MACAROONS, RATAFIAS, RUSKS

103. — French Macaroons.

i lb. of Valentia almonds, i lb. of sugar, 5 or 6 whites of eggs. Proceed as before, but instead of beating the almonds with whites'of eggs use rose or orange-flower water, and when beaten very fine put in the whites of eggs and sugar, beating them well with the spatter. Lay out one oval on wafer-paper and bake it. If it runs into its shape the mixture is ready ; if too stiff, add one more white of egg ; lay out on wafer-paper, dust sugar on top, and bake them in a good oven.

104. — Ratafias.

8 ozs. of bitter almonds, 8 ozs. of sweet almonds, 2\ lbs. of sugar, and about eight whites of eggs. Blanch and beat the almonds with white of egg as fine as possible, and be careful when beating them you do not oil them. When beaten fine, mix in the sugar and beat both well together ; then add more whites of eggs, work them well with the spatter, adding more whites of eggs as you proceed. Then lay one or two on dry paper half the size of a macaroon, and bake them in a slow oven. If they are of proper stiffness lay them out ; if too stiff, add more whites of eggs to them. Should they be good they will come off the paper when cold ; if not, the paper must be laid on a damp table, when they will come off easily.

105. — Princess Biscuits.

These are exactly the same as common macaroons, but must be laid out on wafer paper half the size, and a dried cherry put on the top for effect. Use a square of citron on some, and a square of angelica on others. Dust them on top with sugar, and bake them in a slow oven.

106.— Rusks.

1 quart of sponge, 4 ozs. sugar, 2 eggs, 2 ozs. of butter. Mix all the ingredients together, make it up the size of bun

52 BREAD AND BISCUIT BAKER'S ASSISTANT.

dough with best flour, let it lie for two hours, make into long rolls and batch them on tins, greasing between each roll. Bake in moderate oven for thirty-five minutes. After they are baked let them lie for one day. Rasp top and bottom off, cut into neat slices, and bake again in a moderate oven until thoroughly crisp and dry, and of a nice brown colour. Put them in a basket, and leave them all night in a warm place. This will make them much crisper. Some add a pinch of ground alum.

107.— Rock Almonds (White).

Blanch and cut the long way any quantity of almonds. Make some icing pretty stiff (p. 63), put the almonds into it and let them take up all the icing. Citron, lemon, and orange cut small may also be added. Lay out on wafer paper in small heaps and bake in a very slow oven.

108. — Rock Almonds (Pink).

Make any desired quantity of icing, colour it with lake finely ground, mix in as many cut almonds, citron, and lemon as it will take ; lay out on wafer paper in small heaps and bake in a slow oven.

109.— Rock Almonds (Brown).

Take any quantity of Jordan almonds, cut them up very small (but not blanch them) ; also citron, lemon, and orange cut small. Prepare some very light icing, with which mix the almonds, &c., into a soft paste. Lay out on wafer paper and bake in a slow oven.

MO. — Almond Fruit Biscuits.

1 lb. of Valentia almonds, 1 lb. of powdered sugar, 2 or 3 whites of egg. Beat up the almonds very fine with white of one egg ; then rub the sugar and almonds into a fine paste with 1 or 2 whites of egg, divide it into two parts, work 2 ozs. of

MERINGUES .

Hour into one part and roll it out thin for the bottom, cut it square and cover it with good raspberry jam ; then roll out another square the same size, and lay it on the top of the fruit, cover this thinly with icing and cut it up into different shapes according to fancy ; lay them on wafer paper and bake in a slow oven.

Note. — There will be many cuttings from the above shapes which should not be wasted. Put several bits together in little heaps on wafer paper, put a little icing on top, a bit of green citron, and a small bit of raspberry jam. A little pink icing may also be added. Bake in a slow oven.

HI. —Meringues.

Take any desired quantity of whites of eggs (half duck whites if you can procure them), whisk them until so stiff that an egg will lie on the surface, then mix in with the spatter some fine powdered sugar until they appear of a proper stiffness, which may be known by laying out one oval with a knife and spoon. If it retains the mark of the knife they are ready to bake ; if not, more sugar must be added. Lay out oval on dry paper and bake on a piece of wood two inches thick : this is to pre- vent them having any bottom. They must have a pretty bloom on them when baked. Take one carefully off with a knife, take out the inside and fill it with any kind of preserved fruit. Then take off another and do the same, putting both sides together ; and so on till they are all baked. If good they will have the appearance of a small egg.

112. Another Way. — The whites of 12 eggs and 1 quart of clarified sugar. Let one person whisk up the eggs as before directed while the sugar is boiled to the degree called “ Blown ; ” * then grain the sugar, and mix the whites of eggs and the sugar together. Lay out and bake as before directed.

* To boil sugar to the degree called “ Blown,” see p. 74.

54 BREAD AND BISCUIT BAKER'S ASSISTANT.

113. — Common Drop Biscuits.

Break the eggs into a round-bottom pan, whisk them till they are hot, having your pan placed over hot water ; take them off and whisk them till they are cold, then put in the sugar and whisk till hot, after which again whisk till they are cold. When the eggs and sugar are perfectly light take out the whisk, stir in the flour gently. From beginning to end the operation should not take more than twenty minutes. Cover the tins or wires with wafer paper, and lay out the biscuits any size required from a savoy bag. Dust them over with sugar and bake in a hot oven.

The savoy bag should be of the strongest fustian and so made as to come to a point, like a jelly -bag, at the point of which must be fixed a small tin pipe two inches long. Boil the bag two or three times to prevent the mixture passing through.

114. — Savoy Biscuits.

For ingredients, take 8 eggs, i lb. of sugar, and i lb. of flour, and see directions below under Fruit Biscuits.

115. — French Savoy Biscuits.

Take 8 eggs and 4 yolks, 1 lb. of sugar, and 1 lb. of flour, and see directions below.

116.— Judges’ Biscuits.

Take 8 eggs and 4 yolks, 1 lb. of sugar, 1 lb. of flour, and a few caraway seeds, and see directions below.

117. — Lord Mayor’s Biscuits.

Take 8 eggs, 1 lb. of sugar, 1 lb. of flour, and a few cara- way seeds, and see directions below.

118.— Fruit Biscuits.

For these the ingredients are 6 eggs and 6 yolks, 1 lb. of sugar, and 1 lb. of flour.

To mix the above five recipes, observe the directions given

PALAIS ROYAL AND PICS BISCUITS. 55

for Common Drop Biscuits. They must be baked in a hot oven. The Savoy Biscuits must be laid out from a savoy bag on “ cap ” paper one-half round and one-half long. The French Savoys must be laid out oval, and when baked two are to be put together. The Judges' Biscuits are to be laid out round, about the size of a half-crown ; and the Lord Mayor's are to be round, and of double the size. The Fruit Biscuits are to be laid out about the size of a shilling, and preserved fruit put between two of them. Have ready some castor sugar, spread it on a piece of paper, making it smooth on the surface ; then lay each half-sheet of paper on which the biscuits are placed on the sugar ; let them remain a moment, take them off, give them a shake and bake in a hot oven. Turn each half-sheet on to a clean table, wash the bottom of the paper with clean water, let them lie for a moment, and they will be found to come off easily. Proceed in this way till all are off, and baked.

Note. — Some prefer whisking up sponge mixtures cold. They keep better, but are not so showy.

119. — Palais Royal Biscuits.

Make the mixture exactly the same way as for French Savoys. Bake them in paper boxes about two inches long, one inch and a-half wide, and an inch deep. Dust them lightly on the top with sugar and bake in a moderate oven. The boxes must be made of the best writing paper. They are very proper to mix with rout biscuits.

120.— Rice Biscuits.

Take the weight of 8 eggs in sugar, 2 eggs in flour, and 6 eggs in rice-flour ; or take 1 lb. of sugar, 4 ozs. of flour, 1 2 ozs. of rice-flour, and 8 eggs. Mix cold in the same manner as for Savoy Biscuits. Bake in a moderate oven in sponge frames nicely buttered.

56 BREAD AND BISCUIT BAKER'S ASSISTANT.

121.— Scarborough Water Cakes.

8 eggs, i lb. of sugar, i lb. of flour, and a little ground cin- namon. Mix the same way as for Savoy Biscuits. Flavour with as much ground cinnamon as will make them pleasant to the taste. When taken off the paper put two together.

122. — Sponge Biscuit.

Take 12 eggs, 1 lb. 2 ozs. of sugar, 15 ozs. of flour. Mix cold the same as for Savoy Biscuits, which is the best method ; or they may be mixed hot. The pans must be neatly buttered with creamed butter, and a dust of sugar thrown over them. Bake in a moderate oven, but not too hot. The bottoms should be a neat brown.

123.— Almond Sponge Biscuits.

Make exactly the same way as Sponge Biscuits, only have ready Jordan almonds blanched and each cut the long way into 6 or 8 pieces. Put them neatly on the top of each biscuit, dust sugar over them and bake as before.

124. — Naples Biscuits.

8 eggs, 1 lb. of sugar, 1 gill of water, 1 lb. 2 oz. of flour. A Naples Biscuit frame is about 8 ins. long, 3 ins. broad, and 1 in. deep. In this the partitions are upright, and must be papered neatly. Put the sugar and water into a small pan, let it dissolve and boil; then whisk the eggs. Pour in the sugar gently, and keep whisking until very light. When it is quite cold scatter in the flour, and mix it until smooth, stirring it as lightly as possible. Put it into the frames, well filled, and bake in a good oven, but not too hot. Dust them with sugar before putting in the oven.

VII. PASTRY, CUSTARDS, ETC.

125. — Butter for Puff Paste.

The butter must be perfectly sweet, and before it is used worked on a marble slab to make it smooth. Salt butter from cows fed on poor land makes the best puff paste, but it must first be washed in two or three waters. For every kind of cakes the butter cannot be too rich.

126. — Puff Paste.

3 lbs. of butter and 3 lbs. of flour. The butter must be tough: if salt, wash it in two waters the night before using it. Take half of it and rub into the flour, and with pure water make into a paste the same stiffness as the butter. Roll it on a marble slab half an inch thick, spot it with small pieces of butter, dust it with flour ; then double it up again, spot it as before, and roll it out again, spot it the third time, roll out again twice, and put in a cool place for half an hour with a cloth over it, when it will be fit for use.

Note. — Common puff paste for large pies may be made this way by using 1 lb. of butter and 2 lbs. of flour.

127. Another Way. — 2 lbs. 8 ozs. of butter, and 3 lbs. 8 ozs. of flour. Mix the flour with water to the same stiffness as the butter, then roll out the paste, spot it with the butter. Roll it out three times, and dust it with flour as before. This paste is worse for lying, and should therefore be baked as soon as possible.

58 BREAD AND BISCUIT BAKER'S ASSISTANT.

By using lard of a good tough quality, and mixing it as above, with the addition of a little salt, a good puff paste can be made suitable for wholesale purposes.

128. — Crisp Tart Paste.

i lb. of butter, and 2 lbs. of flour. Rub the butter and flour very finely together, then mix it, with water, into a paste of the stiffness of the butter. This is a choice paste for tarts made of fresh fruit.

129. — Sweet Tart Paste.

6 ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of sugar, 1 lb. of flour. Beat to a froth the whites of two eggs, rub the butter and flour very finely together, make the paste of the proper stiffness with whites of egg and a little water.

130. — Paste for a Baked Custard.

8 oz. of butter and 1 lb. of flour. Boil the butter in a small teacupful of water, mix it into the flour, make it smooth, and raise it to any shape desired.

131. — Paste for small Raised Pies.

12 ozs. of butter, 2 lbs. of flour, and 1 gill of water. Mix the same way as for baked custards.

132. — To make a handsome Tartlet.

Take a large oval dish and sheet it with the best puff paste ; cut it round the sides to make leaves, and fill it three-parts full with good preserved fruit. On the fruit put some device in cut paste, such as a large star, a sprig of flowers, or a tree.

133. — Nelson Cake or Eccles Cake.

Take 2 lbs. of puff paste, roll out half of it, spread lb. of clean currants and \ lb. of raw sugar upon it with a little

spice, and dash a lit tie water on the sugar and currants to make them unite ; then roll out the remainder of the paste and lay it on the top. Ice it well with whites of eggs and sugar. Bake on a square tin in a good oven.

134. — To make a Custard.

Boil i pint of milk with a bit of cinnamon and a little fresh lemon-peel, then mix in a pint of cream and the yolks of 7 eggs well beaten. Sweeten to taste and let the whole simmer until of a proper thickness. It must not be allowed to boil. Stir it one way the whole time with a small whisk, until quite smooth, then stir in a glass of brandy.

135.— Common Custard.

Beat up 3 eggs, add i gill of cream or new milk and a little sugar. Put a dust of cinnamon on each before putting in the

VIII. FRUIT CAKES, BRIDE CAKES, ETC.

136.— Directions for mixing Cakes made with Butter,

Take your butter and work it on a marble slab, then cream it in a warm earthenware pan, and be particularly careful not to let the butter oil ; add the sugar and work it well with your hand, mixing in one or two eggs at a time, and so on progress- ing until all the eggs are used. Beat it well up, and as soon as you perceive the mixing rise in the pan put in the flour and beat it well. Then add the spices, currants, and whatever else is required for the mixing. You may then put it up into the tins you intend for it. It will be necessary during the time of creaming it to warm it two or three times, particularly in cold weather.

137. Another Way. — Proceed with the butter and sugar as before. Have ready separated the whites from the yolks of the eggs ; mix in the yolks two or three at a time ; let another person whisk up the whites stiff. Then put them to the other mixture and proceed as before directed.

138.— London Way of mixing Cakes.

Weigh down the flour and sugar on a clean smooth table, make a hole in it, and bank it well up ; in this hole put your eggs ; cream the butter ip an earthenware pan ; then add to the flour and sugar the eggs . and butter ; mix all together and beat up well with both hands. You may work it up this way as light as a feather ; then add the currants, spices, &c.