[Modern cookery, in all its branches

* It should be remarked, that the directions for brioche-making are principally derived from the French, and that the pound in their country weighs two ou es more than with us : this difference will account for the difficulty of working in the number of eggs which they generally specify, and which render the paste too moist. [chap. xvm. flour, and put into it half an ounce of salt, as mucn fine sifted sugar, and half a gill of cream, or a dessertspoonful of water ; add a pound of butter as free from moisture as it can be, and quite so from large grains of salt ; cut it into small bits, put it into the flour, and pour on it one by one six fresh eggs freed from the specks ; then with the fingers work the flour gently into this mass until the whole forms a perfectly smooth, and not stiff paste : a seventh egg, or the yolk of one, or even of two, may be added with advantage if the flour will absorb them ; but the brioche must always be workable , and not so moist as to adhere to the board and roller disagreeably. When the leaven is well risen spread this paste out, and the leaven over it ; mix tnem well together with the hands, then cut the whole into several portions, and change them about that the leaven may be incorporated perfectly and equally with the other ingredients : when this is done, and the brioche is perfectly smooth and pliable, dust some flour on a cloth, roll the brioche in it, and lay it into a pan. Place it in summer in a cool place, in winter in a warm one. It is usually made over-night, and baked in the early part of the following day. It should then be kneaded up afresh the first thing in the morning. To mould it in the usual form, make it into balls of uniform size, hollow these a little at the top by pressing the thumb round them, brush them over with yolk of egg, and put a second much smaller ball into the hollow part of each ; glaze them entirely with yolk of egg, and send them to a quick oven for half an hour or more. The paste may also be made into the form of a large cake, then placed on a tin, or copper oven-leaf, and supported with a pasteboard in the baking ; for the form of which see introductory page of Chapter XXYII. Flour, 2 lbs. ; yeast, £ oz. ; salt and sugar, each £ oz. ; butter, 1 lb ; eggs, 6 to 8 MODERN POTATO PASTY. (An excellent family dish .) A tin mould of the construction shown in the plate, with a perforated moveable top, and a small valve to allow the escape of the steam, must be had for this pasty, which is a good family dish, and which may be varied in numberless ways. Arrange at the bottom of the mould fj’om two to three pounds of mutton cutlets, freed, according to the taste, from all, or from the greater portion of the fat, then washed, lightly dredged on both sides with flour, and seasoned with salt and pepper, or cayenne. Pour to them sufficient broth or water to make the gravy, and add to it at pleasure, a tablespoonful of mushroom catsup or of Harvey’s sauce. Have ready boiled, and very smoothly mashed, with about an ounce of butter, and a spoonful or two of milk or cream to each pound, as many good potatoes as will form a crust to the pasty of quite three inches thick ; put the CHAP. xViir.] £ASTKt.