The new century cookery book

1639. Charlotte de Pommes {Apple Charlotte). — Cut a stale fine-grained sandwich loaf into one quarter-inch thick slices, cut these into strips about one and a half inch wide and of the same length as the charlotte mould which is to be used for this dish. Cut also a sufficient number of triangular-shaped or narrow kite-shaped slices to cover the bottom of the mould. Grease the inside of the charlotte mould with clarified butter. Now dip the shorter pieces of bread into oiled butter and place them, one by one, in the form of a circle at the bottom of the mould ; it is best to allow the slices to overlap each other, the points always meeting in the centre. Next arrange the long strips in a similar fashion, by dipping each into oiled butter and fixing them closely against the sides of the mould (these also should overlap each other). Fill the mould with a well-made, fairly stiff apple puree flavoured with sugar, lemon, and ground cinnamon. A small quantity of cake-crumbs can be added if liked. Trim off the strips of bread that overlap the edge of the mould and bake in a fairly hot oven for about forty minutes. Turn out on to a hot dish and pour a hot fruit syrup round the base of the dish. Serve quickly. 1640. Omelette sucrée {Sweet Omelette). — A real French omelettete should never be ready before it is required for table. The guests should wait for an omelet. Fresh eggs and fresh butter are indispensable for making a genuine omelette. Break six to eight eggs into a basin, add to them a tablespoonful of cream or milk and beat up with a fork for several — four or five — minutes ; add a pinch of salt and a teaspoonful of caster sugar. Melt one and a half ounce of butter in a clean omelet pan ; when hot (not burning hot or smoking) pour in the beaten eggs, stir with a spoon over a brisk fire until the mixture begins to set, then shake the pan and fold the contents towards one side (the side opposite the handle of the pan). Let it take colour, i.e. a golden brown (if jam is desired, put it in the centre of the omelet before folding). Give it the shape of a cushion. Turn out quickly on a hot dish ; dredge over with fine caster sugar, decorate the top by means of a red-hot iron, and serve at once. 1641. Omelette à la Charlotte. — 3 eggs, \ lemon, 2 oz. caster sugar, 3 oz. flour, \ gill fresh cream, \ tablespoonful orange-flower water, 2 oz. butter, apple marmalade. Break the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Beat the yolks with the sugar, add the lemon-rind, chopped finely, and orangeflower water. Whisk the whites of eggs and mix them carefully with the flour and the yolks. Whip the cream until stiff and add to the mixture. Melt the butter in two large omelet pans, pour into each half the mixture ; let it set over the fire and then put them in a moderate oven for about ten minutes to finish cooking. Heat the apple marmalade, spread a thick layer over each omelet, roll them lightly, and dust with sugar, and serve. 1642. Omelette à la Célestine. — 10 eggs, 3 oz. crushed macaroons, 2 tablespoonfuls caster sugar, 3 kinds of jam, a little cream, 1 oz. butter, a pinch of salt.