Some people prefer the paste for fruit puddings made of butter, which is also very good; but in my opinion the suet paste is much lighter; the trimmings of puff-paste, if any, would also make an excellent crust for a fruit.
Puddings of gooseberries, cherries, currants, raspberries, plums, damsons, &c., are made precisely the same, but omitting the cloves, nutmeg, and piece of butter, and less boiling.
No. 259. Pastry. For the making of good puff-paste I could not give a more simple receipt than that (page 479) in the other department, to which I must refer my readers, as also for half-puff-paste (page 480), which will be found very serviceable in the making of pies or fruit tarts, the method of making which it is here my intention to describe, but for all other dishes of small fancy pastry, a great variety will be found in the Kitchen of the Wealthy, very simply explained, and requiring no greater convenience to make than what my Kitchen at Home will afford.
No. 260. Short Paste for Fruit Tarts. Although I have above stated that the half-puff-paste is very excellent for the covering of fruit tarts, I am also aware that very many persons prefer a short sweet paste, as such I have given the following receipt, leaving my readers to choose between the two, the process being the same for either.
Put a pound of flour upon your pastry slab, with six ounces of butter, and rub them well together with your hands, then make a hole in the centre, in which put two ounces of powdered sugar, two whole eggs, and rather more than a wineglassful of water; mix the eggs, sugar, and water well together, then draw in the flour and butter, shaking the whole well, and when dry work it together lightly with the hands.
No. 261. Apricot Tarts. For tarts the apricots do not require to be too ripe. Procure about two dozen, or according to the size of your dish, split each one in halves, break their stones, and take out their kernels, which blanch and skin, lay the apricots in your dish, building them in the form of a dome above the level of your dish, and interspersing the kernels here and there, cover them over with half a pound of lump sugar broken very small; have ready sufficient half-puff-paste (page 480), or the tart-paste just described, a band of which, the eighth of an inch in thickness, lay round the rim of your dish, previously wetting it, then roll out a sheet of the paste large enough to cover the fruit, and a quarter of an inch in thickness, wet the band of paste upon your dish, and lay the cover over, in which prick a hole in each side between the fruit and the edge of the dish, forming a well all round, and closing the paste well at the edges, trim round with a knife, with which also decorate the edges, wet the top well with white of egg beat to a light froth, over which sprinkle two ounces of finely-powdered sugar, sprinkle with water until the sugar is well dissolved (but not to run off), place in a moderate oven, and bake about an hour, keeping it a very light brown colour, serve when cold.
No. 262. Greengage Tart. Procure a sufficient number of ripe greengages, which put into your dish whole, giving them the form of a dome at the top, and if about two dozen covering them with six ounces of powdered sugar; cover with paste, and proceed exactly as described in the last.
Any description of plum tart is made precisely in the same manner, as also are gooseberry, cherry, currant and raspberry, cranberry, &c. and all requiring about the same time and same description of oven.
No. 263. Apple Tart. Peel and cut about two dozen russet apples in slices, which put into your dish, interspersing them with some lemon peel, free from pith, cut into strips, about six cloves, and a little grated nutmeg; build the apples up in a dome to the centre of your dish, and cover over with half a pound of powdered sugar, then have ready half a pound of puff-paste made as directed (page 479), with which make a band a quarter of an inch in thickness, laying it round the rim of the dish, roll out the remainder of the paste to the thickness of a quarter of an inch, and large enough to cover the fruit, wet the band of paste upon the dish with a little water, lay the cover gently over, pricking a hole with your knife at the top to let out the air, closing it gently at the edges, which trim neatly with a knife; egg the top over with a paste-brush, and place in a moderate oven to bake, which will take about an hour; just before taking from the oven sift a little sugar over, and let remain until melted, forming a nice glaze over the tart, which may be served either hot or cold. Brown sugar may be used for any of the above tarts if approved of, but I have given directions for the white, considering that the brown, although commonly used, frequently destroys the delicious flavour of some descriptions of fruit. The salamander may be used to brown it.
No. 264. French Fruit Tart. Make half a pound of paste as directed (No. 1136, page 481), mould it into a round ball upon your marble slab, and roll to a round sheet a quarter of an inch in thickness, wet round the rims, turning the edge over to form a border half an inch in depth, which press upon with your finger and thumb to about an inch in height, have ready about twenty greengages, or any other description of plums, split each into two, and place them in the interior of your tart, shake some sugar over, and bake about half an hour in a hot oven; serve cold, shaking more sugar over at the time of serving. They may also be made with apricots, peaches, cherries, currants, raspberries, cranberries, or gooseberries, in the same manner; but if made of apples, the fruit must be previously boiled to a marmalade, or stewed in a stewpan, with sugar and a small piece of butter, until tender, previous to putting them in the crust; fruit baked in these tarts is also very excellent meringued as directed (No. 267); plain whipped cream with a little sugar is very good for a change.