It is manifestly impossible, in a book of this size, to give
anything like an exhaustive catalogue of foi-eign cakes
(even granting that the list of what we should call cakes is
a relatively slioi't one), but the above may serve as
examples which have met with appi-oval in the columns of
the Queen. As a rule, cakes abroad are either in the nature
of small cakes or biscuits, or else they are what in this
counti-y are specially termed gddeaux, and seem to us better
fitted for the sweet course, for which, indeed, they ai'e
mostly used.
CHAPTER VII.
CAKE DECORATION, Ac.
Directions for making various sorts of icings have already
been given, in a previous chapter, but in these days when
cakes (and indeed most kinds of eatables) have to look, as
well as taste well, a few words may be said on the actual
process of icing and further decoration of cakes, petits
fours, &c.
A very common form of icing for tartlets, little pies, and
pastry sandwiches, is known as “ water icing.” For this
put a short gill of water into a basin, and add to this the
unwhisked whites of two eggs (if they were whisked before
adding them to the water, they would not mix properly,
but would remain on the surface of the water in a light
froth) ; whisk the water and egg whites well together, then
with a brush wash the pastry over lightly with this froth,
after which dredge it with caster sugar, sprinkle a little
more of the froth over the pastry and bake. This sounds,
and is, very easy to do, but requires attention to detail to
ensure success. For instance, be careful only to put on
enough of the froth at first to ensure the sugar sticking,
for if more is laid on it will roll off and spoil the surface of
the pastry ; then see that your coating of caster sugar is a
generously thick one, for if put on too thin, the heat of the
oven will melt it, and make the paste when cooked, look as
if it were varnished. So measure your sugar by the result
182
BREAD, CAKES, AND BISCUITS.
you wish to produce. If properly done the tartlets will,
when ready, look as if thickly frosted with rime. Cooks
differ as to whether this icing should be applied before or
after baking. Roughly speaking, if the pastry to be iced is
small and the oven moderate, these may be iced before
baking. But with a hot oven, or with large tarts or pies,
it is best to three parts cook them before icing. When
iced first, attention must be paid to the baking, for
the sugar is very apt to catch and brown, in which case
its appearance is spoilt ; on the other hand if you take
the tarts out to ice them before the paste is fully set,
bringing them into the cooler air often makes them fall and
sadden.
Page 116
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
It is manifestly impossible, in a book of this size, to give anything like an exhaustive catalogue of foreign cakes (even granting that the list of what we should call cakes is a relatively short one), but the above may serve as examples which have met with approval in the columns of the Queen. As a rule, cakes abroad are either in the nature of small cakes or biscuits, or else they are what in this country are specially termed gâteaux, and seem to us better fitted for the sweet course, for which, indeed, they are mostly used.
CHAPTER VII.
CAKE DECORATION, Ac.
Directions for making various sorts of icings have already been given, in a previous chapter, but in these days when cakes (and indeed most kinds of eatables) have to look, as well as taste well, a few words may be said on the actual process of icing and further decoration of cakes, petits fours, &c.
A very common form of icing for tartlets, little pies, and pastry sandwiches, is known as “ water icing.” For this put a short gill of water into a basin, and add to this the unwhisked whites of two eggs (if they were whisked before adding them to the water, they would not mix properly, but would remain on the surface of the water in a light froth) ; whisk the water and egg whites well together, then with a brush wash the pastry over lightly with this froth, after which dredge it with caster sugar, sprinkle a little more of the froth over the pastry and bake. This sounds, and is, very easy to do, but requires attention to detail to ensure success. For instance, be careful only to put on enough of the froth at first to ensure the sugar sticking, for if more is laid on it will roll off and spoil the surface of the pastry ; then see that your coating of caster sugar is a generously thick one, for if put on too thin, the heat of the oven will melt it, and make the paste when cooked, look as if it were varnished. So measure your sugar by the result
you wish to produce. If properly done the tartlets will, when ready, look as if thickly frosted with rime. Cooks differ as to whether this icing should be applied before or after baking. Roughly speaking, if the pastry to be iced is small and the oven moderate, these may be iced before baking. But with a hot oven, or with large tarts or pies, it is best to three parts cook them before icing. When iced first, attention must be paid to the baking, for the sugar is very apt to catch and brown, in which case its appearance is spoilt ; on the other hand if you take the tarts out to ice them before the paste is fully set, bringing them into the cooler air often makes them fall and sadden.