DESSERT CAKES

Patisserie Pine "Four Dessert.

Des Bonohees, Macarons, Massepalns, Meringues, Melees, Creoles.

Biscuits aux Amandes et aux Pis- taches, Amandes Souffles, etc.

Perhaps no cuisine can boast of such a number of delicious small cakes that may serve for desserts, both elegant and choice, as the Creole cuisine. The native ijngenuity of the Creole chefs adapted many of the nuts and fruits of Louisiana to va- rious forms of sweetened batter, and the result of their efforts, handed down from generation to genera- tion, is given in the following care- fully compiled recipes, which, per- haps, after our unique "Gum- bos," "Courtbouillons," "Bouilla- baise," "Ragouts" and "Jambalayas," will serve better than any other re- cipes to give a true idea of the in- finite variety and delight of the prop- erly conducted Creole kitchen. They will also give a glimpse into the In- terior life of the Creole household.

some of them, especially, being as- sociated with pleasant, simple forms of "soirees," that, alas! have almost passed a:way since the intercourse of the old BYench quarter with the American city above Canal Street has become so general.

Advice and Instructions for Baking These Cakes.

Use the best materials. It always pays in the delicate and perfect taste of the cake. '

Soda, if not properly dissolved, will gi.ve to cakes' and biscuits a bad, greenish color.

Keep the cake out of the draft while beating and baking. All the following cakes, as, indeed, all cakes, should be baked in their own steam, that is, keep the door and damper shut till the cakes have\ finished spreading. Then, if the oven is hot enough, you may open the damper. This gives the cake a light, bright

color. Remember meringues and other large cakes are not intended in these instructions. For meringues the oven must never be very hot.

If you are expert at baiting, you may test the heat of the oven simply by touching the handle of the oven door, but a sure test for beginners is to throw a little cornmeal or flour in the center of the oven, count ten, and if the flour begins to smoke be- fore you count the full number the oven is too hot, if it smokes at ten the oven has the proper heat.

Never put flavoring extracts di- rectly into the flour, or they will form lumps. Always put them in the wet part of the mixture.

These are a delicious form of des- sert cakes, and are considered both elegant and recherche. Great care must be taken to trim the cakes evenly and of equal size before at- tempting to finish them. Bouchfis are made with batter and also with almost all our Louisiana fruits. As the name indicates Bouchfies are sim- ply "a mouthful."

Boucb^es de Dames.

S Eggs. 1 Pound of White Pulverized Sugar. % Pound of Flour. The Juice of 1 Lemon. 1 Tablespoonful of Vanilla Extract. 1 Cup of Currant or Other Jelly for FiUlng. Transparent Icing to Garnish. Prepare a sponge or cup cake bat- ter. (See recipe under chapter "Cakes.") Have ready a baking sheet, which you will cover w^ith white writing paper. Lay the batter out on the paper by forcing it through a biscuit cutter in rounds that will measure one inch and a half in diam- eter. They will spread. Dredge the surface with white sugar very light- ly, and bake them for about fifteen minutes or less, until they are a light color. Then trim nicely and place them upon a wire drainer. Place circular pieces of currant or other preserves on top, and garnish with a meringue or Transparent Icing. (See recipe.) Set in the stove or the sun to dry, and in ten minutes they will be ready to serve.

BonchSes With Oranges.

Bouch6s aux Oranges. 9 Eggs. 1 Pound of Pulverized Sugar. % Pound of Flour. The Juice of 1 Orange or 1 Tablespoonful of Extract. 1 Cup of Orange Marmalade. Transparent Icing to Garnish. Prepare the cake drops as directed above, with sponge or cup cake bat- ter Then place thin slices of or- anges cooked in syrup on the Bou- chges (see Orange Marmalade), and gloss them over with Transparent

Icing. (See recipe.) Flavor the bat- ter of these BouchSes with the zest of an orange or with CuraQoa Liq- ueur. (See recipe.)

BouchecB With Peaches.

Bouchfies aux Peches.

9 Eggs. 1 Pound of White Pulverized Sugar.

% Pound of Flour.

1 Tablespoonful of Noyau Extract.

1 Cup of Preserved Peaches.

Transparent Icing to Garnish.

Prepare the drop cakes as directed in "BouchSes de l!)ames." Place halves of peaches, preserved in syrup, over them (home-made preserves), and gloss over with Transparent Icing, flavored with Noyau, and slightly tinged with Carmine. (See recipe.)

In preparing all these bouchges, do not allow any excess of moisture from the ' preserves. The syrup should become entirely absorbed into the bouchge before you attempt to gloss is with the icing.

Bouchfies with apricots or cher- ries are prepared in the same way, using, in the former casew a flavor- ing of Cedrati liQueur, and in the latter Maraschino.

In making bouch^es with preserves use any kind of marmal'ade to stick two bouchSes together, and ice the surface.

BonchSes With Pineapples.

Bouch6es aux Ananas.

9 Eggs.' 1 Pound of Pulverized Sugar. % Pound of Flour. 1 Cup of Preserved Pineapples. Transparent Icing to Garnish. Prepare the drop cakes one inch and a half in diameter. Place small- er slices of thin, preserved pineapple upon each, and gloss or glacer over with Transparent Icing (see recipe), flavoring with pineapple syrup.

MACAROONS.

1 Pound of Sweet Almonds.

1 Ounce of Butter.

2 Pouuds of Sifted Sugar. The Whites o£ 6 Bgss.

Blanch or scald the almonds by throwing them into a pan of boiling water, and letting them remain on the fire until you can take one of the almonds between your fingers and easily push off the skin by push- ing it between the finger and thumb. Then drain and cool the almonds in cold water, and drain again. Rub the almond skins or hulls off with your hands in a cloth, throw the al- monds . in cold water with a little salt, wash clean, drain and dry them in another cloth. The almonds must be cold before you put them into a mortar. Then pound them to a pulp

that will be as smooth as flour. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth. Add a little of the sugar and a little of the eggs as you pound, to pre- vent the almonds from becoming oily. .Hemember always that the paste must be kept firm as you add the remainder of the sugar and the eggs. Have ready a baking sheet, on which you will have placed a but- tered piece of wafer paper. Liay the macaroons out on this, by dropping them from the spoon, in the form of a guinea iowl egg. Be very careful to place the macaroons about an inch apart, so that the balls will not touch one another. When the sheet is full, pass a wet paste brush gently over their surface!. Put them in the oven, and bake at a very moderate heat till they are a light, delicate brown or fawn color. When done, take out and set to cool, and take away any excess of wafer paper that may cling to the edges. Keep in a dry place.

Cbocnlate Maoaroons.

Macarons au ' Chocolat.

12 Ounces of Ground Almonds.

1% Pounds of Sifted White Sugar.,

4 Ounces of Grated French Chocolate.

The Whites of 3 Eggs.

1 Tablespoonful of Vanilla Sugar.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, and let it form a stiff paste. Then lay the macaroons out upon the wafer sheet in the form of lady fing- ers. Bake at a very moderate heat till a light brown,

Creole Macaroons.

Macarons a, la Creole.

12 Ounces of Shredded Almonds.

4 Ounces of Ground Almonds.

1 Pound of Sugar.

2 Eggs. 4 Ounces of Wheat Flour.

The . Zest oif 2 Oranges.

Blanch and wash and dry the al- monds. Then grind (not pound) four ounces. Shred twelve ounces, that is. After skinning, cut the almonds lengthwise into thin shreds by divid- ing each almond into at least five or six long shreds, or cut them cross- wise, and the shreds will be shorter. Beat the yolks of the eggs and the whites separately, and then beat them together with the sugar, rub- bing till very light and smooth. Add the grated zest of two Louisiana oranges, that has been rubbed on su- gar, and then incorporate all the other ingredients. Roll the paste out into balls about the size of an egg. Place them on buttered wafer paper on a baking sheet, set in a moderate oven, and bake to a light color.

Plstacliio Macaroons.

Macaroons aux Pistaches.

4 Ounces of Bitter Almonds. 6 Ounces of Shredded Pistachio Kernels or Peanuts. 12 Ounces of Sifted Sugar. The Whites of 2 Eggs. 1 Tablespoonful of Vanilla Sugar. Blanch the almonds and then pound them well. Mix with the whites of the eggs till thoroughly pulverized. Then mix with the shredded pis- tachio kernels or peanuts, and stir well. Pill a biscuit forcer with the preparation, and drop the macaroons in round balls about the size of a hickory nut upon a wafer sheet of paper, and spread upon a baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven till very slightly colored.

Spanish Macaroons.

Macarons St I'Espagnole.

8 Ounces of Sweet Almonds.

1 Pound of Sugar.

Yolks of 12 Eggs.

Grated Zest of 2 Oranges.

1 Teaspoontul of Vanilla.

Boil the sugar almost to a syrup, and then add the pounded almonds, and let them simmer gently for five minutes add the flavoring and let them simmer Ave minutes longer over a slow fire of smothered char- coal. Stir occasionally, and at the end of ten minutes add the yolks of the eggs, beaten very light. Then stir the paste over the kitchen fire with a quickened heat until it becomes firm and compact. Remove from the flre, and when it is cool roll it in your hands, ■which should be slight- ly greased with oil of sweet al- monds. Lay them out in small cakes on wafer paper, spread on a baking sheet, and bake at a quick heat.

CROftUIGJTOLES.

8 Ounces of Sweet Almonds.

4 Ounces of Bitter Almonds.

Whites of 4 Eggs. 1^ Pounds of Fine Sugar.

Scald, skin and wash and dry the almonds, as directed in "Macarons," and then pound them into a pulp adding the whites of the egss grad- ually, remembering always that they must be beaten to a stiff froth. Then work in the sugar, and you will have a firm paste. Drop these in small balls upon wafer paper, spread upon a baking sheet of tin or iron, in distinct and separate rows. Pass a little brush, moistened with water, lightly on their surface, and bake in a very slack oven till a very light color.