11'* ./; .\ ^f> i — ^ Class. GiyitghtN?. COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT fe # ^ 3^ Kif' MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING WILLIAM H. BROOKS Internationa! Cake Expert, Author of tlic Pastry Chef and Contributor to the Leading Trade Journals Modern Practical Cake Baking BY WILLIAM H. BROOKS Price $3.00 TIMES PUBLISHING COMPANY, PALO ALTO, CAL. 1915 ^g^> Copyright 191 5 by William H. Brooks DEC 13 19(5 'CI.A416847 PREFACE As I am not entirely unknown to the baking- trade of America it is with a certain amount of confidence I submit this book of recipes for pubhc approval Through my connection with trade journals it has been possible for me to gain entry to many large bakeries and with my experi- ence as a practical baker have benefited greatly by the exchange of ideas and recipes, most of which I have worked out and brought down to meet the requirements of all classes of trade. Special attention has been paid to the method of putting the materials in the various recipes together, to economize by obtaining the best results by using the newest and most up to date and approved methods. In this respect I hope that the book will serve a double purpose in not only being a reliable recipe guide but as a general source of information on the proper handling of materials during all stages of cake manufacture. As the book covers the wdiole subject from Cofifee Cake to Wedding Cake it should be indispensable to the progressive baker. Every recipe published has been carefully worked out as to the cost and is well bal- anced as to materials, the object being to obtain the best results at a minimum cost. In conclusion would like to say that should any purchaser of this book have trouble with any recipe through local causes, would appreciate it very much if they would write me and would gladly give all informa- tion possible without placing them under any obligation whatsoever. Respectfully yours, WILLIAM H. BROOKS. The cuts used in this volume were loaned by courtesy of Bakers Weekly. CONTENTS CHAPTER I Coffee Cakfs and Swkkt Doughs ------ The proper and most economical method of handling Coffee Cake donghs, etc. — Nut Rolls. — Poppy Seed Strudel. — .-Xpfel Scrude!. — • Streuhsel Buns. — Apple, Peach, Plum Cake, etc. — .'\pricot Cake. — Pecan Rolls. — Chelsea Buns. — Rolled in Butter Dough. — 15-Cent Rings. — 20-Cent Rings. — 45-Cent Rings. — Filling for -|5-Cent Rings. -^Apricot JeMy. — Cheese Cake. — Zwieback. — ^Cheese. CHAPTER 2 Brioche ----------- Method of preparation. — Its varied uses as a sweet and savory. — Characteristics of Brioche. — Recipe for Brioche. — Unfermented Brioche. CHAPTER 3 Common Cakes ---------- Crullers.— Tea Biscuits.— Jelly Roll No. i.— Jelly Roll No. 2.— Angel Food. — Lady Fingers No. i. — Lady Fingers No. 2. — Straw- berry Shortcake. — Boston Brown Bread. Page CHAPTER 4 Pies Quality of Flour, Lard, etc. — Recipe for Pie Dough. — Fruit Pie Fillings. — Custard Filling. — Lemon Pie Filling. — Pumi)kin Pie Filling.^-Chocolate Cream Pies. — Covering Meringue for Lemon and Chocolate Pies. — Fine Punapkin Pie. — Open Tarts. CHAPTER 5 Cookies - - - - - - - - - - -11 Premier Cookies. — Queen Cookies. — Honey Cookies. — Fig Cookies. — Oatmeal Cookies. — -Fancy Butter Cookies.-r-Scotch Perkins. — Ginger Nuts. — Crisp Fancies. — Spice Drops. — Lemon Cookies. — Cocoanuc Cookies. — Raisin Cookies. — ^Ginger Cookies No. i. — White Sugar Cookies. — Angel Cookies. — Jelly Rings. — Italian Bis- cuits. — Rice Wafers. — Fruit Wafers. CHAPTER 6 IvOAF Cakes ---------- 16 Van Dusen Cakes. — White Van Dusen. — Yellow Van Dusen. — Dor- othy Cakes. — Yellow Florence. — Dundee Cake. — English Mediera Cake.— Ideal Ginger Cake.— Small Pound Cakes.— Vanilla Fig Cake. — Orient Cake. — Lemon Sandwich. — Loaf Sponge Cake. X CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 7 Puff Pastry ------____ 20 Preparation of Paste. — Choice of Flours, Butter, etc. — Proper hand- ling of same. — Pufif Pastry. — Three-Quarter Paste. — Rolled in Paste for Pies. — Savory Pastries. — -Patty Shells. — Vol-au-Vent. — Cheese Straws.— Meat Patties— SWEET PASTRIES.— Almond Tarts.— French Straws. — Pineapple Slices. — Napoleons. — Sweethearts. — Pretzels, etc. — Cherry and Jelly Tartlets. — Apple Puffs and Fruit Pastries. — Almond Pastries. — Diamond Chips. — Spanish Puffs. CHAPTER 8 Layer Cakes -------___ 25 Amount of filling required for Rich Layers, e^tc. — Almond Layers. — Chocolate Layers. — Ginger Layers. — Yellow Layers. — Devil's Food. — White Layers. — Fruit Layers. — Butter Sponge Layers. — Chocolate Walnut Layers. — Lemon Layers. — Chocolate Ginger Layers. — Pecan Layers. — Cherry Layers. — Punch Layers. — Mixed Fruit Layers. — Lady Baltimore Layers. — Premier Layers. — Orange Cocoanut Layers. — Banana Tarts. — Pineapple Snow Cake. CHAPTER 9 Layer Cake Fillings --------- -zg Punch Filling. — Apricot Filling. — Raspberry Filling. — Orange Fill- ing. — Mashmallow Filling. — Cherry Filling. — Special Lemon Fill- ing — Chocolate Walnut hilling. — Apple Filling. — Walnut Filling. CHAPTER 10 Meringue Goods - - - - - - - - -31 Why fresh egg whites that have "stood" are better to use than fresh whites. — Meringue Shells. — Meringue Mushrooms. — Maraschino Meringue. — Meringue Birds. — Coffee Meringue. — Cocoanut Mer- ingue.. — Meringue Kisses. — Meringue Pasties. — Cherry Meringue. CHAPTER II Almond Goods ----------35 How to adjust the recipes to quality of Almond Paste. — Proper proportions of sugar for same. — Biscuit Petit Fours. — Fancy Mac- aroons. — Walnut Pyramids. — Chocolate Macaroons. — Hazelnut Macaroons. — Congress Macaroons. — Dutch Macaroons. — Plain Macaroons. — Royal Almond Bars. — Chocolate Almond Bars. — Cin- namon Almond Sticks. — Almond Batons. — Almond Nuggets. — Al- mond Boats. — Macaroon Shortbread. — Almond Tarts. — Almond Mascots — Lorange Pistache.^ — Maraschino Bateaux. — Maraschino Petits Fours. — Walnut Biscuits. — Pistachio Biscuits. — Chemin de Fer Bars. — Raspberry Almond Cuts. — Gaufres Biscuits. — Picnola Macaroons. CHAPTER 12 French Pastries ---------44 Definition of the term French Pastry.— Fruit Pastries.— Base for same. — Suitable forms of decoration for the various kinds. — Fruit Creams.— Fillings.— Petit Choux.— Light Cake Base.— Custard Cream.— Apple Cream. — Butter Cream. CONTENTS xi Page CHAPTER 13 Small Fancy Cakes ---------47 Fancy Cakes to retail from 20 cents to $1 a dozen. — -Desmondonas. — Orange Crescents. — Cream Pyramids. — Apricotines. — Vanilla Pastries. — Timbre Cakes. — Fruit Pyramids. — Chocola'te Bars. — Checkers. — Fedora Cakes. — Strawberry Petit Fours. — Strawberry Mascots. — Mocha Slices. — Chocolate Slices. — Cocoanut Pyramids. - — ^Apples and Pears. — Petit Beurres. — Chocolate Almond Creams. — Orange Fi'ling. — Maraschino Fingers. — Rose Tartlets. — Viennese Pastries. — Kopje Tartlets. — Strawberry Butter Cake. — Neapolitan Creams. — Crumb Tartlets. CHAPTER 14 Wafer Biscuits, Etc ._._. _._56 Wafer Biscuits and Cakes to retail from 40 to 60 cents per pound. — Lemon Ice Biscuits. — Orange Ice Biscuits. — Fleur de Orange Biscuits. — Pommes de Terre. — Inverness Buttons. — Walnut Molas- ses Wafers. — Parisian Puffs. — Hermits. — Cocoanut and Almond Drops. CHAPTER 15 Bonnes Bochees, Etc. --------59 Bonnes Bouchees. — Hazelnut Bouchees. — Almond Bouchees. — Bou- chees with Whipped Cream Filling. — Vanilla Cream Bouchees. CHAPTER 16 Lancues du Chats (Cats' Tongues) - - - - - - 61 Langues du Chats. — Its uses as a form of decoration. — Gateaux a la Supreme. — Cream Charlottes, etc. CHAPTER 17 DUBOSH TORTEN __.------ 63 Dubosh Torte No. r. — Dubosh Torte No. 2. — Neapolitan Torte. — Neapolitan Slices. — Hazelnut Torten. CHAPTER 18 Chou Pastry _.-------- 64 Mixtures for all grades. — Ec'airs and Cream Puff Filling. — Eclairs. — French Eclairs. — Chou a la Creme. — Maple Creams. — Pralinee Cream Buns. — French Crullers. — French Pastries. — Bor- deaux Pastries. — Crescents. — Lemon Cream Buns. — Gateaux St. Honore. — Bouchees, etc. CHAPTER 19 Cream Goods ----------68 Sponge Casing for Charlotte Russe. — New method of laying out mixtures. — Plain Whipped Cream. — Charlotte Russe. — Double Char- lottes. — Charlottes a la Cardinal.— Large Charlottes.— Punch Cream Buns. — Savarins. — Savarin ^lixture. — Banana Tarts. — Cream Baskets. — Pineapple Tarts. — Matinee Creams. — Opera Pastries. — Boston Cream Pies. — Snowballs. — Orange Creams. — Whipped Cream Torte. — Hazelnut Cream Torte. — Pastry Charlottes. CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 20 Pound Cake ---------- 75 Proper heat of oven for Pound Cake Baking. — Faults and reme- dies. — Quality and peculiarities of raw materials and how it af- fects the cake. — Butter, eggs, sugar. — Fruit, flavors and colors. — Almond Paste in Fruit Cake. — Method of mixing for high grade and cheap cake. — Storage and cutting. — Plain Pound Cake, etc. — Genoa Cake. — Cherry Genoa. — Ginger Pound. — Caraway Seed Pound. — Rich Fruit Pound. — Rich Pound Cake. — Light Pound Cake. —Fruit Cake.— White Pound Cake.— Marhlc Pound Cake.— Fleur de Lys Pound. — Small Pound Cakes. CHAPTER 21 \\'i;i)i)iiNC Cakk ---------- 8i Genera' Mclhrid of Preparalion. — Initials and Monograms. — The use of Gold Leaf and Ranana Oil.— White Cake No. i.— White Cake No. 2. — English Wedding Cake. — Individual Wedding Cakes. CHAPTER 22 Plum Puddinc, ____------ 84 English Plum Pudding. — Use of butccr in Pudding.s. — Recipes for all Suet Puddings. — Decorated Puddings Im- window disi)lay. — Recipes lor Puddings with Butter. — Mincemeat. CHAPTER 2:^ Icings __--_------ 85 h'ondant and its uses. — Water Icing. — Royal Icing. — Fruit Icing. — Syrups. CHAPTER 24 Butter Creams ___-_---- 86 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Plate Xo. I .___------6i Patty Shells. — Cheese Straws. — Pastrj' Charlot*:es. — Opera Pastries. — Cream Baskets. — Matinee Creams. — Spanish Puffs. — Punch E'uns. Plate Nix 2 ---------- 10 iM-encli Crullers. — Bouchees. — Ec'airs. — Bordeaux Creams. — Pra- linee Buns. — Crescent Petits Choux. — French Eclairs. — Pistachio Creams. — Fedora Pastry. — Kidney-shaped Petits Choux. — Lemon Bouchees. Plate No. 3 ----------14 Types of I'rench Pastry. Plate No. 4 ---------- 20 Types of Wedding and Birthday Cakes. Plate No. 5 ---------- 24 Savarins. — Kopje Tartlets. — Cream Baskets. — Neapolitan Creams. — Strawberry Mascots. — Almond Tartlets. Plate No. 6 ---------- 28 Chocolate Walnut Layer. — Cherry Cream Layer. — Chocolate Dev- il's Food. — Dubosh Layer. — Punch Layer. — Cream Layer. Plate No. 7 ---------- 32 Gateaux. — Floral Gateau. — La Rose Gateau. — Coffee Gateau. — Al- mond Gateau.— Tricolor Gateau. — Gateau Supreme.— Fruit Gateau. — ^locha Gateau. — Fruit Gateau. Plate No. 8 ---------- 36 Maraschino Petits Fours. — Walnut Biscuits. — Rheims Biscuits. — Gaufres Biscuits.— Raspberry Almond Cuts.— Chemin de Fer Bars. Plate No. 9 ___------- 40 Pistachio Biscuit. — Hazelnut and .\lmond Bouchees. — Cats' Tongues.— Pistachio Biscuits.— Almond Mascots. — Lorange Pis- tachio. Plate No. 10 ---------- 48, Choco'ate Bouchees.— Apples and Pears.— Pineapple Creams.— Strawberry Petits Fours.— Maraschino Fingers.— Cocoanut Pyra- mids. xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Plate No. ii ___------- 54^/ Raspberry Cream Ovals. — Mocha Slices. — Checkers. — Gateau le Grande. — Almond Tarts. — Petits Beurres. Plate No. 12 _--_--__._ 58 '^ Meringue Goods. — Easter Specialties. — Frogs. — Lambs. Plate No. 13 ----------64^ Chocolate Macaroons. — Fancy Macaroons. — Hazelnut Macaroons. Pinenut Macaroons. — Chocolate Bars. — Fruit Pyramids. Plate No. 14 _----_-__- 72 v Chocolate Slices. — Walnut Pyramids. — Rose Tartlets. — Viennese Pastries. — Chocolate Almond Creams. — Maraschino Bateaux. Plate No. 15 __------._ 8o^ Strawberry Butter Cakes. — White Almond Bars. — Dubosh Slices. — Desmondonas. — Decorated Cakes. ThcDouble Duty Oven BAKES EVERYTHING BREAD, CAKES, ROLLS, PIES and PASTRY 'riiere's a big diffcience in ovens that means a loss or gain to the baker in actual dollars and cents. Petersen Ovens today embody all the improvements suggested by thirty-five years of actual use under every imag- inable condition. Our experience, our workmanship and our skill combined with the Petersen Patented Heating System, are absolutely unsurpassed for economy and for producing finest re- sults. We build ovens strictly for the bak- ing of bread or strictly for the baking of cakes, and we also build the com- bination model, which is equipi>ed with ; /'.•/.■, ibiiiatioii I4 inches wide. Retail at 5 cents each. ApFEl StrudEl For Apfel Strudel peel, core and chop some apples fairly fine, through these mix some cinnamon sugar and crumbs in equal proportions. Pin out a piece of dough oblong shape and place the apples in a long strip down the center, take one end of the dough and lap over the apples and the other end over that. Roll onto a baking sheet so that the double thickness of dough is at the bottom, wash with &gg, prove and bake. Wash with water icing when partly cool and cut slantwise into sections i>4 inches wide. Retail at 5 cents each. COFFEE CAKE AND SWEE.T DOUGH 3 StrEuhsel Buns Break off pieces of dough to scale lo to the pound. Roll up round, then oval shape. Pin out to ^4 i'^ch in thickness and place to touch on a baking sheet. Wash with egg and prove. Before baking sprinkle over thickly a mixture composed of the following: i pound butter, i pound sugar, a little vanilla and cinnamon, 2 eggs, 2 pounds flour. Cream to- gether the butter and sugar, add the eggs and flavoring. Rub in flour lightly. Bake and retail at 12 cents per dozen. For large Streuhsel Cake w*eigh off into pieces scaling 12 ounces, pin out to 3^ inch in thickness and proceed in the same way as for Streuhsel Buns. Apple, Peach, Plum Cake, Etc. For individual Apple Cake line some layer cake pans with the sweet dough. Arrange some apples divided into eight pieces on top of the dough. Prove a little, then sprinkle over a little cinnamon sugar. Bake with a round of stiff paper cut to the size of the pan, on top. This should be greased slightly. When baked let stand with the paper cover over for a few minutes before removing. Brush over while warm with hot apricot jelly. For large Apple Cake proceed in .the same way as for the individual size. For Peach, Plum, etc., line the pans as for Apple Cake and arrange the fruit as neatly as possible. For Peach Cake cut the peaches into quarters and arrange them into a gradually narrowing circle to the center. Prove and bake. Wash with hot apricot jelly when com- ing from the oven. Proceed in the same way with the plums. Apricot Cake For Apricot Cake pin out a piece of plain coffee cake dough the length and width of a baking sheet and ^ inch thick. Place this on a greased baking sheet. Give about half proof, then make some impressions in the dough with the top of a tea biscuit cutter an equal distance apart. Place half a preserved apricot within each impression and granulated sugar over the whole. Finish proving and bake. Cut in pieces to retail at 10 cents each. Pecan N:ut Rolls For Pecan Nut Rolls pin out a piece of dough as for snails, brush over some warm butter and sprinkle over pretty thickly a mixture com- posed of crushed pecan nuts and powdered sugar in equal proportions. Roll up and make the closing hold with a little egg wash. Cut into pieces to weigh 25^ ounces each and place seven in a round pan which has been heavily greased and then well dusted with brown sugar. Prove and bake. Turn upside down as they come from the oven. Retail at 20 to 25 cents the ring, according to locality. 4 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING CHii;LSE;A Buns Take a large baking sheet with four sides, pour in some melted butter to about ys inch in depth and sprinkle over thickly some brown sugar. Pin out a piece of dough as for Pecan Nut Rolls, wash with warm butter and sprinkle over a little brown sugar with a few chopped walnuts. Roll up, wash with butter and cut into pieces to weigh 2>4 ounces each and place together in the pan, prove and bake. Turn upside down onto a clean pan as soon as they come from the oven. Rolled in Butter Dough For bakers who cater to a high class and are looking for something real classy along these lines, would recommend the following as likely to fill the bill. Very few bakers are familiar with rich butter doughs, but when once the proper handling of these doughs is mastered there is nothing in the coffee cake line to equal them for quality. The doughs for this purpose are usually made rich with eggs and sugar in the first place. Then after proving a little the butter is rolled in as for pastry. In summer time in a rich dough where as high as 4 pounds of butter to 8 pounds of dough is used it is necessary to keep in the icebox or over ice until working off. Three pastry turns are suffilcient for a rich dough with an interval of half an hour between the turns. This is the usual way of running all rich butter doughs. Rich almond paste fillings are used for making the higher priced coffee rings, one or two of which are given. For a coffee ring to sell at 15 cents each prepare a dough from the following: 15 quarts milk, 4 quarts eggs, 9 pounds sugar, 6 pounds butter and lard, 6 ounces salt, 3 pounds yeast (young dough), knock down in 2 hours, then take in 15 minutes. To every 20 pounds of dough roll in 2^ pounds butter, give one pastry turn and work off quickl\' in the usual way. For 20-cent rings roll in a little more butter and sprinkle over a few chopped almonds, before baking. Wash with water icing when partly cool. 45-cENT Rings One quart milk, >^ pound sugar, i quart eggs. 5 ounces yeast, little salt, dough up soft. Roll in 3 pounds butter, 9 pounds dough. Scale dough I pound 2 ounces each piece and 14 ounces of filling. Filling eor 45-cENT Rings One pound sugar, i pound almond paste, 5 eggs, i>4 pounds raisins. Rub the almond paste smooth with the eggs, add the sugar, then the rai- sins. Pin out the dough and cut into oblong shaped strips. Take a piece of the filling (14 ounces) and roll into a long strip and place down the center. Wash one end of the dough with egg wash and roll up to com- COFFEE CAKE AND SWEET DOUGH 5 pletely envelop the filling'. Prove and sprinkle over a few chopped almonds. Bake and when j^artly cool frost with white icino;. Apricot Jklly To prepare the jelly for brushing over apple cake, etc., weigh down the following: lo pounds apricots, strain these through a coarse sieve, place in a copper kettle and to this add lo pounds granulated sugar. Bring to the boil and allow to boil steadily for 25 minutes. Zwieback Roll out some sweet dough, French bread style, but a little thicker, prove and bake. When a day old cut into slices Y^ inch thick, place to- gether on a baking sheet and toast in a brisk oven. Fancy Zwikhack Roll up the sweet dough into small rolls 3 inches long and i inch wide, place in rows and close together on a baking sheet. Prove and bake. When a day old cut into slices, dip lightly into a mixture of half ^to§' Slid milk, then into Streuhsel crumbs or fiaked almonds. Almond Zwikhack Before toasting spread the slices with a niixture prepared from the following : j/j pound almond paste, ^ pound sugar, 6 or 7 whites of eggs. Rub all together well, spread thinly on toast. Cheesr Cake Line some layer cake pans with deep sides with sweet dough. Prove for 15 to 20 minutes, then trim the edges and prepare the following: 4 pounds sugar, 2^ pounds butter, 7 ounces cornstarch, juice and grating of 7 lemons, 24 eggs, 8 pounds cheese. Rub the butter and sugar to a light cream, beat up the eggs and add in three separate quantities, beat well after each addition, add the cornstarch, then the juice and grating of lemons, lastly cheese. Fill the pans almost level, sprinkle over a few cur- rants, then a dust of cinnamon. Bake in medium oven. Cheese The cheese is prepared by allowing milk to get sour and lumpy in the can. This requires at least three to four days in the winter time, but in real hot weather one or two days will do the trick. Pour this into a clean flour sack and hang up for two or three days, then press through a fine sieve before using. 6 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING CHAPTER 2 BRIOCHE Tliis is a fancy fermented cake very popnlar in France and which is rapidly g-aining favor in this country. It should be a popular addi- tion to the line of goods of any high grade store, especially those running a tea room or coffee parlor as a side line. In Europe it is usually eaten with wine or coffee, made in small or oval finger shapes, and sandwiched together with either cream or savory filling. It is a delightful sandwich to serve in the tea nxDms, which I think are fast becoming popular, For the Brioche weigh down the following quantities of materials : Sponge — 2 pounds flour, i quart of milk, 2 ounces yeast. Warm the milk to about blood heat over the stove ; in this dissolve the yeast, then stir in the flour. Set away in a warm place to rise. Now prepare the following dough : 4 pounds strong flour, 30 eggs, 6 ounces sugar. Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a bay and place in the eggs and 6 ounces of the sugar. Make this into a real tough dough by stretching and bang- ing on the bench ; work into this dough 4 pounds butter slowly, add about y2 pound at a time and work the dough well after each addition. When all the butter is in take the sponge, which should have risen enough by this time, and work into the butter dough with 6 ounces more sugar. Just mix through the sponge sufficient to make a clear dough. Put this away in a cool place for from eight to ten hours. This is really an over night dough and if possible it should have one knockdown during that time, say after six or seven hours. When the dough is ready turn out onto the bench. For large rings scale at i pound 2 ounces ; for ring twists 15 ounces. Pinch off the dough for small rolls to scale 16 or 17 to the pound. The large rings are prepared by first handing the dough up round. Allow this to stand a little while, then make a hole in the center. Gradually open this out by letting it run through the hands. Place onto baking sheets and brush over with a heavy wash of ^^% yolks. Let stand a little while and give another coating of ^gg yolks ; give small proof, then make some incisions with a pair of scissors around the top of the ring. Leave plain or sprinkle a little granulated sugar with a few flaked almonds on top. Bake in sound oven. For serving in tea rooms or coffee parlors the handiest shapes are the oval and finger rolls. These should be kept small, as their smallness increases their daintiness. Give two coatings of egg wash and mark several times on top with a sharp knife. The fancy shaped rolls are usually eaten plain. The very small- est amount of proof is necessary to keep them in perfect shape; in fact, this rule should apply to all Brioche. The large rings retail at 30 cents each ; the ring twists at 25 cents, and the small rolls at 20 and 25 cents per dozen. If a faster dough is needed use 6 to 8 ounces of yeast to this Pastry Charlottes Spanisli Puffs Opera Pastries Cream Baskets Matinee Creams Punch Buns Cheese Straws Patty Shells PLATE NO. 1 CAKES FOR EVERY DAY SALES 7 quantity of dough. This should he ready in ahout four hours with one knockdown. Care shoukl he taken to have the dough kept real cool at all times, as it contains quite a quantity of butter. Without ex- ception brioche is the richest fermented dough made, that is, one from which small rolls are made, and I can highly recommend this recipe to any baker looking for something in this class. The distinguishing char- acteristic of Brioche is its short and cheesy nature when eaten. Unfermented Brioche Four pounds flour, 2 ounces cream of tartar, i ounce bicarbonate of soda, }i pound butter, 8 eggs, 3 ounces sugar, i ounce of salt and milk. Thoroughly mix the flour and chemicals together by sifting them; rub in the butter ; make a bay ; add sugar, salt, eggs and sufficient milk to make a fairly free dough. Make into various fancy shapes ; wash with yolks of eggs, let stand for half an hour and bake in hot oven. CHAPTER 3 CAKES FOR EVERY DAY SALES Tea Biscuits Six pounds flour, 3 ounces cream of tartar, ly? ounces soda, i pound lard, 4 ounces sugar, i ounce salt, 2 quarts milk. Rub the lard into the flour, make a bay, place in the rest of the ingredients, lastly milk. Mix into a clear dough without toughening too much. Cut out with 2-inch plain cutter, pan close together on lightly greased baking sheets, wash with egg and bake in hot oven. Retail at 12 cents per dozen. Jelly Roll No. i Two quarts eggs, 43^ pounds granulated sugar, 2J/2 pounds strong flour, vanilla flavor. Beat up the eggs and granulated sugar as for sponge cake. Flavor with vanilla and mix through the flour lightly. Di- vide between four papered baking sheets. When baked turn onto clean sacks, wet the papers and remove, spread over thinly some raspberry jam and roll tight, let stand tightly rolled in sack until quite cold. Then cut into sections. Jelly Roll No. 2 Ten pounds sugar (half granulated and half powdered) 6 quarts eggs, I ounce soda, 2 ounces cream tartar, 2 ounces orange flower water, 10 pounds flour. This mixture is for the highest class trade. Place the eggs in the beater, add the sugar and beat up well, get it out into a bowl and sift the soda in through a fine sieve and also add the flavor, 8 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING thoronohly mix in the cream of tartar throuj^;!! the sifted flour and care- fully mix into a clear dough ; spread it out in the usual way on pans and when baked spread on thinly raspberry jam and roll up tight in paper. L.\nY Fingers No. i One quart whites, ^ cpiart yolks. 2 pounds powdered sugar, 2 pounds flour (half strong, half soft). Beat up the whites good and stiff in either the kettle or machine, add about lialf the sugar gradually, beat well after each addition. Now mix through the yolks gently, then the remam- der of the sugar with a little vanilla extract, mix through the flour lightly with the hand. Sieve enough powdered sugar so that when spread out it will be the length and breadth of a baking sheet. Lay out the fingers with a bag and )4-ii''cli plain tube on papers, pick up and drop onto the powdered sugar, then onto the baking sheet. Bake in sound oven. Remove from the papers by wetting the back and sandwich together in pairs. This is by far the best way to make lady fingers, making a nice, bold, soft eating finger. Of course care should be taken to have the whites nice and clean and to see that the receptacle in which the\- are beaten up is the same. Fvctail at 60 cents per ])ound. Lady Pincers No. 2 One quart eggs, Yz pint yolks, 2 pounds granulated sugar, 2 pounds flour (half strong and half soft). Warm the eggs, yolks and sugar over the stove and beat up until light and thick, add a little flavoring, then the flour. Proceed in the same way as for Lady Fingers No. i. Angel Food One quart whites, 2 pounds powdered sugar, i pound soft flour, J4 ounce of cream of tartar, i ounce cornstarch, vanilla flavor. Beat up the whites fairly stifif, then gradually beat in one pound of the sugar with a good pinch of cream of tartar. Stir in the remainder of the sugar mixed with the flour and cream of tartar. Soak the angel food pans in cold water before using. Fill level and bake in moderate oven. Will make seven to sell at 20 to 25 cents each. When baked and cool frost with either white or chocolate fondant. Crullers Eight pounds flour, 3 ounces baking powder, 5^ pound butter and lard, 2 pounds sugar, 8 eggs, 4^ pints milk. Place the sugar, fat and eggs together in a bowl. Rub a little and add a few drops of lemon oil with a little egg color. Add the milk, then the flour and baking powder. Mix sufficient to clear the dough. Cut out with regular cruller cutter and fry. PIES 9 Stkawiuckkv Shortcake Strawberry Shortcake is usually made in sizes sufficient to serve 6 to 8 people. A layer from a good layer mixture is sometimes used for this purpose, or a layer cake mixture in sheet form when something from which an individual portion has to be cut. Split the layer in two, spread over a layer of either meringue or whipped and sweetened cream, then place a liberal amount of strawberries on top of this, place the half layer on top and cover the whole with a good layer of whipped and sweet- ened cream. Place three or four whole strawberries on top. A nice Strawberry Shortcake is made from the following: 6 pounds flour, 3 ounces cream of tartar, ly? ounces soda, y^ pound sugar, 4 eggs, i^ pounds butter and lard, i^ quarts milk. Rub the butter through the flour, make a bay, add the rest of the ingredients, mix thoroughly but do not toughen. Scale into pieces weighing i pound and divide each pound into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, mold up round and place on the bench. Pin out the 2 pieces on the bench to about 8 inches diameter, \vash one piece (the largest) with melted butter and place other piece on top. Place on lightly greased baking sheet, wash with egg and bake in lirisk oven. When l:)aked pull the 2 halves apart, s])read over a layer of meringue, then a layer of strawberries. Place the other half on top and dust heavily with XXXX sugar. Boston Brown Bread Three pounds whole wheat flour, 2 pounds rye flour, i 1-3 pounds corn meal, y^ pound crumbs, 2 ounces raisins, 1-3 pound lard, i quart molasses, 2 ounces soda, 3 quarts water, i 1-3 ounces salt. Place mo- lasses, lard, salt, soda and water in the bowl and rub together, add the remainder of ingredients and mix. Scale 10 ounces for 5 cents, 1% pounds 10 cents. CHAPTER 4 PIES Pie Paste is a tlifficult thing for which to give anv set recipe. Flour and lards vary so much in (piality that it is really best left to the baker to adjust the recipe to the materials at hand. One shipment of lard may be tough and another light and short, one contains more fat and the other vice versa, so if the recipe given does not produce satisfactory results look to your materials. Flours vary in softness and likewise water absorb- ing qualities. Both flour and lard are important in the manufacture of good paste, so care in the selection of materials is necessary if you would produce good pies. 10 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING For the paste weigh down tlie following: 12 pounds soft Hour, 6^/2 pounds lard, 4 ounces salt, 2 quarts water. Rub the lard through the flour, add the salt and lastly water. Put together without overworking. A special paste for pies is given under the heading Puff Pastry recipe No. 3. Pie Fillings Pie fillings, with the methods of preparation, etc., have been touched upon so many times in the trade journals and every baker seems to have his own method of preparing same, therefore I will touch very lightly upon this subject. One thing I would like to mention. Whenever possible use fresh fruit in preference to canned. Sharpen the taste of the fruit with an insipid flavor with juice of lemons. Some fruit needs to be partly cooked before placing in the pies. When using canned fruits that are inclined to be sloppy after the addition of sugar would advise cooking over the stove for a few minutes and adding 2 ounces of cornstarch to each gallon can of fruit. Custard Filling for Custard Pies One quart milk, 4 eggs, 4 yolks, 6 ounces sugar, a little vanilla and mace for flavoring. Lemon Pie Filling Six quarts water, 5 pounds sugar, 16 eggs, juice and zest of 14 lem- ons, I pound 2 ounces cornstarch. Place the sugar and water in a copper kettle and bring to the boil, add the juice and lemon zest, then the eggs and cornstarch, which have been previously mixed together, stir vigor- ously while adding eggs and cornstarch and cook for a few seconds over the stove. Fill level in the baked shells. Pumpkin Pie Filling •One pint milk, i (juart pumpkin, Yz pound sugar, y'z ounce salt, >4 ounce ginger, ]/\ ounce cinnamon, 5 eggs, lY ounces butter. Cheapen by the addition of i pint milk and 2 ounces flour. Chocolate Cream Pies Chocolate Cream Pies are finished in the same way as Lemon Cream Pies. For the chocolate cream weigh down the following: i quart milk, 5 eggs, 2 ounces cornstarch, 6 ounces sugar, 4 ounces sweet chocolate, 2 ounces butter. Bring the milk to the boil over the stove, add sugar, eggs and cornstarch mixed together, stir a few minutes until it thickens. Remove from the stove and add sweet chocolate, butter and a little vanilla flavor, stir until dissolved. Fill into the baked shells while warm. Covering Meringue for Lemon and Chocolate Cream Pies ( )ne quart whites, 3 pounds powdered sugar, pinch cream of tartar, little vanilla flavor. Beat up the whites until stiff, add a pinch of cream French Crullers Eclairs French Crullers Lemon Bouchees Bordeaux Creams Bouchees Crescents Eclair Eclair Fedora Pastry French Eclairs Matinee Creams Pralinee Buns French Eclair Kidney Petits Choux PLATE NO. 2 COOKIES 11 of tartar, then beat in gradually half the sugar, mix through the remain- der slowly with the hand or whip. Pumpkin Pie No. 2 In most high class stores a Pumpkin I'ie with a nice yellow color is usually asked for. To obtain this it is absolutely necessary to use a line grade of pumpkin. Providing everything is all right in this respect weigh down the following: To each quart of pumpkin use i quart milk, y^ pound sugar, 5 eggs, little clove, cinnamon and mace. Open Fkiut Tarts For Open Fruit Tarts line some 9 to 12 inch layer cake pans with sweet short dough. For pineapple take a can of preserved pineapple, tear it apart in small pieces with a fork, sprinkle a few cake crumbs on the bottom of the tart, then the pineapple. Wash the edges with egg, then place strips of sweet short dough opposite ways, forming a series of diamond shaped spaces. Wash with egg and bake on the sole of the oven. When baked turn out and brush with hot apricot jelly. Other tarts are prepared in the same way. In the case of blueberries, etc., first cook the fruit with sugar and add 4 ounces cornstarch to the gallon, allow to cool oft' before using. Retail from 30 to 50 cents each. CHAPTER 5 COOKIES Premier Cookies For Premier Cookies weigh down the following : 4 pounds soft tlour, 3 pounds sugar, 3 pounds lard, 2)^2 pounds golden syrup, 2 ounces baking soda, 16 eggs, 13/2 ounces ginger. Sieve the soda with the flour and make into a bay. Place in the butter, sugar, syrup and eggs. Dough up in the usual way for cookies. Roll out very thin and cut out with cutter 23/2 inches in diameter. Turn onto granulated sugar and place on well greased pans; 12 on a pan is sufficient, as they spread quite a lot. Bake in moderate oven. Will make 24 dozen. Queen Cookies Six and a half i)ounds of soft flour, 4 pounds granulated sugar, 2 pounds lard, 14 eggs. Y^. pint milk, lYi ounces ammonia. Sieve the flour and granulated sugar together and rub in the lard. Make a bay, dissolve the ammonia in the milk, add the eggs and dough up in the usual way. Pin out real thin and cut out with 3-inch scalloped cutter and place on 12 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING o;reased pans. Wash with a Httle egg, molasses and water mixed together. Bake in good oven. Retail at 12 to 15 cents per dozen. Honey Cookies For Honey Cookies weigh down the following: 14 pounds flour, i gallon of honey, Yi pound sugar, i pound lard, 4 ounces baking soda, 8 eggs, about i pint water, i ounce ammonia, ginger and lemon for flavor. Run the lard into the flour, make a bay and place in the remainder of the ingredients. Dough up in the usual way. This dough should be allowed to stand over night to mature. When ready pin out fairly thin and cut out with 2 J/ -inch scalloped cutter. Place on greased pans and bake in medium oven. Retail at 12 to 15 cents per dozen. This makes a real nice eating cookie when properly made and one that shows a good profit. Fig Cookies For Fig Cookies weigh down the following: 5 pounds sugar, 3^ pounds lard, i ounce cinnamon, i^ ounces soda, iJ/S pounds figs, i>4 pounds raisins, i (piart eggs, i quart milk, 9 pounds flour, 4 ounces cream of tartar. Rub together the lard and sugar, add the eggs in two addi- tions, then the milk and lastly flour, baking powder, raisins, figs (coarsely chopped) and spices. Drop out with the hand on greased pans in drops about twice the size of a silver dollar, dust with granulated sugar and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 12 to 15 cents per dozen. Raisin Cookies Two pounds sugar, 2 pounds butter and lard, 10 eggs, 3 pounds rai- sins, 4 pounds flour, i ounce baking powder, vanilla flavoring. Rub the fat and sugar together a little, add the eggs and flavoring, then the raisins, lastly flour and baking powder. Pin out to y% inch in thickness and cut out with plain cutter 2)4 inches in diameter; pan onto dry bak- ing sheets. Retail at 10 cents per dozen. GiNGEK Cookies One pound butter and lard, 1 quart molasses and honey, 4 eggs, 2 ounces soda, 4 pounds flour, i ounce ginger, little cinnamon, cloves and mace. Rub the butter and lard together in the bowl, add the molasses and eggs, then the spices, the soda, dissolved in a little milk, and lastly flour. Pin out to y% inch in thickness, cut out with plain cutter 2>4 inches in diameter, turn onto granulated sugar, then onto greased pans. Bake and retail at 10 cents per dozen. White Sugar Cookies Two pounds sugar, i pound butter and lard, ^ pint of eggs, i pint milk, 4 pounds flour, i ounce cream of tartar, Yj ounce soda. Rub the COOKIES 13 butter and sugar together, add the eggs with a little lemon flavoring, then the milk, lastly flour and baking powder. Pin out the same as for ginger cookies, turn onto granulated sugar, then onto greased pans. Bake and retail at lo cents per dozen. OatmKal Cckhcies Six pounds sugar, 3 pounds lard, 3 pounds oatmeal, 2 pounds raisins, lYz ounces soda, i pint water, 10 eggs, 6 pounds flour. Rub the sugar and lard together, add the eggs, then the water and fruit, lastly add the flour and oatmeal. Pin out on the bench fairly thin, cut out with plain round cutter 2^ inches in diameter, place on greased pans and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 12 to 15 cents per dozen. Fancy Buttkr Cookies For Fancy Butter Cookies weigh down the following : zYi pounds sugar, 4 pounds butter, 12 eggs, 6 pounds soft flour, vanilla flavor. Cream the butter and sugar together, add the eggs a few at a time, then the vanilla extract and lastly flour. With a bag and small star tube lay out in small shapes on baking sheet (not greased), describe a circle when laying out with the bag. By the time the whole mix is laid out the first pan will be ready. Now make a small hole in the center of each cookie by pressing in with the finger almost to the pan. Place a spot of apricot jelly in half the mix with a little raspberry jam in the other half. Bake in medium oven. Retail at 40 cents per pound. Scotch Perkins Three and a half pounds oatmeal, 3 pounds of soft flour, i^ pounds powdered sugar, 2 ounces bicarbonate of soda, i ounce ammonia, 2 pounds mojasses, Yz ounce tartaric acid. Mix the flour and oatmeal to- gether and rub in the lard, make a bay ; put the other ingredients in the center, mix together and make all into a firm dough. Weigh off 3 ounces for two, roll up round and place on wtll greased baking sheets, about 18 to the sheet ; press out well with the ball part of the thumb, wash with milk and bake in moderate oven at about 300 degrees. Re- tail at 12 cents a dozen. Ginger Nuts Six pounds of soft flour, 2 ounces cream of tartar, i ounce bicarbonate of soda, I pound of sugar, 10 ounces butter and lard, 5 pounds of mo- lasses, Yz ounce mixed spice, 1Y2 ounces ginger. Sift the flour, cream of tartar and soda together, make a bay and place in the sugar, ginger and spice. Put the butter, lard and molasses in a large pan and warm through on the oven stock. Turn into the bay and make into a fairly firm dough with warm water. Let stand for an hour. When ready pull 14 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING off a piece and roll into a long strip about the thickness of your finger and break into pieces about twice the size of a glace cherry. As they are broken off throw into a sieve dusted with flour. When the sieve is about half full give a few movements as if sifting flour to form them into small balls. Place on well greased baking sheets about ij/^ inches apart, thus giving them room to spread. Splash with water and press out each one quickly, using the ball part of the thumb. Drain off the water and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 20 or 25 cents per pound. Crisp Fancies For Crisp Fancies weigh down the following: 9 pounds floui, 6 pounds fine granulated sugar, 4>4 pounds of butter, i quart of eggs. Rub the butter, sugar and eggs together until smooth : flavor with lemon ex- tract and make into smooth dough with the flour. Pin out to % i"ch in thickness on the bench and divide into pieces 2 inches square with a knife. Wash lightly with egg and sprinkle over a mixture composed of flaked almonds and granulated sugar in equal proportions. Place onto dry pans and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 12 cents per dozen. Spice Drops For Spice Drops weigh down the following: i pound of butter, i pound sugar, 8 eggs, i quart molassas. 2 ounces of soda, 4J/2 pounds soft flour, I quart milk, 2 ounces ginger, i ounce cinnamon. Cream the but- ter and sugar together, add the eggs, then molasses and milk ; lastly flour, spices and baking soda. With bag and half inch plain tube drop out onto greased and dusted baking sheets the size of half an egg. Bake in hot oven. Retail at 12 cents per dozen. Lemon Cookies Six pounds of sugar, half powdered and half granulated, i>^ pounds butter, i>4 pounds lard, i quart eggs, >4 ounce lemon, i ounce ammonia, 8 pounds cake flour. Rub up the sugar and shortening just a little to make it regular, add the eggs, use just a little water to dissolve the ammonia, and mix into a clear dough. Roll ^4 inch thick, cut with a plain round 2>^-inch cutter, wash off with egg wash, let dry half hour. Bak;! in medium heat. Cocoa NUT Cookies Three pounds sugar, ^4 pounds butter and lard, 15 eggs, 2>^ pounds flour, 4I/2 pounds cocoanut (medium cutV i^/j ounces baking powder, vanilla flavor and a little milk. Rub together the fat and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla flavoring, then the flour and lastly cocoanut with about y2 pint of milk. Ball up between the hands and place on greased pans. Before taking to the oven dip the hand occasionally in water and press ^ t/2 p o [i ^ w m i^ ^ o o ^^ COOKIES 15 down until they are about ly'z inches in diameter. Bake and retail at 12 cents per dozen. Angel Cookies Two pounds sugar, i pound butter, i quart egg whites, 3 pounds flour, j/< ounce cream of tartar. Beat up the whites until quite stiff, mix in the sugar gradually, then the cream of tartar with a little vanilla flavoring. Mix through the flour lightly, then the butter (melted). Lay out with bag and tube on well greased pans ; flatten by dropping the pan onto the bench, dust with coarsely chopped almonds and bake in moder- ate oven. Retail at 15 cents per dozen. Jelly Rings Five pounds soft flour, 3 pounds butter and lard, 2J/2 pounds powdered sugar, 8 eggs. Rub the butter and lard into the flour, make a bay, add the sugar and eggs and make into a nice smooth dough. Pin this paste to ]4 inch in thickness and cut out with plain cutter (round) 2]/2 inches in diameter. Remove the centers from half the biscuits with a cutter i]^ inches in diameter. Place on baking sheets and bake in hot oven. Sand- wich the biscuits together with red jelly, placing the biscuit with the cen- ter removed on top. Fill in the center with clear red jelly and sprinkle a little cocoanut colored pale green on top. When baking the biscuits bake sufficient to just color the edges. This leaves the center of the biscuit almost white and shows up in bold contrast to the red jelly. Retail at 25 cents per dozen. Italian Biscuits For Italian Biscuits weigh the following: 8 pounds soft flour, 4 pounds butter, 2 pounds powdered sugar, 8 eggs, i^ ounces ammonia, lemon flavor. Rub the butter, sugar and eggs until smooth, but not creamed ; draw in the flour and give good rubbing until you have a smooth dough. Pin out in sheets to >^ inch in thickness and cut out with a crinkled cutter 2 inches in diameter until half the dough is used up. Pin out sheets for tops and cut out with crinkled cutter i >< inches in diameter ; cut out the center of the tops with i-inch plain cutter, wash the bottoms with milk and fix on as for patty shells. Wash the biscuits over with egg, turn on coarse cocoanut and place on baking sheets an inch apart. Bake in oven. 400°, to a rich brown. When cool fill in the center with a bulb of pink fondant and i)lace half of a glace cherry on top. Retail at 25 cents per dozen. Rice Wafer Four pounds soft flour, 12 ounces ground rice, lYz pounds butter, 2V2 pounds sugar, 6 eggs, i^ ounces ammonia, ^ gill water. Flavor with es- sence of bitter almonds. Rub the butter in the flour, make a bay, add the 16 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING sugar, eggs, ammonia and water, mix well together and draw in the flour ; make into a firm dough. Take half this mixture and roll to ^4 inch in thickness; with round cutter i>^ inches in diameter cut out and place on well greased hakiug sheets 3 inches ai)art. Bake in cool oven with door open. Retail at 12 cents per dozen. The quantities men- tioned in this recipe should be carefully weighed and excellent results will be obtained. Fruit Wafers Two pounds strong flour, i>^ pounds tough butter (or substitute) and the juice of a lemon. Weigh down the flour, break the butter into pieces the size of a 50-cent piece and mix through the flour. Make a bay and add the juice of a lemon, with just sufiiicient water to make a firm paste. Do not overwork. Let stand in a cool place for about half an hour. Then give four turns as for French pastry and let stand for a short time to recover. Take a piece of this prepared paste and pin out the length and width of a baking sheet, roll it as thin as possible. Now spread on a layer of the following mixture: 4 pounds currants, i pound mixed peel, a little chopped preserved pineapple and a little chopped glace cherries. Mix together and sprinkle on dry. Keep the layer of fruit as thin as possible, dust liberally with sugar and then splash lightly with water. Cover with another thin layer of paste, lun- ning the rolling pin over several times to make it even. Dust well with granulated sugar and mark into pieces i>^ inches square, cutting through the top laver of paste with the knife. Let stand for about half an hour to take the spring out of the paste, and then bake in moderate to hot oven. When cold cut through the marks made in the paste with a sharp knife, place on trays and retail at 30 to 35 cents per pound. They should be dried out pretty well in baking. This insures them eating nice and crisp. CHAPTER 6 LOAF CAKES Van Dusen Cakes This cake is very popular on the Pacific Coast. As far as I can gather the original recipe was compiled for the use of the housewife, as the cake is supposed to be baked in a gas oven, and there are still quite a few bakers who maintain that it is impossible to bake this cake in any other oven than the one mentioned. Here is a recipe with which I am having excellent results and which is baked in the ordinary oven. The cake is baked in one or two pound sizes. The pans are after the same shape as angel cake mold with the exception of having straight sides. LOAF CAKES 17 To prepare the pans cut paper and cover the bottom of each pan, leaving the sides free. This is all that is necessary in the preparation of the pan. No grease is used on the sides for the reason that the cake is very light and would be apt to shrink quite a lot if greased. For the Yellow Van Du- sen use: 2 pounds butter, 3'/. poimds sugar, 5 pounds flour, i^^ quarts yolks, 15^ quarts milk, 2 ounces cream of tartar, i ounce soda. Cream the butter and sugar together ; add the yolks gradually, beating well after each addition ; add the milk in which has been dissolved the soda, add a little extract of vanilla, then the flour and cream of tar- tar. Mix thoroughly, taking care not to overwork. This should make 16 pounds of cake. Bake in moderate oven and when coming from the oven turn upside down and allow to get quite cold before cutting from the pans. Retail at 25 cents per pound. White Van Dusen For White \'an Dusen use the same mixture as for yellow with the exception of using whites in the place of yolks. Rub up the butter with 2 pounds of sugar, keeping ij/j pounds of the sugar back. The whites should then be beaten up and the i^ pounds of sugar added gradually, making a light meringue. This should then be beaten into the creamed butter and sugar, adding about one-third each time ; add the milk and soda with a little vanilla extract and almond oil, then the flour and cream of tartar. Just mix to clear. Proceed in the same way as for Yellow Van Dusen. Retail at the rate of 25 cents per pound. Dorothy Cakes Four pounds sugar, 3 pounds butter, 6 pounds flour, 6 pounds of chopped cherries, ij/{> quarts yolks and whole eggs, ij/j pints milk, i ounce cream of tartar, )/< ounce soda. Put together in the usual way for cakes of this kind. Scale at 15 ounces each into oval shaped pans and bake in medium oven. When cold frost on top with a nice white icing through which has been mixed some chopped cherries, angelica, etc. Retail at 20 cents each. YEr-Low Florence Cakes Nine pounds sugar, 4^/2 pounds butter, 2^ quarts yolks, I quart whole eggs, 10 pounds flour, 9 ounces of baking powder, 3 quarts milk. Put together in the usual way and scale at i pound into oblong shaped .forms, preferably those with wire loops on the corners so that they can be turned upside down when coming from the oven. Don't grease the pans, lay a piece of ])aper in the bottom. Let stand until quite cool before cutting out. Retail at 20 to 25 cents each, according to locality. Dundee Cakes Six and a quarter pounds sugar, 6yl pounds butter, ^ pound almond paste, /2 eggs, 9;^ pounds flour, 10 pounds raisins, 3^ pounds currants. 18 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING i^ pounds of orange and lemon peel, ^ pound citron, i^/^ pounds of chopped almonds, vanilla and almond flavor. Put together in the usual way, the fruit and nuts before the flour. Scale at i^> pounds into pa- pered pans or hoops measuring 5 inches in diameter and 2}^ inches high. Level off with the hand dipped in milk and sprinkle over chopped al- monds. Retail at 45 to 50 cents each. Will make 16 cakes. English Mediera Cakes Two and a half pounds sugar, 2 pounds butter, 24 eggs, 2% pounds flour, 3^ ounce baking powder, vanilla flavor. Cream together the but- ter and sugar, add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition, then flavor with a little egg coloring and lastly flour. To obtain the cauliflower top so much admired in cakes of this kind allow to stand in in the bowl after mixing for two or three minutes, then beat together again. Scale off in papered hoops as used in Dundee Cakes, place two thin slices of citron peel on top of each and dust with powdered sugar. Will make ten cakes. Bake in medium oven and retail at 25 to 30 cents each, according to locality. Ideal Ginoer Cake For Ideal Ginger Cakes weigh down the following: i^^ pounds but- ter, I pound of brown sugar, 20 eggs, 2J/2 pounds Sultanas, ij/^ ounces cinnamon, 3 ounces ginger, 4^ pounds soft flour, i ounce cream of tar- tar, y2 ounce bicarbonate of soda, 4^4 pounds molasses. Cream together the butter and sugar until light, add eggs three at a time, mix in the molasses and Sultanas, and lastly flour through which has been sifted the chemicals and spices. This cake can be made any size from i to 4 pounds. Bake in mod- erate oven, about 300°. The cake should not be disturbed until thor- oughly set ; it will take an hour for a cake weighing i pound and about 34 hour for each pound over. The cake when baked will have a very smooth surface, with a slightly hollowed center. This is not due to any fault in baking or mixing, but is the nature of the cake. When cui it will be found to have a perfect texture. Retail at 20 cents a pound. Small Pound Cake This is a Pound Cake mixture baked in small hoops an inch in height and an inch in diameter. The hoops should be papered with bands 2 inches high and placed fairly close together on a papered baking sheet. For the mixture use i^^ pounds butter, i^^ pounds sugar, i^ pounds strong flour, 15 eggs, 3^ pound currants. Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs in the usual way, add the currants and flavor with vanilla. Mix in the flour. With bag and 3^ -inch plain tube fill in each one a little over the top of the hoops about ij4 inches in depth. Bake in oven LOAF CAKES 19 about 400°. Should make 15 dozen small pound cakes. Retail at 50 cents per jiound. \^ANiLLA Fig Cakr Weigh down the following: i^ pounds butter, 2 pounds sugar, 3^4 pounds soft flour, 12 ounces soda flour, 12 eggs, i pint of milk (good measure), 2 pounds figs (chopped), 12 ounces cherries. Beat the butter and sugar to a light cream, flavor with vanilla extract, add eggs a few at a time, mix in the fruit and milk, then the flour. Scale off at i pound in square or oblong shaped pans and bake in moderate oven, about 350°. Retail at 20 cents each. Orirnt Cake; One and a quarter pounds butter, i^ pounds powdered sugar, 2 pounds soft flour, 18 eggs, pinch of baking powder, flavor with cherry essence, i ])ound j^reserved green gages, 34 pound pistachio nuts. Cream the butter and sugar and add the eggs in the usual way. Mix in the fruit (chopped, but not too fine), nuts and flavor. Draw in the flour and mix without overworking. Scale at 8 ounces and bake in oval shaped pans. This makes a splendid eating cake and when cut the fruit and nuts make a nice combination. Retail at 15 cents each. Lemon Sandwich Sixty eggs, 6^ pounds granulated sugar, 6^ pounds soft flour, ij^ ounces cream of tartar, ^ ounce bicarbonate of soda, i^ pints milk. Beat the eggs and sugar as for sponge cake. When the mixing is just about ready, pour in the milk and flavor with extract of lemon. Take off the machine and nu'x the flour through lightly. Grease the sides of four baking sheets and place a sheet of paper on the bottoms. Divide the mix- ture equally between the four pans. Bake in oven 400°. When cold spread two sheets with lemon custard and place a sheet on top of each. Ice thinly on top with lemon fondant or water icing. Retail at 20 cents a pound. Loaf SpongR Two hundred eggs, 13 pounds flour, 5 ounces cream of tartar, 2^4 ounces soda, 3 quarts hot water, 18 pounds sugar, lemon oil flavoring. Place the eggs and granulated sugar in the machine kettle and beat up until light and thick. When most ready add i^ quarts of the hot water and continue beating for two or three minutes. Stop the machine, turn the mix into a bowl and stir through the remaining i^ quarts of hot water in which the soda has been dissolved. Now mix through the flour lightly, through which has been sieved the cream of tartar. The pans for this mixture do not need greasing; just wash in hot water after each baking and use dry. Fill into various shaped forms half way, place on baking sheets and bake in medium oven. As they come from the oven turn- upside down onto papered baking sheets dusted lightly with flour. 20 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING CHAPTER 7 PUFF PASTRY In pastry making, to obtain good results, it is essential to use the best of materials. Probably the butter is the most important. This should be of good flavor and very tough. In summer time it is of special im- portance to choose a butter that will not soften quickly when subjected to the heat of the bakery. If there is any water in its makeup this should be freed by working the butter on the bench, the object in freeing the water is to prevent the thin layers of dough from becoming water sodden, this causing them to break and spoiling the continuity of the layers. Flour is almost equally important. All strong flour will cause the paste to shrink when baking, therefore a mixture of 4 pounds strong and 2 pounds soft should suit the purpose admirably. The addition of a little cream of tartar or lemon juice to the dough tends to toughen and prevents the dough from breaking when being pinned out. For Puff Pastry No. i weigh down the following : 6 pounds of flour, 6 pounds butter, Yz pint whole eggs, bare ^ ounce cream of tartar. Sieve the flour into the bowl, make a bay and place in 4 ounces of the butter, the eggs and cream of tartar and about i quart of water. Make into a tough dough by banging and stretching on the bench. Roll up into a ball and allow to rest for a few minutes. Now take a knife and cut a deep cross in the dough, dust lightly with flour and pin out into oblong shape on the bench. Press out the butter to cover two- thirds of the paste, fold over remaining third to center, fold over the other third on top of that. There is a slight difference in the method of fold- ing for a pastry turn. The dough is pinned out oblong shape and the two ends folded to the center. N,ow one half of the paste is drawn over on top of the other half. This is what constitutes a so-called pastry turn. Three of these turns should be given at this stage, the paste allowed to rest for two hours, then given three more turns, making six in all. Al- low to stand for an hour and it is ready for use. In successful pastry baking much lies in the care of the dough during the process of rolling. It is necessary to keep the dough real cool at. all times. More often than not after the third turn the dough is so soft as to be almost impossible to handle. This is especially true in the summer time. When this is the case the dough should be kept in the icebox or have a pan of cracked ice set on top directly after rolling. Th.ri;e;-ouarter Pastj; Six pounds flour, 4I/2 pounds butter, ^ pint yolks, 5^ ounce cream of tartar, good i quart of water. Proceed in the same way as for Puff Paste No. i. This is a good paste to use for savory goods, with the ex- V^i Indvidual Wedding Cakes Banana I,ayer TYPES OF WEDniNG AND BIRTHDAY CAKES PLATE NO. 4 PUFF PASTRY 21 ception of patty shells and \'ol-ali-\'ent. The paste has not quite so much "spring" and retains the marking of a knife much better than the previous recipe. Rolled in Paste for Pies This is a nice paste to use for bakers who have a good pie trade and can command a good price for the same. Six pounds flour, 4 eggs, 4 pounds butter and lard, ;^ ounce cream of tartar, 2^ pints water. Make a firm, tough dough with the flour, eggs and cream of tartar, ^ pound lard and water. Roll the remainder of the fat in same as for Puff Paste No. I, giving four turns. Savory Pastries For Patty Shells pin out a piece of the straight paste to ys inch in thickness and cut out with scalloped cutter 23/2 inches in diameter. Place onto baking sheets lightly splashed with water. Cut out an equal quan- tity of pieces for the tops, remove the centers with a plain rountl cutter 1J.4 inches in diameter. Wash the pieces already panned with egg and place the tops in position, press down a little with the bottom of a quart measure, allow to stand for a few minutes, wash with egg and bake. i^See Plate No. I.) Vol-au-Vent This is rather a difficult pastry to prepare, but if the paste is right and one is careful in choosing a good pan (one that is not liable to warp) there should not be much difficulty. They are usually made to hold a savory filling. Pin out a piece of good straight paste to ^ inch in thick- ness, take a piece of flat tin and cut to oval oblong or diamond shape and lay on top of paste. Dip a sharp knife in hot water and cut down into the paste running around the edges of the tin. Place the shape on a baking sheet splashed lightly with water, notch the sides with the back of the knife, and wash the top with a strong egg wash. Now cut down deep into the paste all the way around about half an inch from the sides and mark out some fancy leaf design, let stand for half an hour to lose its "spring" and bake. When baked take off the top and remove the cen- ter, leaving just the casing. A good many bakers prefer making the top separate. To do this pin out a piece of paste to y^ inch in thickness and cut out a little smaller shaj^e than the \'ol-au-\'ent, wash with egg, mark out a design on top. allow to stand for half an hour, then bake. Cheese Straws For Cheese Straws scrap paste given one turn is good enough. Pin this out very thin, wash with egg and sprinkle over some grated cheese (Parmesan for preference) through which has been mixed a pinch of cayenne pepper, fold over as for pastry turn, wash with egg again and sprinkle on a little more cheese, give one more fold, then pin out as 22 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING thinly as possible, wash with egg and throw over a little more grated cheese. With a sharp knife divide in pieces ^ inch wide and about 6 inches long. A good Cheese Straw is made by just pinning out the paste as thinly as possible, wash with egg and sprinkle with grated cheese cut as for Cheese Straws No. i. (See Plate i.) Mrat Patties, Etc. These are very popular all over Europe and are served in some of the high class restaurants and hotels in this country. In France wine is very often mixed with the meat, but as a rule this would run a little too expensive for the average bakery store and restaurant to handle. The meat fillings for moderate priced articles are usually cheapened by the addition of a little soaked bread. The usual way is to have the meat ground up very fine. Beef patties are great favorites. Add the season- ing, pepper, salt, etc., soften down with a few beaten eggs. Pin out a piece of paste to about y^ inch in thickness and cut out with plain round cutter, wash the sides with egg and place a ball of the meat in the center. Place a piece of paste the same size and thickness as the bottom on top, press around the sides and make the top and bottom adhere. Wash with a strong egg wash and mark a little leaf design on top. xA.n oblong shape patty is made by pinning out a piece of paste to j^ inch in thickness, divide into sections 33^ by 4^/2 inches with the pie marker. Wash the edges with egg wash and place a roll of the meat in the center, bring the ends of each piece of paste together and press together with the flat of the bowl knife. Wash with egg and mark out a little design on top with a shar]) knife. SVVRRT PaSTRIRS AND AlMOND TaRTS Pin out some good straight paste to about % inch in thickness, spread over this a fairly thin mixture composed of almond paste and sugar in equal proportions, soften down with whites of eggs, spread over thinly and on top of this sprinkle some blanched and flaked almonds. Cut into oblong shaped pieces 2)/> inches by 4 inches, place a little apart on baking sheets sprinkled lightly with water, let rest for a few minutes and bake. When baked fill with a good vanilla cream in the same way as filling eclairs. Retail at 5 cents each. Frrncti Straws Pin out a piece of straight paste to i/4 inch in thickness and cut into strips ^ inch wide and 5 inches long. Place half of these on bakmg sheets, cut side to the i)an — about 4 or 5 across is enough, as they must have room to spread. Take the other half and give a complete twist in the center and place cut side to the pan. Press down a little with the flat of the hand and bake in fairly hot oven. When the pieces with the twist PUFF PASTRY 23 in tlie center are half baked draw to the mouth of the oven and dust with powdered sugar. Return to the oven until glazed a little. When baked sandwich in pairs ( a twisted piece on top ) with whipped and sweetened cream. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Pineapple Slices Pin out a piece of straight paste to 14, inch in thickness, cut into strips about 6 inches wide and the length of the pan. Now take some canned pineapple, cut a piece out across the center about an inch wide. These pieces can be used up for some other purpose. Now lav the remaining pieces slantwise across the pastry so that there is ^ inch of clear pastry each side. Wash the edges of the pastry with egg and bake in fairly hot oven. While still warm brush over some hot apricot jelly. Cut in slices 2 inches wide. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Napoleons This seems to be a popular pastry with all classes of trade and vet it is one of the most easily made. Pin out some scrap pastry to }i inch in thickness and the length and breadth of a baking sheet. Place on the baking sheet and dock with a fork, divide into 4 or 5 strips about 6 inches wide, let rest a while, then bake. When half baked draw to the mouth of the oven, turn over, dry out well, as they eat much better and are easier to cut if baked well. Sandwich three of these strips together with vanilla cream or whipped cream — in fact, there is no set rule as to what filling should be used. Ice on top with various colored fondants and decorate with cherries and angelica or creams. Cut into sections 2 inches wide. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Sweethearts, Pretzels, Ktc. , There. are quite a number of plain pastries made up in various forms that find a ready sale. One or two of the most popular I will mention here. For the Sweethearts pin out a piece of straight pastry to anv length and about 10 inches wide. Wash lightly with water and dust with gran- ulated sugar. Now fold over the two sides to meet in the center, making it 5 inches wide, run over it lightly with the rolling pin. Wash again with water and s])rinkle over a little more sugar, fold over one end, making it 23/ inches wide. Run over lightly with the rolling pin and cut out in pieces >^ inch wide. Lay these on clean baking sheets cut side to the pan and press down a little with the hand. They are best turned over when half baked, but it is not absolutely necessary to do this, but they are a much nicer color if this is done. Retail at 15 cents per dozen. Almost every baker is familiar with the Pretzel shape. The pas- try for these is pinned out to j/g inch in thickness, cut into strips about 12 inches long and >^ inch wide, the two ends touched with egg wash 24 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING and formed into Pretzel shape, wash with e^g, drop into granulated sugar, pan and bake. Retail at 15 to 20 cents per dozen. ' Oval Crisps are made in a similar manner to Sweethearts. The pas- try is first pinned out, then washed and sugared and one end folded to the center and the other end lapped over that, with a little egg wash on the end to make the closing hold. Cut into sections ^ inch wide and place cut side to pan. Bake and retail at 15 cents per dozen. Cherry and Jef.ly TartfjvTs Pin out a piece of straight j^aste to ^ inch in thickness and cut into pieces about 4 inches square, dab a little egg wash in the center of each piece and turn in the four corners to almost join in the center, press in just a little. For the Cherry Tarts place three or four canned cherries in the center of each piece, let rest a while and bake. When partly cool wash with hot apricot jelly. Retail at 40 cents per dozen. The Jelly Tartlets are fixed up in the same way as the Cherry, of course, with the exception of placing the cherry in the center. When baked make a hoU' in the top with the forefinger and force in a little raspberry jelly. Dust with XXXX sugar and retail at 30 cents a dozen. Applk Puffs and Fruit Pastry Quite a number of pastries are made after the style of the Cherry Tart- lets. The fruit, if too damp, should be dried a little with a cloth before placing on the pastries. After baking wash with hot apricot jelly. For Apple Pufifs pin out a piece of paste to ^ inch in thickness and cut out with scalloped cutters 3 inches in diameter, i)in these pieces out a little thinner with a rolling pin and oval shape, ])lace two pieces of canned apple in the center with a little cinnamon sugar, wash one side with egg and fold over. Wash with water, drop in granulated sugar, pan and bake in medium oven. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Almond Pastrifs Pin out a piece of good puff paste to about the thickness of a 25- cent piece, wash with egg and sprinkle over rather thickly a mixture consist- ing of equal parts of granulated sugar and flaked or chopped almonds. Divide in strips 1^2 inches wide and cut three-cornered shape; place on clean baking sheets and bake in a hot oven. Retail at 50 cents per pound. Diamond Chips For diamond chips pin out a piece of good pufif paste to the thick- ness of a 25-cent piece ; place this on a baking sheet and put away in a cool place for half an hour to lose its "spring." Cover thinly with royal icing made from the following : Break 5 or 6 whites into a clean bowl and make into a nice light icing with XXXX sugar and strong flour. The ad- Neapolitan Creams Savarins Almond Tarts Kopje Tartlets Cream Baskets Strawberry Mascots PLATE NO. 5 HIGH GRADE LAYERS 25 dition of flour will prevent the icins;- leaving; the ]iaste when baking. Divide in strips i}4 inches wide, cut into diamond shapes; place on baking sheets and bake in moderate oven. For variety color half pink and cut oblong and scpiare shapes. Care should be taken to see that the icing is not discolored in baking. Retail at 50 cents per pound. Spanish Puff's Pin out a piece of good pulT paste to about I -16 of an inch in thick- ness and cut into pieces 4 inches square ; wash with egg and fold over to make a three-cornered pastry ; wash with egg white and dust over a mixture of flaked almonds and granulated sugar in equal parts ; let rest for a while and bake in medium oven. When cool slice almost in two and All with whipped cream ; sprinkle a little chopped pistachio nut on the cream showing. Retail at Oo cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 1.) CHAPTER 8 HIGH GRADE LAYERS Almond Layers One and one-half quarts yolks, ilS quarts eggs, 4 pounds granulated sugar, 2 pounds browned almonds ground up very fine, 15-2 pounds flour, i/^ pounds butter. Place the eggs, yolks and sugar in a copper kettle and warm through on the stove ; beat up very light, as for sponge cake ; then mix in carefully the almonds and flour ; lastly add the butter, which has been previously melted over the fire ; fill in the square forms until just level with the edge of the pan. Bake in a moderate oven. Chocolatk Layers Four quarts whole eggs, 4 quarts yolks, 1 1 pounds granulated sugar, 4 pounds ground walnuts or macaroon crumbs, 3 pounds of flour. 4 pounds butter. Melt the chocolate and the butter separately; then mix together, gradually stirring all the time. To this add two quarts warm water, mixing by the same slow process. Warm the eggs, yolks and sugar over the fire and place on the machine and beat up as for sponge cake. When light add the chocolate, etc., and stir in carefully ; lastly add the flour and ground walnuts ; fill in the scpiare forms until level with the edge, using a pie plate to avoid handling the mix as much as possible. Bake in moderate oven and turn bottom side up on coming from the oven. Ginger Layers . Three pounds six ounces sugar (powdered), 3 pounds butter, i^ pounds lard, 46 eggs, 6 pounds flour, ii-l pints molasses, -j^ ounce soda, 26 T^IODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING 5 pounds preserved ginger, i ounce ginger, i ounce cinnamon ; cream to- gether the butter, lard and sugar ; add the eggs, gradually beating well after each addition ; add the molasses and spices ; mix well ; lastly add the flour, baking soda and the preserved ginger chopped fairly fine ; mix through without overworking; fill in the round layer cake forms until al- most level. Bake in moderate oven. Yellow Layers Nine pounds soft flour. 6 ounces baking powder. 6 pounds pow- dered sugar, T,y2 pounds butter, 2J/4 quarts of yolks and whole eggs, 2J/2 quarts milk ; cream together the butter and sugar ; add the eggs gradu- ally ; place in the milk and lastly add the flour and baking powder ; do not overwork the mix ; fill in the round layer cake forms a little more than half way. Bake in sound oven. Scale 11 ounces each before baking. Devil's Food Nine pounds sugar, 4^ pounds butter, i^ pounds almond paste, 2^4 quarts eggs, 13^ pounds flour, 3 ounces soda. 4^? quarts milk, 3-)4 pounds chopped walnuts, 4^ pounds granulated sugar, lyz pints water, 234 pounds bitter chocolate. Place the 4yj pounds granulated sugar and i^ pints water together and bring to the boil over the fire; take otT the stove and to this add 2' 4 pounds bitter chocolate. Now prepare the mix. Cream together the butter, sugar and almond paste ; add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition ; mix in the chocolate syrup, then the milk and lastly flour, baking soda and chopped walnuts. Scale at 12 ounces into the round layer cake pans. Bake in moderate oven. White Layers Seven pounds flour, 7 pounds sugar, 23^ pounds butter, 2 ounces of baking powder 1 1/4 quarts milk, 2 quarts egg whites ; cream together the butter and sugar ; add the egg whites gradually, with the last two addi- tions of egg whites throw in about ^ pound flour each time. Place in the milk and mix in the flour and baking powder. Scale at 14 ounces into square and round layers. Bake in moderate warm oven. Fruit Layers One and one-half jiounds almond i)aste, i pound chopped almonds (not too fine), •>4 pound chopped preserved fruit (pineapple, cherries, etc.), 1 pound sugar, 10 yolks, 10 whites. 3 ounces flour, zest of 3 lem- ons, zest of 2 oranges ; cream the almond paste, sugar and yolks together ; mix in the fruit, flour, juice and zest of oranges and lemons; lastly add the whites beaten to a stifif foam ; mix through lightly. This mix will make six square layers. Bake in cool oven. This layer is used more as a filler than for anything else ; it has a HIGH GRADE LAYERS 27 fine flavor and sandwiched between two layers of any of the foregoing mixtures with a fruit icing on top makes a layer that cannot be surpassed for quality and appearance. Butter Sponge; Layers For Butter Sponge Layers weigh down the following : 8 pounds gran- ulated sugar, 6 quarts eggs, 2y2 quarts yolks, 6 pounds flour, 3 pounds butter. Place the eggs, yolks and sugar in a copper kettle and warm through on the stove ; place in the machine and beat up as for sponge cake ; when light mix in the flour lightly and lastly add the butter, which has been previously melted on the stove ; fill in square layer pans level with the top, using a pie plate for the purpose to avoid handling the mix as much as possible. Bake in moderate oven. Chocolate Walnut Layers For Chocolate Walnut Layers sandwich one square white layer be- tween two chocolate layers, using the chocolate walnut filling. Mask the sides with a little meringue and dip in coarsely chopped walnuts. Ice the top with chocolate fondant and divide into 16 squares with lines of yellow fondant, as shown in cut. Place half a walnut within each square. (See Plate 6.) Lemon Layers Take 23/2 yellow layers for one Lemon Layer. vSpread a layer of lemon filling on one whole layer, place the half layer on top of this and give another layer of filling. Place a whole layer on top. Mask the sides with meringue and di{) in coarsely chopped pecan nuts that have been partly roasted in the oven. Frost the top with a frosting made from XXXX sugar and the juice and zest of lemons. Place a ring of half pecan nuts around the inh^^i. This makes a most delicious eating laver. Place in sufficient filling so that the layer will shake slightly when it is touched. Chocolate Ginger Layers Take three of the Ginger Layers and sandwich together with 1 asp- berry jam. Wash with apricot jelly and frost with chocolate fondant. Place two or three pieces of preserved ginger on top. Pecan Layers For the Pecan Layers coarsely chopped pecan nuts should be added to the white layer cake mix, not a large quantity, but just sufficient to show a nice face when cut. Scale the same as for plain white layers. Sandwich three of the pecan layers together with marshmallow flavored with a little kirschwasser. Spread a little on the sides and on top. Place away in the icebox for a while to set firm. Frost the whole with 28 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING white fondant to which has been added a little kirschwasser and sieve over the top finely ground pecan nuts that have been roasted a little in the oven. This makes a nice compact layer, clean to handle. Of course, in localities where 50 or 60 cents is the highest price it is possibl': to obtain for a layer of this class vanilla fiavor should be used in the place of kirschwasser. Cherry Laveks Sandwich one square white layer between two square }ellow sheet layers, using the cherry marshmallow as a filler. Spreatl a little of the filling on top and sides. Cover the whole with white fondant and place two cherries at each corner, with strips of angelica for stalks. An- other way is to press roasted flaked almonds into the sides, frost the top with white fondant and finish in the same manner as when iced plain white. (See Plate 6.) Punch Layers Sandwich three of the yellow sheet layers together with the punch filling. Mask the sides with meringue and press into the sides roasted flaked almonds. Frost the top with white fondant and with bag and star tube make a neat border, etc., using the punch filling. (See Plate 6.) Mixed Fruit Layers Sandwich one of the fruit layers from the fruit layer cake mix be- tween two of the yellow sheet layers, using raspberry jam as the filler. Mask the sides with meringue and press in white ilaked almonds. Frost the top with a fruit icing made by mixing some coarsely chopped pine- apple and cherries through the white fondant. Place a ball of the chopped fruit at each corner of layer and make a neat border of the punch filling. To make the balls of chopped fruit roll between the hands to make into ball shape and turn onto coarse granulated sugar. Place in position with a little white fondant to make them adhere to the layer. (See Plate 6.) Lady Baltimore Layers For the Lady Baltimore Layers mix together 3 pounds figs (chopped fairly fine), 3 pounds Sultana raisins, 3 pounds of roasted pecan nuts coarsely chopped. Make some meringue with 3 quarts whites, 14 pounds powdered sugar and vanilla flavor. When made, mix the dry ingredients through. Take three of the round white layers, spread a good layer of the filling between each layer and cover the top and sides to the extent of % inch in thickness. Place in the oven until the edges are tinted a pale brown. Premier Layers For Premier Layers sandwich one of the yellow sheet layers between two square chocolate layers, using the punch filling as a filler. Trim Cliocolate Devil's Food Punch Layer Cream Layer Dubosh Layer Cherry Cream Chocolate Walnut Layer PLATE NO. 6 LAYER CAKE FILLINGS 29 the sides, brush over with hot apricot jelly and frost with chocolate fon- dant. Mjake a little design on top with the punch filling, using a star tube. (See Plate No. 6.) Orange Cocoanut Cakes Grate the zest from one to two oranges, according to size ; mix this through some freshly beaten meringue. Take three of the white layers and sandwich them together with orange meringue, with a little freshly grated cocoanut mixed through. Cover the whole with orange meringue and press freshly grated cocoanvit into the sides and on top. C)range marshmallow is sometimes used in preference to the meringue, as this will keep soft between the layers for a much longer time than when using meringue. However, either will make a delightful and tasty con- fection. Banana Tarts For Banana Tarts take a single layer cake, one scaled at lo to 12 ounces, from a nice layer cake mixture ; slice in two and cut some nice firm bananas lengthwise and place on half the layer ; use two bananas to each layer. Brush over the bananas with a fairly heavy syrup and spread over a thin layer of cream. Place the other half layer on top and spread a little cream around the sides ; dip in roasted flaked almonds. Put a good layer of cream on top and pipe on a neat border; place half a banana, divided lengthwise, on top. with a cherry and angelica. Brush over the banana with strong syrup (this prevents the banana from going dark). They are a very classy looking article and retail from 25 cents to 30 cents each. (See Plate No. 4.) Pineapple Snow Cake For Pineapple Snow Cake take three of the white layers, drain the liquid from a can of preserved pineapple and chop up the pineapple fairly fine. Spread a layer of the chopped ])ineapple on one of the white layers and over this spread a thin layer of meringue. Proceed in this way until the three layers are in position. Cover the whole with a layer of mer- ingue about )4 inch in thickness, dust lightly with powdered sugar and place in the oven until the edges are tinted a light brown. CHAPTER 9 LAYER CAKE FILLINGS Punch Filling Four pounds almond paste, 3 pounds powdered sugar, juice and zest of 2 oranges, 3^ pint rum, little water. Rub the almond paste down with 30 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING the sugar ; add the oranges, rum and sufficient water to make info a paste that will easily spread. Apricot, Raspbkrry and Orange Fillings One quart egg whites, 4% pounds sugar, apricot pulp. Take a can of preserved apricots and press through a wire sieve ; mix sufficient of this pulp with the sugar to make into a fairly thick mass as for fondant boiling; add a pinch of cream of tartar and boil over the iire to the soft ball. Of 238°. by the sugar thermometer. If no sugar thermometer is avai!'-iblc, the readiness of the sugar can be ascertained by dipping the fingers first in ice water, then into the boiling sugar and back again into the ice water : when the sugar is ready, the sugar that adheres to the fin- gers can be readily formed into a soft ball. When ready, remove from the stove. Now beat up the egg whites good and stifif, and add the boil- ing sugar gradually, beating all the time. Raspberry filling is made in the same way, using canned raspberries in the place of apricots. For orange filling remove the zest from 8 oranges by rubbing on lump or loaf sugar, using 43/2 pounds to the quart of whites ; make into a thick mass with about i pint water. Boil and proceed in the same way as for apricot filling. For use between layer cakes, etc., these fillings are improved by the addition of a little melted gelatine. Dissolve i pound of sheet gelatine in I quart water by placing the can containing the gelatine and water in a larger one filled with boiling water: add about 1-3 quart of this liquid to each quart of filling while still warm. This will keep the fillings firm and improve their eating qualities. Marsh MALLOW Filling Three quarts water, i pound gelatine, 15 pounds sugar, i ounce cream of tartar ; dissolve the gelatine in the water and make fairly hot by placing the can in a larger one containing boiling water. Place this with the rest of the ingredients in a machine kettle and beat up until stifif. Remove from the machine and add any flavor desired, orange, chocolate, etc. Cherrv Filling Chop I pound of preserved cherries in halves and let soak half an hour or so in rum or marashino wine. Stir these in a good niarshmallow filling and add )4 ix)tuid choi)ped preserved pineapple at the same time. A most convenient and (juickly made niarshmallow for this and many other fillings is prepared by adding a little melted gelatine ( i pound sheet gelatine to i quart water) to a little freshly beaten meringue. Most firms that do a fair business in high class goods have meringue around at dififerent times during the day and this is undoubtedly the best way of pre- paring it for fillings that do not require a large amount. MERINGUE GOODS 31 Special Lemon Fillings eor Lemon Layers Six quarts water. 5 pounds granulated sugar, 30 eggs, 1^2 pounds butter, juice of 30 lemons, zest of 15 lemons, 15^ pounds cornstarch. Place the water with 2^/2 pounds of the sugar and the butter in a copper kettle and bring to the boil; add the lemon juice and allow to boil; mix well together the remainder of the ingredients ; stir in and cook until of jellv-like consistenc\' ; then remove from the stove and store away in jars. Chocolate Walnut Filling For Chocolate Walnut Filling weigh down the following: 6 pounds walnuts, 10 pounds powdered sugar, about i pound bitter chocolate; grind up the walnuts very fine and mix with the powdered sugar ; make into a fairly soft paste with warm water and add the bitter chocolate in liquid form. This filling wlill keep for a week or so if kept in a cool place. If too firm for spreading after standing a while, add a little more warm water or syrup. Apple Filling For apple filling choose some nice, large, firm apples ; place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until soft all through. When baked and cool, remove the skins and press through a wire sieve. To each pound of apple pulp thus obtained add i % pounds powdered sugar and place in a copper kettle over a slow fire. Beat with a whisk until light, like meringue. Walnut Filling Seven pounds walnuts, ground very fine ; 8 pounds powdered sugar ; mix the walnuts and powdered sugar together ; add sufficient warm water to make into a paste that will spread easily ; flavor with rum or kirsch- wasser and a little vanilla. CHAPTER 10 MERINGUE GOODS It is surprising what a variety of goods are made from this mixture, and their popularity seems to be general. The standard mixture for these goods usually calls for about 6 pounds sugar to the quart of whites, although for some of the goods, if large enough quantities are made to make a special batch, 4 to 4^/^ pounds is sufficient. It is an open ques- tion in bakeries whether fresh egg whites or those that have been allowed to stand for a day or so are best to use for this purpose. In my opinion those that have been exposed to the air for a day or so give much better results than the fresh egg whites, as during the exposure part of the 32 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING moisture evaporates, causing an increase in the proportion of albumen. The difference is distinctly noticeable if two quantities of whites are used, one old and one fresh, and beaten up at the same time, using a ma- chine, of course, so that an accurate record can l)e taken. The heat of the oven is another im])ortant thing. It is one thing to say, bake in a heat of 300°, but quite another thing to get your oven down as low as that : possibly, too, the quantity made is not sufficient to warrant cooling the oven to that extent. I know the difficulties that arise in the small bakeries where anything and everything has to be made, as in the case of having to use a fairly warm oven, would say use at least 6 pounds of sugar to the quart, as using this quantity of sugar the shells or kisses would not be so liable to crack as if a smaller quantity of sugar were used. To make the meringue place the whites with ^ pound granulated sugar to the quart in the machine kettle. Beat these up until fairly stiff, then add a little cream of tartar (about a teaspoonful to two quarts of whites). Now start adding the sugar a little at a time. Beat about half of this in and stir in the remainder with the vanilla flavor, the machine running on slow speed. Four quarts whites, 2 pounds granulated sngar, 22 pounds powdered sugar, tablespoonful cream of tartar, vanilla flavoring. MiERiNauE Shells Damp some boards with water and cover with brown straw paper. Lay out the shells, using either a plain or a star tube, about 3 inches long and i^ inches in breadth is the usual size; dust lightly with powdered sugar and place in coolest part of the oven. When set, or rather, when a crust firm enough to handle has been formed over the meringue, draw to the mouth of the oven and remove the center of each shell with a spoon. Do not take out too much or the shell will be too fragile to handle ; set them bottom side up on a baking sheet ; sieve over a little XXXX sugar and return to the oven for two or three minutes. Store awav in pairs in an airtight container. (See Plate No. 12.) Another way is to lay out the shells on greased and floured baking sheets. When set sufficient to handle, press in the centers with an egg: return to the oven for a few minutes and pack in the usual way. It is usual in most high grade stores to wrap these in wax paper before sending out. The paper used should be very thin, and wrap in the same way as for candy molasses kisses ; twist at each end close to the shell, leaving a fluffy end. Meringue Mushrooms Lay out the meringue on wet boards covered with straw paper in bold drops about an inch in diameter, using j/^-inch i)lain tube for the purpose; dust lightly with chocolate powder or cocoa before placing in the oven. With the same size tube make an equal number of stalks for the mush- rooms by forcing the meringue through the tube on papered baking Fruit Gateau Mocha Gateau Fiuit Gateau i ^ ^ f ^^!*w*% ^ Tit- V^HS^ '^'iliflSir^ Floral Gateau La Rose Gateau Mocha Gateau Almuud (".ateau Tricolor Gateau Gateau Supreme PLATE NX). 7 MERINGUE CxOODS 33 sheets. Press the tube close to the paper and (h-a\v away with an up- ward movement, making- a small cone shape ; dry in the oven. When the tops of the mushrooms are ready — that is, when a crust has formed so that they are firm enouoji to handle, remove from the wet boards and place bottom side up on a clean baking sheet and dust lightly with choc- olate powder. Now press in the stalks, point downward, into the soft meringue. (See Plate No. 12.) For something very special in the way of mushrooms clean out the dried tops as for meringue shells and fill with whipped and sweetened cream and make the stalks of marzipan. These are something really high grade and should be priced accordingly. A good marzipan is made from the following: 2 pounds almond paste, i^ pounds XXXX sugar, rum or orange flower water for flavoring ; sufficient yolks to make into a stifif pliable paste. Maraschino MERiNr.uES Lay out the meringue mixture in the same way as for mushroom tops ; dust with granulated sugar colored pink and dry in the oven. When ready, place together in pairs with a maraschino cherry in the center. Maraschino Birds These are laid out with a plain tube on papered baking sheets. First force out the body of the bird ; then add the head and wings ; place a half currant on each side for the eyes. It is not necessary to make too elabo- rate a job of them, as they usually retail at a moderate price, 20 cents per dozen. Bake in the usual way. (See Plate No. 12.) CoFFRK MKRINGURS This is a little difl'erent mix from the usual meringue and is made by boiling a strong infusion of coft'ee with the sugar as follows: Place 5 pounds of granulated sugar dissolved in a bare ij^ pints of water on the stove ; boil to a temperature of 246° by the sugar thermometer. Now add ^ pint of strong coffee extract with a little caramel coloring and boil again to 246° ; then remove from the stove. Beat up a good quart of egg wihites with y> pound granulated sugar to a stiff foam and add boiling sugar. Lay out in small oval shapes on wet boards as for mer- ingue shells ; dry out a little in the oven. Then place together in pairs and retail at 70 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 12.) CocoANUT Meringues Lav out the regular meringue mixture in small bulbs on wet papered boards and sprinkle wnth coarse cocoanut ; brown a little in the oven and place together in pairs and retail at 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 12.) •34 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING Mkringue; Kisses Pretty well all small meringue goods come imder this heading, and there are quite a number of ways of finishing them. Around the holi- days colored sugars are used quite a little ; the meringues are usually dusted with this before baking, but care should be taken to have the sugars quite dry before doing so. It is best to rub the colors through the sugar. Then spread out on a baking sheet and allow to stand in a warm place over night before using. Chocolate powder or cocoa is also used for dusting meringue fingers, etc., and add to the variety. To the man of an original turn of mind almost anything is possible with mer- ingue. An idea prevalent in a number of bakeries is that the only possible way of laying out kisses is on the greased and dusted pan ; to those I would say try the brown straw paper for a change. The disadvantages attaching to the use of the greased and dusted pan are, firstly, no real grip- ping surface as the meringue is forced through the bag ; secondly, in the matter of economy. I'm sure these two things justify any baker in making a change. Give it a trial. Prices in different localities vary consider- ably for these goods, but would sell by the dozen whenever possible, allowing at least 60 per cent over cost of materials, as there is quite a little work to goods of this description. (See Plate No. 12.) Meringue Pastries Eine some small patty pans (2>^ inches in diameter) with good short paste made from the following : i % pounds flour, >4 pound corn flour, 2 ounces sugar, i pound butter, little water. Rub the butter into the flour and corn flour, make a bay ; add the sugar and sufficient water to make into a stiff paste without overworking. Roll out to about yi inch thick- ness and cut out. Place a spot of jelly in the center of each and fill with a mixture made by moistening some good cake crumbs with cream and milk ; make it about the consistency of very stiff cake batter. Flavor well with vanilla. Bake in a moderate to hot oven. When cold with bag and i^-inch plain tube pipe on each a bulb of Italian meringue entirely covering the filling; bring this up into a point. Now place in a hot closet or cool oven for about an hour to dry. When cold dip each one in chocolate fondant or water icing ; hold them upside down for the pur- pose, dip half way and let drain a second or so that the icing does not run any more when placed in their original position. Decorate with a little chopped pistachio nut on top and a little chopped roasted almonds around the base. Retail at 5 cents each. Cherry Meringue Break 10 large whites into a clean bowl, beat to a stiff froth, then mix in gradually 2 pounds powdered sugar. With bag and small plain ALMOND GOODS 35 tube lay out in oval shajios on boards ])revionslv soaked in water ; dust well with su^ar and bake in very cool oven. When ready remove from the boards and sandwich in ])airs by placing- between them two or three whole glace cherries mixed with a little red jelly. Retail at 30 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 12.) CHAPTER 11 ALMOND CxOODS In the ])reparation of all almond goods where a fair price is obtained a good quality of almond ])aste should always be used. Almond paste easily lends itself to adulteration — perhaps more so than any one article used in a bakery — by the addition of cheaper nuts other than almonds. Therefore where Mayor is a great factor in the selling of these goods it is well to use the best paste it is possible to obtain. Even when bought from a reliable firm the paste is apt to vary, either from having been oiled or dried too much in the process of manufacture ; therefore it is up to the baker to correct these little irregularities. This can be done by slightly varying the quantities of whites and sugar. Each fresh consignment of paste should be tried out and results carefully noticed ; if the paste shows a tendenc)' to flow too freely less whites and sugar should be used ; if the opposite is the case and the macaroons bake with a pinched appear- ance a little extra whites and sugar will show an improvement. Of course all this must necessarily be left to the judgment of the baker. Another thing that will assist or retard the flowing of the macaroons is the quality and fineness of the sugar used, in goods such as are the subject of this article XXXX sugar and powdered sugar used in equal proportions will give better results than either one of the sugars used alone. By using half XXXX sugar the paste is smoother, therefore shows the impressions of the tube much better ; it will also be found to dry out more before baking. As I have given my reasons for using the sugars in the stated proportions I will try to explain why this formula is better than when using the sugars separately. Take XXXX sugar ; nine out of ten samples con- tain a small percentage of starch. Of course this starch in the sugar answers a purpose when the sugar is used solely for decoration, but using it in almond goods of this description it has an entirely opposite effect. The macaroons will be bound in the oven, and instead of the biscuits spreading a little, they will crack and the moist part burst through, making them very unsightly. Using all powdered sugar the goods will have a tendency to tlow more than is necessary. Therefore used together one sugar counteracts the effects of the other. Of course this rule simply 36 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING applies to macaroons, which require a certain amount of dryinj:^ before baking. For the biscuit Petits Fours weigh down the following: lo i)oun(ls almond paste, 3^ pounds powdered sugar, 3^ pounds XXXX sugar, T quart of whites, zest of 4 lemons. Rub down the almond paste with the whites until nice and smooth, mix in the lemon zest and work through the sugar without overmixing. Lay out in various fancy shapes on papered sheets, using a star tube with about 10 to 12 points. Color part of the mixture chocolate by adding a little melted bitter chocolate. This should be laid out at once or it will become too firm to be put through a bag and tube. A pretty biscuit is made by piping on paper small bulbs of chocolate paste, using a plain tube. Press in the center with the finger occasionally dipped in water. Pipe on to]) a small star of the white paste and cover with' granulated sugar while moist. Let the biscuit dry over night and bake ofif in a hot oven. Wash with syrup while hot. The fancy macaroons can be made from the same mixture, but should be baked off soon after laying out. Using a ])lain tube make small crescents, ovals, finger shapes and the two and three drops piped close together; damp slightly with a wet cloth and sprinkle on coarsely chopped almonds, shake ofif the surplus almonds, press in the center with the finger and bake in good oven. When cool, fill in the centers with a spot of rasp- berry jam and over this various colored fondants. (See Plate No. 13.) Walnut Pyramids With a star-shaped cutter cut out some pieces of cake from a good sheet mixing. Now prepare the following mixture : 4 pounds good cake crumbs, 1 pound almond paste, i gill of rum, 3 oranges, juice and zest. Rub down the almond paste with the rum, orange juice and zest; mix in the cake crumbs and make into a nice workable dough with a little apricot jelly. The quantity of jelly used will depend upon the moistness of the crumbs, but should be just dry enough to work without adhering to the hands. Divide into small balls, press half a walnut into each piece and roll around between the hands into a cone shape. Place on top of the pieces of cake, ice with maple fondant, and place a piece of walnut on top. Retail at 50 cents per dozen. (vSee Plate No. 14.) Chocolate Macaroons Five pounds almond paste, 5 pounds sugar (half granulated and half powdered), i ounce strong flour, 2 ounces cornstarch, i quart of egg whites, bitter chocolate or chocolate powder. Rub down the almond paste with a few egg wihites and mix in the sugar, add more egg whites to make about the consistency of macaroon paste, or rather this should be a little softer ; work well on the bench or in the machine ; then add suffi- cient melted bitter chocolate or chocolate powder to color a nice brown. Gaufres Biscuits Rheims Biscuits ^^■F^^S ^■1 ^^^^^^^^^r^s&^'- -"^^^"^^ I^^^^H ^^^^^^^.. " ••* ^^BH ^^^^Fj^ '. ]i^ ■ •w- M ^ .^1 ^ ^ V -t - rfrf Chemiti de Fer Bars Raspberry Almond Cuts Alaraschino Petits Fuur; Walnut Biscuits PLATE NO. 8 ALMONID GOODS 37 Lay out the re,c;nlar macaroon size on papered baking^ sheets ; damp with a wet cloth and cover with small various colored nonpareils ; shake off the surplus and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 13.) Hazklnut A'Lxcaroons Weigh down the following- : I pound almond paste. I pound roasted hazelnuts (ground fine), 3 pounds sugar (half granulated and half pow- dered), iy2 ounces strong Hour. Rub the almond jxiste down with a few egg whites ; then mix in the sugar, ground hazelnuts and flour ; make to about the usual consistency of macaroons with q^^ whites; work cjuite a little before dropping out. Lay out with bag and ^-inch plain tube on papered baking sheets. Damp with wet cloth and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 13.) CoNORKSS Macaroons Congress Macaroons are made with a sweet short paste bottom and afterward covered with a bulb of thin macaroon paste. For the paste bottom weigh down the following: i pound powdered sugar, 2 pounds butter, 3 pounds soft flour, 7 or 8 eggs, little lemon flavoring. Rub the butter into the flour, make a bay and place in the eggs, sugar and flavor- ing. Make into firm dough without overworking. Pin this out to ^ inch in thickness and cut out with ])lain round cutter i ]/{\. inches in diam- eter. Place the pieces on a baking sheet dampened slightly with water, pan about an inch or so apart. Now prepare the following mixture : i pound almond paste, 1 14 pounds powdered sugar, ]/> ounce flour, 10 to 12 whites of eggs. Rub the almond paste down with the whites of eggs, add the sugar, with the zest of two lemons for flavoring. Rub this until fairly light, then with bag and ^-inch plain tube force out a small bulb of the mixture onto each piece of sweet short paste. This should be of just the right consistency to run smooth without running over the edge of the short paste. Allow these to stand over night, then with a sharp knife make some incisions in the shape of a cross on the top of each one, it is only necessary to just break through the skin on the macaroon. Bake in moderate oven. Retail at 50 cents per pound or so much per dozen. Dutch Macaroons Two pounds almond paste, 2^ pounds powdered sugar, i ounce flour, e^g, whites. Rub the paste down with about i pint of egg whites, then add the sugar and flour, now add a few more egg whites. The exact quantity cannot be given, as almond paste varies quite a little, but add suflicient so that the paste will run flat and be quite smooth. Now take a bag and i4"ii^ch plain tube and lay out in small oval shapes on papered baking sheets. Dry in hot closet for six hours or let stand over night in ■38 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING the bakery. With a pin or knife, dipped occasionally in hot water, cut through the skin which has formed on the macaroon, making- the incision straight down the center. Bake in moderate oven. When baked wet the papers and place together in pairs or leave singly as desired. For a variety, color the paste white, jMuk and chocolate. Retail at 60 cents per pound. Plain Macaroons For Plain Macaroons weigh down the following- : 5 pounds almond paste, 5 pounds sugar (half grranulated, half powdered), 2 ounces corn- starch, about I quart whites. Place the almond paste in the machine or bowl and rub smooth with jX pint whites, add the remainder of the whites, then the sugar and cornstarch, let run for about five minutes on the ma- chine at slow speed. Lay out with bag- and ^-inch plain tube in drops about the size of a 50-cent piece on papered baking sheets, damp the tops with water with the aid of wet cloth. Use an extra thickness of paper on baking sheets and bake in moderate oven. When baked remove at once from baking- sheets to prevent drying out. Remove from the papers by damping with a brush dipped in water. Retail at 40 to 60 cents per pound, according to locality. Royal Almond Bars For Royal Almond Bars weigh down the following : 4 pounds almond paste, 2 pounds XXXX sugar, i pound Hour, pinch of cream of tartar, vanilla flavor. Mix the almond paste with the sugar and flour and make into a stifif, dry dough with a few egg whites. Roll out the dough to }i inch in thickness. Wash the top of the dough lightly with water and place on enough sheets of wafer paper to cover the whole. Now take the dough in the hands and turn over so that the wafer paper is at the bottom. Prepare a little royal icing (the beaten whites of eggs with XXXX sugar) and spread a thin coating of this on top. Before being allowed to dry sprinkle over the top a few finely chopped almonds. Al- low to drv for half an hour, then cut into fingers 2 inches long and 5^2 inch wide. Place on papered baking sheets and bake in moderate oven. Place about ^ inch apart on the baking sheets before baking. Retail at 50 to 60 cents per pound. Chocolatr Almond Bars For Chocolate Almond Bars prepare the same dough as for Royal Almond Bars, adding sufficient melted bitter chocolate to color and flavor. Proceed in the same way as for Royal Almond Bars. Retail at 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 13.) Cinnamon Almond Sticks Weigh down the following : 2>< pounds powdered sugar, i ounce flour, I pint egg whites, pinch of cinnamon, 2 pounds of whole almonds roasted ALMOND GOODS 39 in the skins. Chop up the ahnonds fairly coarse, place these in a copper kettle and add the other ingredients. Stir together until boiling point is reached and immediately remove from the stove. Have some wafer paper ready on the bench in a long strip the length of two or three baking sheets and about 4 inches wide. Have your assistant spoon this mixture onto the wafer paper while you spread the mixture to about 54 '"ch in thickness. Allow this to get quite cool, then cut into strips 3^ inch wide and 2 inches long and place an inch apart on papered baking sheets. Bake in oven about 300'^. Retail at 60 cents per pound. Almond Batons For Almond Batons weigh down the following: 4 pounds powdered sugar, I pound chopped almonds, ^ pound cake crumbs, 8 ounces cocoa- nut, 18 whites of eggs, pinch of cinnamon. Place the egg whites and sugar in a copper kettle, put on stove and bring to a boil. Then add the cocoanut, almonds, crumbs and cinnamon. Stir briskly over the fire for a few seconds. Have some sheets of sweet short dough previously prepared and made as follows: 6 pounds of soft tiour, 3 pounds butter, 13/2 pounds sugar, 10 eggs. Rub the butter into the flour, make a bay, add the sugar and eggs, and make into a firm dough. Now take some sheets of paper the exact size of the baking sheets used, dust with flour and pin out a piece of paste to ^4 "ich in thickness. Transfer this to the baking sheet by taking hold of the edges of the paper and drawing onto the pan. Measure ofi" 3 inches from the edge of the baking sheet and remove a strip ^ inch wide and the whole length of the sheet. Measure ofif an- other 3 inches and remove a second strip, and so on. This will leave you with four or five strips of paste on each pan. Turn in the edges of each strip a little to keep in the filling, and to insure the strips being a nice shape place a strip of greased wood betw^een each two, dock with fork down the center and bake in moderate oven just sufficient to set the paste. When baked pour over the baton mixture, dividing it equallv among the strips, spread evenly with bowl knife and return to oven until set. Cut while hot with scraper into strips i inch wide, this causing the mixture to crack nicely over the top. Retails at 20 to 25 cents per dozen. Almond Boats Line some boat-shaped molds, 3 inches long and ijA inches wide in the center, with a good short paste maile from the following : 3 pounds soft Qour, i^ pounds butter and lard, j/^ pound powdered sugar, 2 eggs, i gill of milk. Place the fat, sugar and eggs into the bowl, rub until smooth, add the milk, draw in the flour and make into a firm dough without over- working. Now prepare the following: Rub 1I/2 pounds almond paste smooth with 15 whole eggs and to this add i^^ pounds sugar (just stir in the sugar). Three parts fill each mold with the mixture. This mix- 40 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING tnre is sometimes called "dead man's filling," as it does not rise at all in the oven, but simply sets. It eats very short and cheesy, and the almonds give it a pleasant flavor. Bake in good oven about 380°. When cool remove the center from each boat with a small oval or round cutter ^ inch in diameter ; give a little twist between the fingers when removing the center to make a clear cut. Now run in sufficient warm jelly to fill the hole thus made and cover the almond filling to the de])th of y^ inch. Dust the removed centers with XXXX sugar and place in position, with a whole almond at each end. Retail at 36 cents per dozen. The filling mentioned in the foregoing recijje can be used for many purposes. An- other nice tartlet is made by lining deep fluted pans with short paste ; three parts fill with the mixture. When baked, brush over with a little simple syrup and sell as almond custards. Macaroon Shortbrivad Prepare a rich Shortbread from the following : 8 pounds of flour, 4 pounds butter, 23/^ pounds sugar, 4 eggs, little extract of vanilla ; rub the butter, sugar and eggs together sufficient to get them well incorporated, draw in the flour a little at a time, and thoroughly mix. Roll this out in a sheet }i inch thick, wash the shortbread with egg and place on a sheet of the almond paste, wash with egg, sprinkle a few coarsely chopped almonds over, dock, mark into 1 5^ -inch squares and bake in moderate oven ; do not overbake. When cool separate the squares and pack in doz- ens. Retail at 25 cents per dozen. Almond Tarts Line some cup-shaped pans about y/i inches in diameter and i inch deep with a thin layer of scrap pufif paste, thumb up the sides, then fill with the following mixture: i i)ound sugar, i pound butter, 12 eggs, i pound almond paste, i pound crumbs, little rum for flavor. Rub together the butter, sugar and almond paste, add the eggs gradually, then the crumbs and a little rum. Divide this mixture between 4>^ dozen tarts. Bake in moderate oven. When baked, brush the top with hot jelly and sprinkle a few roasted flaked almonds on. Dust lightly with XXXX sugar and retail at 5 cents each. (See Plate No. 5.) Almond Mascots For Almond Mascots weigh down the following: 2 pounds almond paste, 2 pounds granulated sugar, 2 pounds crumbs, zest of 2 lemons, good ^ pint of egg whites. Rub the almond paste with the egg whites, add the lemon zest and sugar, and lastly crumbs. Pin out to }i inch in thickness and spread over the top a thin layer of royal icing colored a pale pink. Add a handful of flour after the icing is beaten light. Let stand for half an hour, then, with a knife dipped frequently in hot water, cut Lorange Pistachio Cats' Tongues Almond Mascots Pistachio Uiscuits Pistachio Biscuits Hazelnut and Almond Boucliees PLATE NO. 9 ALMONiD GOODS 41 into pieces ^ inch wide and i ^ inches long. Place a little apart on greased and floured baking sheets and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 40 cents per pound. Lokange; F^istache For Lorange Pistache biscuit weigh down i pound almond paste and Yi pound XXXX sugar. Make into a stiiif paste with Maraschino wine and color green with a little green paste, but do not make the color too vivid. Roll this into long strips about the thickness of your linger. Now prepare another paste from the following: 2 pounds almond paste, i^ pounds XXXX sugar, sufficient whites of eggs to make into a stiff paste. Pin this out into a sheet to Y^ inch in thickness and cut into strips 1^2 to 2 inches wide. Wash with ^^^ and place a roll of green paste along each strip of the white paste and completely envelop the green paste with the white. Place in strips on a greased and floured baking sheet, and place close together with a thin strip of greased wood between each roll. Let dry over niglit and bake in a sharp oven sufficient to tint the tops a light brown. When cool, ice with white fondant through which has been mixed a little orange zest and sprinkle a little pistachio nut down the cen- ter. Cut slantwise and retail at 50 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 9.) M AKASCH iNo Bateaux Line some shallow, boat-sha])ed molds with sweet short paste and bake until dry and crisp, as for lemon meringue shells. When cool, spread level with a paste made from the following : i pound almond paste, i pound powdered sugar, 3 to 4 eggs. Rub the almond paste, sugar and eggs well together and add sufficient Maraschino wine to give a pro- nounced flavor. Now prepare some marshmallow by adding a little melted gelatine to some freshly beaten meringue ( a pound of gelatine should be softened down with not more than 1 quart of water for this piu'- pose, or the marshmallow will otherwise be sloppy). About Yz pint liquid gelatine to i (|uart whites is all that is needed. Put in a spot or two of cochineal to color a pale pink when adding gelatine. With bag and plain tube pipe on in the form of half meringue shell on top. Let stand in a cool place for half an hour or so to set, then ice the whole in pink fondant, sprinkle a little pistachio nut around the sides and decorate on top with royal icing. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Maraschino Petits Fours In a few mixtures following the one under this heading the founda- tion is absolutely the same as for this recipe, a combination of sweet short paste and fancy macaroon paste, yet each little article has a dis- tinctive flavor, due to a highly flavored filling or icing. These little goods serve merely to whet the appetite rather than to satisfy, therefore 42 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING particular attention should be paid to the preparation of the filling or icing that gives either one of them their distinctive flavor. The filling or icing can be prepared in fair-sized quantities, say enough for two or three Weeks' use, so that a certain amount of regularity is obtained as regards flavor; and remember to keep these goods small, as their smallness in- creases their daintiness. For the sweet short paste weigh down the fol- lowing : 6 pounds soft flour, 4 pounds butter, 2 pounds powdered sugar, 4 eggs, I gill of milk. Rub the butter through the flour, make a bay, add the sugar, eggs and milk, and make into a clear dough without over- working. For the macaroon paste use 5 pounds almond paste, 3^/^ pounds sugar (half powdered and half XXXX), zest of three lemons, i pint egg whites (good measure). Rub the almond paste down with the whites until smooth ; mix through the sugar and lemon zest to clear. For the Maraschino Petits Fours pin out a piece of the sweet short paste to y^ inch in thickness and cut out with small fluted cutter i '4 inches in diameter. Place a little apart on clean pans lightly splashed with water. With a bag and star tube of six points pipe a ring of macaroon paste around the border. Let dry over night and bake in fairly hot oven. While hot brush over a little simple syrup to which has been added a little gelatine. To fill the centers gather together any waste pieces of French fruit, mix with a few glace cherries and angelica and grintl up very fine. Soften this down with simple syrup and sufficient Maraschino wine for flavor so that it is easily forced through a bag and tube. P^ii)e a little bulb of this mixture in the center of each biscuit and cover this with a little touch of fondant made very weak and runny by the addition of syrup so that the fruit will show clearly through the icing. Retail at 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 8.) Walnut Biscuits This is a biscuit made after the same shape as Maraschino Petits Fours, but with a dififerent filling. For the filling use 2 pounds of fine cake crumbs, ^ i)ound chopped walnuts, apricot jelly and i gill of rum. Mix the chopped walnuts through the crumbs; add the rum with suffi- cient apricot jelly to make about the consistency of plain macaroon paste. Pipe a little bulb of this mixture in the center of each, with half a walnut on top. Retail at 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 8.) Pistachio Biscuits Pistachio Biscuits are made in two shapes, but as the method of making is the same, will describe together. Pin out a piece of sweet short paste to Ys inch in thickness and cut out a few oval and pear-shaped l)ieces. of course using small cutters. Place a little apart on clean baking sheets sprinkled lightly with water. Now prepare an almond paste from the following: 2 pounds almond paste, 2 pounds XXXX sugar, 4 to 5 ALMONID GOODS 43 eggs. IVlix the almond paste with the sugar and make into nice pHable paste with the eggs. Pin out to j-'s inch thick and cut out with small fluted cutter iV^ inches in diameter. Brush the pieces of sweet short paste with a little apricot jelly, just sufficient to make the almond paste adhere. Place a piece of the almond paste on top and draw the two ends together to form small cone shape. For Pistachio Biscuit No. 2 wash the almond paste slightly with egg and pinch together in the center. Let dry over night and bake in hot oven sufficient to tint the edges brown. While hot wash with syrup. Fill in with a little chopped French fruit softened down with a little syrup, and over this pipe a little white fondant. Dip in chopped pistachio nuts before the fondant is allowed to dry. Re- tail at 50 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 9.) Che:min dE Fer Bars Pin out a sheet of sweet short paste to y^ inch in thickness ; transfer from the bench to a clean baking sheet. The macaroon paste for these goods is tightened up considerably. This can be arranged by the addi- tion of a little almond paste and sugar. There are two ways of making these bars ; one is to run out the paste in long strips through an African forcer and place in position on the sweet short paste ; the easier and quicker wtay is to pin out the almond paste to the size of the baking sheet, place in position on the sweet short paste and pass over a fluted rolling pin. The pin should be rolled over evenly and if the impressions are fairly deep the marks will show up very fine. Dry over night and bake in oven. When cool brush over with very thin fondant made weak with syrup and well flavored with rum. Cut in diamond-shaped pieces and re- tail at 50 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 8.) Raspberry Almond Cuts Pin out a piece of sweet short paste to j/i inch in thickness and the length and width of a baking sheet; transfer to a baking sheet. Spread on a good layer of good raspberry jam. With bag and i4"i'''ch plain tube pipe strips of macaroon paste running in opposite directions so as to form diamond-shaped openings, allowing one to see the jam inside. Brush the strips lightly with egg and sprinkle over a few flaked almonds. Let dry over night and bake in good oven. Cut into small oblong-shaped pieces. Retail at 50 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 8.) GauprES Biscuits Gaufres Biscuits are made from a fairly rich almond paste. For the almond paste use 3 pounds almond paste, 2 pounds sugar, yolks of eggs and rum. Mix the almond paste and sugar together and add one gill of rum and sufficient yolks of eggs to make into a stiff paste. Pin out the paste to barely ^ inch thick and cut out with round fluted cutter lyl 44 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING inches in diameter. Place half the pieces onto greased and dusted baking sheets and brush lightly with apricot jelly. Now place another piece on top of each and fix into position, so that the biscuit appears to be half open. Dry over night and bake in hot oven. While hot wash with a little syrup. Finish with half glace cherry and two pieces of angelica. Retail at 50 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 8.) PiCNoLA Macaroons Three pounds almond paste, 1J/2 pounds granulated sugar ij^ pounds powdered sugar. 2 ounces cornstarch, egg whites. Make to the usual consistency of macaroons with egg whites, work well before dropping out. Lay out with plain tube in oval shapes on papered baking sheets ; damp with wet cloth and cover the whole with picnola nuts. Shake off the surplus and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. 13.) CHAPTER 12 FRENCH PASTRIES It would be next to impossible to give all the different varieties that come under this heading in a short article, so 1 will content myself with giving a few of the kinds that have proved to be the best sellers. In some parts of the country it is customary to designate anything made from puff pastry as French Pastry. This is all well and good, if the public have been accustomed to refer to this particular variety in that way, but the term French Pastry is generally accepted in the larger cities as meaning any kind of highly decorated individual cakes or pastries, providing they have a filling of some kind. They should retail at not less than 5 cents each, and the better quality goods command as high a price as $1 per dozen. The base from which these delectable dainties are prepared are very nu- merous. The majority are prepared from a cake base, although those prepared from sweet short dough and petit choux are great favorites with the sweet eating public. The fillings comprise pretty well all known creams and fruits. Fruit fillings are very popular during the season, and a line of these should always be kept on hand. The method of preparing the fruit pastries is very simple, and prob- ably they are the most popular. A case made from either scrap puff pas- try or sweet short dough is baked in a patty pan measuring about 33^ inches in diameter and i inch in depth. Before baking the puff pastry cases place a small square of waxed paper within the case and fill level with haricot beans. The beans can be used manv times over for this FRENCH PASTRIES 45 purpose, so after baking should be taken care of. A small square of sponge cake is now placed in the bottom of the baked case and a little custard cream poured over. Fruit in the way of strawberries, grapes, peaches, bananas, etc., is simply prepared in the raw state and piled high in the case. Over the whole pour hot apricot jelly and if a good price is obtained decorate with cream of some kind. Apricot jelly is used quite a little in the preparation of these goods, and a recipe for same will be found among the list. The more highly decorated pastries are usually prepared from cake base and are so made that there is a good surface to work upon, allowing for the play of a little flower work to give finish to the goods. One thing that must be emphasized is that neatness is absolutely es- sential in the preparation of the class of goods under notice ; for instance, take the sides of these goods as seen in the average store window. Very often a good top is offset by the sloppy appearance of the sides. If the price obtained warrants a little extra time being expended upon them, my method is to brush the sides with a little apricot jelly and press in a few roasted cake crumbs or flaked almonds. This gives a nice finish to the goods. Other important features are the quantity and quality of the decora- tion necessary. Where there is a good surface to work upon, flower work undoubtedly gives the prettiest finish, and butter cream is quite the best medium for this purpose. To the novice 1 would say : avoid high colors and do not overdo the decoratious as to quantity. Many otherwise good bakers are sinners in this respect as much as their less capable brethren. When they become interested the commercial side is forgotten, pastries that retail at 5 cents each should command double the price if the time expended upon them is properly accounted for. During hot weather meringues take the place of whipped cream and butter fillings. Almost all bakers are familiar with either cold or boiled meringue, but very few know that some very delicately flavored creams are made by using the juice of some fruits as the liquid in which to dis- solve the sugar before boiling. Apricots and raspberries are peculiarly adaptable to his purpose. To prepare the creams, press the fruits through a fine sieve or stir in enough granulated sugar until thick as for boiled meringue. Place on the stove and boil to the hard crack degree. Allow about 43/> pounds granulated sugar to i quart of whites. If the sugar is weighed before stirring in this should determine the quantity of whites necessary. To each quart of whites allow ^ pound granulated sugar when beating up. When good and stiff pour in the boiled gradually. Quite a few pastries are prepared from boiled meringue laid on a cake base in the form of pears, apples, peaches, etc. These are usually tinted with a little cochineal before the jelly is poured over and further decorated with a leaf of green butter cream. For the various mixtures referred to 46 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING in the foregoing article the following recipes will be found to give very satisfactory results. Pe:tit Choux One quart milk, Yj pound butter, i pound 2 ounces flour (half strong, half soft), 17 or 18 eggs, little mace and vanilla, pinch of ammonia. Place the milk and butter in a small copper kettle over the stove and bring to the boil. Stir in the sifted flour and work over the stove with spatula for a few seconds. Turn into a bowl and work in the eggs two or three at at lime, stirring vigorously after each addition. Add the pinch of ammonia last. Lay out in finger, crescent, oval and round shapes. Bake in a good oven with the door partly open for the first few minirtes. Fill with whipped cream or custard cream, ice and decorate. Light Cake Base Thirty eggs, .30 yolks, 2 pounds powdered sugar, i pound 6 ounces strong flour, i pound corn flour, i '4 pounds melted butter. Warm the eggs, yolks and sugar over the stove, just blood heat is sufficient ; beat up as for sponge cake. Mix in the sifted flour and corn flour, then stir in the melted butter gradually. Spread this onto a papered baking sheet to about I inch in thickness and bake in moderate oven. Sponge cake to be laid out in various forms, afterwards to be hol- lowed out and filled with cream, etc. Weigh down the following : i pound sugar, 2 pounds flour (half strong and half soft), l^ quarts ^%^ whites, I quart yolks. Beat up the whites good and stifle, gradually add the sugar, and just before taking off the machine mix through the quart of yolks. Stir through the sifted flour lightly w ith the hand. Lay out in various forms on papered baking sheets and bake in moderate oven. When baked ( dry out pretty thoroughly ) hollow out and fill as described. Decorate with butter cream flowers. Custard Cream One quart milk, y^ pound sugar, i ounce cornstarch, i ounce strong flour, 2 eggs and 4 yolks, 2 ounces of butter, vanilla flavoring. Place the milk on the stove and bring to the boil ; mix the cornstarch, flour, sugar and eggs together ; make a nice smooth batter ; pour over the boiling milk, then return to the stove and cook until it thickens, stirring with the whisk all the time. Add the butter when cooked and flavoring when cool. Apple Cream One pound apple indj), i '4 pound powdered sugar. Bake some apples on a pan in the oven ; pretty good apples are re(|uire(l for this ])urpose. When baked press through a sieve and to each i)ound of pulp take 1 j4 pounds powdered sugar. Place together in a copper kettle and over a small fire. Beat with a whisk until light like meringue. Fill in while warm. INDIVIDUAL FANCY CAKES 47 Butter Cream There are a hundred different ways of making butter cream and every baker seems to have his pet metiiod. I generally vary my method to the quantity required. I recently had charge of a department where we put as high as lOO pounds of butter into a mix of butter cream. What we found to be the most practical method was to use the sweet butter and XXXX sugar, giving a little smoothness to the cream with condensed milk. Therefore the quantity in a way should determine which method the baker should use. P.oiled sugar and yolks of eggs, meringue, syrup, etc., can all be worked into creamed butter and fine results obtained. (For Types of French Pastry see Plate No. 3. ) CHAPTER 13 INDIVIDUAL FANCY CAKES DESMON DONAS For Desmondonas weigh down the following : i pound sugar, 2 pounds flour, 48 egg whites (i^^ quarts), 36 yolks. Beat up the whites and when good and stiff, gradually add the sugar as for meringue. Just stir through the yolks with the whisk and mix through th^ flour lightly with the hand. With bag and ^-inch plain tube ( if forced through a smaller tube you are liable to break the air cells in the mix and make it heavy), lay out on papered baking sheets fairly high and about twice the size of an egg. Bake in sound oven free from steam. When cool, cut out the centers and sandwich together in pairs with meringue flavored with van- illa. Brush over with apricot jelly and frost with chocolate fondant. Place a little chocolate fondant in a paper cone, cut off' the point and circle each one two or three times. Sprinkle a little choi)ped pistachio nut or chopped browned almonds on top. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 15.) Orange Crescents Lay out the Desmondona mix in crescent form on papered baking sheets. When baked remove the centers with a sharp knife and fill with meringue through which has been mixed the grated zest of oranges, place together in pairs. Brush with apricot jelly and frost with orange fond- ant. Place a small piece of preserved fruit on top, pineapple, for prefer- ence. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Cream Pyramids Using bag and ^-inch plain tube, lay out the Desmondona mix in small pyramids (base about i^ inches in diameter) on papered baking 48 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING sheets, bring to a sharp point at the top. With a plain round cutter 2 inches in diameter cut out some pieces of cake from a sheet of yellow cake. When the pyramids are baked remove the centers with a sharp knife and fill with whipped and sweetened cream flavored with vanilla. Cover with nice white frosting flavored with vanilla. Now prepare the base by brushing the sides of the small rings of cake with apricot jellv, roll in roasted flaked almonds. Place the cone of whipped cream in posi- tion on top of the cake. Take a cone of white fontlant, clip off the end and circle each one two or three times, finishing by sprinkling a little chopped pistachio nut on top. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. During the cold weather all kinds of creams are used as fillings for the Desmondonas, the frosting being in harmony with the filling and named accordingly. Some very tasty articles are made in this way. ApricoTinEs For Apricotines, line some cup-shaped pans about 3^ inches in diam- eter and I inch deep with sweet short paste. Sprinkle a few cake crumbs in the bottomi and on top of these place half a preserved apricot. Now pipe a pyramid of marshmallow, filling the tart well up the sides, and bring to a point at the top. Place away in a cool place to set firm. When firm cover the marshmallow by dipping in warm apricot jelly, finish by sprinkling on top a little chopped pistachio nut or chopped brown al- monds. A very good substitute for the usual marshmallow is prepared by adding a little melted gelatine to some freshly beaten meringue. This will be found quite satisfactory for use in these and other similar goods. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Vanilla Pastries Line some shallow pans 2^ inches in diameter with short paste as used for timbre cakes. In the center of each place a spot of red jellv, fill with a mixture made by moistening cake crumbs with milk and flavoring with vanilla extract. It should be of such consistency as can be handled easily. Bake in moderate oven. When cold, with bag and ^-inch plain tube pipe on a bulb of hot meringue to cover the filling entirely. Place in a very cool oven or hot closet for half an hour to dry, then dip the top of each pastry in chocolate fondant to cover the meringue. The fond- ant should be made warm and the pastry held a few seconds over the pan so that when placed in its original position there is no tendency on the part of the icing to run down the sides. Finish off by sprinkling a little cocoanut, colored pale green, on to]). Retail at 5 cents each. Timbre Cakes Make a good short paste from the following: 4 pounds soft flour, 2 pounds butter, i pound powdered sugar, 3 eggs. Mix the butter, sugar Cocoanut Pyramids Pineapple Creams Strawberry Petits Fours Apples and Pears Maraschino Fingers Chocolate Bouchees PLATE NO. 10 INDIMDUAL FANCY CAKES 49 and eggs together, nil) until smooth, draw in the Hour and give a good rubbing. Pin out a stri]) of this paste the length of a baking sheet, 3 inches wide and 1-6 inch thick. When the whole of the paste has been used up in this way, spread a thin layer of the following mixture over each strip: 6 whites of eggs, flour (strong) and XXXX sugar in equal proportions. Make into thin icing and give good beating. Make a border about yi inch wide to each strip with coarsely chopped or flaked almonds. Cut with the scraper into fingers an inch wide and bake in cool oven, about 250^. Retail at 25 cents per dozen. \'arious fancy shapes can be made from this mixture — three-corners, halfmoons, etc. — a round cutter being v:sed for the halfmoons. Fruit Pyramids Cut out some star-shaped pieces of cake from any good sheet mixing and brush a little apricot jelly on top. Gather together any waste pieces of glace fruit, cherries, pineapple, the centers of pears, etc. ; chop up very fine and mix in a little Maraschino wine. Add this mixture to some plain butter cream and rub up until very light. At the same time do not be stingy with the fruit. Pipe a bulb of this upon each star of cake and put away in a cold place for an hour or so. Ice with white fondant and sprinkle a little choj)ped pistachio nut on top. These small cakes eat verv rich, therefore should be made small. Do not have the fondant too thick for covering purposes. Retail at 40 cents per dozen. ( See Plate No. 13.) Chocolate Bars These are a daintv and tasty looking article, and if carefully made their eating qualities are on a par with their appearance. For the bars cut out some long strips of plain cake about ^ inch square, pipe a heavy line of chocolate butter cream down each bar of cake, spread this down the sides with a palette knife, round off nicely to give it the appearance of being long and tube-shaped. Roll the strip of cake in roasted choc- olate crumbs and sprinkle a little chopped pistachioniut down the center. Place away in the icebox for an hour or so and then cut into portions 2 inches long, cut slantwise. A variety can be made by using vanilla butter cream on some of the strips in place of chocolate. For chocolate crumbs rub through the coarse sieve stale devil's food or any stale chocolate cake on hand ; roast for a few minutes in the oven until crisp and the stale flavor has dried out. Retail the bars at 40 cents per dozen. ChkckKRS For Checker Cakes sandwich together two strips of light sheet cake with vanilla butter cream. The strips should be 2 inches wide and about I inch in height, and when sandwiched together this will make the strip 2 inches square. Cover the sides with vanilla butter cream and roll in mac- 50 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING aroon crumbs. Place away in the icebox for half an hour or so. When firm, cut into pieces i inch wide and place the cut side down. Spread a little apricot jelly over the top of each and pipe four dots of fondant on each, two chocolate and two yellow. Have the fondant the proper consistency to run out into a nice round flat dot. Retail at 40 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 11.) FuDORA Cakes Prepare a sheet mixing from the following: 15 eggs, 15 yolks, i^ pounds sugar, 12 ounces strong flour, J/j pound ground roasted almonds, y2 pound butter. Roast the almonds in the oven until nicely browned through and grind up very fine. Place the eggs, yolks and sugar into a deep bowl, warm through and beat up as for lady fingers. Mix in the flour and almonds and lastly butter (the butter should be previously melted over the fire). Mix through lightly and spread on papered baking sheets to ^ inch in thickness. IJake in moderate oven. Wiien cool cut out with round cutter 2 inches in diameter, l)rush over with apri- cot jelly and cover the sides with roasted flaked almonds. Now fill a few of the plain bouchee cases with whipped and sweetened cream, flavored with vanilla. Place one of these on top of each and dust the whole with XXXX sugar. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Strawberry Petits Fours Strawberry Petits Fours are made Ijy cutting out pieces of cake from a light sheet mixing with a round cutter 1^4 inches in diameter. The cutter should be bent so that it is wider at one end than the other. Pre- pare some strawberry butter cream by adding one box of fresh straw- berries (chopped very fine) to 3 pounds of sweet butter and 3^ pounds XXXX sugar. Beat the butter and sugar fairly light before adding the strawberries and add just a tinge of pink color. With a bag and plain tube pipe a little of this cream on top of the cake, shaping as well as pos- sible in the form of a strawberry. Place away in the icebox to set firm. Ice in pale pink fondant and pipe over the top of this small white dots of fondant. Make the stalk of angelica or royal icing, colored green, with just a touch of yellow added. Retail at 40 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 10.) Strawberry Mascots For Strawberry Mascots cut out from a sheet mixing as used for Fedora Cakes pieces of cake 2 inches square. With bag and star tube pipe on top a pyramid of strawberry butter cream. Let stand in a cool place for an hour or so to set firm. Heat up a little apricot jelly on the stove and add to this a few sheets of gelatine. While just warm dip the cakes and before the jelly sets have your assistant press flaked almonds into the sides. Sprinkle a little chopped pistachio nut on top and retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate Nio. 5.) INDIVIDUAL FANCY CAKES 51 Mocha Sr.rcivS For Mocha Slices make up a sheet mixinp,' of tlie following': i8 eggs, i8 yolks, ij/ pounds granulated sugar, i pound Hour, j/j i)Ound almonds. Roast the almonds in the oven imtil browned through, grind up very line and mix through the tlour. Place the eggs, yolks and sugar into a deep bowl, warm through and beat up as for sponge cake. When thick add tiie flour, almonds, partly mix, then pour in the butter (which has been previously melted) and mix through lightl\ without overworking. Spread to ^ inch in thickness on papered baking sheets and bake in sound oven. When baked cut into strips 2 inches wide and the length of the pan. Sand- wich two of the stri])s together 1)\' ])lacing one on top of the other with a layer of Mocha butter cream between. Cover the to]) and sides with a thin layer of the same cream and press roasted chopjK^d almonds into the sides. Decorate the top by using a small star tul)e for the border, pipe a couple of plain lines running parallel with the border and a little scroll work down the center. Cut into pieces i inch wide. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. For the Mocha cream prepare a strong colTee extract by placing y^ pound coiTee with i pint of syru]) on the stove. Allow to sim- mer gently over the fire until there is ^ pint of liquid left, strain, allow to cool and mix with vanilla butter cream. If a little additional color is required this can be obtained by using a little "Black Jack" or burnt sugar. (See Plate No. 11.) Chocolate; Slicks Proceed in the same way as for Mocha Slices, using chocolate butter cream in the place of Mocha. Decorate by piping a border of chocolate butter cream on top, using a plain tube, with two lines of vanilla butter cream and a little raspberry jam down the center. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 14.) CocoANUT Pyramids Prepare a boiled meringue by placing 2^ pounds granulated sugar with I pint of water on the stove ; boil to the soft ball degree. In the meantime, having ready 16 whites beaten to a stifif foam; add the boiling sugar gradually while giving good beating. Flavor the mixture vanilla and add sufficient fresh grated cocoanut to make a paste that can be handled easily without feeling unduly sticky. The pyramids are formed in small cone-shaped molds i^ inches in height and i^ inches in diam- eter of base. The paste is pressed firmly into the mold and given a sharp tap on the bench, when it will be found to leave the mold easily. Place a little apart on greased and tloured pans, let dry over night and bake in good oven sufficiipnt to tint the tops a golden broAvn. Retail at 40 to 50 cents per pound. If instructions are carefully followed, a nice gummy eating biscuit should be obtained. The article can be considerably cheap- 52 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING ened by using the ordinary dried cocoanut in place of the fresh grated, but if a high class trade is done the extra flavor resulting from the use of the fresh cocoanut will be much appreciated. Of course other shapes than the one mentioned can be made. Oval shapes worked to a p'oint at each end, look very well, and small balls will be found to add to the variety. Dry and bake in the same manner as for pyramids. (See Plate No. lo.) Apples and Pears Out of a piece of good sheet cake cut some round and pear-shaped pieces of cake. Dip the cutters frequently in hot water to ensure making clean cuts. Now prepare some good butter cream and flavor with vanilla. For the apples use ^-inch plain tube and pipe on a bulb of cream, but not too high. Remove the pointed part of the bulb with a piece of wire bent horse shoe shape, taking a little of the cream away at the same time. This should leave the center a little lower than the sides. Using the same tube, pipe a little cream on the pear-shaped pieces of cake, making it bold at one end and tapering off nicely to a point at the other. Place away in the icebox for an hour or so to set firm. When firm ice with fondant, with a brush dipped in cochineal which has been diluted with a a little syrup tint the apples and pears, making them look as natural as possible. Place a clove with the little ball part removed for the eye of the pear and a piece of angelica for the stalk. Place in small crimped paper cases. Retail at 40 to 50 cents per dozen according to locality. The fruit can be made to look more natural by using pale yellow fondant to which has been added a little green. But the writer's experience is that many people object to too many colors in this class of goods, there- fore it is best to use just white and i)ink to be on the safe side. (See Plate No. 10.) Petits Buerres With an oval cutter cut out some small oval-shaped pieces of cake ; any good light sheet mixing will do. Pipe on each a bulb of butter cream, using a bag and ^-inch plain tube and piping on in the form of a half- meringue shell. Bring to the boil a little apricot jelly and to this add a few sheets of gelatine. Cool off a little. Then cover each cake with the jelly and press a few roasted flaked almonds into the sides, with a cherry and angelica on top. Retail at 50 to 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. II.) Chocolate Almond Creams Pin out some pieces of puff pastry the length of the pan and about 4 inches wide, the same kind of strips as are used for Napoleons. Dock, let rest a while and bake crisp. Cut into pieces i^ inches wide and spread on a little orange filling, the recipe for which is given below. Take some good stiff' meringue, flavored with vanilla and with about 5 pounds INDIVIDUAL FANCY CAKES 53 of sugar to the quart of whites ; pipe a high hulb ou each piece of cake to i^ inclies iu height sliaped to a point at the to]). Dry for lo to 15 minutes in a cool oven or for half an hour in a hot closet, then ice the whole with chocolate fondant and sprinkle on a few roasted flaked al- monds before the icing sets. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. This makes a delicious eating pastry, with the orange filling sufficiently strong to fla- vor the whole. When cut the wdiite center shows up in sharp contrast to the chocolate covering, giving it a classy appearance. ( See Plate No. 14.) Or.^nge Filling This is a filling with a sharp flavor that can be used to advantage in goods where the flavor is more or less in doubt or where a little additional flavor is required, such as marshmallow goods, etc. Orange filling is the name given it, but rum and almond paste play an important part ; there- fore the mixing can be varied for different goods by the addition of a little extra almond paste, rum or oranges, as the case may be. It will be found useful for piping on tops of small fancy cakes before dipping, etc., but when used as a filling should be used sjjaringly. Put through the coarse sieve 6 to 8 pounds good cake crumbs ; into this mix 2y2 pounds of almond paste, juice and zest of 6 to 8 oranges, ijX pints rum, sufficient apricot jelly to make the mix about the consistency of plain macaroon paste. Store away in a jar and use as required. Maraschino Fingers For Maraschino Fingers prepare a regular meringue with i quart ^gfe whites, 43^ pounds sugar and a pinch cream of tartar. When ready stir through the mix i pound of almonds, ground very fine, ^4 pound flour, i^ pounds cake crumbs. Light colored cake crumbs are the best for this purpose, as crumbs that contain any fat may be detrimental to the mix, so would advise sponge cake crumbs for preference. With bag and 34"i"ch plain tube lay out in long fingers on greased and floured baking sheets, and dust with a mixture composed of shredded cocoanut and macaroon crumbs in equal proportions. Bake in oven about 400°. When cool sandwich in pairs with a meringue made from i quart whites, and 4 pounds sugar, with sufficient Maraschino wine for flavor. Make a varietv by coloring half the mixture pink. Finish with a little chopped pistachio nut on top and dry for two or three minutes in the oven, just to set a crust on the meringue. Retail at 30 cents per dozen. ( See Plate No. 10.) Rose Tartlets For Rose Tartlets line some shallow patty pans with sweet short paste as for Kopje Tartlets and three-quarters fill with the following mixture: I pound butter, 1^4 pounds sugar, 10 eggs, i pound 2 ounces soft flour, 54 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING zest of 4 orani^es and a little sherry. Rub the butter and sugar together to a light cream, add the eggs gradually, then the orange zest and sherry and lastly flour. liake in moderate oven. When cool, with a large petal rose tube pipe on top of each a large rose of meringue through which has been mixed a little orange zest. Sprinkle a little pistachio nut on top and dry two or three minutes in the oven. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 14.) VlRNNRSR PaSTRIRS For Viennese Pastries line some shallow cup-shaped pans with sweet short paste prepared from the following : 6 pounds soft flour, 4 pounds butter, 2 pounds sugar, 6 eggs. Rub the butter through the flour, make a bay, add the sugar and eggs and make into a nice, smooth dough with- out overworking. Roll out the paste and cut out with round-fluted cutter 3 inches in diameter and press into the molds. Thumb up level with the edge of the pan and pipe a little raspberry jam in the bottom of each. Now prepare the following mixture : 2 jiounds butter, 2 pounds sugar, 5 pounds cake crumbs, 14 eggs, Yz pound almond ])aste. Beat the butter and sugar to a light cream ; mix in the almond ])aste, then the eggs gradu- ally and lastly crumbs. Force a large bulb of this mixture into each pan and spread level with a bowl knife. Pin out a little scrap pui¥ paste, very thin, and cut long strips ^4 "ich wide. Place in position on pastries, let rest for half an hour and bake in moderate oven. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 14.) KopjR Tartlkts Kopje Tartlets are prepared in the same way as for Viennese Pastries, minus the strip across. When cool remove the center of each tartlet with a small round cutter i^ inches in diameter, cut down into each tartlet until the paste bottom is reached, but do not cut through. Fill in the cavitv thus made with good lemon cream. Place the removed center on top of the lemon cream, dust with XXXX sugar and sprinkle a little pistachio nut on top. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 5.) Strawberry Butter Cakes For Strawberry Butter Cakes prepare a sheet mixing from the follow- ing: 18 eggs, 18 yolks, i>4 pounds granulated sugar, i pound strong flour, y2 pound almonds. >4 pound butter. Roast the almonds in the oven until nicely browned through, grind up very fine and mix through the flour. Place the eggs, yolks and sugar into a deep bowl, warm through and beat up as for sponge cake. When thick add the flour and almonds, partly mix, then pour in the butter (which has been previously melted) and mix through lightly without overworking. Spread to i inch in thick- ness on papered baking sheets and bake in sound oven. When cool, split Mocha Slices Almond Tarts pn f:, -■• ^. _ l; Gateau la Grande Checkers Raspberry Cream Ovals Petifs Beurres PLATE NO. 11 INDIVIDUAL FANCY CAKES 55 in two and sandwich a sheet with a good layer of strawberry l)utter cream and put away in a cool place for an hour or so. When firm cut into oblong-shaped pieces ij4 inches wide and 2 inches in length. Bring to the boil on the stove a little apricot jelly, give a little additional body to the jelly by adding a few sheets of gelatine and color red with a few spots of carmine. When the gelatine is dissolved remove from the stove and allow to cool sufficiently so that the cakes can be dipped without the jelly soaking in. Dip separately, and before the jelly sets press roasted al- monds into the sides. Finish by placing a strawberry dipped in glace sugar on top, with a leaf cut from angelica. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. For the glace sugar take 2 ])Ounds granulated sugar, a little more than J^ pint of water and a pinch of cream of tartar. Hoil to the hard crack degree or when the sugar begins to change to a light golden color. Dip each strawberry into the boiling sugar and drop onto a lightly greased pan. (See Plate No. 15.) Nrapolitan Crkams For Neapolitan Creams take a sheet of the cake as used for Strawberry Butter Cake and cut into strips 2 inches wide. W ith a bag and j/-inch plain tube pipe a line of chocolate butter cream running the whole length of the strip. Alongside of this pipe a line of Mocha butter cream and a line of vanilla butter cream on top. W^hen quite firm, ice half the strips with white fondant with a little orange zest mixed through and the other half in chocolate fondant with a little chopped pistachio nut on top. Al- low to stand until quite firm, then with a sharp knife dipped frequently in hot water cut slantwise into pieces about 13^ inches wide. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 5.) Pineapple Creams For Pineapple Creams, with a round cutter ijA inches in diameter cut out some pieces of cake from a light sheet mixing. Pipe on top a large bulb of vanilla butter cream through which has been mixed preserved pineapple chopped very fine. When firm, ice in pale yellow fondant and make the small eyes of the pineapples with a skewer occasionally dipped in liquid bitter chocolate. Place three small diamonds of angelica on the top of each to represent the leaf part. Place in small paper cases and retail at 60 cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 10.) Crumb Tartlets For Crumb Tartlets line some shallow patty pans. 2>< inches in diam- eter, with good short paste, using a round, crinkled cutter for cutting out the paste. Place a little red jelly in the bottom of each and then pre- pare the following mixture : 2 pounds butter, 2 pounds powdered sugar, 14 eggs, ^ ounce salt and 5 pounds stale cake crumbs passed through a 56 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING coarse sieve. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the salt and the eggs gradually, and mix in the cake crumbs. Fill the tarts by taking a little of the mixture in the hands, enough to about three parts fill the tart ; mold into a ball and flatten out a little before placing in. Bake in mod- erate oven. Retail at 20 cents per dozen. CHAPTER 14 SMALL CAKES TO RETAIL FROM 40c TO $1 PER POUND Lemon Ice Biscuits This is a fancy biscuit that should mix in well with other small cakes to retail at 60 cents per pound. For the mixture weigh down the follow- ing: ij4 pounds sugar, i pound butter, 12 eggs, ij4 pounds flour, ^4 ounce baking powder. Cream together the butter and sugar until very light, then add the eggs gradually, and lastly flour with just a little milk. Lay out in drops with bag and plain tube the size of a 25-cent piece on papered baking sheets ; bake in hot oven. Now prepare a strongly fla- vored lemon icing by mixing together the juice and zest of lemons with XXXX sugar. Warm a little over the stove and dip the bottom of each biscuit into the icing, smooth over with the fingers and set bottom up on a papered baking sheet to dry. This makes a dainty little biscuit with a fine flavor. They take a little time to prepare, but 60 cents per pound is a good price and should amply repay for the time expended on their preparation over the cost of materials. Orange Ice Biscuits For Orange Ice Biscuits prepare the same mixture as for Lemon Ice Biscuits, using an icing well flavored with the juice and zest of oranges for dipping. Fleur de Orange Biscuits Twenty whites of eggs, 25^ pounds sugar, 14 ounces flour, zest of 6 oranges, a little orange flavor. Make a fairly stiff meringue with the whites and 2 pounds sugar. Mix the balance of the sugar through the flour. Add this to the mix with the zest of oranges, shaking it through as lightly as possible. With bag and 34-i"ch plain tube lay out in finger shapes on greased and dusted baking sheets. Dust with XXXX sugar and bake in moderate oven. Retails at so much per dozen or 60 cents per pound. PoMMES DE TERRE Take a piece of rich plain cake (it must be firm and not easily crum- ble), cut into small oblong shapes about }i by >4 inch. IMake a paste of SMALL CAKES 57 the following: 2 pounds almond paste, 2 pounds powdered sugar, 5 or 6 yolks of eggs, flavor well with rum, mix thoroughly so that it is nice and pliable without breaking, roll out into a sheet barely j4 iiich thick and cut in squares i^^ inches wide; wash with egg. Now dip the pieces of cake into apricot jelly thinned down with water and lightly flavored with rum or syrup and rum. Leave them immersed only enough for the liquid to penetrate a little way or they will become soggy. Place on the squared pieces of almond paste and mold between the hands into the shape of a potato ; roll in powdered cocoa and brush it ofif in places, or just roll around in the hands again, and make a few eyes in them with a point of a match. Any kind of fruit can be made in the same way. For a pear mold them into pear shape. Get a little cochineal on the end of the finger or with a small brush and touch the top lightly ; fix a currant for the eye, make a stalk of angelica, cut a diamond of the same material and press into the side to represent a leaf. Inverness Buttons For Inverness Buttons weigh down the following : 4 pounds butter, 3 pounds flour, 2 pounds powdered sugar, 12 whole eggs, 50 yolks. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the whole eggs and yolks, gradually beating well after each addition. Flavor well with vanilla, then mix through the flour. Lay out on papered baking sheets in drops the size of a 25-cent piece and bake in sound oven. When baketl and cool oand- wich in pairs with raspberry jam. Now place closely together on papered baking sheets, take a paper cone and fill with melted sweet chocolate. Chop off the end to throw a fine line and go first in one direction, then the opposite, forming a series of diamond-shaped spaces. Allow to stand an hour or so before topping, as the sweet chocolate takes time to set. Retail at 60 cents per pound. Lemon Wafers One and a quarter pounds sugar, i pound butter, 12 eggs, 1^4 pounds flour, ^4 ounce baking powder. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs gradually, beat well after each addition, lastly mix in the flour and baking powder with just a little milk. Lay out in drops the size of a 25-cent piece on papered baking sheets and bake in hot oven. Now prepare a strongly flavored lemon icing by mixing together the juice and zest of lemons with XXXX sugar. Warm a little over the stove and dip each biscuit separately into the icing. Smooth off the icing with the fingers and place bottom side on a papered baking sheet to dry. Probably the quicker way of finishing them, providing you get vour icing just the right consistency, is to place the biscuits bottom side up after removing from the ]>apers. Fill a cone with lemon icing and force a little out onto each biscuit. It should be of the right consistency to run to the 58 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING edge of the biscuit without getting on the sides. When dry place to- gether and retail at 60 cents per pound. Walnut Molasses Wafers For Walnut Molasses Wafers weigh down the following: 2 pounds walnuts (chopped fine), i pound butter. 1^4 pounds sugar, i pint egg yolks, Yi pint molasses, ^ pound flour, Y^ ounce ginger, pinch cinnamon, cloves and mace. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the yolks gradually, then the molasses and spices, and lastly flour and nuts. Lay out on greased pans about the size of a 25-cent piece, allowing room for spreading. Bake in moderate oven. Probably the greasing of the pans and the heat of the oven are the important points to watch about these small wafer mixtures. I always think it worth while to try out a pan in the oven first, for if the pans are greased too heavily the wafers will run too much and break easily when being removed from the pans. If they are placed in too hot a part of the oven the opposite is the case and they bake with a pinched appearance. They scale (|uite a few to the pound and should find a ready sale at 60 cents per pound. Parislvn Pui'i's This is a good way to use up any royal icing that may be left over. If too stiff soften down with a little egg white and beat up until nice and light. It should be of just the right consistency to run smooth on the pans (greased and floured) when dropped out onto the pans. About the size of a 50-cent piece is the usual size. To make up a special batch beat up the whites of eggs and XXXX sugar, add a good pinch of cream of tartar and flavor with vanilla ; color half pink. Let stand on pans about two hours after dropping out before baking. Retail at 12 cents per dozen. Hermits For Hermits weigh down the following: 3 pounds sugar, 3 pounds butter. 36 eggs. 5)4 pounds flour. 5 pounds pineapple. 5 pounds cherries, 2 pounds pecan nuts. 4 pounds currants, pinch of soda, Y> pint rum. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition. The nuts and fruit should be chopped up fairly fine and mixed through the creamed butter, sugar and eggs ; mix fairly well to have the fruit distributed nicely, and, lastly, add the flour and soda, dissolved in a little milk. With bag and j/^-inch plain tube lay out in tlrops the size of a 50-cent piece on greased and dusted pans (dust the pans with flour after greasing and shake off the surplus), bake in oven about 400°. Retail at 45 to 50 cents per pound. COCOANUT AND AlMOND DrOPS Five pounds flour (half strong and half soft). 2 ounces baking pow- der, 2j4 pounds butter, 2)4 pounds powdered sugar, i pint of eggs, i pint Frogs Lambs EASTER SPECIALTIES MERINGUE GOODS PLATE NO. 12 BON)NES BOUCHEES 59 of yolks, extract vanilla, Yz pint milk. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the flavor and beat in the eggs. Pour in the milk and mix in the flour and baking powder. For cocoanut drops, with bag and i4"ii'ich plain tube lay out on paper the size of a 25-cent j)iece. dust well with cocoanut (if string cocoanut is used chop up a little with knife before using), shake off the surplus cocoanut and bake on double pans in the oven. When cool, wet the papers, remove the drops and sandwich in pairs. For almond drops use flaked or chopped almonds in place of cocoanut. This mixture makes a nice bold drop, and in a good locality 40 cents per pound should be easily obtained. Vanilla Wafers Three pounds sugar, 3 pounds butter, ^V^^ pounds flour, 18 eggs, egg color and vanilla flavor. Cream together the butter and sugar until very light, add the eggs gradually, then the ^^^ color and flavor and lastly flour ; mix through lightly. Lay out on well greased baking sheets with lady finger' tube in small drops the size of a 25-cent piece and bake in moderate oven. CHAPTER 15 BONNES BOUCHEES For Bonnes Bouchees weigh down the follow^ing : i ^ pounds butter, 15^ quarts milk, 2"] eggs, i pound 14 ounces strong flour. Cut the but- ter into small pieces and place in a small kettle with the milk. Bring to the boil and add the flour. Cook for two minutes over the fire, stirring well to keep the mixtm^e clear from the bottom of the kettle. Remove from the stove and add the eggs, two or three at a time, stirring vig- orously after each addition. With bag and 3^ -inch plain tube lay out half the mixture in drops the size of a 50-cent piece on lightly greased baking sheets and place about i^ to 2 inches apart. Using a star tube, lay out the remainder of the mixture, describe a small circle as the mix- ture is being forced through the bag and take care to have them as even as possible. Remove the points from the plain bouchees by pressing in slightly with the finger, previously dipped in egg wash. Bake in oven about 400° to 420°. For Chocolate Bouchees prepare some chocolate butter cream by beating together 2 pounds sweet butter and 23^ pounds XXXX sugar until very light. Add a dash of vanilla extract with suffi- cient melted bitter chocolate to color and flavor. Now fill the plain bou- 60 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING chees by first making a hole in the side by inserting the points of a pair of scissors, and with a paper bag filled with chocolate cream force through the hole thus made sufficient cream to fill the bouchee. Put away in a cool place for an hour or so to set firm. There are two ways of finishing these daint\' little goods, and, as the finished article looks the same whichever way is used, will give both methods. For method No. i brush the bouchees with hot apricot jelly and before the jelly is allowed to set firm roll in granulated sweet choc- olate. Have some small white paper cases set out on a pan, and as they are taken from the granulated chocolate drop into the small cases. This will minimize the handling as much as possible. Finish with a little chopped pistachio nut on top. For method No. 2 dip in chocolate fondant and cover with granulated sweet chocolate by rubbing the chocolate over the coarse grater. Finish as for method No. i. As far as price is con- cerned anything from 60 cents up is a reasonable price for goods of this description, and at this figure the goods will show a fair profit, although in the average high class store as high as $1 a pound is easily obtained. Hazelnut Bouchkks For Hazelnut Bouchees take some cases laid out with the star tube and fill with hazelnut butter cream made from the following : roast some shelled hazelnuts in the oven until lightly browned through, cool ofif and grind up fairly fine. Mix enough of these ground nuts with vanilla butter cream to give a pronounced hazelnut fiavor. To finish these goods dissolve 2 pounds granulated sugar in a good Yi piut of water and place on the stove. With a brush dipped in water remove the particles of sugar adhering to the sides and add a pinch of cream of tartar. Boil to the hard crack degree or until the sugar assumes a very golden color, then remove from the stove. Now dip the bouchees separately by holding the bottom of the bouchee between the thumb and forefinger and dip about halfway into the boiling sugar. As each one is taken from the sugar have your assistant sprinkle on a little pistachio nut, as the sugar quickly sets. Care must be taken when dipping not to touch the sides of the kettle with the bouchee, as this may cause the whole mass of sugar to grain. Just dip them in and out as quickly as possible. Place in paper case and retail at 60 cents per pound and upwards. ( See Plate No. 9.) Almond BouciiEiis Proceed in the same way as for Hazelnut Bouchees, using almonds in the place of hazelnuts. Finish by brushing the bouchees with hot apricot jelly and sprinkle over coarsely chopped roasted almonds before the jelly sets. Dust a little XXXX sugar over the whole. Place in paper cases and retail at 60 cents per pound and upwards. LANGUES DU CHATS 61 BoucHEES WITH Whipped Cream Filling Take some of the cases as used for Bonnes Bouchees, make a hole with the points of a pair of scissors and force in a Httle whipped and sweetened cream. Frost with various colored and flavored fondants. Vanilla Cream BouchEES For Vanilla Cream Bouchees fill in the same way as for Whipped Cream Bouchees with the yellow vanilla cream and dust with XXXX sugar. For Lemon Bouchees fill with lemon cream as used for lemon cream pies, frost with an icing made from the juice and zest of lemons and XXXX sugar. CHAPTER 16 LANGUES DES CHATS (CATS' TONGUES) This is a biscuit very popular in France and is rapidly gaining in favor in this country. Eaten alone it is a ver}- appetizing delicacy and when sandwiched in pairs with a light filling has no superior in the biscuit line for daintiness in appearance and eating ciualities. Its uses are very ex- tensive as a form of decoration and large charlottes and fine gateaux are built up with the aid of this neat little biscuit, and their appearance greatly enhanced thereby. Great care must be exercised in the baking of these biscuits, especially if a large quantity are baked at one time. The bis- cuits should be perfectly white with slightly tinted borders, and to insure having them uniform in this respect exceptional watchfulness is required at the oven. The pans should be drawn to the mouth of the oven occa- sionally and the end ones removed from the baking sheet with a bowl knife. As these biscuits soften quickly when exposed to the air for any length of time they should be stored away in an airtight tin and taken out as required. For the biscuits weigh down the following : 2 pounds strong flour, 2 pounds powdered sugar, i pint milk, i pint sweet cream, i8 whites of eggs. Sieve the flour and sugar together and make into a medium stifif paste with milk and cream. The paste should be about the consistency that will readily mix with' whipped whites. Add a dash of vanilla ex- tract. Beat up the wbites in a separate bowl until quite firm and mix through the cream paste with a spatula. With bag and i4"ii''cl'' plain tube lay out on well greased pans in fingers about 3^ inches in length and place about i^ inches apart to allow room for spreading. Baking in too hot an oven will cause these biscuits to spread more than is necessary, 62 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING and an oven too cool lends to give them a dry appearance. An oven around 400"" will give them just the appearance required. Retail at 50 to 60 cents per pound. (See Plate No. y.) Gateau a la Supreme; This Gateau is a classy looking article and should be a welcome addi- tion to any high class store. The colors are very delicate and in three shades — white, a delicate pink and a light chocolate. The cake is made from a light chocolate sheet, it is a splendid cake, with a nice velvety texture, and is not too sweet, which makes it specially adaptable for use with butter creams. For the mix weigh down the following: i>^ quarts eggs, iy2 quarts yolks, 3 pounds granulated sugar, i)/> pounds cake flour, 1 pound fine macaroon crumbs, 1)/ pounds butter, i ounce baking powder, I pound bitter chocolate, good 14 pint warm water. Warm the eggs, yolks and sugar and beat up as for sponge cake. MHx the flour, baking powder and macaroon crumbs together. Dissolve the bitter chocolate in the butter by placing together in the small steam kettle. When the eggs, sugar and yolks are good and stiff mix through the flour, baking powder and macaroon crumbs. When almost mixed add the butter and bitter chocolate and finish mixing with >2 piut warm water, divide into three sheets and spread in one operation if possible, as the mixture at this stage requires as little work as possible. Bake in medium oven. For the Ga- teau sandwich two sheets together with a layer of vanilla butter cream and put away in the icebox for an hour or so to set firm. Then cut into pieces 8 inches square, spread a little vanilla butter creaiu around the sides and place the Langues du Chat Biscuits on end and as close together as possible around the sides. Then with bag and i)lain tube pipe bulbs of vanilla butter cream to cover half the top of the cake and fill in the remaining half with bulbs of light colored chocolate butter cream. Finish with a wide band of pink silk ribbon stretched around the cake and made into a neat bow at the corner. In any high class store these Gateaux easily retail at $1 apiece and at this price look good to the purchaser. If care is taken to sec that the butter creams are nice and light and of good flavor they eat as good as they look. For a large fancy Charlotte remove the center from a large, round sponge cake, scoop out until there is just a casing of sponge cake left and place Langues du Chat Biscuits in position around the sides. These can be stuck on with a little butter cream. Fill in with whipped and sweetened cream and decorate the top with small jiieces of Langues du Chat Biscuits iced pink and cut into various shapes. These can be fur- ther decorated with a little royal icing put on through a very fine tube or paper cornet. Finish with a light shade of blue silk ribbon stretched around the cake and made into a neat bow at the side. Retail at $1 to $1.50 each, according to locality. (See Plate No. 7.) DUBOSH TORTEN r 63 CHAPTER 17 DUBOSH TORTEN DuBOSH ToKTE No. I Weigh down the following: 12 eggs, i pound powdered sugar, i pound flour, 1^/2 ounces butter. Separate the whites from the yolks and beat up the yolks and sugar together. Beat the whites to a stiff foam and mix in lightly with the beaten yolks and sugar. Mix through the flour lightly with the hand and, lastly, add the melted butter. Have ready four or five baking sheets greased and dusted with flour. Now take a ring of any kind measuring 12 inches in diameter; place this on the greased and dusted baking sheets and mark out three or four circles on each i)an. Place a good tablespoonful of the mixture within each circle and spread as thinly as possible. Bake in moderate oven until just dried out. When cool place four of the layers together with a layer of choco- late butter cream between each one. Now take one of the layers. This is to be for the top. Place i pound granulated sugar with % pint water and teaspoon ful glucose or pinch of cream of tartar in a small copper kettle. Place on the stove and boil to caramel or until the sugar assumes a straw color ; remove from the stove. Place the layer of cake which is to be used for the top upon a flat paper plate, pour some of the boiled sugar on top and spread very thinly. Now this top has to be divided into 16 portions. The proper time to do this is when the sugar begins to get brittle. Remove the center first with a round cutter 2 inches in diam- eter, then take a knife (not too sharp) and divide into 16 portions. Trim the sides of the torte with a sharp knife, spread a little butter cream around and press into it roasted flaked almonds. When the top is sufli- ciently cool slide onto the torte. Decorate the sections with a little choco- late butter cream and a little fruit in the center. Retail at $1.20 each, or 10 cents per portion. DuBOSH ToKTE No. 2 This is not quite as sweet as the foregoing one, and is one that I would recommend if large quantities are made. I have been making a Neapolitan Torte and several kinds of slices, using this mix, which proved to be real good sellers. Below is the mix and the method of manufac- ture: ij/2 quarts egg whites, I quart yolks, i]/^ pounds sugar, 2 pounds (half strong and half soft) flour. Beat up the whites to a stiff foam with '4 poimd sugar, add the other sugar gradually as for meringue, then the quart of yolks. Mix the flour through lightly with the hand. For the tortes proceed in the same way as for Dubosh Torte No. i. For the slices spread the mixture very thinly over the whole of the baking 64 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING sheets. Bake and divide each pan into live strips. For the NeapoHtan Torte and shces sandwich with three different colored and flavored butter creams. The butter cream 1 generally use for these is made with 4 pounds butter, 5 pounds XXXX sugar, i pint can preserved milk. The con- densed milk I use to give the necessary smoothness to the cream. Ice the top in white fondant, divide into sections and decorate with butter cream flowers, etc. For the slices 60 cents per dozen should be charged and $1.20 for torte, or 10 cents per portion. (See Plate No. 6.) Hazelnut Slices Sandwich the Dubosh Torte strips No. 2 together with butter cream flavored with ground roasted hazelnuts. For the top use caramel sugar, divide into portions i inch wide. Dip some hazelnuts into the caramel sugar, place two of these on each strip (one at each end) with a little chocolate butter cream decoration in the center. Retail at 5o cents per dozen. (See Plate No. 15.) CHAPTER 18 CHOU PASTRY Most bakers are familiar with the usual run of goods prepared from this mixture (Eclairs, Cream Puffs, etc.). The following recipes cover all previous ground in this respect with revised and up to date methods of finishing them, also new goods that have appeared during the last two or three years. These can be added to the list with ver\- little additional trouble. (For types of Chou Pastry see Plate No. 2.) Chou Pastry No. i For mixture No. i weigh down the following : i pound butter, 2 quarts milk, 36 eggs, 2^4 pounds strong flour, about as much powdered ammonia as you can lay on a 50-cent piece, a little mace and vanilla. Place the milk and butter in a copper kettle and bring to a boil over the stove. Stir in the flour with a large wooden spatula, stir vigorously for a few sec- onds until the mixture leaves the sides of the kettle and hangs around the spatula, then transfer to a mixing bowl or machine kettle. Now beat in the eggs two or three at a time ; don't be afraid to work it around a little ; add the powdereil ammonia, then the flavoring and mace with the last two or three eggs. Cuou Pastry No. 2 One quart of milk and water. 10 oiuices butter and lard, i ounce of sugar, I pound 6 ounces of strong flour, 18 to 20 eggs, little mace and vanilla, good pinch of ammonia. Chocolate Bars Fruit Pyramids *i>Li*A J£^&i^ Pinenut Macaroons Chocolate Macaroons Hazelnut Macaroons Fancy Macaroons PLATE NO. 13 < CHOU PASTRY 65 Chou Pastry No. 3 One quart of water, ^ pound lard, i^A pounds strong flour, ^ ounce ammonia, 20 eggs, little mace and vanilla. Rich CrRam Filling for Eclairs, Etc. One quart milk, 4 eggs, 4 yolks, i^ ounces cornstarch, ^ pound sugar, 2 ounces butter, vanilla flavoring. Bring the milk to a boil over the stove and stir in the eggs, cornstarch and sugar, well beaten together, until thick ; remove from the stove, then add the butter ; when cool add the flavoring. F'or the Eclairs lay out the mixture with bag and ^-inch plain tube on lightly greased baking sheets to 3^ inches in length. For all pastries of this kind I usually bake with the oven door partly open for the first two or three minutes ; this applies to all goods prepared from this mixture. When baked fill with vanilla cream and ice with maple or chocolate fon- dant. When frosting the Eclairs dip into the icing, then comb the sides with the forefinger ; in this way a much neater looking article is made than by having the chocolate running in streaks down the sides. The icing should be a little thicker than used for other goods. French Eclairs Take some of the empty Eclairs and frost with various colored fon- dants. Allow to stand half an hour or so for the icing to set firm, then with a sharp knife cut open the top straight down the center. Fill in with whipped and sweetened cream. Sprinkle a little chopped pistachio nut on top or finely chopped almonds, colored green, through which has been mixed a tinge of yellow. Choux a la Creme; Lay out the mixture in small bulbs the size of a dollar piece with bag and 3^-inch plain tube on lightly greased baking sheets. When baked, make a hole in the side with the forefinger and force in some whipped and sweetened cream ; dust over with a little XXXX sugar. A favorite pastry which has a large sale is prepared in the same way as Chou a la Creme. Frost with maple fondant in place of XXXX sugar. Praliner Cream Buns Prepare some Pralinee from the following : roast i pound of whole almonds in the skins until nicely brown through ; now place on the stove I yi pounds sugar in small copper kettle ; cook to caramel or until the sugar assumes a golden brown color, then mix in the almonds, turn out onto a greased slab, crush under a rolling pin and separate the fine parti- cles from the coarse by sieving ; the fine powder is used for flavoring pur- poses and the coarse for decorating. Take some small cases, as used for 66 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING Choux a la Creme, fill with whipped cream flavored with Pralinee pow- der, frost on top very thinly with white fondant, and sprinkle over some of the coarse particles of Pralinee. Retail at 40 cents per dozen. Fre;nch Crullers Fill a bag containing a star tube with No. i mixture, force out ring shape as for vanilla wafers on heavily greased papers ; the size of the paper should be cut according to the size of the cruller pot. Have the fat a little hotter than for doughnut frying and place in the paper of crullers; hold in the hot fat for a minute by one end of the paper, allow to cook thoroughly on this side before turning over, finish frying and when cool ice thinly with fondant flavored with lemon zest or dust with XXXX sugar. A very common mistake among bakers is having the fat too cool for these crullers. The fat should be hot enough to keep the cruller in shape and should be thoroughly cooked on one side before being turned over. Retail at 20 cents per dozen. Fi:dora Pastries Cut out some round shaped pieces of light sheet cake, brush the sides with hot apricot jelly and roll in roasted llaked almonds; spread a little whipped cream on top, and in the center of this place a small cream putY filled with whipped cream flavored with ground roasted almonds, dust XXXX sugar over the whole. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Bordeaux Pastries Fill a bag containing a star tube with No. i mixture and lay out oval shape on lightly greased baking sheets ; when baked fill with whipped cream and dust with XXXX sugar. Pipe a zigzag line of red jelly run- ning from end to end on top. Retail at 60 cents a dozen. Quite a few high class pastries are made by cutting out some sweet short paste with a round scalloped cutter ; place these on clean baking sheets, then pipe a ring of No. i mixture around the edges. Bake, and when cool dip in chocolate fondant and fill in the center pyramid form with whipped cream ; sprinkle a little pistachio nut in the center. To make a variety use different colored and flavored fondants. A nice pastry is made by placing half a preserved peach in the center of the ring before baking; when baked tint the peach with a little red color, cover wdth a spoonful of hot apricot jelly, finish with a leaf cut from angelica. Crescents Eay out No. i mixture with bag and plain tube in crescent shape, bake and fill with either whipped or vanilla custard cream ; ice with various colored fondants. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. CHOU PASTRY 67 LivMON Cream Buns These are usually made small and retailed by the dozen. Lay out the mixture with bag and plain tube about the size of a dollar piece; when baked fill with a rich lemon cream, frost on top with an icing prepared from the juice and zest of lemons and XXXX sugar. Retail at 40 to 60 cents per dozen. Gatrau Saint HbNORK Cut out a piece of sweet short paste about the diameter of an ordinary layer cake pan, place on a clean baking sheet and dock with a fork and bake. Pipe with a bag and plain tube a ring of No. i paste around the edges. Force out on a separate pan 15 or 16 small cream pulTs about the size of a 25-cent piece ; bake. Boil i pound granulated sugar with 5^ pint water and a pinch of cream of tartar to caramel or until it assumes a pale straw color ; dip the small cream buns separately and place around the edges of the Gateau. Glace some cherries and nuts at the same time as the small cream puffs, these to be used for decorating the Gateau. Now fill in the center with a little rich custard cream and over this pipe a pyramid of whipped and sweetened cream ; decorate with glace fruit and nuts. These can be made to adhere to the sides by dipping quickly in a little caramel sugar and placing on before being allowed to set. An elaborate Gateau is prepared by dipping all kinds of fresh fruit, orange quarters, etc., in the caramel sugar and decorating on top with a little spun sugar. Retail from 75 cents upward. Bouche;f,s, Rtc. Some very dainty goods are prepared by laying out No. i mixture in small bulbs the size of a 25-cent piece. When baked these are filled v/ith various flavored butter creams, a hole is made in the side with a pair of scissors and th.e cream is forced in through a strong paper cone. For the pufTs filled with butter creams flavored with nuts (roasted almonds grovmd fine, roasted hazelnuts and filberts, etc., probably being the prime favorites), boil some sugar almost to caramel, add a pinch of cream of tartar when boiling. Hold the Bouchee between the thumb and the fore- finger and dip half way into the caramel sugar. Place in neat white paper cases. For Chocolate P)Ouchees flavor the l)utter cream with melted s^veet chocolate, cover the Bouchees by dii)]iing in chocolate fondant, then sprinkle over some sweet chocolate rubbed over the coarse grater. A nice way of finishing the Almond Bouchees is to brush over with hot apricot jelly, then sprinkle over some coarsely chopped roasted al- monds ; dust lightly with powdered sugar. Needless to say, for goods in this class a very smooth, rich butter cream is necessary, preferably one made by beating into the creamed sweet 68 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING butter freshly made meringue. The following quantities will insure good results: 4 pounds sweet butter, i^^ pints whites, 4>4 pounds powdered sugar. In high class stores, when neatly packed in boxes of i dozen each, the Bouchees command anything from 30 cents per dozen upward, and are usually in great demand for afternoon teas, etc. CHAPTER 19 CREAM GOODS The following recipes are for exceedingly choice goods and should be a welcome addition to the list of cream goods of any high class firm. The list also includes recipes for ordinary goods for the benefit of those who have had but little experience along these lines, and that they will prove beneficial to the trade at large I have no doubt. Sponge Casino for Charlotte Russk There are several good methods of making the sponge casing for Char- lotte Russe. In quite a few high class stores it is customary to make use of stale lady fingers for the purpose, but where a large quantity of Charlottes are prepared this is hardly practical. For Casing No. i weigh down the fol- lowing: I quart egg whites, }i quart yolks, i pound granulated sugar, i pound powdered sugar, 2 pounds flour (half strong, half soft), Beat the whites to a stifif foam and add the granulated sugar gradually, beating well after each addition ; add the yolks and beat 2 or 3 seconds more. Now stir through the powdered sugar with the egg whip, and lastly add the flour ; mix through lightly with the hand. Fill a bag containing a lady finger tube with the mixture and lay out in three strips on paper baking sheet. Do this by forcing the mixture out lady finger shape, but close together and about 4 inches wide. When baked, cut the strips down the center and length, according to the size of the cups. In this way the Charlottes have the appearance of being lined with lady fingers without all the trouble attached to the making and use of same. For those who have a large trade in Charlottes, would recommend the use of sheets, as these can be piled on top of each other and several hundred linings cut at one time. In a large bakery I worked in two years ago we did quite a quan- tity of Charlottes each day and to do away with the annoying difiference in thickness of the sheets in places, a trouble hard to avoid when spread- ing with a palette knife, we had a tube made, 5 inches long and }i inch wide ; this was attached in the same way as the small rubber bags and decorating tubes. In this way a ribbon of the mixture was forced out, much in the same way as the tubes of dental cream. This did away with CREAM] GOODS 69 all spreading ; the sheets were the same thickness, and what is more im- portant than anything in a mixture of this kind, more especially a large one, it had the advantage of speed. A mixture run out with the tube could be done in about half the time it would take to spread it with a bowl knife, and using the tube one was assured of having the sheets of a uniform thickness. For Casing N/o. 2 weigh down the following : 2 quarts eggs, 4^ pounds granulated sugar, 2)/^ pounds flour (half strong, half soft). Place the eggs and sugar in a copper kettle and warm over the stove. Place in the machine and beat until light and thick, then mix through the fiour lightly with the hand. Proceed in the same way as for Casing No. i. Bake in fairly hot oven. Plain Whipped Cream For helping cream to retain its firmness after whipping, gelatine should be used in the proportion of ^ pound to 5 gallons. The gelatine should not be used too warm or too thick. When using a good brand of sheet gelatine a pound should be dissolved in i^ to 2 quarts of water. This should be thoroughly dissolved by placing in an outer pan contaming boiling water, and whatever quantity is needed should be partly cooled off and the vanilla mixed with it before adding to the cream. For sweet- ening purposes the usual quantity allowed is 4 ounces to the quart, but this is entirely a matter of taste. Charlotte Russe Line some Charlotte Russe cases with sponge sheet or lady fingers. Fill a bag containing a ^-inch plain tube or a large star tube and pipe on a pyramid of whipped cream, bring to a point at the top. Retail at 5 cents each. Double Charlottes Take a small amount of whipped cream and make into a light paste with slightly warm melted bitter chocolate ; add this to the bulk. Now line some Charlotte Russe cups as for plain Charlottes ; fill about two- thirds full with whipped cream, using a star tube, then top off each one with a little of the chocolate whipped cream. The above method of mix- ing the chocolate whipped cream is the only way in which any degree of success is assured. If added to the bulk without first making a paste the warm chocolate on contact with the cold cream will set in small, hard lumps, with the result, cream will be anything but chocolate flavored cream. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Charlottes a la Cardinal This is a very high class Charlotte, but is rather a tricky mixture to work out successfully at the first attempt. However, I hope this won't 70 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING deter any readers from attempting same, of course providing they have a trade that will stand for the price. Line some Charlotte cups with lady fingers. Now take 2 quarts of cream, have your assistant beat this up, while you prepare the following: place 10 yolks of eggs in a small bowl, add to this I/2 pound sugar and beat together until fairly light, then add I gill of melted gelatine (proportion explained in plain whipped cream), mixed with a bare }^ pint of iXIaraschino wine. Pour this mixture into the yolks of eggs gradually, beating well while adding; beat for a few seconds more, but on no account let it get too thick. Of course, this depends upon the temperature of the bakery, as the gelatine setting will thicken the mixture. Then add to the whipped cream. The mixture should be just thick enough to pour into the whipped cream, but do not let it get above the pouring stage or the resultant cream will be very dis- appointing. Fill in the same way as for Charlotte Russe. Retail at 10 cents each. Larc.e Charlottes Large Charlottes are usually prepared from large sponge cakes hol- lowed out, then filled with cream. The best method of preparing these Charlottes is to use langue du chat biscuits or wafers, made into finger shapes around the sides. These are usually held in position by the use of a little butter cream, then when the Charlotte is finished stretch a band of pale colored silk ribbon around the sides and finish with a large bow. In this way additional strength is given the casing, otherwise with such a soft and absorbent casing as sponge cake the Charlotte would fall to pieces in a very short time. The filling of cream can be rounded oft' dome shape and further decorated with glace fruit, etc. A very effective way of finishing a large Charlotte is to frost a piece of Charlotte casing with pink icing. When dry, cut into diamond shapes, etc., and if necessary decorate with a little royal icing, using a paper cone cut very fine. Arrange these small pieces on top and use a wide band of pale pink ribbon for the sides. PuNC?i Crkam Buns For Punch Cream Buns make up a fairly rich fermented dough, a dough with about Yi pound sugar, >4 pound butter and 4 or 5 eggs to the quart, or if only a few are to be made for a start, make some of the ordi- nary bun dough a little richer by the addition of a few eggs. Scale 3 ounces for two buns. Hand up round, pan and wash with strong t^ pints of sherrv or rum. Bring the syrup to the boil, add the orange and lemon juice and rum ; allow to boil. The buns should be just put in and taken out or they will absorb too much liquor. When cool, open and CREAM GOODS 71 fill with whipped cream, sweetened and flavored with vanilla. Sprinkle a little pistachio nut on the cream showing between the bun. The punch will keep for some time and should be warmed each day before using. Either rum or sherry can be used for flavoring. Retail at 60 cents a dozen. Savarins For Savarins make up a dough as for Punch Cream Buns, but use 6 or 7 eggs to the quart and make the dough soft enough to put through a ba^ and tube. A genuine Savarin Mixture is given below, which can be used if preferred. They can be made any size, the molds being after the same shape as angel cake molds, with the exception of the tube being wider, not so deep and closed at the top. When the dough is ripe, fill the molds barely half way. Give good proof and bake in fairly hot oven. When cool soak in punch as for punch buns, and fill with whipped and sweetened cream, to which has been added the yolks of a few eggs ; sprinkle a little chopped pistachio nut on top. Large Savarins can be made in the same way, but should be further decorated with almonds, cut lengthwise, and stuck into the side with a little fruit on top. Savarin Mixture The genuine French Savarin Mixture is made from the following: warm up a pint of milk, into this dissolve I ounce of yeast and make mto sponge with about i pound of flour. Allow to stand in a warm place to get a start. Make up another dough with 2 pounds flour and 15 eggs; beat these together thoroughly. To this add 2 pounds butter gradually, and finish making the dough with 15 eggs (making 30 in all) and Yz pound sugar. When made, add the sponge and work through. This dough can stand all night in a cool place and shoifld be beaten back before being used up the next morning. It is only necessary for the sponge to get a start, but plenty of work should be given the dough at all stages of manufacturing. Banana Tarts For Banana Tarts take a single layer cake, one scaled at 10 to 12 ounces from a nice layer cake mixture ; slice in two and cut some nice firm bananas lengthwise and place on half the layer; use 2 bananas to each layer. Brush over the bananas with a fairly heav\' syrup and spread over a thin layer of cream. Place the other half layer on top and spread a little cream around the sides ; dip in roasted flaked almonds. Put a good layer of cream on top and pipe on a neat border ; ])lace half a banana, divided lengthwise, on top, with a cherry and angelica. Brush over the banana with strong syrup. ( This prevents the banana from going dark.) They are a very classy article and retail from 25 to 30 cents each. 72. MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING Crram Baskets Take some cup-shaped cakes and slice a little ofif the bottom to make them stand level. Now take a pointed knife and cut a round out of the top, digging down into the cake and saving the piece cut out for the lid of the basket. Brush the sides with apricot jelly and roll in roasted flaked almonds. With bag and plain tube pipe in a big bulb of whipped cream, bring it well up and do not get too near the sides ; cut the lid in half and place in position so that the center is lower than the sides ; sieve over lightly a little XXXX sugar and place in position a handle cut from angelica. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. PiNKAPPLE Tarts Proceed in the same way as for Banana Tarts, using canned chopped pineapple, with the liquid drained therefrom, in the place of bananas. Retail at 25 to 30 cents each. M ATI NEK CrKams For Matinee Creams take some ordinary sized cream pufifs, force in some whipped cream, using a bag and plain tube. Frost the top with maple fondant, then brush the sides with apricot jelly and press in roasted stale macaroon crumbs. Fill a i)aper cone with maple fondant and de- scribe circles on the top, gradually working out from the center. Before being allowed to dry sprinkle in the center a few coarsely chopped pecan nuts which have been previously roasted in the oven. If pecan nuts are not available use coarsely chopped walnuts. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Opera Pastries This is a very delicate pastry and I recommend it to any baker looking for something real classy to serve in the coffee parlor or tea room. Take a baked strip of pastry as used for Napoleons (about 4^ to 5 inches wide), spread over a thin layer of raspberry jam, and on the top of this place a strip of light sponge sheet the same width and length of the pas- try. Now fill a bag containing a large plain tube with whipped cream and force out two or three strips on top of the sponge sheet. Round this ofif nicely with a bowl knife, then cover the whole with a thin layer of meringue. This can be done by using a bag with a medium sized star tube and piping the lines close together running from end to end. The quicker way of putting on the meringue is to use the special tube as men- tioned for laying out the sponge sheets ; in this way a ribbon of meringue is forced out sufficient to cover the strip at one operation. Now transfer the finished strip to a flat piece of wood about the same width and length. The idea is to get a little brown color on the meringue by holding it near a strong flame. Where there are open furnaces to the ovens, and coke or coal is used, this is an easy matter ; it is only necessary to hold in the heat w^.. Walnut Pyramids Chocolate Almond Creams Rose Tartlets X'iennese Pastries Maraschino Bateaux Chocolate Slices PLATE NO. 14 CREA^r GOODS 73 two or three seconds, as the meringue quickly colors. A heater such as candy makers use is quite all right for this purpose in case it is not handy to reach the furnace. Cut into sections i].^ inches wide and retail at 60 cents to $1 per dozen. This is a splendid eating pastry and has a very high class appearance. When packing great care should be exercised, as the pastries have nothing strong in the way of casing. Boston Cream PiKS Allow lYz layer cakes, layers scaled at 8 ounces, into the pan. for each pie. Split and sandwich the whole layer with yellow custard cream. On top of this spread a thick layer of whipped cream. Now divide the half layer in two and place on in the same way as for Cream Baskets. Dust rather heavily with XXXX sugar and mark out a little design on top with a point of a knife. Retail at 20 to 25 cents each. Snowballs For Snowballs take some good shaped doughnuts, preferably those a few hours old. Split almost in two and force in a large bulb of whipped and sweetened cream. Dust on top with XXXX sugar. Retail at 40 cents per dozen. It is surprising what nice eating this cake makes. Of course the doughnuts should be thoroughly cooked, and at the same time be a light brown in color, and at least half a day old to insure them cutting firm and not being in the least doughy. \'ery few people after eating one would guess they had been eating a humble doughnut so effectively dis- guised. Try them. Orange Creams For Orange Cream casing weigh down the following : i pound sugar, 2 pounds flour,' lYz quarts egg w'hites. i bare quart of yolks. Place the whites in the machine and beat up fairly stiff. Then add the sugar grad- ually as for meringue. When all the sugar is beaten in add the yolks and run on slow speed for two or three seconds. Remove from the ma- chine and mix through the flour lightly with the hand. With bag and ^-inch plain tube lay out on papered baking sheets about twice the size of an egg. Bake in moderate oven until fairly dry. When baked scoop out the centers with a sharp knife and place two together, using a little apricot jelly to make them adhere. Brush over with hot apricot jelly, then frost with fondant through which has been mixed the grated rind of two or three oranges ; sprinkle a little chopped pistachio nut on top ; when dry make a small hole in the side, and with bag and a small plain tube force in sufficient whipped cream to fill. Any flavored icing can be used for covering the sponge, and the pastry derives its name from the same. A simpler way of finishing these goods 74 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING is to frost just the half that is to be used for the bottom. Place the frosted half on top. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. Whipped Cream Torte Weigh down the following mixture: i]/2 quarts of whole eggs and yolks, 2 pounds granulated sugar, i pound roasted almonds (ground fine), ^ pound ilour, .)4 pound butter. Place the yolks, eggs and sugar in a copper kettle and warm over the stove, remove and beat until light and thick, then add the almonds and flour mixed together. When partly mixed add the butter, which has been previously melted in the oven ; lay out in the regular Torte hoops. For $1 size these usually measure 8^ inches in diameter, the $1.50, about 10 inches, the $2, 11 inches and so on. Paper the hoops and do not use any grease on the sides ; spread to i inch in thickness and bake in medium oven. When baked carefully re- move the skin (the top) of the Torte with a sharp knife, taking care not to break ; slide on to cake round and ice thinly with white frosting. Now hollow out the center of the Torte and fill with whipped cream. Remove the center of the frosted top with a round cutter lYz inches in diameter, then divide into 12 sections for a $1 Torte, 16 for $1.50 Torte, and so on. Decorate with a cone of royal icing cut fine and glace fruit. Place on a, board and lace paper, then spread a little whipped cream around the sides and press roasted flaked almonds into the sides. Hazelnut Cream Torte Take two of the baked Torten, as used for Whipped Cream Torten. For this purpose these are best hollowed out by removing the cake in a circle, hollow out ]/>. inch from the sides and leave a circle of cake in the center of each, then when the two are placed together there is plenty of support in the center, as the two small circles left in each Torte should meet, and in this way the jiressure of the top does not lie on the cream. Fill with whipped cream through which has been mixed finely ground hazelnuts. For the sides pin out a piece of marzipan (this is prepared with ^ pound almond paste, ^ pound sugar, sufficient whites to make a stiff paste, and a dash of rum for flavoring), to ]/% inch in thickness, pass over a fluted rolling pin, then cut into a long strip wide enough to cover the sides of the Torte and reach half an inch above the top ; pinch the top of the marzipan all around with a i)air of paste nippers. Frost the top thinly with white fondant and place Just inside the border a ring of filbert nuts previously dipped in caramel sugar ; intersperse with small diamond-shaped pieces of angelica. Place a little cut glace fruit in the center, and if a high priced Torte further decorate with a cone of royal icing cut very fine. Pastry Charlottes For Pastry Charlottes pin out a piece of straight puff pastry to yi inch in thickness ; cut into pieces 3 inches square. Splash the center with a little POUND CAKE 75 egg wash and fold the four corners to the center. Place onto a pan hghtly splashed with water and bake until crisp in moderate oven. When cool dust with XXXX sugar ; make a hole in the top of each with the forefinger and force in some whipped cream, using a bag and tube. Pipe a pyramid of whipped cream on top, using a star tube ; finish with a little chopped pistachio nut on top. Retail at 60 cents per dozen. CHAPTER 20 POUND CAKE It is usually admitted that this branch of the trade requires greater knowledge and skill on the part of the operator than any other part of the business. Probably this is the reason there are few really good pound cake bakers outside the large factories. By this statement 1 do not mean to imply that one cannot be a good baker without making a fine line of goods of this class, but I will say that bakers who have not yet attempted anything in this line have missed one of the most profitable and interesting branches of our trade. This hardly applies to our neighbors over the border, as in most Canadian stores a case of pound cake usually occupies a prominent position and is more often than not of a very high grade. I think the reason for this is the fact that Scotch and English bakers predominate in the bakeries there and I think it will be generally admitted that they excel in this branch of cake baking. In the average small bakery the principal trouble seems to be the heat of the oven. A continuous baking throughout the day and night is usually carried on and probably one or two attempts have been made with small batches of pound cake, and no especial trouble having been taken to sec that the oven is cooled off suffi- ciently to attempt to bake Pound Cake with any degree of success. I have been up against these troubles myself in small bakeries, but have always found, providing a fair trial is given this class of cake, it invariably catches on, and have found it worth while to set an afternoon apart for the cooling down of the oven. Of course, as the sale of pound cake in- creases week by week, as it should do providing the proper stimulus is given the sale and the batches increase in size, one can work with a much warmer oven than was necessary in the first place. A sound oven at 300° is the ideal oven for Pound Cake. Of course the size of the blocks makes a difference, but in my opinion some parts of the cake get a lot of un- necessary drying out if these exceed 6 pounds in weight. At this heat I usually bake with the oven partly open for the first 35 or 40 minutes to allow the cakes to attain their full expansion ; from then on with every- thing closed up tight. Should the oven be too hot the resultant cake is 76 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING very close in texture and has a huge crack on top, more especially if the cake is of the rich variety. This is caused by the heat of the oven form- ing a crust before the cake has finished aerating ; then, as the interior gas expands itself, it cracks the crust to escape. A part preventative of this, providing the oven is a little too warm, is to give the cake plenty of pro- tection from the bottom heat ; give several thicknesses of paper and double pan. x\n oven too cool is almost as bad as having an oven too hot. There are very few bakeries of my accjuaintance where this would be likely to happen, still a few remarks along these lines will not be out of place. In the case of a cool oven a thick crust is one of the principal faults, as shown in cut cake ; but whereas the cake baked in a hot oven does not reach its fullest expansion, the reverse is the case using a cool oven ; but after reaching its full exjjansion the cake settles in the center, due to the center of the cake forming into a syrupy substance. This is more often than not the case with rich fruit cake. Plain Pound Cake should al- ways be baked in a sound oven at the heat mentioned. Even if baked in an oven the least bit cool, this will show in the color of the crumb, which will have a slightly grayish tint instead of being clear and bright. In a nutshell, the idea is- to bake cakes as cjuickly as possible, at the same time having the oven cool enough to allow the cakes to obtain their fullest expansion. My method of baking Pound Cake may ditTer somewhat from accepted standards, which I think it does ; but I may say that I have tried all methods, and if our increase in this branch during the last two or three months since I have given it my attention is any criterion as to quality, then I do not feel like following those accepted standards. Regarding raw materials in Pound Cake baking, if a tine grade of finished goods is desired, the best of everything is necessary to obtain these results. Butte;r. — In my opinion butter or neutral fat (whichever is used) is the most important ingredient of all ; the texture of the cake really de- pends upon the quality used, and this rule applies to all rich loaf cakes in which the eggs are beaten into the creamed butter and sugar. Have you ever noticed how some butter will take all the eggs which should go into a Pound Cake mix without curdling, while another butter of good flavor, and probably priced the same, will start to curdle before half the eggs are in ? The curdling is due to there being an excess of water, milk, curd, etc., in the butter; this water forms into a syrup with the sugar, and after a certain quantity of eggs have been added the bat- ter will slide about and not amalgamate with the other ingredients. Another cause of this happening is the addition of the eggs in too large quantities and too fast, although this mistake is rarely made. Sugar. — A good quality powdered sugar not too fine will produce the POUND CAKE 77 best results. At the time of writing I am having a Httle trouble in ob- taining a straight sugar really suitable for this work, and am using a fine granulated sugar mixed with powdered sugar in equal proportions with fine results. In cakes of cheaper grades the amount of sugar is increased, as this also tends towards producing a cake of fine texture, although care must be taken not to have the mixture too sweet. Plour.— Flour for use in Pound Cake baking should be of the soft variety, but high grade. Quite a few good Pound Cake bakers advocate the use of a little stroug flour, but in my opinion this has a tendency to give the cake too much "spring" in the center, and especially if the oven is on the warm side, a cake with a nice flat top is the ideal cake ; there- fore anything which is apt to bring about a reversal of this order should not be added. Eggs. — Eggs of fair ([uality should be used ; avoid cheap eggs for this work, as they are usually weak and colorless and very stale. Where the mixture calls for whites being beaten up do not beat too stifif, as this state tends to toughen the mixture. While on the subject of eggs it will be well to note that there is an economical and a wasteful way of break- ing them. In cakes of this kind, when a fair sized batch will run away with hundreds of eggs, the amount of eggs that are wasted by throwing the shells as they are broken direct into the garbage can amounts to almost a quart to every 300 eggs. If a can with a perforated bottom on legs is placed over a larger one to catch the drained whites from the empty shells as they are thrown in, and situated in a convenient corner, this waste should be effectively stopped. Fruit. — Fruit should be cleaned thoroughly and, if exceptionally dirty, washed and dried ; look over for stalks and small stones. Good fleshy fruit, which invariably possesses a good flavor, is the right kind to use. Remember, it is poor policy to use poor fruit in rich cake. In the case of cherries, etc., which sometimes carry an excess of syrup, place on a wire or small sieve and immerse for a few seconds in warm water. Do not allow to remain in the water but for a few seconds or the flavor of the fruit will be lost. The reason for removing the excess syrup is to prevent the fruit from sinking during baking. Citron should be sliced to use in Citron Pound Cake, and cut in small cubes when used for dark or light mixed fruit cakes. Flavors and Colors. — In flavoring cakes a common mistake is over- doing it in this respect. Just sufficient to give it a delicate flavor is all that is necessary, if good materials are used throughout, what is the use of drowning the flavor of these with an extract ? The flavor of good butter and fruit is far more preferable to cheap extracts. Appearance has a whole lot to do with the selling of Pound Cake, and what pleases the eye pleases the palate in this case. In all Pound Cake I would advise the use of a little ^^^ color. In medium heavy fruit cake, where a nice 78 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING golden brown colored crumb is desired, the cake should first be colored with a little egg coloring, then toned down with a little "Black Jack" (burnt sugar). Colors and flavorings should be added after the butter and sugar are creamed and before the eggs. Almond Paste in Fruit Cakes. — In all fruit cakes almond paste used in the proportion of ^ pound paste to i pound of butter will ma- terially assist the flavor and keeping qualities of the cake. This should be softened down with a few of the eggs and added after the butter and sugar are creamed. Method of Mixing.— Quite a little of the ultimate success attained in this branch of cake baking depends upon the metliod of mixing. For rich cakes cream thoroughly the butter and sugar before adding the eggs ; these should be in proportionate cpiantitics to the size of the mixture. I generally add the eggs as cjuickly as possible. As soon as the mixture is smooth and clear, after an addition of eggs, follow with another, and so on until all the eggs are in, then stop the machine without giving the batter any unnecessary beating. The principle underlying the beating of mixture is to bring about a state of lightness by the creation of multitu- dinous air cells. After the mixture reaches a certain stage these have reached their fullest ex]:)ansion and gradually break down. Most bakers are familiar with mixtures that have reached the runny stage. This is the most apparent fault in mixtures that have been beaten too much ; the resultant cake is very coarse in texture and has an exceedingly raw taste. Constant attention at the machine is therefore necessary to prevent over- doing it in this respect, especially towards the end of the beating. In making fruit cake stir in the fruit before the flour ; by doing this any syrup adhering to the fruit is dissolved in the mixture and the fruit ef- fectivelv distributed. Mix in the flour with as little stirring as possible. The best method of doing this is to lift the mixture from the bottom and then the sides, rather than round and round; just mix until clear. Scale into the frames as quickly as possible and fill the corners. When several varieties are required from one mixture scale the quantities separate and mix in the fruit or nuts as quickly as possible and with the minimum of work. A very good method of mixing the cheaper grades of Pound Cake, several recipes of which will be given, is to mix the fat with a small quantity of flour, free from chemicals, in the machine, then beat at fast speed for a few minutes. Stop the machine and pour in the milk, in which has been dissolved the sugar, with the flavoring and coloring added ; stir for a few seconds, then add the remainder of flour and baking powder. Let run on the machine for two or three minutes until smooth. Cheap Pound Cake, if carefully made by this method, should have a close and even texture. Storage and Cutting oe Pound Cake. — If not wanted for immedi- ate sale, the cake if stored for any length of time, should be wrapped in POUND CAKE 79 greaseproof paper, the date marked on and stored in a tightlv covered zinc lined box in which two or three holes have been pierced to allow a little air to circnlate. Allow the Pound Cake to get quite cold before cutting, and instruct the store girls of the proper use of the knife when cutting for sale. Too often the appearance of a nice Pound Cake is spoiled by the wrong use of the knife in the inexperienced store girl's hands. This is especially true of fruit cakes.. The right way is to force the knife through the cake with a sawing motion. In this way a nice clean cut is obtained. The wrong way, and the usual one, is to press the knife through the cake. Take note of the difference in the appearance of the cut cake in the two methods and instruct the girl of the right wav. Plain Pound Cakr For the Pound Cake weigh down the following : 8 pounds butter. 8^ pounds sugar. 9 pounds soft flour, 4 quarts eggs, ^ ounce baking pow- der, egg color and vanilla flavoring. For Nut. Citron. Fig, Seed, etc., add in the proportion of i pound to 6 pounds of batter. Genoa Cake Three pounds butter, 3 pounds sugar, 4V4 pounds soft flour, -^ pcnmd almond paste, !]/> parts eggs, 2 pounds raisins, y'z pound citron (cut in small cubes), j/^ pound cherries (halved), little egg, color, vanilla and almond oil for flavoring. Smooth with milk and sprinkle thickly with flaked almonds before baking. Cherry Genoa Cake Four and a half pounds butter, 4^ pounds sugar, 2 quarts eggs, 6 pounds soft flour, Yj ounce baking powder, 4 pounds of halved cherries. 2 pounds of citron (cut in small cubes). 3/ pound almond paste, little egg color and 2 liquer glasses of Noyau. Ginger Pound Cake Three pounds 6 ounces sugar, 4^ pounds butter, 46 eggs, 6 pounds soft flour, i]/4 pints of New Orleans molasses, i ounce baking soda (bare weight), 5 pounds preserved ginger (cut in small cubes), 1]/^ ounces ginger, i^ ounces mixed spices. Caraway Seed Pound Cake To each 6 pounds of batter use lA pound chopped orange peel and y^ pound caraway seeds. Rich Fruit Pound Cake Twelve pounds sugar, 12 pounds butter, 16 pounds soft flour. 12 dozen eggs, 36 pounds currants, 15 pounds Sultanas, 6 pounds chopped mixed peel (orange and lemon), 4 pounds chopped citron, 2 pounds 80 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING blanched almonds, 2 pounds almond paste, 2 pounds cherries (halved), little egg color and "Black Jack," the zest of 6 oranges and 6 lemons, 1 ounce of mixed spice. Smooth with milk before baking- and wash with orange juice made into a thick syrup as they come from the oven. Rice Pound Cake; (Medium Priced) Six and a half pounds of butter and subtsitute fat, 8 pounds sugar, 2 quarts eggs, 10 pounds flour, i pound ground rice, i ounce of baking powder, 2 ounces corn syrup, i^ pints milk, i ounce salt, egg coloring and lemon flavor. Light Pound Cake This cake contains quite a little baking powder, but is nevertheless of good texture ; is a handy cake to cut up for serving with coffee or after- noon tea. Weigh down the following: 6 pounds flour (4 soft and 2 strong), 2^ ounces cream of tartar, i ounce of soda, 3 pounds sugar, 2 pounds butter, 2 dozen eggs, about i pint milk. 2 pounds of nice fleshy Sultana raisins or 2 pounds halved cherries, vanilla or cherry flavor, egg coloring. Fruit Cake (Medium Priced) Fourteen pounds flour, 4^ ovmces baking powder, 8 pounds sugar, 5 pounds of butter and substitute fat, 7 pounds currants, 3 pounds of Sul- tana raisins, 2 pounds of chopped mixed peel, 20 eggs, egg coloring and lemon flavor. Make into medium soft dough with milk, but be careful not to have it too soft. Smooth with milk and sprinkle over a few chopped almonds before baking. White Pound Cake Two and a half pounds of powdered sugar, 2 pounds butter, ij/^ quarts of egg whites, 3 pounds flour, ^ ounce of baking powder, vanilla flavor. Beat up the whites with i pound of the sugar, cream together the remainder of the sugar and butter and add the beaten egg white grad- ually. Lastly mix in the flour and baking powder. Marble Pound Cake Use the same mixture as for White Pound Cake. After mixing take out I pound of the cake batter and to this add 2 ounces of cocoa. Place this in a bag containing >^-inch plain tube. Fill the remainder of the mix into the frames. Now take your bag containing the chocolate bat- ter ; force the tube into the white batter at one end of the frame, and so that the line will run exactly through the center of the cake, run a zigzag line through the whole length of the cake. Fleur de Lys Cake Six pounds butter, 6 pounds sugar, Sj^ pounds flour, 3 quarts eggs, ^ pound almond paste, 2 pounds of pineapple (cut in small cubes), 2 pounds Decorated Cake Decorated Cake Strawberry Butter Cakes Dubosli Slices Desmondonas White Almond Bars PLATE NO. 15 WEDDING CAKES 81 of whole g'lace cherries, i pound of pecan nuts, i pound of citron (cut in small cubes), Yz pound blanched almonds, little egg coloring, gill of rum. Wash with orange juice made into a thick syrup as they come from the oven. Small Pound Cakes This is a Poimd Cake mixture baked in small hoops an inch in height and an inch in diameter. The hoops should be papered with bands 2 inches high and placed fairly close together on a papered baking sheet. For the mixture use : 3 pounds butter, 3 pounds sugar, 3 pounds of strong flour, 30 eggs, I pound of currants, ^^^ color and vanilla flavoring. With bag and i/2-inch plain tube fill in each one a little over the top of the hoop, about i)4 inches in depth; bake in oven about 400°. Should make 30 dozen small Pound Cakes. Retail at 50 cents per pound. N'early all the foregoing pound mixtures are for cake of fine quality In some localities 30 cents is the highest price per pound obtainable for this class of cake. When this is the case it must be left to the judgment of the baker to make what changes are necessary in the quality of ma- terials used to meet the prices ; otherwise 40 cents per pound is a fair price to ask. This should leave a nice percentage of profit for the baker. For the dark Fruit Pound Cake and Fleur de Lys Cake 50 to 60 cents per pound ; for the Light Fruit Pound Cake and Fruit Cake, medium priced, 20 to 25 cents per pound. CHAPTER 21 WEDDING CAKES June is probably the busiest month of the year for bakers who make a specialty of this line of work. One good thing about work of this kind it is possible, if a certain amount of business is assured, to prepare quite a little time ahead. In this respect it differs from any other branch of the trade. My object is to deal with the moderate priced cakes which every baker handles at some time or other. From my experience I find there are very few bakeries that do any business in cakes over $10, and the very few that do handle the higher priced cakes do a larger per- centage of business in cakes under the price stated. The average Amer- ican bride does not pay half what her sister in the older countries would do in luxuries from the confectioner for an occasion of this kind, no doubt wisely preferring to spend her money in things that have a more lasting value. Apart from the actual sale and profit derived from a wedding cake, if the quality commends itself to those present, it can be claimed to have real advertising value and nine times out of ten will be 82 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING the means of getting business for other goods for the baker. T do not claim that my method of finishing these cakes is absohttely original or the best, but will say that I have traveled considerably and have run across very few bakers that follow the methods I employ. Whether it is better than the method they now use, I will leave to my readers to judge. A rich white cake is probably the most popular cake used at these functions. although the English Fruit Cake is rapidly gaining in favor. When a white cake is used, splash well with Kirschwasser wine. Now prepare some royal icing medium stifif and spread on a coat to about ^ of an inch in thickness. Allow this to dry a little, then heat up some fondant over the stove. This should be real warm and if necessary add a handful of XXXX sugar. Pour this over the cake and spread quickly, allowing it to run clear down the sides so as to give a good surface to work upon. . If a plaque, horseshoe or any other design is needed in the center, first outline with royal icing and when set fill in with fondant just warm. For medium priced cakes I have been in the habit of using the first letter of the surnames of the bride and bridegroom as a monogram for the center. This gives a handsome finish to a small cake and is far superior to any bought goods from the supply house. Of course it takes a little practice to gel the letters real neat, but once this is mastered the rest is easy in comparison. When doing the lettering first outline the letters using a cone of royal icing cut very fine. Go oven these twice, so that the lettering will stand out well from the cake. When this has set a little, take a little of the royal icing and stir in just a little syrup, enough to make the icing run smooth when worked a little with the point of the cone. Fill a paper cone with this and fill in the lettering. Work the point of the cone a little so that the sugar will run perfectly smooth, at the same time it should be stifif enough to give the lettering a nicely rounded appearance. When dry gild over with a little gold leaf mixed with banana oil or Maraschino wine. Other parts of the cake can be touched up with the same mixture. This will enhance the whiteness of the cake, but do not overdo it in this respect. For a good white cake weigh down the following: Two and a half pounds powdered sugar, 2 pounds butter, i V2 quarts egg whites, 3 pounds Hour, pinch baking powder, vanilla flavor. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the tgg whites gradually, then the flour and baking pow- der. Bake in moderate oven. White; No. 2 Five and a quarter pounds powdered sugar, 3 pounds butter, 2^ quarts egg whites, 73^2 pounds flour, 3 ounces cream of tartar, i^ ounces soda. Beat up the egg whites medium stiff and stir in 2^ pounds pow- dered sugar. Cream together the remainder of the sugar with the but- ter and beat in the egg whites gradually. Flavor with a little vanilla or WEDDING CAKES 83 vanilla and almond oil. To this add 2 quarts milk ; then stir in the flour and haking powder. English Wedding Cake Twelve pounds powdered sugar, 12 pounds butter, 16 pounds soft flour, 12 dozen eggs, 36 pounds currants, 15 pounds Sultana raisins, 4 pounds chopped citron, 6 pounds mixed peel (orange and lemon), 2 pounds shredded almonds, 4 ounces mixed spices, juice and zest of 8 lemons. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition. To obtain a nice cake with a golden brown crumb I generally use quite a little egg color and a little burnt sugar. This should be added at this stage, also the spices and lemons. Mix through the fruit and lastly flour. The method of baking small cakes of this kind is generally known, but for the larger ones the best method is to bake them with a hollow pipe down the center. The diam- eter of this should vary with the size of the cake, say a cake measuring 20 inches should have a pipe measuring 2 inches. This ensures the cake being thoroughly baked. Paper should be tied around the pipe ; an empty condensed milk can will make a good pipe if the bottom is knocked out ; grease the paper and hold in the center while the cake is filled in around the sides ; damp a little on top before baking. x\s soon as the cakes come from the oven pierce in several places with a meat skewer and soak in a little brandy or rum mixed with a little orange juice. These cakes are best after standing two or three weeks. This is ample time for the cake to regain its lost moisture. Ice and decorate plain, or if an expensive cake envelop first in a coat of rich almond paste prepared from the fol- lowing: 4 pounds almond paste, 4 pounds XXXX sugar, ^ pint rum, suf- ficient egg yolks to make a stifif paste. Cover the top and sides with this and mold into shape with the scraper. In case the cakes are kept a long- time this will also prevent the moisture from the cake staining the royal icing. Individual Wedding Cakes Occasionally in a high class store the baker is asked to supply these small Individual Wedding Cakes. When ordering the customer gener- ally specifies whether they desire the fruit cake and almond paste or the white cake. The method of finishing is usually the same for both. When the white cake is used, splash lightly with Kirschwasser or Mar- aschino wine and cut to whatever shaped boxes are being- used, allowing about j4 inch in depth and width for frosting and decorating. Frost with a nice white fondant flavored well with Kirschwasser. The initials of the bride and bridegroom are generally placed upon each piece of cake. The decoration should be in accordance with the price obtained as very fine work is necessary to make them look good. Nothing heavy in the way of decoration is permissible on small cakes of this description. When 84 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING put up in fancy boxes, tied with ribbon, etc., $3 per dozen is the lowest price at which they should be retailed. Arrange the lettering separately or monogram style as for the large wedding cakes. When dry gild over with a little gold leaf mixed with almond oil and applied with a soft brush. Place in the wedding cake boxes, tie up with either white or pale pink silk ribbon, finish with a neat little bow on top. ( For illustra- tion of Wedding Cakes see Plate No. 4.) CHAPTER 22 ENGISH PLUM PUDDINGS Plum Pudding No. i In this land of energy and enterprise, almost anything from a small spice cup with a little fruit in it to the larger variety blown out with cream of tartar and soda has been labeled and paraded as "Real English Plum Pudding." Many firms, too, use butter in the composition of these puddings, which is entirely unlike the recipes used over the water, from whence it is supposed to have come. One thing must be said in favor of the pudding in which, say, half butter is used : it certainly makes a little lighter pudding, but cannot compare with the all-suet pudding when the eating qualities are taken into account. Here is a recipe as used by a large London firm which exports tons of these puddings each year. The recipe has also been taken over by several American concerns and used with much success. Weigh down the following: 18 pounds suet, 13 pounds flour, 18 pounds crumbs, 12 pounds raisins, 12 pounds Sul- tana raisins, 30 pounds currants, 18 pounds orange peel, 10 pounds brown sugar, juice and zest of 6 lemons, juice and zest of 6 oranges, 50 eggs, 3 pounds almond paste, i quart brandy, 8 ounces mixed spices. Have the suet chopped fine and mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix with I to i^ gallons of old ale. Grease the molds and see that they are well filled ; cover tightly with paper and cloths. Steam about 5 hours for 2-pound puddings and longer in proportion to the size. If one or two decorated puddings are required for window display, turn out when cold, wash with hot apricot jelly and arrange a bottom border of half almonds placed zigzag fashion, with a little fruit or a sprig of holly on top. Retail the puddings at anything from 60 to 75 cents for 2 pounds. Plum Pudding No. 2 Twelve pounds brown sugar, 6 pounds butter, 6 pounds suet, 6 pounds flour, o pounds cake crumbs, 12 pounds large raisins, 12 pounds cur- rants, 12 pounds citron, orange and lemon, 4 quarts eggs, 4 ounces mace, ICINGS 85 4 oiii'Ces cinnamon, 2 quarts l)ran(l}' or rum. Cream together the butter an'l sugar, add the eggs grachially, then balance of ingrecHents. Fill in and steam as for recipe No. i. MlNCEME.\T ^our pounds chopped suet, 8 pounds lean meat, i dozen lemons, 3 pounds citron peel, 10 pounds orange peel, 10 pounds large seedless rai- sins, 20 pounds Sultana rasins, 10 pounds currants, 30 pounds chopped apples, 15 pounds brown sugar, % pound cinnamon, 4 ounces mace, 4 ounces cloves, 4 ounces salt, 2 quarts brandy, 2 quarts sherrv. Cook the meat and put through the fine cutter, have the suet and apples chopped fairly fine, then mix all ingredients together, add the sherry and brandy last. CHAPTER 23 ICINGS Fondant and Its Uses The utensils required for the manufacture of Fondant are : A large copper sugar boiling pan, such as candy makers use ; four straight steel bars, a large wooden spatula, with steel head if possible, the head to be after the same shape as a peel head, and a marble or slate slab. Weigh into your bowl 25 pounds granulated siTgar ; into this mix about 3 quarts water and place over a steady fire ; stir occasionally to insure the sugar being properly dissolved before being allowed to boil. Care must be taken to have the bowl quite clean before putting in the sugar and water, as any foreign matter will make the sugar boil up and over the side of the pan. When the sugar has reached boiling point put in a sugar ther- mometer and when this registers a temperature of 230° drop in 3^ pounds liquid glucose, continue the boiling until a temperature of 238° is reached, remove at once from the stove and pour the sugar on the mar- ble slab, which has been previously splashed with water and on which the four steel bars have been placed in position to form a square. The bars should be about j/> inch thick and 30 inches long. Let this lie until almost cold. Then turn in the side and, as it runs out, throw over the sides again ; work up and down in this manner, keeping the sugar on the move, leaving no i)art untouched until the whole mass becomes white and sets in a heap on the slab. Store away in a covered pan and in two days it will be ready for use. If no sugar thermometer is available the readi- ness of the sugar can be ascertained by taking a little of the hot syrup from the bowl with the fingers, which have just been dipped in cold water. The syrup, if thick enough, will cling to them and can be easily 86 MODERN PRACTICAL CAKE BAKING formed into a ball. This is called the soft ball degree. Fondant is in great demand for the covering of all high class dainties for the reason that it retains a rich gloss for several days, eats very soft and after its manufacture is mastered, it is very economical to use. If it should be a little too firm when being used for covering purposes, thin down with a little simple syrup composed of i pound sugar and i pint water brought to the boil. Do not allow the fondant to get too hot when heating up, but just pleasantly warm. If to^hot it is apt to lose its sheen. This is the hand-made method of stirring fondant. There are several real good machines on the market that do this work far better than by hand. The sugar is boiled in the same way as for hand-made Fondant, ])laced in the machine, allowed to cool, then creamed up. Hot Wativr Icing For ordinarv Water Icing I use i pint of glucose to each gallon of hot water and a/' pounds XXXX sugar, >4 tea- spoonful cream of tartar or a few drops of acetic acid. Beat until nice and light, then add more XXXX sugar to make the consistency required. For work that has to stand for any length of time add one or two drops of blue. This will enhance the whiteness. For some goods, such as small iced cakes, etc., a small proportion of meringue added to the fon- dant when softening down for use will help rid the frosting of the tough- ness which is usual in icings of this kind. Fruit Icings are made by adding the juice and zest of fruit to fondant, then balancing these additions by adding XXXX sugar. CHAPTER 24 BUTTER CREAMS Butter Cre;am No. i There are several good practical methods of preparing the Butter Cream, two or three of which I will mention below. For Butter Cream No. i weigh down the following: 4 pounds sweet butter, 5 pounds XXXX sugar, I pint sweet cream. Beat to a light cream the butter and sugar, add the BUTTER CREAM vS 87 sweet cream gradually with a little vanilla flavor. The sweet cream is added to give the necessary smoothness to the cream, and can be replaced with I pint can condensed milk. IJuTTKR Cream No. 2 Five pounds sweet butter, i pint egg whites, 5 pounds XXXX sugar Make the whites and 2^^ pounds of the XXXX sugar into a meringue Beat up the remainder of the sugar and butter to a light cream, then add the meringue. BuTTKR Cream No. 3 Beat into 4 pounds sweet butter, beaten to a light cream, 5 pounds gran- ulated sugar, made into a syrup with i^^ pints of water. Allow to get quite cool before beating. A rich cream is made by boiling the syrup to the hard crack degree ; pour this into some whole eggs and yolks, 2 whole eggs and 4 yolks, to the pound of granulated sugar and i pound of but- ter. Beat up as for sponge and until quite cool beat into the creamed butter. Mocha cream is made by adding a diffusion of coffee to the butter cream ; color with a little burnt sugar. Sweet chocolate gives a much nicer flavor than bitter chocolate to butter cream, so always use sweet in preference to bitter when conven- ient. All kinds of ground and roasted nuts can be added to butter cream with fine results. Canned pineapple chopj^ed fine, the liquid drained therefrom and added to the butter cream, results in a delicately flavored cream. Strawberries chopped fine and added to the cream with a little tartaric acid or lemon juice leaves a cream with a very pronounced flavor; add a spot or two of pink color. Sometimes in adding fruit, such as strawberries, in which there is an excess of water, the finished cream will be heavy. When this is the case warm half the mixture over a stove until softened down a little, mix all together and beat up in the machine ; this will remove the difficulty. Fleischmann's Yeast The Standard Leaven STRENGTH UNIFORMITY RELIABILITY Fleischmann's Service something that can be absolutely depended upon. San Francisco Agency 941-945 Mission Street T, JHE foundation stone of big Y? business is often laid by the I adoption and subsequent ex- ploitation of goods prepared from some new formula or recipe. I have specialized for years in the compiling of recipes to suit the wants of all classes of trade. My recipes, elaborately detailed, are known and used the world over. Avoid the cost of experimenting by having the services of an expert with a world-wide repu- tation. I have much to lose and little to gain, and I absolutely guarantee re- sults. Write for terms to WILLIAM H. BROOKS, Consulting Cake Expert, Palo Alto, Cal. The Very Soul of the Bah ing Industry Is - YEAST Good Reliable Compressed Yeast Is Absolutely Necessary Golden Gate Compressed Yeast ASSURES SUCCESS Home Office — 26 Mint Avenue, San Francisco, California Branches — 616 E. 4th Street, Los Angeles and all cities and towns in Calif. p M« .^ cr o < m ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES I ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ) ADDITIONAL RECIPES ADDITIONAL RECIPES ( ADDITIONAL RECIPES i yi