Bread, cakes, and biscuits

Petits Fours Franrais. — The ordinary French foundation for these is made thus : Beat the yolks of four fresh eggs till light with lib. sifted sugar, then stir in quickly the very stiffly whipped whites of the egg and lib. warmed and sifted flour, in alternate spoonfuls, adding at the same time a little grated lemon or orange rind, or any flavouring to taste. This paste may now be dropped on buttered tins in, tiny heaps, baked to a golden brown, and when cold covered with icing, blanched and shred nuts, or any bonbons to taste. Or the paste may be put into any well-buttered fancy moulds to taste, previously thickly dusted with equal parts of flour and caster sugar, baked, and either served plain, or iced and decorated as before. Madelaines Glacees. — Stir together over the fire 4£oz. sifted sugar, 4oz. flour, three whole eggs, and the yolks of two more, a teaspoonful of brandy, and a grain of salt, till it thickens, then stir it for one minute only ; meanwhile stir 5oz. fresh butter over the hot plate till it begins to liquefy, when you quickly brush it over sixteen little madelaine moulds 'tiny fluted, patty pans will do), and stir the residue into the paste, stirring it again over the fire till it becomes soft, but not hot ; pour a little of this into each mould and bake in a moderate oven. Madelaines Fourrees are very favourite French cakelets. Make the madelaines as above, and set them aside till cold ; meanwhile stir together 2oz. of blanched and pounded almonds, filberts, pistachios, Sec., as you please, and four tablespoonfuls of apricot marmalade. When the cakes are cold slice a piece thinly off the underside of each, and scoop out as much as you can of the inside, being careful not to break them ; fill up with the nut mixture, press the cut-off piece into place, and ice and decorate the cakes to taste. Little queen cakes also are excellent thus. Petits Cannelons aux Confitures. — Butter a baking tin, and spread it with a sheet of buttered paper, whip two whole eggs till light and frothy with 3£oz. to 4oz. of caster sugar, then mix in quickly 4oz. fine sifted flour, previously sifted with half a teaspoonful of baking powder. Pour this rather thinly into the papered tin, and bake in a sharp oven till delicately browned, being careful not to overcook it, or it will break in the rolling. Now lay a piece of white paper on the table, dust it with caster sugar, turn the cake when ready on to this (upside down), cut it quickly into 3in. squares, spread these at once with warmed and sieved jam, jam and cream, Vienna icing, or any other filling to taste, roll each up quickly, and set them singly on a reversed sieve to cool. Speed is the great secret with these, for unless rolled up sharply whilst hot and soft they will break and crumble. This paste is also used for petits fours. Petites Genoises au Chocolat. — Beat the yolks of five eggs with 4oz. of caster sugar for five minutes till light, then add in 2oz. of creamed butter, and the stiffly-whipped whites of the five eggs alternately with 3oz. dried and sifted flour. Whisk this all well together, then fill any little fancy moulds to taste (previously buttered and dusted with equal parts of sugar and flour sifted together) with the paste.