Welcome to FabulousFusionFood's Francatelli Recipes for Cakes — This page gives you the entire contents of the Nineteenth Chapter: Cakes in General from Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Each recipe is given here in its original form, with a link underneath to the modern redaction, should you wish to replicate it. This is the first time that Francatelli's book has been made available in its entirety on the internet. Enjoy...

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Francatelli's Chapter XIX: Cakes in General.

CHAPTER XIX.

CAKES IN GENERAL.

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No. 737.—BRIOCHE-PASTE.

Ingredients.—One pound of flour, ten ounces of butter, half an ounce of German-yeast, a teaspoonful each of salt and sugar, and about seven eggs.
   Put one-fourth part of the flour upon the slab; spread it out to form a well, then place the yeast in the centre, and proceed to dissolve it in a little tepid water; when this is effected, add sufficient water to mix the whole into a rather smooth paste, knead this into the form of round ball, put it into a stewpan capable of containing three times its quantity, score it round the sides with a knife, put the lid on, and set it to rise in a rather warm place : in winter it may be put into the screen, but in hot weather the fermentation will proceed more satisfactorily if it is merely placed on the kitchen-table, or some such place of moderate warmth. This part of the operation is called setting the sponge. Next put the remainder of the flour on the slab, and spread it out in the centre to form the well; then place the salt and sugar, and a teaspoonful of water to dissolve these, after which the butter must be added; break in six eggs, and work the whole together with the hands until well mixed; first, working it between the hands, and then rubbing it with both fists held flat on the slab, and moving them to and fro, so as to thoroughly reduce any remaining lumps in the paste. By the time the paste is mixed, the sponge will probably have risen sufficiently : to be perfect, it must rise to three times its original size; when spread out on the paste prepared to receive it, it should present the appearance of a sponge, from which it takes its name. Both the above should be then immediately gently, but thoroughly mixed. A napkin must be spread in a wooden bowl or basin, some flour shaken over it, and the brioche-paste lifted into it ; then shake a little flour over the paste, and after throwing the ends of the napkin over all, set the bowl containing the paste in a cool place, free from any current of air. It is usual to make this kind of paste late in the evening, previously to the day on which it is required for use. The first thing on the following morning the brioche-paste must be turned off the napkin on to the slab; then shake some flour under and over it, and fold the paste over half a dozen times, pressing it down with the knuckles each time ; put the paste back again into the bowl, in the same way as before ; and about three hours afterwards, knead it again in a similar manner previously to its being baked. If the paste, when finished, appears to be full of small globules of air, and is perfectly elastic to the touch, it is certain to be well made, and when baked, will be both light and of a bright, clear colour.
  If the paste is intended to be made into one brioche only, take five-sixths of it ; mould this into the form of a round ball or cushion, and place it in a plain mould or paper case, described page 296 (previously spread with butter), with the smooth surface uppermost; press it down in the case with the knuckles, and, after moulding the remaining piece of paste in a similar manner, first wet the surface of the other part over with the paste-brush dipped in water, and then, after inserting the pointed end of this into the centre of that portion of the brioche which has been already placed in the case, press the head down on it with the back of the hand ; egg the brioche over with a paste brush; score the sides slightly, in a slanting direction; place it on a baking-sheet, and put it in the oven (at moderate heat). As soon as the brioche begins to rise, and has acquired a slight degree of colour, let it be covered over with a sheet of paper : about one hour will suffice to bake a large brioche of the quantity of paste described in this article.
   Note.—Brioches may be varied in their form, when intended to be served as fancy-bread for breakfast, &c.; in which ease, they should be moulded in the shape of twists, fingers, rings, &c. When served on the refreshment-table, at routs, public breakfasts, balls, &c., dried cherries, citron, candied-orange, or lemon-peel, pine-apple, or angelica, steeped in some kind of liqueur, may be introduced; in either of these cases, previously to mixing in the fruit, part of the paste must be reserved, which, after being rolled out, must be used to enclose the other part of the brioche. This precaution is necessary to prevent the fruit from protruding through the paste, as it becomes calcined by the heat of the oven, and gives an unsightly appearance to the cake. When fruit has been mixed in a brioche, it should be (when baked) glazed with fine sugar by the salamander. Gruyère, and Parmesan cheese, in equal proportions, are sometimes introduced in a brioche, for a second-course remove: the first should be cut up in dice, the latter grated. As in the above cases, this kind of brioche must be enclosed in a portion of the paste reserved for that purpose.
Note.—The case alluded to, page 295, is thus made :— for a large brioche intended to be served as a second-course remove, take a large sheet of Bristol hoard, and cut a band from this, measuring about two feet long by eight inches broad; the two ends should be sewn together with strong thread, and some small bands of paper, smeared over with flour-and-water paste, should be stuck over the sewing to make it more secure. This hoop should then be placed upon a circular piece of the pasteboard, cut to fit its circumference, and both these must be securely fastened together by placing small strips of paper pasted over all round the angle of the bottom of the case; these must be placed close together, and crosswise, with one end fastened under the case, while the other is lapped round the angle, and fastened at the side.
   These strips of paper, after becoming very dry, should receive another row over them, to make the case stronger.

No. 738.—BABA, OR POLISH CAKE.

Ingredients :—Two pounds of flour, twenty ounces of butter, four ounces of sugar, six ounces of muscatel raisins, four ounces of currants, two ounces of candied citron, a good pinch of saffron, two wineglasses of brandy, and the same quantity of rum, half an ounce of salt, about fifteen eggs, and one ounce and a half of German-yeast.
   First, set the sponge with one-fourth part of the flour and the yeast, in the same way as directed for preparing brioche. Then spread out the remainder of the flour so as to form a hollow in the centre; place in this the butter and salt, previously dissolved with a spoonful of water, four ounces of pounded sugar, and break in fifteen eggs: mix the whole thoroughly, working the paste with the hands on the slab. When this is effected, gather the paste up closely, and take up portions of it with the hands, and jerk or throw these down again on the other part of the paste ; continue working it in this fashion for five minutes, then, if the sponge is sufficiently risen, spread it out over the paste, and mix both together lightly. A large mould should now be spread with butter, and lined with a thin coating of the paste, and as soon as this has been effected, all the fruit, the rum, the brandy, and an infusion of the saffron must be added, the whole of which must be instantly well mixed, and lifted into the mould.
   The baba should next be set to rise gradually, in a place where the temperature is moderate, and free from any current of air ; and as soon as it has risen in a satisfactory manner, which may easily be known by its increasing sufficiently in quantity (through fermentation) to nearly fill the mould—although at first only half filled—the baba should be immediately placed in the oven on a thick baking-sheet, with a thick roll of paper round the bottom of the mould to protect the baba from receiving too much heat at first. From one hour and a half to two hours will suffice to bake it. Particular care should be taken in baking the baba to prevent its acquiring a deep colour: to obviate this, it must be baked in an oven of moderate heat.

No. 739.—COMPIEGNE CAKE.

Ingredients :—Two pounds of flour, twenty-two ounces of butter, half a pint of double cream, six ounces of pounded sugar, two wineglasses of maraschino, one ounce and a half of German-yeast, fifteen eggs, and half an ounce of salt.
   Set the sponge with one-fourth part of the flour and the yeast in the usual way, see Brioche, No. 737, and while it is rising, prepare the paste as follows :—place a remainder of the flour on the marble slab ; spread it out in the centre to form the well ; place in this the salt and sugar (with a very little water to dissolve the salt), the butter and eggs, and proceed to mix these thoroughly in the same way as brioche; just before adding the sponge, mix in the maraschino and the whipped cream. The paste must be instantly lifted into an appropriate-sized mould previously spread with butter, and deposited in a comparatively cool place to rise, or ferment in the usual manner ; as soon as it nearly reached the surface of the mould, stick a band of paper round the edge, and put it in the oven to bake at a very moderate heat, remembering that an essential characteristic of this kind of cake is a light colour.
   It is customary to eat the Compiègne cake hot; and it is served in various ways.
   When turned out of the mould, a small piece should be taken out of the centre of the top, and a glass of rnaraschino poured in through the opening ; or the cake may be cut up in horizontal slices, half an inch thick and previously to putting them together again, some apricot marmalade may be placed between each.
Dried cherries and angelica may be introduced the composition of these cakes, previously to their being baked.

No. 740.—GERMAN KOUGLAUFFE.

Ingredients :—Two pounds of flour, one pound and a quarter of butter, eight whole eggs, and eight yolks : one and a half ounce of German-yeast, four ounces of sugar, half an ounce of cinnamon-powder, and grated lemon-peel, or the rind of lemon-peel rubbed on limp-sugar and afterwards scraped off ; half an ounce of salt, half a pint of double cream, and six ounces of Jorda almonds.
   First, place the butter in a convenient-sized white kitchen-pan, and work it with a clean wooden spoon for about ten minutes, by which time the butter should present the appearance of a thick cream ; the cinnamon, lemon and sugar, the pounded sugar, about one-fourth of the flour, and three eggs, should then be added, and the whole quickly worked together for a few minutes; then add the remainder of the flour and eggs gradually, still continuing to work the paste with a wooden spoon. When the whole has been used up, spread the paste out in the centre, and add the yeast (previously dissolved with the salt in the cream made tepid for the papoose); work the whole thoroughly, then pour this batter into a large mould, previously spread with butter; split the almonds and place them round the inside of the mould in close order. Bake the kouglauffe in an oven of moderate heat. Its colour should be of a bright-reddish yellow.
  In Germany, it is customary to shake some cinnamon-sugar all over this kind of cake, as soon as it is turned out of the mould.

No. 741.—PARISIAN CAKE.

Ingredients :—Two pounds of flour, twenty ounces of butter, six ounces of sugar, eight whole eggs and eight yolks, one pint of single cream, eight ounces of Jordan almonds, and two ounces of bitter ditto, eight ounces of pistachio kernels, four ounces of candied orange-peel, half an ounce of salt, one and a half ounce of yeast.
 .  First, let the pistachio kernels be scalded ; remove the hulls; split each kernel into four strips, and place these aside in a small basin. The candied orange-peel must then be shred into small thin narrow strips, and put with the pistachios. Next, remove the hulls from the almonds, wash and pound them into a very soft paste (adding a few drops of water to prevent them from becoming oily) ; then mix them with the cream, and after they have been steeped for half an hour, let thce whole be rubbed through a tammy, the same as a purée, and kept in a very cool place until wanted for use. For mixing this cake, follow in all respects the directions given for the German kouglauffe, No. 740, adding the pistachios and orange-peel after lining the mould with the plain paste ; the yeast must be dissolved in a little tepid water, and the almonds and cream added cold. It should be baked nearly of the same colour as a Savoy cake.
Note.—It is necessary to put all these cakes back in the oven for two or three minutes, after they are turned out of the mould, to prevent them from becoming shrivelled on the surface, or from otherwise shrinking and falling in, which is unavoidably the case when any steam has collected upon them.

No. 742.—VICTORIA CAKE.

Ingredients :—Two pounds of flour, twenty ounces of butter, twelve eggs, six ounces of pounded sugar, six ounces of ground almonds, also a few bitter ditto, eight ounces of dried cherries, four ounces of green citron cut up into shreds, half an ounce of cinnamon-powder, half pint of whipped cream, one and a half ounce of German-yeast, two wineglasses of brandy, and half an ounce of salt.
   Mix the above ingredients according to the directions given for the German kouglauffe, except that the yeast must be dissolved in a spoonful of tepid watered and the cream whipped last of all previously to being added.
   When the cake is mixed, it should be placed in a tin hoop, measuring about ten inches in diameter by four inches deep; a double sheet of paper, spread with butter, should first be placed on a stout copper baking-sheet, and the hoop, also lined with paper, next placed upon it, ready to receive the mixture. As soon as the fermentation of the paste has taken place in a satis factory degree, causing it to increase to twice its original quantity, let it be immediately put in the oven (at moderate heat), and baked of alight colour.
   This kind of cake may be served as a second-course remove ; some apricot marmalade diluted with a little lemon-juice, and warmed, should be sent to table with it separately in a sauce-boat; or, if preferred, instead of the apricot, some almond custard, No. 93.

No. 743.—SAVARIN CAKE.

Ingredients :—Two pounds of flour, four ounces of sugar, twenty ounces of fresh butter, fifteen eggs, half an ounce of salt, one ounce and a half of German-yeast, and four ounces of shred almonds.
   First, set the sponge with one-fourth part of the flour, in the same manner as directed for making brioche then, while the sponge is placed in a moderate temperature, to admit of its rising gradually and satisfactorily, place the remainder of the flour in a large white pan or basin; hollow out the centre, and having first placed therein the salt moistened with a teaspoonful of water, the butter, sugar, and ten whole eggs broken, proceed to manipulate the whole with the right hand, beating up the paste until it easily leaves the sides of the pan ; you then break in the remainder of the eggs,—two at a time, until the paste has absorbed the whole ; and, after having continued to work it five minutes longer, proceed to fill an appropriate-sized mould with it, in the following manner :—first, let the inside of the mould be well buttered, after which strew the shred almonds equally over and about the surface of the interior ; next, work the paste up again for a minute or two, and put a sufficient quantity into the mould to rather more than half fill it.
   You now place the savarin in a moderate temperatrue to rise until it has nearly filled the mould; when, after first sticking a broad band of thick paper round the upper part of the mould, so as effectually to prevent the batter from running over the sides of the mould while it is being baked, put it in an oven of moderate heat, and bake it for about two hours. When done, turn the savarin out of the mould, and after running a knife into several parts of the surface, pour gently a rather thick orange-syrup containing a glassful of curaçao over and into the savarin, and send to table quite warm.
   This kind of cake is sometimes, in order to vary its appearance, after being first well soaked with a warm rich syrup, rolled all over in orange or lemon sugar.

No. 744.—SAVOY CAKE.

Ingredients :—One pound of the finest quality of sugar (pounded), fourteen eggs, four ounces and a half of finest flour, and four ounces and a half of Brown and Polson’s patent corn-flour.
   First, separate the yolks from the whites of eggs, taking care not to drop the least portion of the yolks into the whites, as any mixture of these renders it impossible to whisk the whites firm. The yolks must be put into a kitchen-basin, and the whites into an egg-bowl, to be kept in a cool place until used; add the sugar to the yolks; throw in as much salt as will stand on a sixpence, and either some vanilla, lemon, or orange-sugar, or else, a few drops of any kind of essence, such as orange, lemon, orange-flowers, vanilla, or bitter-almonds. Work these together with a wooden spoon, until the whole presents the appearance of a thick creamy batter. The whites must now be whisked into a firm substantial snowy froth ; and while this is going on, let both the flours be well mixed in with the batter. As soon as the whites are satisfactorily whisked, proceed to mix them in with the batter: they must be added in small quantities at first, until it has become smoothly diluted; the whole of what remains should then be added, and gently, yet thoroughly, mixed. The batter thus prepared must now be gently poured into a mould previously got ready for the purpose in the following manner :—about one pound of beef or veal·suet should be first chopped very fine, then melted down in a stew pan; after it has been strained through a napkin, pour this into the mould, turn it round in all directions, so that the fat may touch all the angles and recesses ; it must then be poured out, and the mould should be turned upside down on a plate, and allowed to stand in a warm place for a few minutes that the fat may be entirely drained off. About one pound of the finest-sifted sugar should now be immediately put in the mould, and shaken about in it, in order that it may effectually cover the whole of the inside of the mould with a perfectly smooth white surface or coating. Care must be taken to avoid leaving a greater quantity of fat adhering to the sides of the mould than is positively necessary; for, if there be too thick a coating of sugar in the mould, the Savoy cake will be more difficult to bake of a light colour; the heat of the oven being liable to partily calcine the sugar, and thus darken its hue, and spoil its beauty.
   When the Savoy cake is ready to be baked, tie a broad band of paper (folded in three) round the base, and put a few wood-ashes on the baking-sheet previously to placing the cake on it before putting it in the oven, which must be of very moderate heat; particular care must be taken to keep it closed as much as possible while the cake is baking, and also not to increase its temperature afterwards : this may be easily avoided if the oven be substantially built; by its being properly heated at first, it will then retain for time time an even temperature.
   It is impossible to determine the exact length of time that this, or indeed any other cake should remain in the oven before it is done ; this will mainly depend upon the construction of the oven, and partly on the necessity there may be for occasionally opening it during the process of baking the cake. The best way to ascertain whether the cake is done, is to run a wooden skewer down the centre, and if, when withdrawn, the skewer is dry, and free from any portion of the cake in an unbaked state. it will be safe to turn it out of the mould : it should then be of a light colour and smooth surface.
Note.—Savoy cakes may also be made by using twelve, sixteen, or even twenty eggs to one pound of sugar but when a cake of large size is required, the proportions must be at the rate of twelve, fourteen, or at the utmost sixteen eggs to one pound of sugar: even in the latter case, such batter would not prove successful where four pounds are required to fill one mould. Savoy-cake batter, made in the proportion of sixteen or twenty eggs to one pound of sugar, is best adapted for small sponge-cakes, finger-biscuits, drops, &c.
   The whites must be whisked slowly at first, increasing the motion of the hand gradually until it reaches the greatest possible speed ; the motion of the whisk must be kept up at this rate until the whites are become sufficiently firm, when they must be instantly mixed with the batter, otherwise they are liable, by partial decomposition, to lose their consistency.

No. 745.—FINGER, OR NAPLES BISCUITS.

Prepare the batter as directed in the foregoing case ; then fill a biscuit-forcer (see Adams' Illustrations) with some of it, and after securely folding down the open end, proceed to use the batter in the following manner :—cut a sheet of foolscap paper in two; fold these lengthwise, in order to mark a straight line along the centre of the half-sheets; the forcer must then be held in the right hand, pressing the batter out by working the thumb upon it, while the pointed end must be guided with the left hand. In this manner the biscuits must be spread, or rather dropped, in straight lines, resembling fingers, about three inches long by half an inch wide ; they should form two rows, being divided by the line in the centre of the paper. When the sheet is full, place it upon a large sheet of kitchen-paper, containing about one pound of the finest-sifted sugar, placed in the form of a ridge along the upper part of the paper as it lies on the table before you ; the sheet containing the biscuits being placed just below the sugar, it will only be necessary to lift up the other paper at each corner with the hands, and by giving it a slight jerk, the sugar will be thrown on to the biscuits ; then, by taking hold of the paper—holding the biscuits at each upper comer, and gently shaking it, as it is held up in a perpendicular position—the sugar will be made to slide over the whole at once. By this means the biscuits are effectually glazed without waste.
   The finger-biscuits must be immediately placed on a baking-sheet, and put in the oven (at very moderate heat) ; about a quarter of an hour will suffice to bake them. When done, they should be of a very light yellow colour.
Note.—With the same kind of batter, and by using a biscuit-forcer, the shape of these small biscuits may be easily varied according to taste or fancy. These biscuit-forcers are also made of tin, resembling the point of a funnel in shape : they have a bag of wash-leather, or canvass cloth, affixed round the upper part, with a string running through the top, which, when the bag is filled with batter, is drawn tight; thus effectually preventing it from escaping at the upper end while it is forced out at the point below. The use of this utensil, however, is objectionable, from the leather or canvas contracting a nauseous odour. In other respects it answers the purpose well enough (see Adams' Illustrations).

No. 746.—PLUM-CAKE.

Ingredients required :—One pound and a half of flour, one pound and a half of butter, one pound of fine sugar, one pound of dried cherries (slightly chopped), one and a half of currants, one pound and a half of candied-orange, lemon, and citron peel—in equal quantities; all these must be cut in small shreds : eight ounces of ground or pounded almonds, eight whole eggs, the rest of or rind of four oranges (rubbed on a piece of sugar and afterwards scraped off) half an ounce of ground spices, consisting of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, mixed in equal proportions, half a pint of Cognac brandy, and a teaspoonful of salt.
   Place the butter in a large white earthen pan, and work it with a wooden spoon until it presents the appearance of a creamy substance ; next add gradually the flour, sugar, and the eggs, still continuing to work the butter the whole time; when these have been thoroughly mixed, add the cherries. currants. candied-peel, ground almonds; brandy, spices, and salt must also be added gradually. As soon as these ingredients are incorporated with the butter, let the preparation be poured into a convenient-sized tin (previously lined with doubled bands of buttered paper), and placed on a stout-made copper baking-sheet, with two sheets of buttered paper under the cake, to prevent the composition from becoming calcined by the heat of the oven. A moderate heat will be sufficient to bake the cake, and care must be taken not to put any fire under the oven, so as to increase the heat. These cakes, when baked, should be iced over with sugar in the following manner :—First, mix eight ounces of very fine pounded almonds, with double that quantity of fine-sifted sugar, a little orange-water, and sufficient white of eggs, to form the whole into a soft paste; spread a coating of this all over the surface of the cake (after it has become cold), and when it is hardened by drying, let the whole be iced over with the following preparation:—
   Place about six whites of eggs in a convenient-sized basin ; add about one pound and a half of the finest-sifted loaf-sugar, and work these well together with a clean wooden spoon, adding occasionally a little lemon-juice, until the whole presents the appearance of a very thick yet comparatively liquid shiny substance of a pure white. Use this icing to mask the entire surface of the cake with a coating of about a quarter of an inch thick ; allow this to become firmly set, by drying, for which purpose the cake should be placed in a warm temperature, and kept covered with a large sheet of paper to preserve it from dust, &c. When the icing has become perfectly hard, decorate the top and sides of the cake with raised ornaments of gum-paste (stamped out from boards cut for the purpose), and arranged with taste, either in the form of garlands, wreaths, scrolls, &c.; or else the cake may be decorated with piping, using for that purpose some of the icing worked somewhat thicker, by adding to it more sugar.
   When intended for a wedding-cake, the ornaments must be all white, and some blossoms and sprigs, or even wreaths of orange-flowers should also be intro duced.

No. 747.—SCOTCH BREAD.

Ingredients :—One pound of flour, one pound of sugar, one pound of butter, eight eggs, half a pound of candied lemon, orange, and citron peel—in equal proportions; a gill of Cognac brandy, a very little salt, and four ounces of white comfits.
   Put the butter in a basin; work it with a wooden spoon until it presents the appearance of thick cream; then add the flour, sugar, eggs, and salt gradually, throwing in a handful of each, and two eggs at a time; when the whole is thoroughly mixed, the candied-peel (cut in shreds), also the brandy and the rind of two oranges or lemons (rubbed on sugar) must next be added. This paste should now be poured into tins of an oblong shape, about two inches deep, spread with butter ; and after the comfits have been strewn over the surface, a little fine sugar should be shaken over the top previously to placing them in the oven on baking sheets : they must be baked of a very light colour.
Note.—This kind of cake is a general favourite in Scotland, being served on most occasions at breakfast, luncheon, or for casual refreshment, and also with dessert.

No. 748.—PLAIN SEED CAKE.

Ingredients :—One quartern of dough, six eggs, eight ounces of sugar, eight ounces of butter, half an ounce of caraway-seeds, and a teaspoonful of salt.
   Spread the dough out on the pastry-slab, then add the whole of the above-named ingredients; work them well together with the hands, so as thoroughly to in corporate them with the dough : the eggs should be added two at a time.
   When the paste is ready, put it into a plain mould (previously spread with butter), and set it to rise in a warm place. As soon as the fermentation has taken place in a satisfactory manner, the cake should be immediately put into the oven, and baked of a light colour. When done, serve it cold, for luncheon or otherwise.
  This kind of cake may be varied by introducing raisins, currants, or candied orange or lemon peel.

No. 749.—BRUSSELS BISCUITS OR RUSKS.

Ingredients required :—One pound of flour, ten ounces of butter, half an ounce of German-yeast, four ounces of sugar, four whole eggs, and four yolks, a teaspoonful of salt, and a gill of cream. Mix the paste in the manner described for the preparation of the Compiègne cake, excepting that this must be beaten with the hand on the slab until it presents an appearance of elasticity ; the sponge should then be added, and after the whole has been well worked once more, the paste must be placed in long narrow tins, about two inches deep, and of about the same width, preparatory to placing the paste in the moulds : these should be first well buttered and floured inside (to prevent the paste from sticking), then the paste rolled out to their own lengths, and about one inch and a half thick, dropped into them, and set in a warm place to rise.
   When the paste has sufficiently risen, it must be gently turned out on a baking-sheet, previously spread with butter, then egged all over with a soft paste0brush, and baked of a bright, deep-yellow colour. When done, out it up in slices about a quarter of an inch thick; place them flat on a baking sheet, and put them again in the oven to acquire a light-yellow colour on both sides.
   These form a superior kind of rusks, and are well adapted for the refreshment-table at evening parties, or tbr the breakfast-table.
Note.—Rusks may also be made with brioche-paste, pound-cake, or Savoy-cake ; in the latter case, a few carraway-seeds are sometimes added.

No. 750.—POUND-CAKE.

Ingredients required :—One pound of flour, one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, eight eggs, a wineglass of brandy, a little salt, and the rind of two oranges or lemons rubbed on sugar.
   Placee the butter in a basin, and work it with a wooden spoon, until it assumes the appearance of thick cream ; then add the flour, sugar, and the eggs gradually; when the whole is thoroughly incorporated, add the brandy, sugar, and salt ; mix well together, and bake the cakes in any kind of mould (previously spread with butter), or in a tin hoop lined with buttered paper. Plums, currants, almonds, pistachio-kernels, candied-peel, or dried cherries may be added.

No. 751.—FLEMISH GAUFFRES.

Ingredients required :—Twelve ounces of flour, six ounces of butter, six eggs, one ounce of yeast, half a pint of milk, half a pint of cream (whipped), the rind of two orangess rubbed on sugar, or a stick of vanilla ; pounded with half an ounce of sugar, and a little salt. Put the flour into a gallon-sized basin ; spread it out in the centre; then add the milk (with the yeast dissolved in it over the fire until the whole becomes tepid); mix these gradually and thoroughly ; then take the spoon out, scrape the sides of the basin with a knife, cover it with paper, and set the batter to rise in the screen. When the sponge has increased to twice its original quantity, the butter should be frist merely melted by the fire, and then added with the salt, orange sugar, and two whole eggs. Mix these in well with the sponge ; then add the whipped cream, and the yolks of four eggs; and lastly, having whipped the four whites into a substantial froth mix them lightly in with the batter, and again set it to rise in a warm place, either on the top of the screen, or on the kitchen-table, that it may rise to twice its original quantity. While the batter is being prepared, let the gauffre-irons be heated over the flame of a charcoal-fire ; and when sufficiently hot to admit of their baking the gauffres, run a little clarified butter through them with a paste-brush; then fill one side of the irons with some of the batter, handling it gently with a spoon; close the irons, and then turn them upside down (that the batter may run into the opposite side) and set them over the flame of the charcoal fire; and when done of a bright-yellow colour on one side, turn the irons over, that the gofers may be baked also on the other side. They must then be turned out of the irons, and after the edges have been trimmed with a pair of scissors, set them in the oven or before a fire on a baking-sheet covered with paper. Repeat this until the whole of the batter is used up; then shake some orange, lemon, or vanilla sugar over them; pile them up neatly on a napkin, and serve.
   These gauffres are generally served as a remove in the second course.

No. 752.—FRENCH GAUFFRES.

Ingredients required :—Eight ounces of flour, four ounces of pounded sugar, one pint of whipped cream, eight eggs, one stick of vanilla, a little salt, and a glass of curaçao.
   Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a basin; then add the yolks of eggs, the pounded vanilla, and the curaçao, and mix these well together, gradually adding the whipped cream just before using the batter ; add the whipped whites of eggs, and mix them in lightly so as to thoroughly incorporate them with it.
   Bake these gauffres in the same way as the foregoing, observing, however, that the iron be very carefully heated, and the superfluous heat allowed to go off previously to filling them with the batter, for owing to the presence of sugar in their composition, they readily acquire colour. When done, shake some vanilla sugar over them, and send to table.
   These gauffres may be spread with some kind of preserve; such as apricot, currant jelly, &c.

No. 753.—ALMOND GAUFFRES.

Ingredients required :—Eight ounces of Jordan almonds (either chopped extremely fine, or else cut into very fine shreds), four ounces of pounded sugar, a good tablespoonful of flour, two whole eggs, and a very little salt; flavour with orange·flower water, or flowers (candied).
   Mix the almonds, sugar, flour, and the favouring together in a basin with a wooden spoon. Then heat a baking-sheet in the oven ; rub it all over equally with a piece of white wax, and when this has cooled, spread the gaffers very thinly over it with a fork ; put them in the oven (at a slow heat), and when they are about half baked, withdraw them, and with a circular tin cutter, about two inches in diameter, stamp out as many gauffres as the sheet will admit of, and put them back again in the oven that they may acquire a light-fawn colour : they should then be instantly taken out, and formed in the shape of small cornucopia—two or three persons assisting so as to finish them off before they have time to get cold, as in that case they become brittle and consequently unmanageable ; but when it happens that one person only is able to attend to them, it will be necessary to keep the gauffres at the entrance of the oven while they are shaped, and, as they are finished, to place them on another baking-sheet.
   These gauffres may also be out into pieces two inches square, and coiled round a small roller in the form of barrels; the ends of these, after being first covered with whipped white of egg mixed with a little sugar, should then be dipped in some finely-chopped pistachios, and placed on a baking-sheet to dry in the screen ; in either case they may be filled with whipped cream, seasoned with vanilla, orange-flowers, or maraschino, and some strawberries placed on the top of this : they are sometimes also garnished with vanilla-cream ice.
Note.—This kind of gauffres may be varied in their appearance, by strewing some currants, or finely-shred or chopped pistachios over the surface, previously to their being placed in the oven.

No. 754.—NOUGATS.


Ingredients required :—Two pounds of Jordan almonds and one pound of sifted sugar.
   Scald the almonds; remove the skins; and after they have been washed and died in a napkin, split each almond into halves ; then place them on a baking-sheet, and put them in a slow oven to acquire a very light-fawn colour. While the almonds are undergoing this process in the oven, place the sugar in a convenient-sized sugar boiler, and stir it with a wooden spoon over a slow fire to melt ; as soon as it is entirely dissolved, and begins to form small purling bubbles on the surface, the almonds (which by this time should be ready and quite hot) must be instantly thrown in, and very gently mixed with the sugar, care being taken not to break or bruise them. The vessel containing the nougat should be kept at the entrance of the oven, or near the stove-fire, so as to prevent its becoming cold before it is used up. The mould intended to be used must then be first carefully oiled inside with a paste-brush, and set to drain on a plate that the superfluous oil may run off. Some of the nougat should now be dropped on a slight1y-oiled baking-sheet, and spread out with a lemon to the thickness of about the eighth of an inch, and as these pieces are pressed or spread out, they must be immediately placed in the mould and pressed into its form with the assistance of the fingers and a lemon, and made to adhere effectually to each other : great celerity must be used in this part of the operation, as in the event of the nougat allowed to become brittle by cooling, it would be found impossible to build it up unless by melting, which is seldom found to succeed. When the nougat has become set by cooling, turn it out of the mould, and serve it on a napkin, or upon an ornamental stand.
   The foregoing proportions, as well as the directions for splitting the almonds, refer only to large nougats ; when it is intended to make a smaller one, the almonds should be shred. In all cases, the proportion of almonds and sugar should be two of the former and one of the latter. For the purpose of varying their appearance, as soon as the nougat is turned out of the mould, some shred pistachios, kernels, and rough granite-sugar* should be strewed over its surface.

*Granite-sugar is generally prepared by breaking up some loaf sugar of the finest quality into very small pieces with the end of a rolling-pin ; after sifting away all the fine sugar, the pieces are then passed through a colander with large holes : all that passes through this may be used for the above purpose. But when the granite is required finer, it must be riddled through a wire sieve.

No. 754A.—CORNUCOPIA.


Prepare some nougat as in No. 754; use a mould in the form of a cornucopia to shape it; adjust this on a small stand made of the same material, using for that purpose a little sugar boiled to the snap ; ornament it with icing piped on in some such design as represented in the woodcut, and fill the hollow of the cornucopia with a gracefully-arranged group of either real fruits caramelled, or else of imitations of fruits made of sugar, which are easily obtained of all confectioners.

No. 755.—PARISIAN NOUGATS.

Ingredients required :—Eight ounces of pistachio-kernels, four ounces of sugar, and one stick of vanilla. Scald the pistachios; remove the skins; absorb all the moisture by gently rubbing them in a napkin; then split each kernel into halves, and put them to dry on a baking-sheet in the screen ; pound the vanilla with one ounce of sugar; sift it, and then put this and the four ounces of pounded sugar into a small sugar-boiler, together with a teaspoonful of the prepared extract of cochineal. Stir these over the stove-fire with a wooden spoon until the sugar is entirely melted, and as soon as it begins to purl on the surface, immediately add the pistachios, and gently mix the whole together, taking care not to bruise the pistachios. The nougat, must now be spread out in the form·of a square, on a baking-sheet or marble slab (previously oiled), to the thickness of about the eighth part of an inch; some roughly-broken granite sugar should be strewed over the surface, and before it becomes cold, the square must be divided into two bands, and then again each of these cut into about a dozen small oblong nougats : when about to send table, pile them up in close circular rows on a napkin, and serve.

No. 756.—SMALL NOUGATS A LA CHANTILLY.

Ingredients required :—Three-quarters of a pound of ripe filberts and six ounces of pounded sugar.
   Scald the nuts; remove the skin; then split each kernel in four—lengthwise, and put them to dry on a baking-sheet in the oven; meanwhile stir the sugar in the boiler over the fire in the usual manner; and as soon as it is ready, mix in the above; have half a dozen small dariole-moulds ready oiled inside; put some of the nougat into each of the moulds, and use a small stick made of hard wood, half an inch in diameter, to work the nougat up the sides or into the flutes of the moulds ; pare away all that may rise above the edge of the moulds, and then turn them out on to a baking-sheet; about eighteen will suffice for a dish. Several persons should assist in moulding these nougats, in order to insure their all being of one colour ; otherwise, from being frequently obliged to warm the nougat, it is liable to become dark. When about to send these nougats to table, each should be filled with some whipped flavoured with vanilla or maraschino, and a few strawbcrrnes (when in season) placed on the top; dish then up neatly in a pyramidal form on a napkin.

No. 757.—GENOESE CAKE.

Ingredients required :—Half a pound of flour, half a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, four eggs, a small glass of brandy, and a little salt.
   Mix the flour, sugar, eggs, brandy, and salt well together in a basin with a wooden spoon ; then add the butter (merely melted by the side of the fire), and when this is thoroughly incorporated with the batter, pour it into an appropriate-sized baking-sheet (previously spread with butter), to the thickness of about a quarter of inch, and bake this in an oven moderately heated.
  When the Genoese paste is done, it should be turned out upon a sheet of paper, and cut r stamped out, either in circular, oblong, oval, angular, leaf-like, or any other fancy shape that taste may suggest. These may then be decorated with white of egg and sugar prepared as for meringues (No. 766), or with icing prepared as directed for wedding-cakes (No. 746), and ornamented with pistachio-kernels, currants, &c. Those cut in the form of leaves, rings, oblongs, &c., may be ornamented by forming, a design composed of leaves and pearls (using for that purpose some meringue-paste in a paper comet, or small biscuit forcer). When the Genoese cakes are ornamented in this manner, shake some fine sugar over them with a dredger, and dry then either in the screen or at the entrance of the oven ; then, finish decorating them by placing some neat stripes or dots of any kind of bright preserve, such as redcurrant jelly, apple jelly, apricot jam, greengage jam, &c., between the leaves or pearls of the white-of-egg decoration. By these means a very pretty effect is produced; and as no artificial or unwholesome substance is used in its composition, it may be partaken of with safety.

No. 758.—GENOESE GAKES WITH ALMONDS.

Prepare these as directed in the foregoing case, and when they are nearly done. mask the surface with the white of an egg beaten up with an ounce of sifted sugar then strew four ounces of chopped almonds mixed with two ounces of sugar, and a few drops of orange-flower water, all over the coating of egg ; shake a little sugar over the top of this, and put the Genoese cakes back again in the oven to finish baking.
   When done, the coating of almonds should be of a light-fawn colour: they must then be carefully removed from the baking-sheet, cut or stamped out in shapes according to fancy, and dished up on a napkin, in a pyramidal form.

No. 759.—MADELEINES.

These are made with the same kind of batter as Genoese cakes, to which currants, dried cherries, candied peel or angelica may be added.
   When the batter is ready, let it be poured into a sufficient number of small fluted or plain dariole or madeline moulds (previously buttered inside) ; these must be placed on a baking-sheet spread with some charcoal-ashes to the depth of half an inch, and then spread in an oven of moderate heat. When they are done, turn them out of the moulds, and dish them up in a pyramidal form : these cakes may also be partially emptied, then filled up with some kind of preserve, and the small circular piece, removed previously to taking out the crumb, should be replaced.

No. 760.—SPANISH CAKES. PETITS-CHOUX.

Ingredients required :—Half a pint of milk or water, four ounces of butter, two ounces of sugar, five ounces of flour, three eggs, a few drops of essence of orange, a very little salt, and two ounces of chopped almonds.
   Put the water, butter, sugar, and the salt into a stewpan on the fire, and as soon as these begin to boil, withdraw the stew pan from the fire and add the flour; stir the whole well together with a wooden spoon over the stove-fire for about three minutes; by which. time the ingredients should present the appearance of a soft compact paste. The essence of orange (or any other kind of flavour) should now be added, and also one egg. Incorporate those with the paste; then mix in the other two eggs ; and if the paste should he stiff, another egg, or a yolk only, may be added. This paste should now be laid out on a baking-sheet in small round balls the size of a pigeon’s egg, egged over with a paste-brush, some chopped almonds (mixed with a spoonful of pounded sugar, and a very small quantity of white of egg) strewn upon them, with some sifted sugar shaken over, and then baked of a very light colour. These cakes may be served plain, or garnished inside with cream or some kind of preserve.

No. 761.—DUCHESS LOAVES.

These are made of the same kind of paste as the foregoing: this must be laid out on the pastry-slab, in small pieces, about the size of a pigeon’s egg; then rolled out with a little flour, in the form of a finger, and placed in order upon a baking-sheet spread with butter ; they should now be egged over, and baked of a bright-light colour : just before they are quite done, shake some finely-sifted sugar over them, set them back again in the oven until the sugar is nearly melted, and then pass the red-hot salamander over them, to give them a bright glossy appearance. The loaves must now be immediately withdrawn from the oven and allowed to cool ; just before sending this kind of pastry to table, make an incision down the sides, and fill the small loaves with apricot jam; then dish them up in a pyramidal form on a napkin, and serve.

No. 761A.—PETITS-CHOUX WITH CARAMEL.

Prepare these as the above, except that they must be rolled and baked in the form of round balls, which, when done, should be about the size of an egg. About two ounces of roughly-chopped pistachios, a few cleaned currants, and an equal proportion of loaf-sugar chopped small should be mixed together on a plate ; then boil about four ounces of sugar to the snap, first dipping each petit-choux slightly in it, then gently roll it in the prepared pistachios. &o., so as to mask its surface with them ; when the whole have been thus passed in the sugar caramel, allow them to cool previously to dishing them up.

No. 762.—PROFITROLLES.

Prepare two dozen petits-choux, as directed in the first part of the foregoing article; when they are baked, and have become cold, cut a circular piece from the top of each about the size of a shilling; then fill them with some custard prepared as follows :— put the yolks of four eggs into a small stew pan, with two ounces of pounded sugar, a good tablespoonful of flour, two ounces of grated chocolate. and a very little salt ; mix these well together with half a pint of cream, add a small pat of butter; then stir the whole over the stove-fire, and allow it to boil for about ten minutes. This custard should now be passed through a tammy (with pressure) into a basin, and when it has become cold, three tablespoonfuls of whipped cream should be added; then serve. The custard may also be flavoured with either lemon, orange, snail, orange-flower, or any kind of liqueur, in which case chocolate must be omitted.

No. 763.—MECCA LOAVES.

The paste of these is prepared as in the foregoing cases, with the addition, however, of a few spoonfuls of whipped cream. which must only be incorporated just previously to the loaves being laid out on the baking sheet, in the following manner :—take a tablespoon, and fill it half full from the stewpan containing the paste ; then dip the point of a knife in some beaten egg, and use it to force the paste from the spoon gently dropping it on the baking-sheet, in the form of gherkins, pointed at the ends and elevated at the centre ; fill the baking-sheet with these, placing them about two inches distant from each other, egg them over, shake some fine-chopped loaf-sugar (about the size of small hail-stones) over them, then shake some sifted sugar over them, and put them in the oven (at very moderate heat) to bake of a bright-yellow colour.
   When the Mecca loaves are done, allow them to become cold; then after they have been dished up in double circular rows, fill the well or centre with some whipped cream, seasoned with a little sugar, and a small glass of liqueur, and serve.

No. 764.—QUEEN’S CAKES.

First, prepare eight yolks of eggs of nouilles-paste (No. 954), roll this out as thin as paper; cut it into bands, and shred these extremely line; after the nouilles have been allowed to dry upon a sieve for a short time, put them into a convenient-sized stew pan, with a pint of boiling cream, two pats of butter, six ounces of sugar, and a glass of brandy ; set them to boil very gently, over a slow stove-fire (covered with the lid), and when the cream has been absorbed by the nouilles, withdraw them; add the yolks of six eggs, and stir the whole well together; then place this preparation upon two baking sheets (spread with butter), in layers about the eighth part of an inch thick, and bake them of a deep-yellow colour. When done, spread one of them with apricot jam; cover this over with the other, and then stamp the cakes out with a circular tin cutter in the form of half moons; dish these up in circular rows, so as to form a cone, and serve.
   These cakes may also be garnished with any other kind of preserve, or even with pastry-custard (No. 790); they may be cut out in either oblong, circular, oval, leaf-like, or diamond shapes. In order to vary their appearance, their surface should be first lightly spread with a little meringue-paste (No. 766), and then strewn with chopped or shred pistachios, granite sugar, oarsman pink, or white comfits.

No. 765.—ALMOND CAKES.
Ingredients :—Six ounces of flour, eight ounces of sugar, two ounces of ground or finely-pounded almonds (with a few bitter-almonds), six yolks of eggs, two whole eggs, four whites whipped, a glass of brandy, a little salt, four ounces of chopped almonds mixed with two ounces of sugar, and half the white of an egg.
   First, work the butter in a basin with a spoon, until it presents a creamy appearance; next add the flour, sugar, almonds, brandy, eggs, and salt, gradually; then mix in the whipped white of eggs, lightly : pour this paste on a baking-sheet, about an inch and a half deep (previously buttered), and bake it of a light colour. When the cake is nearly done, spread the prepared chopped almonds over the top, and then put it back again into the oven to finish baking ; when done, the almonds should be of a light-fawn colour. Turn the cake out carefully ; and when cold, cut it up into bands of about an inch and a half wide ; then again divide these into diamond-shaped cakes, and dish them up pyramidically.
   Some whipped cream may be placed in the centre of the dish, and the cakes neatly dished up round it.
   Dried cherries, sultana-raisins, currants, any kind of candied-peel, pistachios, or Spanish nuts, may be added. The cakes may also be flavoured with any kind of essence or liqueur.

No 766.—MERINGUES.


Ingredients required :—One pound of sifted sugar and twelve whites of eggs.    Whisk the whites in an egg-bowl, until they present the appearance of a perfectly white smooth substantial froth resembling snow ; then substitute a spoon for the whisk, and proceed to mix in the whole of the sugar lightly; carefully avoid working the batter too much, for fear of rendering it soft, as in that case it becomes difficult to mould the meringues : they can never be so gracefully shaped as when it is kept firm. Next., cut some stiff foolscap paper into bands, about two inches wide; then take a tablespoon, and gather it nearly full of the batter by working it up at the side of the bowl in the form of an egg, and drop this slopingly upon one of the bands of paper, at the same time drawing the edge of the spoon sharply round the outer base of the meringue, so as to give to it a smooth and rounded appearance, in order that it may exactly resemble an egg.
   Proceed in this manner until the band is full, keeping the meringues about two inches and a half apart from each other on the paper. As each band is filled, place them close beside each other on the slab or table, and when all the batter is used up, shake some rather coarse-sifted sugar all over them, and allow it to remain for about three minutes ; then take hold of one of the bands at each end, shake off the loose sugar, and place the band of meringues on the board,* and so on with the other bands, which when placed carefully on the boards closely side by side, must be put in the oven (at very moderate heat), and baked of a light-fawn colour. When done, each piece of meringue must be carefully removed off the paper, the white part of the inside scooped out with a dessert-spoon, and then nicely smoothed over ; after this they must be placed in neat order on a baking-sheet, and put back again in the oven to dry, taking particular care that they do not acquire any more colour.
   When about to send the meringues to table, whip some double cream; season it with a little pounded sugar, and either a glass of any kind of liqueur, a few drops of orange-flower water, or some pounded vanilla : garnish each piece with a spoonful of this cream ; join two together ; dish them up in a pyramidal form on a napkin, and serve.
Note.—Meringues may be made of all sizes, and may also be shaped in the form of small bunches of grapes; for this purpose it is necessary to use a "cornet" or biscuit-forcer, of paper, to mould the berries. In order to vary their appearance previously to shaking the sugar over them, some finely-shred pistachios or almond rough granite-sugar, and small currants, may be strewn over them. They may also be garnished with preserve, or any kind of iced-creams.

*These boards must be made of seasoned wood, and should be about an inch thick : their size must of course depend upon the dimensions of the oven, allowing sufficient room for them to be turned round in it.

No. 767.—ITALIAN BISCUITS.

Ingredients :—Six eggs, eight ounces of pounded sugar, five ounces of flour, some orange or lemon-sugar for flavouring, a pinch of salt, and six ounces of chopped almonds.
   First, divide the yolks from the whites of the six eggs, placing the white in an egg-bowl and the yolks in a basin ; add the sugar, the flavouring, and the salt to the yolks, and with a wooden spoon continue working them until they present the appearance of a rather creamy batter. Then add half the flour, and when this has been well mixed in, let the six whites, previously whipped firm, be also lightly mixed in, together with the remainder of the flour, taking care to keep the batter as firm and as light as possible.
   You now fill a biscuit-forcer with some of the batter, and then proceed to gently force out the batter on to baking-sheets (previously buttered and floured for the purpose), in round or oval shapes, twice the size of a five-shilling-piece ; and when the whole of the batter is used up in this manner, let the chopped almonds be equally strewn over the biscuits, and after some sugar as been shaken over their surface with a dredger-box, they must be baked of a very light colour in a rather slack oven. These cakes are most appropriate for dessert; but when made of the size of a five-shilling-piece, by first spreading any kind of fruit or jam on the under part and sticking two of them together, they may be neatly served up for a second-course dish, with some whipped cream in the centre.

No. 768.—VENETIAN BISCUITS.

First, prepare some Genoese, as directed at No. 757, which, when cold, must be carefully split in convenient-sized pieces, and after spreading the insides with apricot jam, let them be pressed together together again; you next spread a thin coating of white icing on one square of Genoese, and then spread a similar coating of pink icing on the ether square ; after which each square must be cut into small oblong shapes of equal sizes ; and the icing having become dry, may be dished up, either for a second-course dish or for dessert.

No. 769.—SWEDES.

Ingredients :—One pound of pounded sugar, twelve ounces of finely-shred almonds, four ounces of flour, a stick of vanilla (powdered and sifted), and one whole egg, and the white of another. Let the whole of the fore-named ingredients be well mixed together in a basin, and then with a tablespoon proceed to mould the preparation into round balls the size of a large walnut, which are to be placed on pieces of sheet-wafer previously cut to the size of half crown-pieces ; these must now be placed on baking-sheets, and after slightly shaking some fine sugar over them, are to be baked of a light colour, in a slack oven.
   These cakes may also be finished in manner following :—the preparation should be spread, about half an inch thick, upon sheet-wafer ; and after being baked of a light colour, and immediately on being taken from the oven, should be cut into leaf-like shapes, and bent over a rolling-pin, till the pieces become cold and crisp. These cakes may be served either for dessert or a second·course dish ; in the latter case, some whipped cream must be placed in the centre of the dish.

No. 770.—BROWN-BREAD BISCUITS.

Ingredients :—One pound of pounded sugar, eight ounces of brown flour, six ounces of Jordan almonds, ground or pulverized, without being blanched or divested of their brown pellicule, six drops of the essence of bitter-almonds, and one dozen eggs.
   Break the eggs, pacing the yolks in a basin and the whites in an egg-bowl : add the sugar, flour, almonds and the flavouring to the yolks, and work these well together for twenty minutes with a wooden spoon ; then mix in the whites previously whisked firm for the purpose, and with this batter proceed to fill as many small oblong or square paper-cases as you may require for the purpose, which after they have been sugared over should be baked in a very moderate oven.
   These biscuits are adapted for dessert only.

No. 771.—GINGER CAKES.

Ingredients :—One pound of flour, twelve ounces of fresh butter, twelve ounces of pounded sugar, two ounces of ground Jamaica-ginger, eight yolks of eggs.
   Work the whole of the above-named ingredients to gather on a pastry-board, or slab, and after having gathered the paste up into a compact mass, separate it into four parts ; roll these out to the thickness of the sixth of an inch, one after the other, and with a tin cutter, either oval, round, &c., cut out as many cakes as the paste will produce, and place them on a slightly-buttered baking-sheet ; pass a paste brush over them; when they are about half done, shake some sugar over them, and set them back in the oven to finish baking, of a very light colour.

No. 772.—CHAMPAGNE BISCUITS.

Ingredients :—Eight ounces of flour, eight ounces of pounded sugar, eight ounces of fresh butter, eight eggs, a quarter of an ounce of caraway-seeds, a pinch of salt.
   Place the butter in a basin, and work it with a wooden spoon until it presents the appearance of thick cream ; then add the sugar, flour, yolks of eggs, the caraway-seeds and salt, gradually ; after which mix in the eight whites of eggs, previously whisked firm for the purpose; you now procure a sheet of stout cartridge-paper, which must be folded in reverse plaits, so that, when the paper is opened, it may present the appearance of the plaits of a fan, thus forming angular trenches about an inch deep. Next, fill a biscuit-forcer with some of the batter, and proceed to force out some finger-like biscuits into the aforesaid paper trenches of about three inches long; shake some sifted sugar over these, and bake them of a light colour in a very moderate oven.
   These cakes are fit only for dessert.

No. 773.—ORANGE BISCUITS.

These are made with the same kind of batter as de scribed in the foregoing article, omitting in this case the caraway-seeds, and substituting in their place some orange-sugar and candied orange-peel cut into small shreds : some very small moulds must be slightly buttered, filled with some of the batter, some sugar sifted over them, and then baked of a very light colour in a very moderate oven.

No. 774.—PEACH BISCUITS.

Prepare some batter as directed for Fingers (No. 745), and with this proceed to form some round biscuits (using a biscuit-forcer for that purpose), on a baking-sheet or sheet of paper ; if the former, it must be previously buttered and floured. Shake some sugar over the biscuits, and bake them of a very light colour; and when they are done, and removed from the baking-sheet or paper, spread the under parts with some kind of preserved fruit (peach marmalade being most appropriate); stick two of these together, thus forming, as nearly as possible, the shape and size of a peach; these must now be very thinly covered all over with some white icing, which when dry, must be very slightly brushed over with a soft pencil-brush, dipped in a very small quantity of carmine, thereby giving to the cake merely a tinge of colour similar to that displayed by the ripe peach. Those cakes may be served up with whipped cream in the centre of the dish.

No. 775.—APRICOT BISCUITS.

These are prepared in all respects according to directions given in the preceding article, excepting that they should be made smaller, so that they may form a near resemblance to apricots in size and form, apricot jam being used to stick them together; and when so far prepared, are to be dipped in the following preparation :—
   To one pound of fine loaf-sugar placed in a sugar boiler, add half a pint of spring-water; boil these over a brisk stove-fire until the sugar, while boiling, throws up pearl-like bubbles, the degree of boiling required for glazing being ascertained by taking a small quintet of the boiling sugar between the foreigner and thumb (previously dipped in cold water} : if the sugar when pressed with the fingers presents the appearance of strong glue, it should then be removed from the fire; and ten minutes afterwards, whatever flavouring is intended to be used, such as liqueurs, strong vanilla, orange or lemon syrups, or infusions, must be in a liquid state, and must be gradually mixed in with the boiled sugar, quickly stirring and working the sugar in the pan the while ; when thoroughly mixed, the cakes should be dipped in, and being afterwards placed on a wire-drainer, put in the hot closet for a few minutes to set. The yellow tinge required for the glacés in this case, may be given by using either some orange-sugar or a small decoction of saffron : the latter is objectionable, on account of its flavour.

No. 776.—CHOCOLATE GLACE.

The foundation of these may be made either of pound cake, Genoese, or Savoy cake; the batter for making either of the foregoing may be first baked in a baking-sheet, and afterwards cut out in shapes and sizes to suit taste or convenience; or otherwise may be baked in appropriate moulds or cases for the purpose ; they must then be dipped in the following preparation :—first boil the sugar as directed in the foregoing article, and when it has reached its proper degree, add six ounces of chocolate dissolved with a wineglassful of water; work the whole well together, and use it while hot; but if it should become cold, and set before the operation is terminated, the preparation may be easily liquified by stirring it over the fire.
   Cakes, both large and small, may be glacés or glazed in this manner in almost infinite variety, by using any kind of liqueur, or avery strong infusion of tea or coffee, Instead of the chocolate here recommended.

No. 777.—SUISSE LECRELETS.

Ingredients:—Eight ounces of honey, four ounces of sweet-almonds blanched and shred, half an ounce of cinnamon-powder, a quarter of an ounce of ground cloves, half a nutmeg grated, six ounces of pounded sugar, half an ounce of carbonate of potash, six ounces of candied-orange, lemon, and citron, a wineglassful of Kirschen-wasser, ditto of orange-flower water, the grated rind of two lemons, and one pound of flour, including the quantity required to manipulate the paste on the slab.
   Put the honey in a copper egg-bowl on the stove-fire, and when it is melted, skim off the froth, and immediately add the shred almonds, the ground spices, and the grated lemon-peel; mix these well together with a wooden spoon, and then add the sugar, the Kirschen-wasser, the orange-flower water, and the candied-peels ready shred for the purpose ; and after having mixed in these, then add the carbonate of potash dissolved in a tablespoonful of water, and also fourteen ounces of flour, leaving the remainder for manipulating the paste on the slab. This paste must now be gently stirred over the, fire for three or four minutes, and then placed in a covered pan in a cool place for three days previously to its being used. The further process is as follows :—Cut the Lecrelet-paste into four equal parts ; and after having first strewn the slab with some of the flour reserved for the purpose, roll out each of the four pieces to about the eighth part of an inch thick. These squares must each be placed on baking-sheets previously buttered and floured for the purpose, and after being deeply marked out, or cut into small oblong squares, must be rubbed over with a paste-brush dipped in water to remove the flour from the surface. Next, bake the Lecrelets in a rather slack oven, of a light colour; and when they are about three parts done, let them be nearly cut through into shape; and immediately they have been brushed over with some thin white icing, replace them in the oven to finish being baked. When the Lecrelets have been withdrawn from the oven a sufficient time to have become cold, break them up, as marked out, and put them away in a tin box in a dry place. These cakes are well adapted for dessert or luncheon, and are a pleasant adjunct for the supper-tray.

No. 778.—SICILIAN BISCUITS.

Ingredients :—Four eggs, twelve ounces of pounded sugar, ten ounces of flour, a stick of vanilla—pounded.
   Whisk the eggs, the sugar, and the vanilla together in a copper egg-bowl, over a very slow stove-fire, until the batter begins to feel warm ; it must then be removed off the fire, and whisked briskly until the batter becomes cold ; the flour must now be lightly added in, and when thoroughly mixed, must be shaped upon prepared baking-sheets with the aid of a biscuit-forcer in fingers, ovals, or rounds, sugared over similarly to Naples biscuits, and baked in a slack oven.

No. 779.—RUSSIAN BISCUITS.

Ingredients :—Eight ounces of pounded sugar, ten eggs, six ounces of flour, four ounces of almonds pounded and dried over the fire in a sugar-boiler, a quarter of an ounce of aniseed :—
  Let the yolks of the eggs and the sugar be whisked together in an egg-bowl over a slow fire until they present the appearance of a thick batter; the whites previously whisked firm, must now be lightly added, as also the flour, pounded almonds, and aniseed.
   The batter thus produced may either be baked in small moulds, or, as is most appropriate for these biscuits, they should be baked in long tin moulds, or, failing these, in stout paper-cases, ten inches long by three inches deep, and two and a half inches wide.
   When the last-named are baked, and have been allowed to become thoroughly cold, cut them into rather thin slices, which being placed on baking-sheets, should be again baked of a very light colour on both sides.

No. 780.—ALBERT BISCUITS.

Ingredients :—Ten ounces of pounded sugar, eight ounces of finely-chopped almonds, six ounces of flour, twelve yolks and fourteen whites of eggs, two ounces of candied orange peel shred fine, a teaspoonful of cinnamon-powder, half that quantity of ground cloves, and a little grated lemon-rind.
   Work the sugar and the almonds with the yolks and two whites of eggs for twenty minutes, then incorporate the remaining twelve whites, firmly whisked together, with the flour, candied-peel, and spices; next , pour the batter into a convenient-sized paper·case, and bake it in a moderate oven; and when done and sufficiently cold, let it be cut up into thin slices for dishing up.
   This preparation may also be baked in small moulds, or forced out upon paper or baking-sheets, previously buttered and floured for the purpose.

No. 781.—VICTORIA BISCUITS.

Ingredients :—One pound of pounded sugar, twelve ounces of dried flour, six ounces of pounded or ground bitter-almonds, six ounces of fresh butter, a wineglassful of Kirschen-wasser, and the rind of two lemons grated.
  First, let the butter be worked up in a basin with a wooden spoon until it assumes a creamy appearance ; then add the remainder of the ingredients, finishing with the Kirschen-wasser; and when the batter is ready, pour it into small moulds ready buttered, and interiorly coated with potato-flour. When these cakes or biscuits are baked of a very light colour, first spread the surface with orange-marmalade, and over this glaze them according to directions given for finishing Apricot Biscuits.