Pralines

Ingredients

• a full ^lb of almonds
• 10oz. of candied orange flowers
• the whites of two eggs
• 10oz. of caster sugar

Method

1. 1

   Blanch and bake the almonds to a rich brown.

2. 2

   Pound them with the candied orange flowers, moistening with the egg whites.

3. 3

   Beat well and gradually work in the caster sugar.

4. 4

   Lay in oval cakes on wafer paper and bake in a moderate oven until fairly crisp.

5. 5

   Garnish with crystallized orange flowers if desired.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Bread, cakes, and biscuits (1902) by S. Beaty-Pownall, page 91. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Pralines. — Blanch and bake a full ^lb of almonds to a rich brown (be careful not to let them burn i, and pound them with loz. of candied orange flowers, moistening this with the whites of two eggs, beating it well together and working in gradually l()oz. of caster sugar. Lay this in oval cakes on wafer paper, and bake in a moderate oven till fairly crisp. Garnish if liked with crystallized orange flowers. Petits Fonts. — This is the generic name for all kinds of small cakes, usually much decorated with icings, crystal- lised fruits, bonbons, &c., and nowadays in much request as much for their appearance as for their flavour. A very easy form of these is produced by slicing down more or less thinly any kind of nice cake, such as Madeira, sponge, orange, chocolate, &c. These slices, if thick, are then stamped out in diamonds or rounds, covered smoothly with any delicate glace to taste, a bonbon, crystallised fruit, or flower, or even a cube of bright-coloured jelly being placed on each as a garnish. If sliced thinly, half the slices are spread with sieved jam, jam and cream, clotted or whipped cream, nut filling (royal icing into which you mix as many blanched and chopped nuts of any kind as it will take up), almond paste (2£lb. freshly ground almonds and 3|lb. of cane icing sugar worked to a stiff dry paste with the whites (unbeaten) of seven or eight eggs, a teaspoonful of essence of vanilla, and a sherry-glassful of brandy, rum, or liqueur as you please', or heat a small pot of apricot or other good jam with one or two spoonfuls of rum, brandjq liqueur, or any flavouring to taste, and when warm and thick spread it generously on the cake. Cover these slices with the rest of the cake, sandwich fashion, pressing them lightly together, then when firm trim to any shape desired, and ice with BISCUITS AND SMALL CAKES. 143: liqueur or other flavoured glace to taste. Very pretty little- sandwich cakes can be made thus of diamonds of chocolate cake. Spread half with apricot jam, heated as above and mixed with a little rum or brandy, cover with the rest, and then ice with liqueur icing, on which, when set, you place a tiny spray of mistletoe made with angelica leaves and the tiny transparent berries sold for the purpose. Orange cake, spread with sieved marmalade and cream, iced with orange glace, and garnished with a quarter of an orange previously dipped in boiling sugar, is also very pretty. Such cakes are easily made by any deft-handed person with a little goodwill, and add enormously to the beauty of a table, as they can be coloured to suit any style of decoration chosen. These hints are easily varied indefinitely, but the following individual recipes will give an idea of the immense variety known to French confectioners. 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 144 BREAD, CAKES, AND BISCUITS. 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

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.