The encyclopædia of practical cookery

(2) Russian. — Although these Cromeskies are not generally known or appreciated, they are worthy of a trial. Chop some cold veal-, lamb-, or chicken-meat very small, sprinkle over salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, and mix it with a little sauce made by stirring butter and flour in a saucepan over the fire and adding a little broth or water to it. Take care not to make it too moist. When the mixture is cold, roll it up like small sausages, dip them in frying-batter, plunge them into a frying-pan of hot lard, and fry until well browned. Put them on a cloth to drain, arrange on a dish covered with a little white sauce, and sprinkle over lightly with very finely-minced parsley. A few only should be served at one time. [illustration: Fig. 579. Croquenbouche à la Reine.] CROQU ANTES. — French cakes generally made with almonds. There is also a sort of paste called Croquante, which is very crisp when baked, and answers well for small tarts. It is made as follows : Sift together lib. of biscuit-flour and Jib. of caster sugar. Stir into this sufficient yolks of eggs to make a firm paste ; knead it well, and work it under a biscuit-break if you have one, or as shown under Biscuits. Roll the paste out, cut it into rounds about 2in. in diameter, lay them on a baking-sheet, brush over with white of egg, dust sugar over, and bake slowly. When done a light brown, arrange them on a dish, and put on each a little pile of rich preserve. Venetian Croquante. — Blanch Jib. of sweet almonds and chop them finely ; put them in a stewpan with loz. of fresh butter, Jib. of coarsely- crushed loaf sugar, and 1 table-spoonful of Croquantes — continued. essence of lemon, and boil gently for about twenty minutes, or until the mixture sets ; when ready, turn the Croquante into a flat shape. Serve when cold. CROQUENBOUCHES. — This French word, signifying something that cracks in the mouth, is sometimes erroneously spelled Croquem-houches. It is generally described as a kind of crisp pastry; but the name is also extended to sweets, bonbons, and other tasty wares. Modern culinary artists have extended the signification of the term to very handsome composite productions, consisting of Croquenbouches, creams, crystallised fruits, &c., arranged or built up in elegant shapes, and made to contain delicately-flavoured cream. Mr. C. Norwak contributes the following instructions for making : Croquenbouche a la Reine. — Take 21b. of fine preserved chestnuts and rub them through a sieve ; add a pinch of vanilla sugar, and work these up together on the table into a smooth, stiff paste. Roll out to Jin. thick, and with a cutter ljin. in diameter cut out some three dozen or more rounds. Punch out the centres with a much smaller cutter, leaving a broad ring of the paste. Have ready a number of small wooden splinters, and fix one in each ring ; then dip each one separately in hot caramel sugar, and hold until it cools a little ; then set close together, one above the other, in order, round an oiled tin cylinder, or large bottle. When the Croquenbouche is made large enough, or the paste rings are exhausted, leave it to set quite firm. Then remove the mould or bottle, and set the Croquenbouche on an ornamental stand. Fill up with whipped cream, sweetened and flavoured with maraschino. Ornament the top with a tuft of spun sugar, and decorate the top edge and base with candied cherries (see Fig. 579).