To a quart of milk add half an ounce of fine isingla.s.s, a handful of beaten almonds, and two or three bitter almonds, a couple of bay leaves, and a piece of lemon peel; when the isingla.s.s is dissolved, strain the milk into a basin; sweeten with four ounces of white sugar, and pour into a mould.
The juice of fresh strawberries is a fine addition to blancmange.
A JUDITHA.
Put some gooseberries into a saucepan with very little water, when they are soft, pulp them through a sieve, and add several well-beaten yolks of eggs, and sweeten with white sugar; have ready a shape of biscuit ice, or any other cream ice that may be preferred, take off a thick slice of the ice from the top carefully, and without breaking, so that it may be replaced on the ice. Scoop out a large portion of the ice which may be mixed with the gooseberry cream, and fill the hollow with it. Cover the shape with the piece that was removed and serve. This is an elegant dish, the ice should be prepared in a round mould--brown-bread ice is particularly well adapted to a Juditha.
TOURTE A LA CReME.
This is a fashionable and delicate description of tart. A couple of round cutters about the size of a pie plate are required for it, one of the cutters must be about two inches smaller than the other, if they are fluted the tourte will have a better appearance.
Roll out some very rich puff paste to the thickness of one inch, and cut two pieces with the larger tin cutter, then press the smaller cutter through one of these pieces, and remove the border which will be formed round it; this must be laid very evenly upon the other piece of paste, and slightly pressed to make it adhere; place the tourte in an oven to bake for about twenty minutes, then let it become cool, but not cold, and fill it with a fine custard or with any rich preserves; if the latter, a well whipped cream may be laid lightly over; the pastry may be glazed if approved.
THE GROSVENOR PUDDING.
Beat half a pound of b.u.t.ter with the same quant.i.ty of white sugar until it is like cream, then beat up five eggs and add them with half a pound of flour, a quarter of a pound of currants, two ounces of candied orange and lemon peel cut in thin slices, and a few drops of lemon essence; when these ingredients are well mixed and beaten, b.u.t.ter a pudding tin, pour in the mixture, and bake in a moderately quick oven.
CITRON PUDDING.
Cut in slices two ounces of citron, the same quant.i.ty of candied orange and lemon peel, add to them four ounces of loaf sugar, and four of fresh b.u.t.ter; line a dish with fine puff paste, and beat up to a froth the yolks of four eggs and the whites of two, fill the dish with these ingredients and bake half an hour. The dish should be shallow.
STEWED PEARS.
Peel, core, and quarter a dozen fine large baking pears, put them into a stewpan with half a pound of white sugar and sufficient cold water to cover them; with a small quant.i.ty of the peelings, a few cloves, and a little cochineal tied up in a muslin bag, let them stew gently, and closely covered until tender.
BAKED PEARS.
Peel them and stick a couple of cloves in each pear, place them in a deep dish, with half a pound of brown sugar and a little water, let them bake till quite tender.
STEWED PIPPINS.
Peel the pippins and stew them gently with a little water, white sugar, and a little lemon peel; preserve is usually used to ornament the top of each apple; they should, when done, look white and rather transparent.
SIESTA CAKE.
Take one pound of b.u.t.ter, warm it over the fire with a little milk, put it into a pan with a pound of flour, six eggs, a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds finely pounded, and two table-spoonsful of yeast; beat these ingredients well together into a light paste, and set it before the fire to rise, b.u.t.ter the inside of a pan, and fill it with alternate layers of the paste, and of pounded almonds, sugar, citron, and cinnamon; when baked, and while hot, make holes through the siesta with a small silver skewer, taking care not to break it, and pour over clarified sugar till it is perfectly soaked through.
A PLAIN BOLA.
Take three quarters of a pound of white sugar, three quarters of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter, two eggs, one pound and a half of flour, three spoonsful of yeast, a little milk, and two ounces of citron cut thin, and mix into a light paste; bake in a tin, and strew powdered sugar and cinnamon over it before baking.
The above ingredients are often baked in small tins or cups.
ALMOND TEA-CAKES.
Take half-a-pound of flour, three ounces of which are to be put aside for rolling out the cakes, the other five ounces, with a quarter of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter, are to be set before the fire for a few minutes; after which mix with it half a pound of sugar, a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, chopped fine, and a couple of eggs; make these ingredients into thin cakes, and strew over them ground almonds and white sugar, and bake in a brisk oven.
OIL TWIST.
Take half a quartern of dough, one gill of the best Florence oil, half a pound of currants, half a pound of moist sugar, and a little cinnamon; mix all well together, make it up in the form of a twist, and bake it.
CINNAMON CAKES.
Rub half a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter into a pound of flour; work it well together, then add half a pound of sifted sugar, and a tea-spoonful of pounded cinnamon, and make it into a paste, with three eggs; roll it, and cut into small cakes, with tin cutters.
RICH PLUM CAKE.
Beat to a cream one pound of b.u.t.ter, to which add the same quant.i.ty of sifted loaf sugar and of fine flour, the whites of ten eggs beaten to a froth, and the yolks of the same also beaten till quite smooth and thin, and half a nutmeg grated; lastly, work in one pound of well-washed currants, half a pound of mixed candied peels, cut small, and a gla.s.s of brandy; bake for two hours.
DIET-BREAD CAKE.
Beat together five eggs and half a pound of white sugar, then add six ounces of flour well dried and sifted, a little lemon-juice and grated lemon-peel; bake in a moderate oven.
DROP CAKES.
Mix one pound of flour with the same quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter, sugar, and currants; make these into a paste with a couple of eggs, add a little orange flower-water and a little white wine; if the paste is likely to be too thin when two eggs are used, omit the white of one; drop the mixture when ready on a tin plate, and bake.