A guide to modern cookery by A. Escoffier

which the pastes are made up. _Pomaded Butter._—After having well softened it as above, put it in a bowl or basin, previously rinsed with hot water and thoroughly wiped. Work the butter with a spatula or a wooden spoon until it acquires the consistence of a pomade—a necessary condition for certain of its uses. _Clarified Butter._—In pastry, clarified butter is used more especially for the buttering of moulds. Put the butter to be clarified into a saucepan, and cook it over a very slow fire until (1) the caseous substances liberated in the cooking process have accumulated and solidified on the bottom of the saucepan; (2) it appears limpid, of a golden colour, and exhales a slight, nutty smell. Strain it through muslin, and put it aside until required. 2341—THE BUTTERING AND GLAZING OF MOULDS All moulds, large and small, should be buttered so as to ensure the easy turning-out of cakes cooked in them. Clarified butter, owing to its purity, is the best for the purpose. It may be applied with a brush, care being taken that all the inside surfaces get uniformly covered with it. One unbuttered spot is sufficient to make a moulding stick, or to completely spoil a cake. For certain cakes, chopped or splintered almonds are sprinkled in the mould. For others, especially biscuits, the moulds are flour-dusted—that is to say, a veil of very dry flour or fecula is allowed to settle on the layer of butter, which, at the turning out, appears like a glazed crust upon the cake. 2342—HOW TO BEAT THE WHITES OF EGGS The best utensil for the purpose is a copper or nickel basin in which the whisk may act at all points owing to the spherical shape of the receptacle. Tinned or enamelled utensils set up a kind of greasiness which does not allow of one’s bringing the whites to the stiffness necessary for some purposes. Begin whisking the whites gently, and draw them up with the whisk until all their molecules have disaggregated and they begin to stiffen. They may then be whisked until they are sufficiently stiff to be taken up bodily by the whisk. _Preventive Means._—To facilitate the beating of whites of eggs, there may be added to them at the start a pinch either of salt or alum per ten whites. When, towards the close of the operation, the whites begin to granulate, owing to any one of the various causes, add immediately one tablespoonful of powdered sugar per ten whites, and then whisk briskly, to restore them to their normal state. 2343—VEGETABLE COLOURING MATTERS Every pastry-cook’s stock should include a series of vegetable colouring matters, comprising carmine, liquid spinach green, yellow, &c. When required, the blending of these colours yields the intermediate tones. The colours may be bought. 2344—THE COOKING OF SUGAR From the state of syrup to the most highly-concentrated state in which it is used in pastry sugar passes through various stages of cooking, which are:—The small thread (215° F.) and the large thread (222° F.), the small ball (236° F.) and the large ball (248° F.), the small crack (285° F.) and the large crack (315° F.). When the last state is overreached, the sugar has become caramel (360° F.). Put the necessary quantity of loaf sugar in a small, copper saucepan; moisten with enough water to melt it, and boil. Carefully remove the scum which forms, and which might cause the sugar to granulate. As soon as the sugar begins to move stiffly in boiling, it is a sign that the water has almost entirely evaporated, and that the real cooking of the sugar has begun. From this moment, with moistened fingers or a little piece of moistened linen, take care to remove the crystallised sugar from the sides of the utensil, lest it makes the remaining portion turn. The cooking of the sugar then progresses very rapidly, and the states of its various stages, coming one upon the other in quick succession at intervals of a few minutes, may be ascertained as follows:— It has reached the _small-thread stage_, when a drop of it held between the thumb and the first finger forms small resistless strings when the thumb and finger are drawn apart. It has reached the _large-thread stage_, when, proceeding in the same way, the strings formed between the parted finger and thumb are more numerous and stronger. From this moment recourse must be had to cold water in order to ascertain the states of the sugar. When a few minutes have elapsed after the test for the large-thread state, dip the end of the first finger, first into cold water, then into the sugar, and plunge it again immediately into the bowl of cold water, which should be ready at hand. The sugar taken from the finger forms a kind of soft ball, and it is this state which is called the _small ball_. When, upon repeating the procedure, the sugar removed from the finger rolls into a firmer ball, the _large-ball stage_ is reached. After the cooking has continued for a few seconds longer, the sugar lying on the finger peels off in the form of a thin, flexible film, which sticks to the teeth. This is the _small-crack stage_. Tests should then be made in quick succession, until the film taken from the end of the finger breaks “clean” in the teeth, like glass. This is the _large-crack state_, the last of the cooking stages, and as soon as it has been reached the utensil should be taken off the fire, lest a few seconds more turn the sugar to _caramel_. To prevent the granulating of the sugar, a few drops of lemon juice may be added to it; or, better still, a tablespoonful of glucose per lb. 2345—GLACE A L’ANCIENNE Put the required amount of icing sugar in a small saucepan, the quantity used being in proportion to the object to be glazed. If it be flavoured with vanilla, orange, or lemon, dilute it with a little water, keeping it somewhat stiff; add some vanilla-flavoured sugar or grated orange-rind, and stir it up well for a few minutes. Then make it lukewarm, so that it may run easily and dry quickly, and pour it over the object to be treated. For the above-mentioned flavours, an infusion of vanilla or orange-rind may be prepared, and this may serve in diluting the glaze. The flavours may also be used in the form of essences, provided it be remembered that they are usually very strong thus, and must be used with caution. If liqueur glazes are in question, such as Kirsch, Rum, Anisette, or Marasquin, &c., the glaze is diluted with the liqueur and made lukewarm as directed above. 2346—GLACE AU FONDANT _Preparation of the “Fondant.”_—Put some loaf sugar into a small saucepan, the quantity being in accordance with the amount of “Fondant” required. Moisten with just enough water to melt the sugar, and set to cook as directed under “The Cooking of Sugar.” Stop the cooking precisely at 230° F. between the _large-thread stage_ and the _small-ball stage_, and pour the sugar on a moderately-oiled marble slab. Let it half cool for a few minutes; then, with a spatula, move it about well in all directions, taking care that no portion of the sugar on the marble is left untouched by the spatula, for any such portion would harden and form lumps in the Fondant. After ten to fifteen minutes’ work with the spatula, the sugar should have become a white, slightly granulated paste. Heap the latter together, and scrape the marble slab with the blade of a strong knife. Carefully knead this paste (No. 2357) with the palm of the hand until it is very thin and smooth, whereupon the Fondant is ready for use. It need now only be heaped in a receptacle, covered with a damp cloth, and kept somewhat dry. _To Glaze with “Fondant.”_—Put the required amount of it into a saucepan; work it over a slow fire for a while, in order to soften it, and moisten it, little by little, with water when a dry flavour or an essence is used, or, otherwise, with the selected liqueur. Warm slightly in order to make the glaze very liquid and to ensure its speedy drying, and pour it, at one tilt, over the object to be glazed. With the help of some colour, the glaze is generally given the tint of the fruit which flavours it. 2346a—SUCRE EN GLACE (Icing Sugar) This is sugar strained through a silken drum-sieve. The sugar strained through this silk has the delicacy of starch. At times it is used instead of Fondant for the glazing of cakes, but it is mostly used for white and caramel glazings. For this purpose the sugar is held in a tin box, covered with a lid pierced with small holes, called a sugar dredger. To _glaze white_ is to cover a cake, a fritter, or other object with a coat of icing sugar. This operation is effected by shaking the sugar dredger over the object to be glazed. _To glaze with caramel_ is to cover a _Soufflé_, a _souffléd_ omelet, fruit fritters, a custard, _Pannequets_, or other objects with a coat of icing sugar. By placing the sugar-coated object in fierce heat, a few minutes suffice to melt the sugar, which is converted into a brilliant covering of caramel. 2347—SUGAR GRAINS These are used in pastry to border certain cakes, or to surround the sugared-paste bases on which cakes are set. For this purpose the parts to which the sugar is expected to adhere must be besmeared with cooked apricot. To make them, roughly pound some loaf sugar, and sift the latter first through a coarse strainer, and then through a finer one, according to the size the sugar grains are required to be. The powder will, of course, fall and leave the grains clean. 2348—COLOURED SUGAR GRAINS To colour sugar grains, spread them on a piece of paper, and add a drop of liquid vegetable-colouring or a very little coloured paste per tablespoonful of sugar. The amount of colouring matter may either be lessened or increased, according to the strength the shade is required to be. Rub the sugar in the hand to colour it evenly; dry it in a moderately warm drying-box, and keep it in the dry in well-closed boxes. 2349—VANILLA SUGAR The vanilla sticks which have served in preparing infusions still possess some flavour. Reserve them, therefore, for the making of vanilla sugar. After having gently dried them in the drying-box, finely pound them with twice their weight of loaf sugar; sift through a silken sieve, and again pound the bits remaining on the silk of the sieve until every particle goes through. Keep the preparation in a well-closed box in the dry. 2350—CANDIED FRUIT These are used in the decoration of certain cakes, and as the constituent ingredients of others. They comprise angelica, golden and green _chinois_, cherries, plums, red and white pears, &c. Candied fruit may be bought ready-prepared. 2351—APPLE JELLY FOR DECORATING Quarter, peel, and core the apples (preferably russets), and throw them, one by one, in a bowl of fresh water to prevent their getting brown. Then put them in a copper basin with one and one-half pints of water per two lbs. of apples, and cook them gently without touching them. This done, pour away their juice, and return it to the basin together with two lbs. of sugar per quart. Boil; skim with great care, that the jelly may be clear, and cook over a fierce fire until the jelly has reached a stage which may be ascertained thus:—(1) When on taking the skimmer out of the basin, the jelly adhering to it seems to mass itself towards the middle of the skimmer; or:—(2) When the jelly breaks up into large drops, separated one from the other. Then take the jelly off the fire; add some carmine to it, drop by drop, until it acquires a rosy hue; strain it again through a fine piece of linen, that it may be perfectly limpid, and finally pour it into tin receptacles to cool. Put aside until wanted. 2352—PRALIN (1) If it be for the purpose of covering certain cakes, or for forming a glaze on a fruit entremet, prepare it thus:—Put the whites of two eggs and three tablespoonfuls of icing sugar in a small basin. Mix and stir briskly with a small, wooden spoon, until the paste becomes somewhat thick. Then, subject to the purpose for which it is intended, add a more or less large quantity of chopped almonds, according as to whether the pralin be required thick or slightly liquid for spreading. Cover it with a piece of white paper, moistened with white of egg, that it may remain moist if kept for some time. (2) If it is to be added to a _soufflé_ preparation, to a _souffléd_ omelet, to a preparation of ice, or to a custard, it is a nougat powder which is prepared as follows:— Gently melt one lb. of powdered sugar in a small saucepan, taking care not to let it acquire a deeper shade than old gold. Mix twenty oz. of dried almonds with it; turn the whole out on to the corner of a slightly-oiled marble slab (or on an overturned saucepan-lid), and leave to cool. When the nougat is quite cold, pound it and rub it through a sieve. Pound and rub what remains in the sieve until the whole goes through. Put the powder in a well-closed box, and place the latter in a dry place. 2353—CURRANTS AND SULTANAS Sultanas and currants should always be at hand, ready and cleaned. To clean them, first dredge them and then rub them in a towel, closed to form a sort of purse. Now, turn them into a sieve or colander, which shake vigorously, that the flour and the detached stems may be eliminated; then examine them, one by one, to make sure that no stems remain. Currants should be examined with very particular care, as small stones often get in among them. Put the currants and the sultanas aside, each in a box or a drawer. 2354—ESSENCES AND FLAVOURINGS The various essences used in pastry are bought ready-made. The flavourings consist of those products treated by infusion, such as vanilla; of grated or infused products, such as lemon and orange rinds; and liqueurs in general. Fruit juices only become flavours when a liqueur in keeping with the fruit from which they were extracted has been added to them. 2355—GILDING PREPARATION This consists of beaten eggs. Its purpose is to ensure the colouration of certain cakes, whereon it is smeared by means of a brush. In some cases this gilding may be combined with a little water, as, for instance, when the heat of the oven is too fierce, and cakes are required of a light colour. In some cases, especially in that of small, dry cakes, it consists entirely of egg-yolks diluted with a few drops of water. =The Pastes= 2356—ORDINARY SHORT PASTE Sift one lb. of flour over the mixing-board; make a hollow in its midst, and put therein one-sixth oz. of salt, one-third pint of cold water, and one-half lb. of butter well softened—especially in winter. Mix the flour gradually with the butter and the water; mass the whole a moment or two, and knead it (see No. 2357) twice. Then roll it up in a ball; wrap it in a piece of linen that its surface may not dry, and put it aside in the cool. _Remarks_: A kneaded paste should be prepared either one day, or at least a few hours, in advance, in order that it may lose that elasticity which it acquires from the kneading. Pastes, after they have rested awhile, are much more easily treated, and bake a much more definite and lighter colour, than those that are used as soon as they are prepared. 2357—THE KNEADING OF PASTES The object of kneading paste is to combine the ingredients of which it is composed thoroughly, and also to smooth it. Proceed as follows:— When the paste is mixed, roll it into a mass; put it in front of one; then press it away from one, little by little, between the board and the palm of the hand. For the paste to be perfectly smooth, it ought to be treated twice in this way. 2358—FINE, SHORT OR FLAWN PASTE (For Fruit Tarts) Sift one lb. of flour on to the mixing-board, and hollow it out. Put in the hollow one-third oz. of salt, one and one-half oz. of powdered sugar, an egg, one-fourth pint of cold water, and ten oz. of butter. First, thoroughly mix the butter, the egg, the water, and the seasoning, and then gradually combine the flour with it. Knead the paste; press it out twice; roll it into a ball, and wrap it up as before with the view of setting it aside in the cool to rest. 2359—DRESSING PASTE (Pâte à Pâté) Take one lb. of sifted flour, four oz. of butter, one egg, one-third oz. of salt, and one-fourth pint of water. Mix as already directed; knead twice; roll up the paste, and set it in the cool to rest. This paste should be kept somewhat firm. 2360—DRESSING PASTE WITH LARD Take one lb. of sifted flour, four oz. of lard, one-quarter pint of tepid water, one egg, one-third oz. of salt, and proceed exactly as in the case of No. 2359. 2361—DUMPLING AND PUDDING PASTES Break up ten oz. of very dry beef suet, and carefully clear it of all little pieces of skin and connective tissue. Chop it up as finely as possible; sift one lb. of flour on to the mixing-board; hollow it out; and put into the hollow one-half oz. of salt, one and one-half oz. of sugar, one-third pint of water, and the chopped suet. Mix up these various ingredients, and, by degrees, combine the flour with them. Mass the paste together, without kneading it, and put it aside in the cool until it is wanted. 2362—DRY SUGARED PASTE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES Take one lb. of sifted flour, seven oz. of butter, five oz. of powdered sugar, three eggs, and one-half tablespoonful of orange-flower water. Mix in the usual way, knead it twice; roll it into a ball, and keep it wrapped up, in the cool, until required. 2363—PASTE FOR SMALL GUMMED TEA-CAKES Take one lb. of sifted flour, ten oz. of butter, ten oz. of sugar, one egg, the yolks of four, and a tablespoonful of orange-flower water. Mix up gradually; mass the paste together, and roll it out into a thin layer, twice. Roll it up, and let it rest awhile in the cool before it is used. 2364—GUMMING In the case of certain small cakes, especially those served at tea, it is usual to gum their surfaces in order to make them glossy. For this purpose a thin solution of gum arabic is used, and it is smeared over the cakes as they leave the oven, by means of a small brush. Cakes may also be gummed with a syrup formed from milk and sugar, which mixture may be used instead of gum arabic with advantage. 2365—GALETTE PASTE Hollow out one lb. of sifted flour and put in its midst one-third oz. of salt, two oz. of powdered sugar, one-quarter pint of water, and one-half lb. of softened butter. Mix, taking care to include the flour only by degrees; thoroughly knead, that the ingredients may be well combined, and mass the paste together without making it too elastic. Leave it to rest in the cool for at least an hour; then roll it out thrice, at intervals of eight minutes, for the reasons given under the directions for puff-paste. 2366—PUFF-PASTE (1) Sift one lb. of flour on to the mixing-board. Make a hollow in it, and put therein one-third oz. of table salt and about one-half pint of cold water, and mix without kneading. Mass the paste together, and let it rest for twenty minutes, that it may lose its elasticity, which will be all the more pronounced for its having been very much worked. It is to avoid this elasticity, therefore, that the mixing of puff-paste should be effected with the smallest amount of kneading possible. (2) Spread the prepared paste on a flour-dusted board, in the shape of an even galette. Spread thereon one lb. of softened butter, without completely covering the paste; draw the edges of the paste towards the centre, in such wise as to enclose the butter completely, and to form a square thickness of paste. (3) Leave to rest for a further ten minutes and then begin the working of the paste; rolling it out to the length of one and one-half feet, and keeping it one in. thick. Fold this layer over thrice, and press upon it with the roller so as to join the superposed layers. The whole of this operation constitutes one turn. Begin another turn immediately, turning the paste the reverse way, and folding it as before. Set it to rest in the cool for eight or ten minutes, and then effect two more turns. Ten minutes after the two last turns (there should be six in all), the puff-paste is ready to be cut up and used. _Remarks relative to puff-paste_: Good puff-paste should be buttered to the extent of one lb. per one and one-half lbs., _i.e._, one lb. of butter for every one lb. of flour mixed with one-half pint of water. The consistence of the paste and the butter should be exactly the same, if they are to be evenly mixed; the butter ought therefore to be softened—more particularly in winter. In preparing puff-paste, remember to put it in a cool place while it is resting; but never directly upon ice; for, though the ice would not affect the paste, it might seriously affect the butter. It would harden it to the extent of preventing its perfect mixture with the mass, and lumps would form. Puff-paste should be rolled out very regularly, with the view of thoroughly distributing the butter throughout the preparation, and thus ensuring its uniform rising. Puff-paste should not be worked too speedily; for, if it be so worked, it will be found to acquire an elasticity which not only makes it difficult to cut up, but also tends to make it shrink in the baking. 2367—PUFF-PASTE TRIMMINGS OR HALF PUFF-PASTE These are very useful in pastry work, for tartlets, _barquettes_, _croûtons_, &c. When the puff-paste is cut up, the trimmings should therefore be rolled into a ball, and put aside in the cool. Nevertheless they must be used within the space of two days in summer and four days in winter. 2368—ORDINARY BRIOCHE PASTE (1) Sift one lb. of flour on to the board; take a quarter of it, make a hollow in it, and put therein one-quarter oz. of very fresh, dry yeast. Mix the yeast and the flour with a little tepid water, so as to obtain a soft paste which is the leaven. Roll this paste into a ball; make two slits in its top, at right angles to one another, and place it in a small basin. Cover the latter, and put it in a somewhat warm place, that the leaven may be sure to ferment. (2) Make a hollow in the remaining flour, and put into it one-quarter oz. of salt, and one and one-half oz. of sugar, together with two tablespoonfuls of milk to melt it, one-third of the whole amount of the butter to be used, namely, four oz., and four eggs. Begin by thoroughly mixing the butter, eggs and seasoning, and then combine the flour therewith, by degrees. When the paste forms a compact mass, knead and pull it about with the hands, that it may be light. When, at the end of a few minutes, it has acquired a certain resilience, make a hole in the middle of it and add one egg. Mix the latter with the paste; work it afresh, and after an interval of two minutes add one more egg in the same way. The total number of eggs for the quantities of other ingredients given above should be six. (3) Add the remaining butter (eight oz.) to the paste; the former being _manied_ and even softened, just sufficiently to make it of the same consistence as the paste. Spread it on the latter, and mix the two; kneading small portions at a time, and combining those portions so as to mix the two elements completely. At this stage, overturn the paste and spread the leaven (which should now be equal to twice its original bulk) upon it. Mix it well as in the case of the butter, without working the paste. Finally, put the paste into a basin; cover it, and place it in a temperate room. For it to have the desired lightness, this paste should ferment for from ten to twelve hours. However, at the end of five or six hours, the process is arrested by the working of the paste; that is to say, by turning it out upon a flour-dusted board and beating it with the palm of the hand. It is then returned to the basin to ferment afresh, for five or six hours; and then it is once more beaten just before being used. 2369—MOUSSELINE BRIOCHE PASTE _Mousseline_ brioche paste is made from the ordinary kind, combined with a little butter and developed in the mould by fermentation before the baking process—which procedure makes it exceedingly light and delicate. This paste is used in the preparation of certain timbales for fruit sweets, and it is prepared as follows:— Take the required amount of ordinary brioche paste, and add to it, per lb. of paste, two oz. of best butter, softened to the consistence of an ointment, that it may thoroughly mix with the paste. Roll the paste into a ball, and put it in a liberally-buttered mould, only filling two-thirds of the latter with it. The remaining third of the mould gets filled by the rising of the paste. Place the mould in a temperate room, until the paste has risen to the edges of the mould; besmear the surface of the paste with a brush dipped in melted butter, and bake in a moderate oven. 2370—ORDINARY BRIOCHE PASTE (For Rissoles, Small Patties à la Dauphine, and Various other Preparations) _Quantities_: one lb. of flour, seven oz. of butter, four fair-sized eggs, salt, a pinch of powdered sugar; one-third oz. of very dry, fresh yeast, and a little tepid milk. (1) Make the leaven with a quarter of the flour, the yeast and the lukewarm milk, and set it to ferment while the paste is being prepared. (2) Prepare the paste as already directed, and keep it fermenting as before for ten hours, taking care to arrest the process once. The work is the same as in the preceding case, in every particular, except in regard to the amount of butter, which in this instance is only half as much; in regard to the amount of sugar, which should only be just sufficient to ensure the colouring of the paste; and finally in regard to its firmness, which should admit of the paste being worked with a rolling-pin. 2371—SAVARIN PASTE _Quantities_: One lb. of flour; twelve oz. of butter; one-half oz. of very dry, fresh yeast; eight eggs; about one-third pint of milk; one-half oz. of salt, and one oz. of sugar. _Procedure_: Savarin paste may be prepared in several ways; but the one given below is as simple and expeditious as could be desired. Sift the flour into a basin (or a round wooden bowl, better suited to the work); hollow it out; add the yeast, and dissolve the latter by means of tepid milk, stirring slightly with the tip of the finger. Add the eggs; mix the whole; work the paste by hand for a few minutes; detach those portions of it which have adhered to the side of the utensil, and add them to the whole. Distribute the softened butter in small quantities over the paste. Cover, and place in a temperate room until the paste has grown to twice its original bulk. Then add salt; knead the paste, that it may thoroughly absorb the butter, and pat it briskly until it is sufficiently elastic to be taken up in one lump. At this stage add the sugar, and work the paste again that the former may thoroughly mix with it. The sugar should only be added at the close of the operation; for, since it impairs the cohesiveness of the paste, it would render the latter much more difficult to work were it added at the start. THE USES OF THIS PASTE If it be for Savarins with syrup, it is customary to sprinkle the previously-buttered moulds with slightly-grilled, chopped or splintered almonds. Take the paste in small quantities at a time, and line the moulds with it to the extent of one-third of their height. The remaining two-thirds of each mould become covered when the paste rises owing to fermentation. Proceed in the same way for Savarins which are to be kept dry, for fruit crusts or other uses; but then the sprinkling of the moulds with almond may be omitted. 2372—PÂTE A BABA _Quantities_: One lb. of flour; one-half lb. of butter; seven eggs; two-thirds oz. of yeast; one-fifth pint of milk; one-third oz. of salt; two-thirds oz. of sugar; three oz. of currants and sultanas in equal quantities. _Procedure_: Proceed exactly as for Savarin paste, and add the currants and sultanas at the last with the sugar. In moulding, a few pipped Malaga raisins may be laid on the bottom of the moulds. As in the case of the Savarin, the paste should only fill one-third of the mould. 2373—ORDINARY PÂTE A CHOUX _Quantities._—One pint of water; eight oz. of butter; one-third oz. of salt; one oz. of sugar; one lb. of sifted flour; sixteen fair-sized eggs, and a tablespoonful of orange-flower water. _Procedure._—Put the water, butter, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and boil. When the liquid boils and rises, take the saucepan off the fire; add the flour, and mix. Return the saucepan to a moderate fire, and stir the paste until it ceases to stick to the spoon, and the butter begins to ooze slightly. Take the saucepan off the fire; add the eggs, two at a time, taking care to mix each couple thoroughly with the paste before inserting the succeeding couple. When all the eggs have been absorbed, finish the paste with orange-flower water. 2374—COMMON PÂTE A CHOUX (For Souffléd Fritters, Gnochi, Potatoes à la Dauphine) Proceed as directed above, but reduce the quantity of butter to three oz., and the number of eggs to twelve; avoid drying this paste overmuch. 2375—RAMEQUINS AND GOUGÈRE PASTE This is prepared exactly like ordinary “Pâte à Choux,” except that:—