with a sheet of paper, dress, and serve in pyramid upon your dish. They ought to be of a light color.

709. _Rissole Fourree._--This is made as the rissole for entrees; it is a very simple receipt, and I vary it continually without the slightest difficulty; instead of making it with orange I subst.i.tute apricot marmalade, apple, raspberry, strawberry, or greengage jam; but no jelly, as currant or apple, as it would run through the paste and look bad. To vary the appearance at table, instead of egging, dust them lightly over with some coa.r.s.e powdered sifted sugar, then bake them white instead of brown; if the oven is too hot cover with a sheet of paper, put a little marmalade or jam in a ring which you have selected, and serve. By blanching and chopping a few pistachios, and mixing with the sugar, makes them look very inviting, or even chopped sweet almonds changes the flavor; they may also be filled with any preparation of cream, rice, or vermicelli, prepared as for croquets. I also change them by sauteing, as they are much quicker done, and make a very nice dish. To remove the roast of the second course, I put six at a time in the saute-pan (see page 62), which must be hot, and saute a few minutes until a nice pale yellow color, serve with sifted sugar over, or egg and bread-crumb; serve very hot; if any left cold, warm in the oven.

710. _Flanc Meringue of Apple._--Sometimes I make a meringue of three eggs, as No. 711; when it is hard I cover the apples with it half an inch thick, keeping the pyramid; then I put the remainder in a paper cornet; cut the point so that by pressing it the mixture may go out by degrees, with which I make various designs, according to fancy, sugar over, and put for half an hour to bake in a very slow oven; the color ought to be pale yellow; they are equally good hot or cold. If you would keep it quite white, bake it in a still slower oven, and give it a quarter of an hour longer. When I do it so, I merely make dots all over, about a quarter of an inch distant from each other, of the size of small nuts, sugar over, and put a Corinth raisin in each k.n.o.b, which gives it a good appearance, and bake as directed; when the eggs are just set, you may cover it with a sheet of paper, to prevent it taking too much color.

711. _Meringues a la Cuilleree._--Pound and sift one pound of lump sugar, whisk the whites of twelve eggs very stiff, throw the sugar lightly over, and with a wooden spoon stir gently, perfectly mixing the sugar, then with a table or dessert-spoon lay them out upon white paper in the shape of eggs, sift powdered sugar thickly over, let them remain ten minutes, then shake off the superfluous sugar, place upon boards which you have wetted, and put them in a slow oven, just hot enough to cause them to be light and slightly tinged; when the outside becomes quite crisp, take off the papers, by turning them topsy-turvy and lifting the papers from them, dip your spoon into hot water, and with it clear out the best part of the interior, dust them with powdered sugar, lay them upon a baking-sheet, and put into the screen to dry; they may be made a day or two before they are required, if put away in a dry place; to serve, fill them with whipped cream flavored either with vanilla or orange-flower (but do not make it too sweet), stick two together, dress in pyramid upon a napkin, and serve. Should they happen to stick to the papers, moisten the papers with a paste-brush and water underneath.

712. _Gateau Fourre._--This style of cake is exceedingly simple, and admits of great variation. You must make a half pound of puff paste (No.

684), take one third of it and roll it out several times so as to deaden it, then mould it round with your hands to the shape of a ball, then roll it out flat to the thickness of half a crown, lay it on a baking-sheet, put on it marmalade a quarter of an inch thick, reserving about one inch all round of paste to fix the cover on, then roll out the remainder of the paste to the same shape, it will of course be thicker, wet the edges of the bottom and lay the cover on it, press it so that it sticks, cut neatly round the edges, and make a mark with the back of a knife about a quarter of an inch deep and half an inch apart all round, egg over, and lightly mark any fanciful design with the point of a knife on the cover, bake in a very hot oven for twenty minutes; when nearly done sprinkle some sugar over and salamander, and serve cold. It may be made with frangipane and cream and apple marmalade, and then can be served hot.

713. _Dartoise Fourree._--The former one must be made in proportion to the dish you intend to serve on, but the following is simple, and looks as well: prepare the paste as before, but roll the bottom piece square, put it on a baking-sheet, cover with jam, marmalade or frangipane, leaving one inch at the edge, roll the cover the same size, wet the edges, place it over, trim the edges, mark it down every three inches, and then crosswise every inch; bake in hot oven, sugar over, and salamander. When nearly cold, cut it where you have marked it; thus, a piece twelve inches square will give you forty-eight pieces; dish as a crown or pyramid, twelve pieces make a nice dish for a party. They may be made of any puff paste which is left, but will not be so light as if made on purpose; can be cut to any fanciful shape you please.

714. _Nougat of Apricot._--Proceed as above, but lay apricot marmalade all over a quarter of an inch thick, blanched almonds, cut into fillets, mixed with two ounces of sugar, and the white of an egg added to it, bake in a moderate oven, and cut in true lozenge shapes (I do not mean those things called lozenges, but a diamond shape), dish up on a napkin in crown or pyramid; they ought to be of a nice transparent color.

Orange, apple, or quince marmalade may be used instead of apricot. Red fruit preserve does not cook well.

715. _Crusts of Fruit._--Put a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter in a saute- or frying-pan, sprinkle a little sugar over, cut four or five slices of bread a quarter of an inch thick, three inches long, and one and a half wide, lay in your pan; take one dozen of greengages, open them in two, they must not be too ripe, lay the skin part on your bread, put a pinch of sugar in each, put it in a hot oven for twenty minutes; have ready a salamander or a hot shovel, and hold it over it for a few minutes, dish and serve hot or cold; the oven ought to be hot enough to give a nice yellow color to the bottom, which will eat crisp.

716. _Crusts with Madeira._--Cut a French penny roll lengthwise in four or five slices, put the yolks of two eggs, with four spoonfuls of milk, mix it in a plate, dip quickly each piece in it, and saute in a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter which you have previously melted in a pan, leave them on the fire until they have obtained a nice gold color on both sides, put a spoonful of apricot marmalade in a stewpan, with two gla.s.ses of Madeira, and place on the fire; when on the point of boiling, pour over the bread, which you have previously put in a plate, and serve very hot. Any preserve may be used, also any white wine; and should you have no French rolls, any fancy roll will do, or stale brioche (No. 11) is excellent for them.

717. _Cheesecakes._--Under this head, in English Cookery Books, are a variety of Receipts, but in fact, there is only one; the others may all be denominated tartlets of one kind or the other, and require but little skill on the part of the cook to vary in an innumerable number of ways. The following is the plan in use in the farm-houses in the midland counties; some which I have received from Stilton, and also from Tuxford, in Nottinghams.h.i.+re, are excellent.

Take four quarts of milk and turn it with some fresh rennet; when dry, crumble it and sift it through a coa.r.s.e sieve into a bowl, beat it well up with a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter until it is quite smooth (it may require a little more b.u.t.ter, depending on the quality of the milk); mix in another bowl the yolks of four eggs and a quarter of a pound of very fine sifted biscuit powder, the rind of four lemons, the juice of two, a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar (some add a little grated nutmeg or cinnamon), beat these all well up together until forming a stiff cream, then put it by degrees into the bowl with curd, and mix them well together; line some tartlet-pans, previously b.u.t.tered, with some paste (No. 686), and place some of the above mixture in, and bake quick. In some places milk is used instead of eggs. Should you not have rennet, procure some good milk, and turn it with the juice of a lemon or a teaspoonful of soda or culinary alkali to a quart of milk: drain the curd, and proceed as before.

718. _Richmond Maids of Honor._--These delicious little cakes, which every inhabitant of London who pays a visit to the most picturesque part of its environs knows so well, derive their name from a period when cookery was not thought to be a degrading occupation for those honored with that t.i.tle. It is stated that they originated with the maids of honor of Queen Elizabeth, who had a palace at Richmond. I have a little work now before me, called 'The Queen's Delight,' in which are several receipts invented by the wives of the first n.o.bles of the land, which I think is an excellent example for those housewives who honor this book by their perusal, to imitate. They are made as follows:

Sift half a pound of dry curd, mix it well with six ounces of good b.u.t.ter, break the yolks of four eggs into another basin, and a gla.s.s of brandy; add to it six ounces of powdered lump sugar, and beat well together one very flowery baked potato, cold, one ounce of sweet almonds, one ounce of bitter ditto pounded, the grated rind of three lemons, the juice of one, and half a nutmeg grated, mix these well together and add to the curds and b.u.t.ter; stir well up, and proceed as before, filling the tartlet pans.

719. _Lemon Cheesecakes._--Take two large lemons, and rub the rind with one pound of loaf sugar, so that all the yellow part is removed; place the sugar in a basin, squeeze the juice of the lemons over, then add the yolks of six eggs, and beat it all well up, and put it by in a jar for use. It will keep for years. Any flavor, such as vanilla or cinnamon, may be added, if liked, when required for use. Having made the paste and lined the tins, mix one tablespoonful of the mixture with a teacupful of good milk, and place a little in each tartlet.

720. _Sweet Omelettes._--Break six eggs in a basin, into which put a teaspoonful of sugar, three of cream, or a few small pieces of b.u.t.ter; put two ounces of b.u.t.ter in an omelette pan; when quite hot, pour in the eggs and proceed as for Omelettes of Herbs, turn over on your dish, sift some powdered sugar over, salamander, and serve.

721. _Omelettes of Preserved Fruits_, viz. Currant Jelly, Raspberry and Strawberry Jam, Apricots, Peaches, Cherries, &c., are made the same as the last, but, just before turning on your dish, put two spoonfuls of preserves in the centre, sugar over, salamander, and serve.

722. _Macedoine of Omelettes._--Instead of making one with eight eggs, make four, with two eggs each, of different kinds of preserves; serve on the same dish, sugar over, &c., as before.

723. _Omelette with Rum._--The same as sweet omelette, but, the moment of going to table, pour two gla.s.ses of rum round, and set it on the fire.

724. _Beignet Souffle._--Put in a stewpan a pint of milk or water, a teaspoonful of sugar, two ounces of b.u.t.ter, a few drops of essence of vanilla, or any flavor you please; give it a boil, throw in some flour, keep stirring all the time until it becomes quite thick and no longer tastes of the flour and detaches itself from the pan. It will take about half an hour, as the better it is done the lighter it is; withdraw it from the fire, stir in six eggs, one at a time, sift about two ounces of sugar, until the paste is of the stiffness of puff paste; have ready a pan of hot fat, into which you drop by a spoon small pieces of paste, it will increase their size; and when a nice color, take them out, drain, and dish on a napkin, with sifted sugar over.

725. _Apple Fritters._--Mix one pound of flour with half a pint of milk or water, then half a pound of b.u.t.ter melted in a stewpan, mix well together with a wooden spoon very smooth, thin it a little with table-beer or water, whisk the whites of three eggs very stiff, stir in gently; have six apples, peeled, cut in slices about a quarter of an inch thick, the cores taken out with a cutter, dip each piece in the batter, and fry in hot lard about six minutes; to fry well, the fat should not be too hot at first, but get hotter as it proceeds; they should be crisp, and of a nice golden color; serve on a napkin, and sift sugar over.

726. _Ditto, Peaches._--Skim and cut in halves six ripe but fine peaches, take out the stones, have a batter prepared as the last, dip them in, fry, and serve the same.

727. _Ditto, Apricots._--Cut in halves, and proceed as above, and sugar over until quite brown.

728. _Ditto, Oranges._--Peel four oranges, divide them in quarters by the thin skin, without cutting the flesh, and proceed as before.

Any other fruit may be done in the same way, and can, if required, be soaked in wine or brandy previously, but they do not fry so well.

729. _Pancake with Marmalade._--Put a quarter of a pound of sifted flour into a basin, with four eggs, mix them together very smoothly, then add half a pint of milk or cream, and a little grated nutmeg, put a piece of b.u.t.ter in your pan (it requires but a very little), and when quite hot put in two tablespoonfuls of the mixture, let spread all over the pan, place it upon the fire, and when colored upon one side turn it over, then turn it upon your cloth; proceed thus till they are all done, then spread apricot or other marmalade all over, and roll them up neatly, lay them upon a baking-sheet, sift sugar over, glaze nicely with the salamander, and serve upon a napkin; the above may be served without the marmalade, being then the common pancake.

730. _Apple Charlotte with b.u.t.ter._--For the few following receipts, the russet apple is the one I should recommend, it being the most suitable, not being so watery, or falling in puree, but in case they cannot be obtained, other sorts may be used, which will require to be more reduced in stewing.

Well b.u.t.ter the interior of a plain round mould, then cut twelve pieces of bread the size and thickness of a s.h.i.+lling, dip them in clarified b.u.t.ter, and lay them in a circle round the bottom of your mould; cut also eight small pieces in the shape of diamonds, dip them in b.u.t.ter, and with them form a star in the centre of the circle, cover the whole with a round piece of bread the size of the bottom of the mould, and the thickness of a penny-piece, cut about thirty other pieces an inch wide and four inches in length, dip one after the other in clarified b.u.t.ter, which stand upright, one half-way over the other, all round the interior of the mould; then have ready prepared two dozen or more russet apples, which peel and cut in slices, put them into a round stew or preserving-pan, with three ounces of b.u.t.ter and half a pound of broken lump sugar, with a little lemon-peel cut in strips, and a gla.s.s of sherry, place them over a sharp fire, tossing over occasionally, but keeping them together in a cake; when quite tender fill your mould (having previously well egged and bread-crumbed the interior), place another round piece of bread (also egged and bread-crumbed) over the apples, and stand the mould in a hot oven until the bread becomes well browned, take out and turn it over upon your dish, have a few spoonfuls of red currant jelly in a stewpan, with a gla.s.s of sherry, melt it over the fire, and when quite hot pour round the charlotte; sugar and salamander the top if not quite crisp, and serve. You may also, for a change, introduce a little sweetmeat of any kind in the middle of your charlotte, and use plain pieces of bread a quarter of an inch thick, instead of so many pieces for the sides.

731. _Apples with Rice._--Peel and quarter twelve good-sized apples, put them into a preserving-pan, with three quarters of a pound of sugar, the thin rind of a lemon in strips, the juice of another, and a winegla.s.sful of water, pa.s.s them over a sharp fire, and when tender lay them upon the back of a hair sieve to drain, then put six ounces of rice into a stewpan, with a quart of milk, place it upon the fire, stir until boiling, then place it upon a very slow fire to simmer very gently until quite tender, placing a little fire upon the lid, if it becomes dry before it is tender add a little more milk; then add a quarter of a pound of sugar, a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter, and four eggs, stir them well in, stir over the fire until becoming again thick; when put it upon a dish to get cold, then form a stand with it upon your dish eight inches in diameter and three in height, but hollow in the centre, where dress some of the apples, more rice over, then more apples, forming a pyramid; you have previously reduced the syrup drained from the apples, which pour over the whole, and garnish with some very green angelica, forming any design your fancy may dictate. Apples with rice may be served hot as well as cold.

732. _Pears with Rice._--Peel and cut in halves eighteen small ripe pears, which put in a small preserving-pan, with three quarters of a pound of sugar, a little water, and the juice of two lemons, stew them till tender, then lay them upon a dish to cool, and mix three tablespoonfuls of apricot marmalade with the syrup, have some rice prepared as in the last, with which make a stand, but not quite so high, dress the pears in a border in the interior, and again in the centre dress the remainder of the rice in pyramid; when ready to serve pour the syrup over, and garnish tastefully with angelica round.

733. _Apples with b.u.t.ter._--Peel eighteen russet apples, which cut in quarters, and trim of a nice shape, put them into a small preserving-pan, with two ounces of b.u.t.ter and three quarters of a pound of sugar, having previously rubbed the rind of an orange upon it and pounded it, pa.s.s them over a sharp fire, moving occasionally until quite tender, have ready b.u.t.tered a plain dome mould, put the apples into it, pressing them down a little close; when half cold turn it out of the mould upon a dish, and cover all over with apricot marmalade; when cold it is ready to serve.