The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined
Part 9
BLANCH and pound very fine half a pound of jordan almonds, add six yolks of eggs, a sufficient quantity of flour to bind it well, an ounce of oiled fresh butter, and sweeten to the palate with sifted sugar. Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a marble mortar, and when it becomes a stiff paste roll it out, and cut it into what shapes you please; bake them, and when cold fill them with creams or jellies.
_Cheese Cakes._
TO three quarts of new milk add three parts of a gill of runnet; let it stand in a warm place, and when it is thoroughly turned drain it well, and mix into it with your hand half a pound of fresh butter, and sweeten to the palate with pounded sugar. Then add a few currants washed and picked, a little citron, candied orange and lemon peels cut into small slices, and an ounce of jordan almonds pounded fine. Then beat up three eggs, put them with the mixture, sheet the pans with puff paste, fill them with the curd, and bake them in a brisk oven. Or the paste may be made with half a pound of sifted flour, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, and cold pump water, mixed lightly and rolled out.
_Almond Nuts._
TAKE three eggs, their weight of sifted sugar, flour of the weight of two eggs, and two ounces of almonds blanched and pounded fine; then beat the whites to a solid froth, and mix the ingredients well with it. Have ready wafer or writing paper rubbed over with fresh butter, and with a teaspoon drop the mixture upon the paper in rows and bake them.
_To make Syllabub._
TO a pint and a half of cream add a pint of sweet wine, a gill of brandy, sifted sugar, and a little lemon juice; whisk it well, take off the froth with a spoon, lay it upon a large sieve, fill the glasses three parts full with the liquor, add a little grated nutmeg, and put the froth over.
_Trifle._
PUT into a deep china or glass dish half a pound of spunge biscuits, two ounces of ratafias, two ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded, citron and candied orange peel an ounce of each cut into small slices, some currant jelly and raspberry jam, a small quantity of grated nutmeg and lemon peel, half a pint of sweet wine, and a little of the liquor of the syllabub. Then make the same kind of cream as for pies, and when cold put it over the ingredients. When it is to be served up put plenty of the stiff froth of a syllabub raised high on the cream, and garnish with coloured comfits or rose leaves, which are recommended for elegance.
_Tarts or Tartlets._
SHEET tart or tartlet pans with puff paste a quarter of an inch thick, trim round the edge with a sharp knife; then fill with raspberry or apricot jam, or orange marmalade or stewed apple, and put fine strings of paste across in what form you please. Bake them in a brisk oven, and be careful not to let the top colour too much.
_Paste for stringing Tartlets._
CUT a bit of puff paste into pieces, mix with it half a handful of flour, a little cold water, and let it be of a moderate stiffness, and mould it with the hands till it draws into fine threads. Roll a piece out three inches long and two inches broad; then cut it into slips, draw them out singly, and put them across the tarts in any form, which may be repeated two or three times over each other, as it will add much to their appearance when baked.
_To stew Apples for Tarts._
PARE, cut into quarters, and core, some apples; put them into a stewpan, add to them a piece of lemon peel, a little water, and a stick of cinnamon. Cover the pan close, put it over a fire till the apples are dissolved, sweeten to the palate with sifted sugar, add a table spoonful of syrup of cloves, and rub them through a hair sieve. Let it stand till cold before it is put into the paste.
N. B. To make a very fine flavoured tart, stew golden pippins in the same manner, and when they are rubbed through the sieve add only half a table spoonful of syrup of cloves, and mix well with it a quarter of a pound of pine-apple jam. This mixture will keep a month if close covered.
_Fried Puffs with Sweetmeats._
ROLL out puff paste half an inch thick, cut it into slips of three inches wide, the slips into square pieces, and put on each some sweetmeat of any kind. Fold the paste, and run a jagger iron round to form it, or cut it with a sharp knife. Have ready boiling lard, fry them of a light colour, drain them dry, and serve them up with sifted sugar over.
_Pyramid Paste._
TAKE a sheet of puff paste rolled of half an inch thick; cut or stamp it into oval forms, the first to be the size of the bottom of the dish in which it is to be served up, the second smaller, and so on till it becomes a pyramid; then put each piece separately on paper laid on a baking plate, and when the oven is ready, egg the top part of the pieces and bake them of a light colour. When they are done take them off the paper, lay them on a large dish till quite cold, and when to be served up set the largest piece in the dish for which it was formed, and put on it raspberry or apricot jams or currant jelly, the next size on that and more sweetmeats, proceeding in the same manner till all the pieces are placed on each other. Put dried fruits round the pyramid, such as green gages, barberries, or cherries.
N. B. Instead of stamping the pieces it is thought better to cut them with a sharp knife; then to cut out small pieces round the edges to make them appear like spires, as, being done in this manner, it causes the paste to appear lighter.
_Iceing for a Cake._
WHISK the whites of four eggs to a solid froth, and put to it as much treble refined sifted sugar as you can; then add the juice of a lemon, mix all well together with a spoon, and spread it over the cake when warm.
_Cherries in Brandy for Desserts._
ON a dry day gather the largest ripe morella cherries, and be careful they are not bruised; then cut off the stalk half way, prick each cherry with a needle four times, put them into glasses, add strong best brandy enough to cover them, and sweeten with clarified sugar. Tie over them a bladder washed and wiped dry, some white leather over that bound tight, and turn the glasses bottom upwards.
N. B. Grapes or apricots may be done in the same manner.
_To make Buns._
PUT five pounds of best flour into a wooden bowl, set a spunge of it with a gill of yeast and a pint of warm milk; then mix with it one pound of sifted sugar, one pound of oiled fresh butter, coriander seeds, cinnamon, and mace, a small quantity of each pounded fine. Roll the paste into buns, set them on a baking plate rubbed over with a little butter, put them in a moderate oven to prove, then wash them with a paste brush dipped in warm milk, and bake them of a good colour.
_Orgeat._
BLANCH a pound of jordan and one ounce of bitter almonds, pound them in a marble mortar till very fine; then put to them a pint of pump water, rub them through a tamis cloth till the almonds are quite dry, and add to the liquor more water to make it of a proper consistence for drinking; after which sweeten with clarified sugar, or sugarcandy, or capillaire; then put it into a decanter, and when it is to be used shake it together.
_Orange Marmalade._
TAKE seville oranges when in season, which is generally at the beginning of March; cut them into halves, and the halves again into thin slices, which put with the juice, but not too much of the core, and take away the pips. To every pound weight of orange add two pounds of sifted sugar and a gill of water; then put them into a preserving pan, set the pan over a quick fire, and when the mixture boils keep stirring and skimming till it becomes of a proper stiffness, which may be known by putting a little into a saucer and setting it in cold water. Then fill the pots with the marmalade, and when cold put over white paper dipped in brandy; after which cover the pots with paper and white leather, and preserve them in a dry place for use.
N. B. In the same way try the proper stiffness of other jellies or jams, and cover them in like manner.
_Raspberry Jam._
TO every pound weight of ripe picked raspberries, add fourteen ounces of sifted sugar and half a gill of currant juice; put them into a preserving pan, set them over a brisk fire, and when it boils skim it well and let it simmer till it becomes of a good consistence.
N. B. The raspberries may be mashed with a spoon previous to adding the sugar, or rubbed through a wicker sieve.
_Quince Jam._
PARE ripe quinces, cut them into thin slices, put them into a stewpan with a sufficient quantity of water to cover them, let them boil gently till tender close covered, and rub them through a large hair sieve; add to a pound of the pulp a pound and a half of sifted sugar and half a gill of syrup of cloves; then put them into a preserving pan, and let them simmer together till of a good strength.
N. B. A little of this jam mixed with apples in a pie will make it very good.
_Green Gage Jam._
RUB ripe gages through a large hair sieve, and put them into a preserving pan; then, to a pound of pulp add a pound of sifted sugar; after which boil to a proper thickness, skim it clean, and put it into small pots.
_Apricot Jam._
TAKE apricots when nearly ripe, pare and cut them into halves, break the stones, blanch the kernels, and add them to the halves. To a pound of fruit put a pound of sifted sugar and a gill of the water in which the parings have been boiled. Then set it over a brisk fire, stir the mixture well together till it becomes of a good strength, but let it not be very stiff.
_Preserved Apricots for Tarts or Desserts._
CUT ripe apricots in halves, blanch the kernels and add them to the fruit. Have ready clarified sugar boiling hot, put the apricots into it, and let them stand till cold. Then boil the syrup again, add the apricots as before, and when they are cold put the halves into small pots or glasses, and if the syrup is too thin boil it again, and when it is cold put it to the fruit, and cover it with paper dipped in brandy.
N. B. Green gages may be done whole in the same manner, or green gooseberries with the seeds taken out. These fruits may be served up with the syrup; or they may be dried on tin plates, in a moderately heated oven, and when almost cold put sifted sugar over.
_Currant Jelly._
TAKE two thirds of ripe red currants and one third of white, pick them, put them into a preserving pan over a good fire, and when they are dissolved run their liquor through a flannel bag. To a pint of juice add fourteen ounces of sifted sugar. Set it over a brisk fire, let it boil quick, skim it clean, and reduce it to a good stiffness, which may be known as before directed in orange marmalade.
N. B. In the same manner may be made black currant jelly, but allowing sixteen ounces of sugar to a pint of juice.
_Crisp Tart Paste._
TAKE half a pound of sifted flour, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, two ounces of sifted sugar, and two eggs beaten; mix them with pump water, and knead the paste well.
_Eggs and Bacon another way._
BOIL six eggs for five minutes, then peel and cut them into halves; after which take out the yolks, put them into a marble mortar with a small quantity of the white meat of dressed fowl, lean ham, a little chopped parsley, one eschallot, a table spoonful of cream, a dessert spoonful of ketchup, a little cayenne, some breadcrumbs, and sifted mace, a very small quantity of each. Pound all well together, fill the halves of the whites with the mixture, bake them gently ten minutes, and serve them up on rashers of bacon or ham broiled, and put some cullis over them.
_To make Puff Paste._
MOULD with the hands a pound of fresh or good salt butter and lay it in cold water; then sift a pound of best white flour, rub lightly into it half the butter, mix it with cold spring water, roll it out, put on it (in pieces) half the remaining butter, fold the paste, roll it again, and add the remainder of the butter. Strew lightly upon it a little flour, fold it together, set it in a cold place, and when it is wanted for use, roll it out twice more.
N. B. In summer time the white of an egg beat up may be added with the water that mixes it.
_To make an Almond Cake._
TAKE eight ounces of jordan and one ounce of bitter almonds, blanch and pound them very fine; then beat in with the almonds the yolks of eight eggs, and let the whites be whisked up to a solid froth. Then take eight table spoonfuls of sifted sugar, five spoonfuls of fine flour, a small quantity of grated lemon peel and pounded cinnamon, and mix all the ingredients. Rub the inside of a mould with fresh butter, fill it with the mixture, and bake it of a light colour.
_Almond Custards._
ADD to a pint and a half of cream a small stick of cinnamon, a blade of mace, a bit of lemon peel, some nutmeg, and sugar to the palate. Boil the ingredients together ten minutes, and strain it; then blanch and pound (quite fine) three ounces of jordan and eight single bitter almonds; after which rub through a hair sieve, add the fine pulp to the cream, likewise a little syrup of roses, and the yolks of six eggs beat up, and put the mixture into small cups; or it may be baked in a dish with a rim of puff paste round it.
N. B. Plain custards may be made in the same manner, but instead of almonds add a little orange flower water.
_Rhubarb Tart._
TAKE slips of green rhubarb, wash it, and cut it into small pieces the bigness of young gooseberries; put them into a dish, sweeten with sifted sugar, add the juice of a lemon, cover it with puff paste, and bake it. Serve it up either plain or with cream, the same as for an apple pie.
_Orange Pudding._
PEEL four seville oranges thin, boil them till tender, rub them through a hair sieve, and preserve the fine pulp. Take a pound of naples biscuits, a little grated nutmeg, two ounces of fresh butter, and pour over them a quart of boiling milk or cream in which a stick of cinnamon has been boiled. When the ingredients are cold mix with them the pulp and eight eggs well beaten, sweeten to the palate, and (if approved) add half a gill of brandy. Edge a dish with puff paste, put in the mixture, garnish the top with strings of paste as for tartlets, and bake it in a moderately heated oven.
N. B. A lemon pudding may be made in the same manner.
_Rice Pudding._
TO a pint and a half of cream or new milk add a few coriander seeds, a bit of lemon peel, a stick of cinnamon, and sugar to the palate. Boil them together ten minutes, and strain it to two ounces of ground rice, which boil for ten minutes more. Let it stand till cold, and then put to it two ounces of oiled fresh butter, a little brandy, grated nutmeg, six eggs well beaten, and a gill of syrup of pippins. Mix all together, put it into a dish with puff paste round it, and bake it, taking care it is not done too much. Should the pudding be made with whole rice it should be boiled till nearly done before the cream is strained to it, and if approved a few currants may be added.
N. B. Millet or sago (whole or ground) may be done in the same manner.
_Tansey Pudding._
BLANCH and pound very fine a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds; then put them into a stewpan, add a gill of the syrup of roses, the crumb of a french roll, a little grated nutmeg, half a gill of brandy, two table spoonfuls of tansey juice, three ounces of fresh butter, and some slices of citron. Pour over it a pint and a half of boiling cream or milk, sweeten to the palate, and when it is cold mix it well, add the juice of a lemon and eight eggs beaten. It may be either boiled or baked.
_Almond Pudding._
TO be made as a tansey pudding, only omitting the french bread and tansey juice, and adding as substitutes a quarter of a pound of naples biscuits and a spoonful of orange flower water.
_Marrow Pudding._
BOIL with a quart of new milk cinnamon and lemon peel, and strain it to half a pound of beef marrow finely chopped, a few currants washed and picked, some slices of citron and orange peel candied, a little grated nutmeg, brandy, syrup of cloves, a table spoonful of each, and half a pound of naples biscuits. When the mixture is cold add eight eggs beat up, omitting five of the whites, and bake it in a dish with puff paste round it.
_Bread Pudding._
TO be made as a marrow pudding, only omitting the naples biscuits and a quarter of a pound of the beef marrow, adding as a substitute the crumb of french bread.
_A rich Plum Pudding._
TAKE one pound of raisins stoned, one pound of currants washed and picked, one pound of beef suet chopped, two ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded, citron, candied orange and lemon peel pounded, two ounces of each, a little salt, some grated nutmeg and sugar, one pound of sifted flour, a gill of brandy, and eight eggs well beaten. Mix all together with cream or milk, and let it be of a good thickness; then tie it in a cloth, boil it five hours, and serve it up with melted butter over.
_Batter Pudding._
TO a pound of flour sifted add a little salt and a gill of milk, mix them till smooth, beat well six eggs, and add them together with more milk till the batter is of a proper thickness; then put the mixture into a bason rubbed with fresh butter, tie a cloth over, boil it an hour and a quarter, turn it out of the bason, and serve it up with melted butter, sugar, and grated nutmeg, in a sauce boat; to which may be added also (if approved) a table spoonful of white wine, or a dessert spoonful of vinegar.
N. B. When puddings are put into the pot the water in general should boil.
_Boiled Apple Pudding._
MAKE a paste with flour, chopped beef suet, or marrow, a little salt and water; then knead it well, roll it out thin, sheet a bowl or bason with it, fill it with good baking apples pared, cut into quarters and cored; add lemon peel grated, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon pounded fine, a small quantity of each. Lay a thin paste on the top, tie the bason in a cloth, and let the pudding boil till well done. When it is to be served up cut a piece out of the top and mix with the apples, sugar to the palate, and add a bit of fresh butter and a little syrup of quinces.
_Apple Dumplings._
PARE large baking apples, core them with a scoop, fill the cavities with quince marmalade, roll out (a quarter of an inch thick) the same kind of paste as for an apple pudding, mould over each apple a piece of paste, and boil them separately in a cloth, or wash them with whites of eggs with a paste brush, and bake them. Serve them up with grated nutmeg, sifted sugar, and fresh butter, in different saucers.
_Baked Apple Pudding._
STEW the apples as for a tourte or tartlets, and when they are cold add to them six eggs well beaten; put the mixture into a dish with puff paste round the rim, and bake it.
_Damson Pudding._
MAKE paste and sheet a bason in the same manner as for an apple pudding; then fill it with ripe or bottled damsons, cover it with paste, boil it, and when it is to be served up cut a piece out of the top, mix with the fruit, sifted sugar to the palate, and a small quantity of pounded cinnamon or grated nutmeg.
N. B. Puddings made with gooseberries, currants, or bullies, may be done in the same manner.
_Damson Pudding another way._
TO a pint of cream or milk add six eggs, four table spoonfuls of sifted flour, a very little salt, a small quantity of pounded cinnamon, and whisk them well together. Have ready ripe or bottled damsons, rub them through a hair sieve, add to the mixture a sufficient quantity of the fine pulp to make it in substance a little thicker than batter, sweeten it to the palate, put it into a buttered bason, flour a cloth and tie over, boil it an hour and a quarter, and when it is to be served up turn it out of the bason and put melted butter over.
N. B. In the same manner may be done ripe peaches, nectarines, gooseberries, apricots, green gages, or egg plums; or instead of boiling may be baked in a tart pan, sheeted with puff paste.
_Baked Fruit Pudding another way._
RUB gooseberries or other ripe fruit through a hair sieve; and to half a pint of the fine pulp add a quarter of a pound of naples biscuits, three ounces of oiled fresh butter, half a pint of cream, grated nutmeg, sugar to the palate, and six eggs. Beat all the ingredients together for ten minutes; then add slices of citron, and bake the mixture in a dish with puff paste round the rim.
_Muffin Pudding with dried Cherries._
TO a pint and a half of milk add a few coriander seeds, a bit of lemon peel, sugar to the palate, and boil them together ten minutes. Then put four muffins into a pan, strain the milk over them, and, when they are cold, mash them with a wooden spoon; add half a gill of brandy, half a pound of dried cherries, a little grated nutmeg, two ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded very fine, and six eggs well beaten. Mix all together and boil in a bason, or bake it in a dish with paste round it.
_Potatoe Pudding._
PEEL potatoes, steam them, and rub them through a fine sieve. To half a pound of pulp add a quarter of a pound of fresh butter oiled, sifted sugar to the palate, half a gill of brandy, a little pounded cinnamon, half a pint of cream, a quarter of a pound of currants washed and picked, and eight eggs well beaten. Mix all together, bake (or boil) the pudding, and serve it up with melted butter in a sauceboat.
_Carrot Pudding._
TAKE red carrots, boil them, cut off the red part, and rub them through a sieve or tamis cloth. To a quarter of a pound of pulp add half a pound of crumb of french bread, sifted sugar, a spoonful of orange flower water, half a pint of cream, some slices of candied citron, some grated nutmeg, a quarter of a pound of oiled fresh butter, eight eggs well beaten, and bake it in a dish with a paste round the rim.
_Ice Cream._
TAKE a pint and a half of good cream, add to it half a pound of raspberry or other jams, or ripe fruits, and sifted sugar; mix them well together and rub through a fine sieve. Then put it into a freezing mould, set it in ice and salt, and stir it till it begins to congeal. After which put at the bottom of a mould white paper, fill with the cream, put more paper over, cover close, set it in ice till well frozen, and when it is to be turned out for table dip the mould in cold water. Or it may be served up in glasses, taking the cream out of the freezing mould.
_Observation on Stores._
AS frequent mention is made of syrups, jams, pounded spices, sugar sifted, grated nutmeg, and orange flower water, to be used in puddings and pies; and as a very small quantity of each is wanted at a time; it is therefore recommended (as a saving of trouble and expence) that the syrups, &c. be made when the fruits are in season, and preserved in small bottles with the different stores. But should any of the receipts be thought too expensive or rich, it is recommended, likewise, that a curtailment be made in some of the articles, pursuing nearly the same process, they being written in that state only to shew their first and best manner. The same observation may be borne in remembrance with respect to made dishes, roasting, pastry, or sauces.
_Partridge Soup._
CUT to pieces two or three picked and drawn partridges or pheasants, an old fowl, a knuckle of veal, some lean ham, celeri, onions, turnips, a carrot, and a blade of mace. Put them into a stewpot with half a pint of water, set them over a fire close covered, and steam them till three parts done. Then add three quarts of beef stock, simmer till the ingredients are tender, strain the liquor through a fine sieve, and when cold take the fat clean off, add a little liquid of colour, a small quantity of salt and cayenne pepper, whisk with it two eggs and their shells, clear it over a good fire, and strain it through a tamis cloth; then cut half a middling-sized white cabbage into small slices, scald it, add to the soup, and boil it gently till tender.
_Collared Eels._