CHAPTER XXIX

PASTRY DESSERTS Banbury Tarts 1 cup raisins 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 cracker Juice and grated rind 1 lemon Stone and chop raisins, add sugar, egg slightly beaten, cracker finely rolled, and lemon juice and rind. Roll pastry one-eighth inch thick, and cut pieces three and one-half inches long by three inches wide. Put two teaspoons of mixture on each piece. Moisten edge with cold water half-way round, fold over, press edges together with three-tined fork, first dipped in flour. Bake twenty minutes in slow oven. Cheese Cakes 1 cup sweet milk 1 cup sour milk 1 cup sugar Yolks 4 eggs Juice and grated rind one lemon ¼ cup almonds, blanched and chopped ¼ teaspoon salt Scald sweet and sour milk, strain through cheese-cloth. To curd add sugar, yolks of eggs slightly beaten, lemon, and salt. Line patty pans with paste, fill with mixture, and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Bake until mixture is firm to the touch. Cheese Straws Roll puff or plain paste one-fourth inch thick, sprinkle one-half with grated cheese to which has been added few grains of salt and cayenne. Fold, press edges firmly together, fold again, pat, and roll out one-fourth inch thick. Sprinkle with cheese and proceed as before; repeat twice. Cut in strips five inches long and one-fourth inch wide. Bake eight minutes in hot oven. Parmesan cheese, or equal parts of Parmesan and Edam cheese, may be used. Cheese straws are piled log cabin fashion and served with cheese or salad course. Condés Whites 2 eggs ¾ cup powdered sugar 2 oz. almonds, blanched and finely chopped Beat whites of eggs until stiff, add sugar gradually, then almonds. Roll paste, and cut in strips three and one-half inches long by one and one-half inches wide. Spread with mixture; avoid having it come close to edge. Dust with powdered sugar and bake fifteen minutes in moderate oven. Galattes Roll puff or plain paste one-eighth inch thick. Shape with an oblong cutter three and one-half inches long by one and three-fourths inches wide. Brush over with white of egg and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake in a hot oven. A lady-finger cutter may be used with satisfaction, but is more difficult to procure. Cream Horns Roll puff paste in a long rectangular piece, one-eighth inch thick. Cut in strips three-fourths inch wide. Roll paste over wooden forms bought for the purpose, having edges overlap. Bake in hot oven until well puffed and slightly browned. Brush over with white of egg slightly beaten, diluted with one teaspoon water, then sprinkle with sugar. Return to oven and finish cooking, and remove from forms. When cold, fill with Cream Filling or whipped cream sweetened and flavored. Florentine Meringue Roll puff or plain paste one-eighth inch thick; cut a piece ten inches long by seven inches wide; place on a sheet, wet edges, and put on a half-inch rim. Prick with fork six times, and bake in hot oven. Cool, and spread with jam, cover with Meringue II, and almonds blanched and shredded; sprinkle with powdered sugar and bake. Cocoanut Tea Cakes Roll puff or plain paste to one-fourth inch in thickness. Shape with a lady-finger cutter and bake on a tin sheet in a hot oven. When nearly done remove from oven, cool slightly, brush over with beaten white of egg, sprinkle with shredded cocoanut, and return to oven to finish the cooking. Napoleons Bake three sheets of pastry, pricking before baking. Put between the sheets Cream Filling; spread top with Confectioner’s Frosting, sprinkle with pistachio nuts blanched and chopped, crease in pieces about two and one-half by four inches, and cut with sharp knife. Orange Sticks Cut puff or plain paste rolled one-eighth inch thick in strips five inches long by one inch wide, and bake in hot oven. Put together in pairs, with Orange Filling between. Lemon Sticks Lemon Sticks may be made in same manner as Orange Sticks, using Lemon Filling. Palm Leaves Roll remnants of puff paste one-eighth inch thick; sprinkle one-half surface with powdered sugar, fold, press edges together, pat and roll out, using sugar for dredging board; repeat three times. After the last rolling fold four times. The pastry should be in long strip one and one-half inches wide. From the end, cut pieces one inch wide; place on baking-sheet, broad side down, one inch apart, and separate layers of pastry at one end to suggest a leaf. Bake eight minutes in hot oven; these will spread while baking. Raspberry Puffs Roll plain paste one-eighth inch thick, and cut in pieces four by three and one-half inches. Put one-half tablespoon raspberry jam on centre of lower half of each piece, wet edges half-way around, fold, press edges firmly together, prick tops, place on sheet, and bake twenty minutes in hot oven. Tarts Roll puff paste one-eighth inch thick. Shape with a fluted round cutter, first dipped in flour; with a smaller cutter remove centres from half the pieces, leaving rings one-half inch wide. Brush with cold water the larger pieces near the edge; fit on rings, pressing lightly. Chill thoroughly, and bake fifteen minutes in hot oven. By brushing tops of rings with beaten yolk of egg diluted with one teaspoonful water, they will have a glazed appearance. Cool, and fill with jam or jelly. Polish Tartlets Roll puff or plain paste one-eighth inch thick, and cut in two and one-half inch squares; wet the corners, fold toward the centre, and press lightly; bake on a sheet; when cool, press down the centres and fill, using two-thirds quince marmalade and one-third currant jelly. Almond Tartlets Line patty pans with puff or plain paste, fill with the following mixture, and bake in a moderate oven until firm. Blanch and finely chop one-third pound Jordan almonds. Add two tablespoons cracker rolled and sifted, three eggs slightly beaten, one-third cup sugar, one-third teaspoon salt, two cups milk, and one-half teaspoon vanilla. Peach Crusts Roll puff or plain paste one-eighth inch thick, cut in two and one-half inch squares, and bake in hot oven. Cool, press down the centres, and arrange on each one-half a canned peach drained from syrup and heated in oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and put brandy in each cavity. Light just before sending to table. Malaga Boats Roll puff or plain paste one-eighth inch thick, line individual boat-shaped tins, prick, and half fill with rice or barley to keep pastry in desired shape. Bake in a hot oven. Remove from tins and cover bottom of boats with marmalade, and on marmalade arrange three or four malaga grapes cooked in syrup five minutes. Calvé Tarts Roll puff or plain paste one-eighth inch thick, and cut in rounds of correct size to cover inverted circular tins. Cover tins with paste, prick several times, and bake until delicately browned. Place one-half a canned peach in each case and fill each cavity with one-half a blanched Jordan almond. Fruit Baskets Bake plain paste over inverted patty pans. Roll paste one-eighth inch thick, and cut in strips one-fourth inch wide. Twist strips in pairs and bake over a one-fourth pound baking-powder box, thus making handles. Fill cases with sliced peaches sprinkled generously with sugar, insert handles, garnish with whipped cream and peach leaves. Strawberries, raspberries, or other fruit may be used in place of peaches. Lemon Tartlets Bake paste as for Fruit Baskets without handles. Fill with Lemon Pie II mixture, cover with Meringue II, and bake until meringue is delicately browned. MERINGUES For Pies, Puddings, and Desserts Eggs for meringues should be thoroughly chilled, and beaten with silver fork, wire spoon, or whisk. Where several eggs are needed, much time is saved by using a whisk. Meringues on pies, puddings, or desserts may be spread evenly, spread and piled in the centre, put on lightly by spoonfuls, or spread evenly with part of the mixture, the remainder being forced through a pastry bag and tube. Meringues I and III should be baked fifteen minutes in slow oven. Meringue II should be cooked eight minutes in moderate oven; if removed from oven before cooked, the eggs will liquefy and meringue settle; if cooked too long, meringue is tough. Meringue I Whites 2 eggs 2 tablespoons powdered sugar ½ tablespoon lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon vanilla Beat whites until stiff, add sugar gradually and continue beating, then add flavoring. Meringue II Whites 3 eggs 7½ tablespoons powdered sugar ½ teaspoon lemon extract or ⅓ teaspoon vanilla Beat whites until stiff, add four tablespoons sugar gradually, and beat vigorously; fold in remaining sugar, and add flavoring. Meringue III Whites 4 eggs ⅞ cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice Put whites of eggs and sugar in bowl, beat mixture until stiff enough to hold its shape, add lemon juice drop by drop, continuing the beating. It will take thirty minutes to beat mixture sufficiently stiff to hold its shape, but when baked it makes a most delicious meringue. Meringues Glacées, or Kisses Whites 4 eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla 1¼ cups powdered sugar or 1 cup fine granulated Beat whites until stiff, add gradually two-thirds of sugar, and continue beating until mixture will hold its shape; fold in remaining sugar, and add flavoring. Shape with a spoon or pastry bag and tube on wet board covered with letter paper. Bake thirty minutes in very slow oven, remove from paper, and put together in pairs, or if intending to fill with whipped cream or ice cream remove soft part with spoon and place meringues in oven to dry. Nut Meringues To Meringue Glacée mixture add chopped nut meat; almonds, English walnuts, or hickory nuts are preferred. Shape by dropping mixture from tip of spoon in small piles one-half inch apart, or by using pastry bag and tube. Sprinkle with nut meat, and bake. Meringues (Mushrooms) Shape Meringue Glacée mixture in rounds the size of mushroom caps, using pastry bag and tube; sprinkle with grated chocolate. Shape stems like mushroom stems. Bake, remove from paper, and place caps on stems. Meringues Panachées Fill Meringues Glacées with ice cream, or ice cream and water ice. Garnish with whipped cream forced through pastry bag and tube, and candied cherries. Creole Kisses ½ lb. Jordan almonds ¼ cup boiling water ½ cup sugar Whites 4 eggs 1¼ cups powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon salt Blanch almonds, finely shred one-half of them, and dry slowly in oven. Put water and sugar in a saucepan, and as soon as boiling-point is reached, add remaining almonds, and cook until the syrup is of a golden brown color. Turn into a pan, cool, and finely pound in mortar. Beat whites of eggs until stiff, add gradually sugar, then vanilla, almonds, and salt. Shape, sprinkle with shredded almonds, sift sugar over them, and bake in a slow oven twenty-five minutes.