Home › Cookery › Cakes (Done shake some fine sifted)

Cakes (Done shake some fine sifted)

done shake some fine sifted sugar over them, set | taking particular care that they do not acquire them back again in the oven until the sugar is nearly melted, and then pass the red-hot salamander over them to give them a bright, glossy appearance; the loaves must now be immediately withdrawn from the oven and allowed to cool.

Just before sending this kind of pastry to table make an incision down the sides and fill the small loaves with apricot-jam; then dish them up in a pyramidal form on a napkin, and serve.

Almond Cakes.

Six ounces of flour, 8 ounces of sugar, 2 ounces of ground or finely-powdered almonds (with a few bitter almonds), 6 yolks of eggs, 2 whole eggs, 4 whites whipped, a glass of brandy, a little salt, 4 ounces of chopped almonds mixed with 2 ounces of sugar and half the white of an egg. First work the butter in a basin with a spoon until it presents a creamy appearance; next add the flour, sugar, almonds, brandy, eggs and salt gradually; then mix in the whipped whites of eggs lightly; pour this paste on a baking-sheet about an inch and a half deep (previously buttered), bake it of a light color. When the cake is nearly done spread the prepared chopped almonds over the top, and then put it back again into the oven to finish baking; when done the almonds should be of a light fawn color.

Turn the cake out carefully, and when cold cut it up into bands about an inch and a half wide; then again divide them into diamond-shaped cakes and dish them up pyramidally. Some whipped cream may be placed in the centre of the dish and the cakes neatly dished up round it. Dried cherries, Sultana raisins, currants, any kind of candied peel, pistachios, or Spanish nuts, may be added. The cakes may also be flavored with any kind of essence or liqueur.

Meringues.

One pound of sifted sugar and 12 whites of eggs. Whisk the whites in an egg-bowl until they present the appearance of a perfectly white, smooth, substantial froth, resembling snow; then substitute a spoon for the whisk and proceed to mix in the whole of the sugar lightly; carefully avoid working the batter too much, for fear of rendering it soft, as in that case it becomes difficult to mould the meringues; they can never be so gracefully shaped as when it is kept firm. Next cut some stiff foolscap paper into bands about two inches wide; then take a tablespoon and gather it nearly full of the batter by working it up at the side of the bowl in the form of an egg, and drop this slopingly upon one of the bands of paper, at the same time drawing the edge of the spoon sharply round the outer base of the meringue, so as to give to it a smooth and rounded appearance, in order that it may exactly resemble an egg. Proceed in this manner until the band is full, keeping the meringues about two inches and a half apart from each other on the paper; as each band is filled, place them close beside each other on the slab or table, and when all the batter is used up, shake some rather coarse sifted sugar all over them and allow them to remain for about three minutes; then take hold of one of the bands at each end, shake off the loose sugar and place the band of meringues on the board, and so on with the other bands, which, when placed carefully on the boards closely side by side, must be put in the oven (at very moderate heat) and baked of a light fawn color. When done, each piece of meringue must be carefully removed from off the paper, the white part of the inside scooped out with a dessert-spoon and then nicely smoothed over; after this they must be placed in neat order on a bakingsheet and put back again in the oven to dry, any more color. When about to send the meringues to table, whip some double cream, season it with a little powdered sugar and either a glass of any kind of liqueur, a few drops of orange-flowerwater, or some pounded vanilla; garnish each piece with a spoonful of this cream, join two together, dish them up in a pyramidal form on a napkin, and serve.