Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Puffs, Cream. — One-half pound of butter, lb. of flour, six eggs, two cupfuls of warm water. Stir the butter into the water, set over the fire, and stir to a slow boil. When it boils put in the flour ; cook one minute, stirring constantly. Turn into a deep dish to cool. Beat the eggs light, yolks and whites separately, and whip into cooled paste, the whites last. Drop in large spoonfuls upon buttered paper. Bake about ten minutes in a quick oven until they are of a golden brown. Puffs, French Raisin Cake Puffs, French. — Take a pint of new milk, boil half, and mix the other half very smoothly with four heaped tablespoonfuls of fine flour ; then add it to the boiling milk, and boil it until it is a stiff paste. When cold, take the yolks of five eggs, the whites of two, a table-spoonful of pulverized sugar, and beat the whole into a light batter in a marble mortar ; then drop it from a spoon into boiling lard, fry a light brown, and serve it up with sifted sugar over each. A small piece of any candied fruit may be dropped into each spoonful of the batter. Puffs, German. — Put Yz lb. of butter into a teacupful of sweet milk ; have ready in a bowl or pan a cupful of sifted flour. When the milk has boiled, stir it gradually into the flour, and beat until perfectly smooth. Beat in six eggs, leaving out two of the whites ; also add three tablespoonfuls of sugar and a little grated lemon-rind or powdered cinnamon for flavoring. Drop the batter into little patty-pans, and bake the puffs in a moderately heated oven. Puffs, Lemon. — Sift Yz lb. of fine white sugar, grate the rind from three lemons, then whip up an egg to a froth, and mix all together to the consistency of good paste ; cut it into shapes and bake upon writing-paper, being careful not to handle the paste. Place the paper upon a flat tin, and bake in a very slow* oven. Puffs, Tea. — Beat the yolks of six eggs till they are very light ; stir in a pint of sweet milk, a large pinch of salt, the whites of the eggs beaten to a froth, and flour enough to make a batter about as thick as boiled custard. Bake in gem-pans in a quick oven. Puffs, Transparent. — Beat four eggs very well ; put them into a saucepan with Y\ lb. of granulated sugar, the same quantity of butter, and the grated rind of a lemon. Set it on the fire and keep stirring it till it thickens. When cool, half fill small patty-pans that have been first lined with a light puff paste, and bake till the puffs look light and clear. Quick Cake. — Beat the yolks of six eggs with % lb. of sugar. Whip up the whites and add them to the yolks. Cream Yz lb. of butter with Yz lb. of flour, and put the eggs with this. Then add the other half of flour, and beat it well. Add to this one teaspoonful of baking-powder, with a teacupful of cream or milk. Season to taste. Have your caketin ready, hurry it into the oven, and bake quickly. This is an excellent cake, whether eaten as a pudding, with hot sauce, or otherwise. Railroad Cake. — Cream two large table-spoonfuls of butter, free from salt, with two cupfuls of sand sugar ; when light, add one cupful of new milk and the yolks of three eggs. Into three cupfuls of sifted flour rub thoroughly a teaspoonful of bakingpowder, and add to the batter ; beat the whites of the eggs until light; add to the cake, alternating with flour.