The Century Cook Book Part 90

=CABINET PUDDING No. 3 (Royale)=

Take a loaf of brioche (see page 359 and 361) baked the day before in a cylindrical mold. Cut it into slices one half inch thick. Cut with a small patty-cutter a round piece from the center of all but two of the slices. Cut the crust from the outside, taking as little as possible.

Spread each slice with apricot jam, and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

b.u.t.ter the mold well, and replace the slices, using on the bottom one which has not had a hole cut in the center. When all but the last slice are in, fill the well in the center with mixed canned fruits well drained, using pineapple, apricots, a few candied cherries, and chopped almonds; then pour in a custard mixture made of one pint of milk, four yolks of eggs, two and a half tablespoonfuls of sugar. Let the brioche absorb the liquid; then cover with the second whole slice, and pour over that, too, some of the custard mixture. Place the mold in a pan of hot water, and poach in a slow oven for one hour. Let it stand a little while in the mold after it is cooked. When ready to serve, unmold, spread the whole outside with apricot jam, and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Serve with apricot sauce or any other sauce.

=CABINET PUDDING No. 4=

Cut slices of bread one half inch thick to fit a mold. Fill the mold with alternate layers of bread and chopped drained pineapple (fresh or canned). Pour in a custard mixture made of one pint of milk, yolks of three eggs, and three tablespoonfuls of sugar. Bake in a slow oven for one hour (as directed above), or until the custard is set. Serve with a sauce made of the juice of the fruit diluted and thickened with a little arrowroot, then sweetened and flavored (with kirsch if liked), and a few shredded almonds.

=SAVARINS=

b.u.t.ter some individual timbale-molds, sprinkle them with chopped almonds, fill them half full of brioche paste (see page 359), let the paste rise to the top of the molds, and then bake in a hot oven for about twenty minutes. When baked, cut off the top even with the mold, and turn them out. Pour over them a hot syrup made of one cupful of sugar and three quarters of a cupful of water boiled for ten minutes (or to 30), and flavored with four teaspoonfuls of kirsch. Other flavors may be used if preferred. Let the savarins absorb enough of the hot syrup to be well moistened, but not so much as to lose their firmness.

Drain and serve them hot. Or incorporate into the paste before molding a little shredded candied orange-peel. Soak them, when baked, in syrup flavored with orange or curacao, and cover them with an orange fondant icing (see page 485), and serve cold.

=BABA=

Into three cupfuls of brioche paste mix one cupful of currants, raisins, and chopped citron, which have soaked for an hour in maraschino. Half fill b.u.t.tered baba-molds (which are cups holding about one half pint); let it rise to top of mold, which will take about three quarters of an hour. It must not rise in too warm a place, or the b.u.t.ter will separate.

Bake them in a moderate oven one half hour. Let them absorb hot syrup at 30, flavored with kirsch or sherry.

CUSTARDS

=CReME PARISIENNE=

This is the same as caramel custard (page 396), except that it is served hot. b.u.t.ter well a flat mold or basin, ornament the bottom with a few candied cherries and angelica, pour over them caramel which is not browned deeper than an amber color, and do not use enough to float the fruits. Let it cool before adding the custard mixture. When it is baked, let the mold stand in the hot water until the moment of serving.

=FRIED CREAM=

1 pint of milk.

1/2 cupful of sugar.

1/2 teaspoonful of b.u.t.ter.

Yolks of 3 eggs.

2-1/4 tablespoonfuls of cornstarch.

1 tablespoonful of flour.

1/2 teaspoonful of vanilla.

1/2 saltspoonful of salt.

Put the milk into a double boiler with the salt and a piece of cinnamon or lemon-zest. When it is at the boiling-point add the sugar; then the cornstarch and flour, which have been moistened in cold milk. Stir until thickened; remove, and turn it over the beaten yolks of the eggs. Place it on the fire again for a few minutes to set the eggs. Add the b.u.t.ter and flavoring, and strain it onto a flat dish, or biscuit-tin, making a layer three quarters of an inch thick. Let it stand until perfectly cold and firm (it may be made the day before it is used); then cut it into pieces three inches long and two inches wide. Handle the pieces carefully, using a broad knife-blade. Cover each one with sifted cracker-crumbs, then with egg, and again with crumbs; be sure they are completely covered. Fry the pieces in hot fat to an amber color; lay them on a brown paper in the open oven to dry, sprinkle them with sugar, and serve on a folded napkin. The crust should be crisp, and the center creamy, the same as a croquette. If the pudding stands long enough before being fried, it will not be difficult to handle. Have the fat smoking hot, and do not fry too long. This dish is recommended, as it is particularly good, and very easy to make.

SHORT CAKES

=STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE=

4 cupfuls of sifted flour.

3 heaping teaspoonfuls of baking-powder.

1 teaspoonful of salt.

1 teaspoonful of b.u.t.ter.

1 teaspoonful of lard.

Milk.

2 quarts of strawberries.

Sift the baking-powder and salt with the flour, rub in the shortening; then with a fork stir in lightly and quickly sufficient milk to make a soft dough--too soft to roll. Turn it into a greased tin, and bake in a hot oven for thirty minutes. Watch to see that it rises evenly. Unmold, and leaving it inverted, cut a circle around the top, within one inch of the edge; lift off the circle of crust, and with a fork pick out the crumb from the center, leaving about three quarters of an inch of biscuit around the sides. Spread the inside of the cake with b.u.t.ter, and then fill it with crushed strawberries, which have been standing half an hour or more mixed with sugar enough to sweeten them. Turn off the juice from the berries before filling the cake. Replace the circle of crust, and cover the whole cake, top and sides, with meringue, heaping it irregularly on the top. Use a pastry-bag if convenient to give the meringue ornamental form. Place it in the oven a moment to slightly color the meringue. Arrange a few handsome berries on the top. Serve the strawberry-juice as a sauce. Whipped cream may be used instead of meringue, if convenient. Shortcake, to be good, should be freshly made, and served as soon as put together.

=CURRANT SHORTCAKE=

Make a biscuit dough as directed for strawberry shortcake above, using half the quant.i.ty. Turn it into a pie-tin to bake. While it is still hot cut the edges and pull it apart with forks (do not cut it). Turn the crumb sides up; b.u.t.ter them and cover each one with a thick layer of crushed currants, which have been standing at least two hours with enough sugar to sweeten them. Place one layer on the other, cover the top with meringue, and ornament it with a few currants in lines or arranged in any way to suit the fancy. This is a delicious shortcake, the acid of the currants giving it more character than strawberry shortcake.

=STRAWBERRY CAKE=

Make two layers of Genoese (page 467) or of sponge cake No. 1 (page 466); cover them with whipped cream, and arrange whole strawberries close together over the entire top; place one layer on the other, and serve at once. The cream moistens the cake if it stands long.

Shortcakes are good made of peaches or pineapple, using the biscuit mixture.

=ROLY-POLY PUDDING=

Make a biscuit dough, and roll it out a quarter of an inch thick; spread it with any kind of berries (whortleberries or blackberries are best).

Then roll it, and tie it in a cloth, leaving room for the pudding to expand, and boil or steam it for an hour. Serve with any sauce.

=FRUIT PUDDING=

Beat two eggs; add a cupful of milk, three teaspoonfuls of baking-powder and enough flour to make a stiff batter; then stir in as much fruit as it will hold (cherries, whortleberries, strawberries, or raspberries are the best fruits to use). Turn the mixture into a pudding-mold large enough to give room for the pudding to expand, and boil it for an hour.

Serve with it plain pudding sauce, Sabayon, or a fruit sauce.

=BAKED INDIAN PUDDING=

1/4 cupful yellow meal.

Scant half cupful of mola.s.ses.

1/4 teaspoonful of salt.

1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter.

3 cupfuls of milk.

1 egg.

1/4 cupful of water.

Dash of nutmeg.