BAVARIAN CREAM GARNISHED WITH CREAM-CAKES
Make a Bavarian cream (see “Century Cook Book,” page 400), and turn it into a flat tin to harden. Have it about half an inch thick. When it is set, cut it into pieces two and a half to three inches square, and arrange them, overlapping, in the center of a dish. Place around them small cream-cakes of one inch in diameter.
Cornstarch pudding, jelly, or any mixture firm enough to be sliced can be served in this way. Left-over jelly can be melted and molded again in a layer, or it may be combined with custard, cream, crumbed cake, or anything suitable that may be at hand, and turned into a layer-tin to stiffen; then cut and serve as above. Any small cakes or sliced cake cut into rounds may be substituted for the cream-cakes.
Chocolate Bavarian garnished with small cakes covered with white icing makes a good combination.
PIES AND TARTS
PUFF-PASTE
Puff-paste is made of equal weights of butter and flour. The flour is made into a paste, the butter is worked until it is flexible, and they are then rolled together and folded several times so that many distinct layers of butter and paste are obtained. During the rolling air is imprisoned, and in baking the air-cells expand, separate the layers, and so inflate the pastry.
In order to effect this result, it is necessary to keep the pastry dry and cold, and the butter cold, so that they will not mix in rolling, but be pressed into thin sheets. Careful handling is necessary. Many failures are the result of pressing the paste in spots with the fingers, which prevents its rising evenly, if at all. A marble slab is desirable for rolling the paste on, as it helps to keep it cold.
Either of the following mixtures may be used:
No. 1. 1 pound of butter,