Preliminary Hints And Observations

The greatest care must be taken in the making of custards that your tossing-pan is well tinned; and always remember to put a spoonful of water into your pan, to prevent your ingredients sticking to the bottom of it; and what we have here said of custards, must be attended to in the making of creams, of which we shall treat in the next chapter. Cheesecakes must not be made long before they are put into the oven, particularly almond or lemon cheesecakes, as standing long will make them grow oily, and give them a disagreeable appearance. They should always be baked in ovens of a moderate heat; for if the oven be too hot, it will burn them, and spoil their beauty, and too slack an oven will make them look black and heavy. This is a matter, however, for which no precise rules can be given, and can be learned only by cautious practice and the nicest observations.

Baked Custards

Boil a pint of cream with some mace and cinnamon, and when it is cold, take four yolks and two whites of eggs, a little rose and orange flower-water and sack, and nutmeg and sugar to the palate. Mix them well together, and bake them in cups.

Almond Custards

Blanch and beat a quarter of a pound of almonds very fine, take a pint of cream, and two spoonsful of rose water. Then sweeten it to the palate, and beat up the yolks of four eggs. Stir all together one way over the fire till it is thick, and then pour it into cups.

Plain Custards

Set a quart of good cream over a slow fire, with a little cinnamon, and four ounces of sugar. When it has boiled, take it off the fire, beat the yolks of eight eggs, and put to them a spoonful of orange-flower water, to prevent the cream from cracking. Stir them in by degrees as the cream cools, put the pan over a very slow fire, stir it carefully one way till it is almost boiling, and then pour it into cups.

Or, take a quart of new milk, sweeten it to the taste, beat up well the yolks of eight eggs, and the whites of four. Stir them into the milk, and bake it in custard cups. Or, put them in a deep china dish, and pour boiling water round them, till the water is better than half way up their sides; but take care the water does not boil too fast, lest it should get into the cups, and spoil the custards.

Orange Custards

Having boiled very tender the rind of half a Seville orange, beat it in a mortar, till it is very fine, put to it a spoonful of the best brandy, the juice of a Seville orange, four ounces of loaf sugar, and the yolks of four eggs. Beat them all well together for ten minutes, and then pour in by degrees a pint of boiling cream. Keep beating them till cold, then put them in custard cups, and set them in an earthen dish of hot water. Let them stand till they are set, then take them out, and stick preserved orange on the top. They may be served up either hot or cold.

Lemon Custards

Take half a pound of double-refined sugar, the juice of two lemons, the out-rind of one pared very thin, the inner-rind of one boiled tender and rubbed through a sieve, and a pint of white wine. Let them boil a good while, take out the peel and a little of the liquor and set it to cool: pour the rest into the dish intended for it, beat the yolks and two whites of eggs, and mix them with the cold liquor. Strain them into the dish, stir them well up together, and set them on a slow fire in boiling water. When it is enough, grate the rind of a lemon all over the top, or brown it over with a hot salamander. This, like the former, may be eaten either hot or cold.

Beest Custards

Set a pint of beest (milk taken from the cow within three days of her calving) over the, fire, with a little cinnamon, or three bay leaves, and let it be boiling hot: take it off, and have ready mixed a spoonful of flour, and the same of thick cream. Pour the hot beest upon it by degrees, mix it exceedingly well together, and sweeten it to the taste. You may bake it in either crusts or cups.