[555]. Mince Pie. Chop very fine half a pound of beef suet, three quarters of a pound of cold beef, three apples which you have peeled, two ounces of citron, and a little lemon-peel; add a pound of powdered sugar, half a pound of currants, the same of raisins, a teaspoonful of ginger, the same of nutmeg, half a pint of sherry, and a quarter of a pint of brandy. Mix all well together in a jar, which cover, and let it remain for eight days. Take some puff paste (Art. 284), roll it out thin, and with it line a flat pie-dish, into which place your mince meat, and cover with another layer of paste, which moisten and press all around the edge so as to fasten it securely. Brush the top with beaten egg, and send to a moderate oven for about forty minutes, and, if sufficiently done, serve very hot.
[556]. Pastries à la Condé. Put four ounces of almonds in boiling water, remove the skins, wash the almonds, dry them, and chop them fine. Mix with them thoroughly two ounces of powdered sugar and half the white of an egg; roll out some puff paste (Art. 284) half an inch thick, five inches wide, and fourteen inches long. Spread the almonds entirely over your paste, sprinkle lightly with sugar, and cut the paste in ten equal strips across the length. Send them to rather a hot oven, and, when well colored, serve.
[557]. Gâteau Fourré aux Amandes. Put four ounces of almonds in boiling water, and remove the skins. Pound the almonds to a paste, with which mix thoroughly four ounces of sugar, an ounce of butter, the yolks of two eggs, and half a sherry-glass of rum. Take half a pound of puff paste (Art. 284), roll it a quarter of an inch thick, and, with a sufficient quantity, line a shallow pie-dish. Moisten the edge of your paste, fill the pie-dish with your mixture of almonds, make a border with the rest of your paste around the edge of your dish, then, with the point of a knife, trace some fanciful design on the top, brush it over with beaten egg, send to a hot oven for about forty-five minutes, and, if well done underneath, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, and, when melted, remove from the oven and serve. You may also serve this cold.
[558]. Gâteau Fourré aux Pommes. Peel and cut in quarters a dozen apples, from which remove the core and pips. Put them in a saucepan on the fire with a sherry-glass of water, the peel of half a lemon, and four ounces of sugar. Stew them for about seven or eight minutes, stir them for a few moments with a wooden spoon, let them become cold, and finish as described in the preceding article.
[559]. Gâteau Fourré à la Crême. Mix thoroughly together in a saucepan two ounces of flour with two eggs, add a glass of milk, stirring well, so as to make a smooth paste, then a glass of cream and half an ounce of butter. Continue to stir with a wooden spoon until boiling, then let it simmer gently at the side of the range for fifteen minutes, stirring it from time to time. Let it become cold, and add to it three ounces of sugar, two pounded macaroons, a teaspoonful of vanilla, and mix all well together. Take some puff paste (Art. 284), and finish as for gâteau fourré aux amandes (Art. 557).
[560]. Mars. Take some brioche paste ([Art. 544] ), roll it out a quarter of an inch thick, six inches wide, and sixteen inches long. Cover it with apple marmalade, and send it to a very gentle oven for about ten minutes. Then let it become cold, and cut it into strips an inch wide, across the length of the paste. Beat six whites of eggs very stiff, mix with them half a pound of powdered sugar, with which cover each strip of pastry on top, about three quarters of an inch thick. Blanch twenty almonds, cut them in long, thin strips, place them two by two on top of your pastries, the two points meeting in the center (six or eight pieces of almonds on each will be sufficient), sprinkle them with powdered sugar, and send them to the oven about twelve minutes, or until colored lightly.
[561]. Fanchonettes. Roll out thin some pâté brisée (Art. 285), with which line some little molds. Fill them two thirds with apple, peach, or any other marmalade preferred, and send them to a hot oven twelve minutes. Then let them become cold. Beat six whites of eggs very stiff, and mix well with them half a pound of powdered sugar; cover your little tarts with it half an inch thick, and smooth it on top with the blade of a knife. Make a cornucopia of stiff paper, cut a hole in the end of it, put in it some of the white of egg and sugar, and press it through the hole, forming on top of each tart, in a circle, six very small balls, and one in the center. Sprinkle over them some powdered sugar, and send them to a very gentle oven. They should not be allowed to color. When they are firm, remove them from the oven, place on top of each little ball a very small piece of currant jelly, and serve.
[562]. Cream Pastries with Almonds. Take some puff paste (Art. 284), roll it out very thin, and cut it in ten pieces, each about three inches wide and four inches long. Send them to the oven, and, when done, take them out; then cut ten other pieces of the same size as the above, and brush them with beaten egg; blanch two ounces of almonds, chop them fine, mix with them a very little powdered sugar, a very little white of egg, and sprinkle them on top of your ten pieces of paste, which send to the oven until well colored, and let them become cold. Beat up half a pint of cream, put it on the ice about fifteen minutes, drain it on a sieve, mix with it, in a bowl, an ounce of sugar and a little extract of vanilla. Place your cream on the plain pieces of pastry, and cover with those on which you have sprinkled the almonds.
[563]. Gâteau Madeleine à l'Orange. Put in a bowl half a pound of powdered sugar, the same of flour, four eggs, the grated peel of an orange, and mix all well together. Put half a pound of butter near the fire, so as to make it soft without melting it quite liquid, and add it to your other ingredients. Butter ten little tin molds, which fill three quarters with your mixture, and send them to a gentle oven for about twenty minutes, or until thoroughly done, of which you may judge by passing the point of a knife through one, and, if it comes out dry, your cake is sufficiently baked. Instead of the orange-peel, you may flavor, if you wish, with vanilla, adding some currants and citron cut in very small pieces.
[564]. Gâteau Genoise. Put in a bowl half a pound of sugar with half a pound of butter, heated, so as to be a little soft. Beat up both together quickly with a wooden spoon for three or four minutes, then add three eggs, one by one, mixing each thoroughly before adding another. Then add the yolks of three eggs, the grated peel of half a lemon; stir all well together, adding half a pound of flour; beat the three whites of your eggs, and add them to the foregoing. Butter a pan, into which pour your mixture about three quarters of an inch thick; send it to a gentle oven for about thirty minutes, cut it in small pieces, and ice it as for coffee éclairs ([Art. 547] ).