1298f. Champagne Biscuits

Ingredients: - Eight ounces of flour, eight ounces of pounded sugar, eight ounces of fresh butter, eight eggs, a quarter of an ounce of can-away seeds, a pinch of salt.

Place the butter in a basin, and work it with a wooden spoon until it presents the appearance of thick cream ; you then add the sugar, flour, yolks of eggs, the carraway seeds and the salt gradually ; after which mix in the eight whites of eggs previously whisked firm for the purpose. You now procure a sheet of stout cartridge-paper, which must be folded in reversed plaits so that when the paper is opened, it may present the appearance of the plaits of a fan, thus forming angular trenches about an inch deep. Next fill a biscuit-forcer with some of the batter, and proceed to force out some finger-like biscuits into the aforesaid paper trenches of about three inches long ; shake some sifted sugar over these, and bake them of a light color in a very moderate oven.

These cakes are fit only for dessert.

1298g. Orange Biscuits

These are made with the same kind of batter as described in the foregoing article, omitting in this case the carraway seeds, and substituting in their place some orange-sugar and candied-orange-peel cut into small shreds; some very small moulds must be slightly buttered, filled with some of the batter, some sugar sifted over them, and then baked of a very light color in a very moderate oven.

1298h. Peach Biscuits

Prepare some butter as directed for fingers (No. 1276), and, with this, proceed to form some small round biscuits (using a biscuit-forcer for that purpose) on a baking or sheet of paper ; if the former, it must be previously buttered and floured, shake some sugar over the biscuits, and bake them of a very light color ; and when they are done, and removed from the baking-sheet or paper, spread the under parts with some kind of preserved fruit (peach marmalade being most appropriate), stick two of these together; thus forming as nearly as possible the shape and size of a peach, these must now be very thinly covered all over with some white icing, which, when dry, must be very slightly brushed over with a soft pencil-brush dipped in a very small quantity of carmine, thereby giving to the cake merely a tinge of color similar to that displayed by the ripe peach. These cakes may be dished up with whipped cream in the centre of the dish.

1298i. Apricot Biscuits

These are prepared in all respects according to directions given in the preceding article, excepting that they should be made smaller,- so that they may form a near resemblance to apricots in size and form, apricot jam being used to stick them together with ; and when so far prepared, are to be dipped in the following preparation :- To one pound of fine loaf sugar placed in a sugar-boiler, add half a pint of spring-water; boil these over a brisk stove-fire until the sugar while boiling throws up pearl-like bubbles; the degree of boiling required for glazing being ascertained by taking a small quantity of the boiling sugar between the fore-finger and thumb (previously dipped in cold water), and if the sugar when pressed with the fingers presents the appearance of strong glue, it should then be removed from the fire, and ten minutes afterward, whatever flavoring is intended to be used, must be in a liquid state, such as liqueurs, strong vailla, orange or lemon syrups or infusions: any one of the foregoing must be gradually mixed in with the boiled sugar, quickly stirring and working the sugar in the pan the while ; and when thoroughly mixed, the cakes should be dipped in - and being afterward placed on a wire drainer, placed in the hot closet for a few minutes to set.

The yellow tinge required for the glaces in this case may be given by using either some orange-sugar or a small decoction of saffron; the latter is objectionable, on account of its flavor.