[Modern cookery, in all its branches

In placing them upon it, lay the edge of one over the other just sufficiently to give a shelllike appearance to the whole ; and with the finger press lightly on the opposite part of the round to make it adhere to the under paste. Next, with a sharp - pointed knife, make an incision very evenly round the inside of the tourte nearly close to the border, but be extremely careful not to cut too deeply into the paste. Bake it in a gentle oven, from twenty to thirty minutes. When it is done, detach the crust from the centre, wdiere it has been marked with the knife, take out part of the crumb, fill the space high with apricot-jam, or with any other choice preserve, set it again for an instant into the oven, and serve it hot or cold. Spikes of blanched almonds, filberts, or pistachio-nuts, may be strewed over the preserve, wrhen they are considered an improvement ; and the border of the pastry may be glazed or ornamented to the fancy ; but if well made, it will generally please in its quite simple form. It may be converted into a delicious entree , by filling it either with oysters, or sliced sweetbreads, stewed, and served in thick, rich, white sauce, or bechamel. Lobster also prepared and moulded as for the new lobster patties of page 359, will form a superior dish even to these. Obs.— Six ounces of flour, and three of butter, will make sufficient paste for this tourte , when it is required only of the usual moderate size. If richer paste be used for it, it must have two or 8G6 [chap, xvnt three additional turns or rollings to prevent its losing its form in the oven, Christmas Tourte a la Chatelaine. — Make the case for this tourte as for the preceding one, and put sufficient mince-meat to fill it handsomely into a jar, cover it very securely with paste, or with two or three folds of thick paper, and hake it gently for half an hour or longer, should the currants, raisins, &c., not he fully tender. Take out the inside of the tourte , heap the hot mince-meat in it, pour a little fresh brandy over ; just touch it with a strip of lighted writingpaper at the door of the dining-room, and serve it in a blaze ; or if better liked so, serve it very hot without the brandy, and with Devonshire cream as an accompaniment.* GENOISES A LA HEINE, OR HER MAJESTY^ PASTRY. Make some nouilles (see page 5), with the yolks of four fresh eggs, and when they are all cut as directed there, drop them lightly into a pint and a half of boiling cream (new milk will answer quite as well, or a portion of each may be used), in which six ounces of fresh butter have been dissolved. When these have boiled quickly for a minute or two, during which time they must be stirred to prevent their gathering into lumps, add a small pinch of salt, and six ounces of sugar on which the rinds of two lemons have been rasped ; place the saucepan over a clear and very gentle fire, and when the mixture has simmered from thirty to forty minutes take it off, stir briskly in the yolks of six eggs, and pour it out upon a delicately clean baking-tin which has been slightly rubbed in every part with butter ; leVel the nouilles with a knife to something , less than a quarter of an inch of thickness, and let them, be very evenly spread ; put them into a moderate oven, and bake them of a fine equal brown : should any air-bladders appear, pierce them with the point of