The royal baker and pastry cook

Tarts : Gooseberry, Currant, Apple, or any other Fruit.— Time to bake, from ^ to 1 hour. 1 quart gooseberries, rather more than ^ pound paste, moist sugar to taste. Cut off tops and tails from gooseberries, or pick currants from their stems, or pare and quarter the apples or peaches ; put them into pie-dish with sugar, line edge of dish with paste, pour in a little water, put on cover, ornament edge of paste in the usual manner, and bake it in a brisk oven. Tartlets. — Time to bake, V4 hour. Line some patty-pans with puff paste, fill them with any jam or preserve, and bake lightly. Open Jam Tart. — Time to bake, until paste loosens from the dish. Line shallow tin dish with puff paste, put in the jam, roll out some of paste, wet it lightly with yolk of an egg beaten with a little milk and a tablespoon of powdered sugar ; cut it in very narrow strips, then lay them across the tart ; lay another strip round the edge, trim off outside, and bake in quick oven. Other Desserts Baked custards. — For each quart milk allow 4 large or 5 small eggs and 3 tablespoons sugar. Warm milk ; pour over eggs and sugar beaten together. Fill small earthen cups or pudding-dish. Stand in pan of warm water ; add flavoring to suit, and bake in moderate oven till firm in center. For chocolate custards melt chocolate with sugar. Corn-starch Custard. — Scald 1 quart milk. Dissolve 2 level teaspoons corn-starch in little cold milk. Turn quickly into hot milk ; stir till thickened, then cover and cook 10 minutes. Beat 2 eggs with 3 tablespoons sugar, add to custard, stir a moment longer, strain. Add flavoring when partly cooled. Tapioca Custard. — Put 2 tablespoons fine tapioca in double boiler with 1 pint mdk, cook and stir till tapioca is transparent. Add yolks 2 eggs beaten with 3 tablespoons sugar, and pinch salt; stir till thickened. Add whites whipped to stiff froth, stir lightly 3 minutes; take from fire ; add flavoring when cooled. If pearl or lump tapioca is used, it must be soaked in cold water for several hours before cooking. Apple Snow. — Core, quarter, and steam 3 large, sour apples. Rub through sieve, cool ; whip whites 3 eggs to very stiff froth with ^ cup powdered sugar, gradually add apple, and whip long time tUl white and stiff. Pile in dish, garnish with dots currant jelly. Snow Eggs. — To whites 5 eggs add pinch salt, and whip to very stiff froth ; gradually add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and few drops flavoring. Scald 1 quart milk in large pan. Shape whites in tablespoon, drop a few at a time in hot milk. Turn until cooked. Lift out with skimmer, lay on glass dish. When all are cooked make custard with egg yolks, milk, and 3 tablespoons sugar, and serve with eggs. Charlotte Russe. — Mix 1 pint rich cream, % cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Have very cold and whip to stiff froth, turning under cream when it first rises. Line dish with sponge cake or ladyflngers, fill with whipped cream. Chocolate Blanc-mange. — Quart milk, box gelatine soaked in 1 cup water, 4 tablespoons grated chocolate rubbed smooth in a little milk, 3 eggs, extract vanilla to taste. Heat milk until boiling, then add other ingredients ; boil 5 minutes. Pour into mold. Serve cold with sugar and cream, or custard.