[546]. Baba. Put four ounces of flour on a table, make a hollow in the center, in which put half a cake of yeast, and moisten with a little milk, so as to form a soft paste, which put in a saucepan, and leave in a warm place. Then put six ounces of flour on a table, make a hollow in the center, in which put ten ounces of flour, two ounces of sugar, six ounces of butter, and three eggs. Mix all well together, working it with the hands, and adding, one by one, three eggs and a wineglass of rum. Then mix together an ounce of currants, with three ounces of raisins, from which you have removed the seeds, and half an ounce of citron, cut in small pieces, and add them to your paste, also the rest of your paste, with the yeast. Fill a buttered mold a third of its height with your paste, and send to a moderate oven for about three quarters of an hour. Pass the point of a knife into the baba, and if sufficiently done it will come out dry. Then turn it out of your mold, pour over it two liqueur-glasses of rum, sprinkle a little sugar on top, and serve. Instead of putting the baba in a large mold, you may put it in several very small ones if preferred.
[547]. Éclairs. Put an ounce of butter in a saucepan on the fire, with about six tablespoonfuls of water. When beginning to boil, add about two and a half ounces of flour, stirring with a wooden spoon about five minutes, then remove from the fire, and add, one by one, four eggs, stirring rapidly, until each is well mixed. Then put your mixture in a cornucopia of stiff paper, with a hole in the point, through which press it on a pan, forming little shapes similar to lady fingers. Send them to a gentle oven for about twenty minutes, or until firm; let them become cold, then make an incision in them, the length of each, through the middle, in which place some whipped cream, to which you have added sugar and a little essence of coffee. Then put in a copper saucepan, or one which is well enameled and thoroughly clean, half a pound of sugar, with a glass of water. After remaining on the fire a few moments, lift out a little of the sugar with a wooden spoon, and drop it in a cup of cold water. Take the sugar between the thumb and third finger, separate them, and, if you may draw the sugar out in a fine thread without breaking, you have reached the desired result. Put it in a bowl, and add a tablespoonful of the extract of coffee, stir until beginning to thicken, cover with it the top of each éclair, and, when cold, serve.
[548]. Chocolate Éclairs. Make a paste as for the foregoing, which form into éclairs, and bake as the above. Put in a saucepan two eggs, two tablespoonfuls of corn starch, two ounces of sugar, a glass of milk, a teaspoonful of vanilla, and stir all together on the fire. Just before beginning to boil, remove from the fire and let it become cold. Then fill the inside of your éclairs with your cream. Melt an ounce of chocolate in a tablespoonful of water, boil half a pound of sugar as the foregoing, mix thoroughly with your chocolate, with which cover your éclairs.
[549]. Duchess Cakes with Peach Marmalade. Make a paste as for éclairs (Art. 547), of which take about half a tablespoonful at a time, and place on a pan in oval form, as for meringues, only smaller, and about three inches apart. Brush them with beaten egg, send them to a gentle oven, and, when they are done, make an incision in each one through the middle, and fill the inside with peach marmalade, or any other preferred. Then put in a copper saucepan, or one which is well enameled and thoroughly clean, half a pound of sugar, with a glass of water. After remaining on the fire a few moments, lift out a little of the sugar with a wooden spoon, and drop it in a cup of cold water. Take the sugar between the thumb and third finger, separate them, and, if you may draw the sugar out in a fine thread without breaking, you have reached the desired result. Then cover the top of each cake with the sugar, and, when cold, serve.
[550]. Gâteau St. Honoré. Take some pâté brisée (Art. 285), roll it out thin, and with it line a round tin pie-dish, which you have buttered. Then take some paste, as for éclairs (Art. 547), and form a border of about an inch thick on top of your other paste in the pan, brush it over with beaten eggs, and send it to a moderate oven until thoroughly done, then remove it. Make a cornucopia of stiff paper, with a hole cut in the end, fill it with éclair paste, press it out through the hole on a pan, forming the paste into about a dozen and a half small balls the size of a French chestnut, prick a hole in the bottom of each, and send them to the oven until done. When cold, dip them in melted sugar, as described in the foregoing article, place them all around the top of your paste in the pie-dish. Whip a pint of cream, let it remain fifteen minutes on the ice, drain off all the moisture, mix well with your cream three ounces of sugar and half a teaspoonful of vanilla, and fill the inside of your pastry. You may, instead of vanilla, flavor your cream with rum, chocolate, or raspberry, and decorate the pastry with candied oranges, cherries, and other candied fruits.
[551]. Apple Tart. Peel two dozen apples, which put in a saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of water and a little grated lemon-peel; stew them until soft, then add three ounces of sugar, and stir with a wooden spoon five minutes; then let them become cold. Take some pâté brisée (Art. 285), roll it out thin, and with it line a pie-dish large enough to contain your apples, which place in the dish. Roll out some more paste very thin, sprinkle it with flour, double it, cut it in strips a quarter of an inch wide, moisten the edges of your tart, and place the strips on top of your apples, a small space between each, fasten the ends to the edge of your dish, and brush the strips lightly with water; place an equal quantity of strips across and on top of the others, making a sort of lattice-work; brush them over with beaten egg, and send the tart to a hot oven; when three quarters done, remove it, brush it over with a little melted currant jelly; return it to the oven until thoroughly done both underneath and on top.
[552]. Apple Tart à la Portugaise. Line a pie-dish with some pâté brisée (Art. 285), then place on top a layer, about half an inch thick, of peach marmalade, and send to the oven until the paste is done. Peel eight apples, cut them in two, remove the core and the pips, put them in a saucepan with a pint of water, six ounces of sugar, and the rind of a lemon; stew them until soft, without breaking; then drain them and place them on top of the peach marmalade in your tart, strain the juice of your apples, reduce it two thirds on the fire, and, just before serving, pour it over your tart.
[553]. Apricot Tart. Line a pie-dish with some pâté brisée (Art. 285) rolled thin, sprinkle the bottom with powdered sugar, fill the dish with canned apricots, send it to a hot oven, and, when thoroughly done, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, and serve. Proceed in the same manner for tart of peaches, and currants (to which add more sugar), and cherries (first removing the stones).
[554]. Gâteau d'Artois. Peel a dozen apples, remove the core and pips, and stew them with a tablespoonful of water in a saucepan. When soft, add two ounces of sugar and a little cinnamon, and stew ten minutes longer. Take some puff paste ([Art. 284] ), roll it out thin, divide it in two equal parts, spread your apples on one part, covering them with the other; moisten the edges of your paste, which fasten together by pressing upon the top layer with the thumb. Then mark out lightly, with a knife, ten equal pieces, about four inches long and an inch and a half wide. Brush the top with beaten egg, and send to a hot oven until well colored and thoroughly done underneath. Cut the pieces through, which you have marked out, and serve.