The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)

Core, peel, cut apples crosswise into 5 slices and let steep Y2 hour in sugar and brandy. Drain and spread on a cloth. Run a teaspoon of marmalade around center of each slice of apple, lay a peach-half over, press together and dip into fritter batter. Fry crisp and light brown. Powder with sugar, glaze quickly in hot oven and serve. FLOWER OF ACACIA FRITTERS (Beignets d' Acacia) 2 egg whites 4 tablespoons brandy l/i cup powdered sugar 2 cups acacia blossoms Beat egg whites with sugar and brandy; select tender fresh acacia flowers (elderberry blossoms are equally good) and put into a bowl with the beaten mixture. Cover and let flowers steep Y2 hour. Dip them by spoonfuls into fritter batter and fry to a golden brown. The batter must be thick enough to coat flowers with 1 immersion. Drain on brown paper and sprinkle with powdered sugar. SOUFFLE FRITTERS (Pets de Nonne) 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon sugar 54 teaspoon salt 4 or 5 eggs 1 coffeespoon orange flower-water 1 pint water 3 tablespoons butter Put water, salt and butter in saucepan over fire and bring to a boil; immediately drop in flour and stir briskly until dough forms a ball in pan. Remove from fire, stir in eggs i at a time, and beat 2 minutes between each addition. Add sugar and flower-water last. Drop by spoonfuls into hot deep fat. Cakes should brown on one side, and rise to top of fat; turn, and brown on other side; remove, and drain on brown paper. Fat must not be too hot or cakes will brown before they puff out; and if not hot enough, they will absorb the fat. Test by dropping in a bread cube. If it browns in 60 seconds, the fat is of the right temperature. This recipe was originated at Baumes-les-Dames Abbey over two centuries ago and some version of it is found today in nearly every city of the world. FRENCH PANCAKES ( Crepes) il/i cups sifted flour 2% tablespoons powdered sugar 3 eggs 1 cup milk Sift flour into mixing bowl. Break eggs in center, add sugar and mix well with wooden spoon. Add milk slowly and beat 4 or 5 minutes to a smooth batter. Butter a griddle or frying pan, heat, and pour in about % cup of batter, cook 2 minutes on each side, sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve hot. This quantity makes about 12 pancakes. Pancakes may be spread with currant jelly, rolled, powdered with sugar, and glazed under broiler. French pancakes with apple, apricot, peach, plum, pineapple, strawberry or raspberry ielly are prepared the same. EVERYDAY PANCAKES (Crepes de Menage) 4 eggs i/4 cups flour, sifted 3 times !/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons brandy % cup olive oil or melted butter Sweet butter for frying 2 tablespoons thick cream Powdered sugar Beat eggs with salt, oil and cream until light and frothy. Sift flour into mixing bowl, make well in center and put in liquid. With a wooden spoon work in the flour, a little at a time, until a smooth batter is obtained; then add brandy. Put i tablespoon of butter in hot frying pan and drop in 2 tablespoons of batter. It should spread to cover bottom of pan, cook a moment, turn and cook another moment and slide on to a hot plate and powder well with sugar. Pile the crepes, 1 above another, as finished, and serve hot. PANCAKES WITH PEACHES {Crepes a la Peche) 1 cup sifted flour 3 eggs !/4 cup granulated sugar 3 egg yolks