Practical household cookery

* With respect to pastry and sweet dishes, their names and styles are legion, and are so complicated in their shapes, colours, and tastes, thst they famish enough materials for a large work of their own. I will limit myself to simply giving what I consider the most useful and practical recipes, and at the same time recommend Mr. Jules Gouff^'s most valuable '*Boyal Book of Pastry and Confectionery" to those who wish to know more on this subject. up, placed in a clean cloth, pressed together, and is ready for use. 791. SHORT PASTE FOR TARTS. Spread a pound of sifted flour on the slab with a hollow in the centre, then add half a pound of butter, two ounces of pounded sugar, a pinch of salt, two whole eggs, and rather more than a gill of water. Work these together with the hands to a £rm paste, and use it to cover fruit tarts, and lining tartlets, &c. 792. BRIOCHE PASTE. Spread a quarter oT a pound of sifted flour on the slab, with a small well in the centre ; then put half an ounce of German yeast in it, and dissolve with a little tepid water ; when this is done add sufiicient water to mix the whole into a rather soft paste. Knead this into the form of a round ball, put it into a stewpan capable of containing three times its quantity, score it with a knife round the sides. Put the lid on, and set to rise in a rather warm place. In summer the fermentation will proceed satisfactorily if it is merely placed on the kitchen table, or in some such place of moderate warmth. This is termed setting the sponge. Meanwhile put three-quarters of a pound of flour on the slab, spread as before with a well in the centre, put a teaspoonful each of salt and pounded sugar, together with two tablespoonfuls of water to dissolve them, after which add ten ounces of butter and six whole eggs. Work the whole together with the hands, until well mixed, first by rubbing it with both fists held flat on the slab, and moving them to and fro, so as to thoroughly reduce any remaining lumps in the paste. By the time the paste is mixed, the sponge will probably have risen sufliciently. To be perfect, it must rise to three times the original size. When spread out on the paste prepared to receive it, it should have the appearance of a sponge, from which it takes its name. Both the above should then be thoroughly mixed together, and placed in a napkin spread in a basin, with a little flour shaken over ; shake again a little flour over the paste, fold the ends of the napkin over all, and set the basin in a cool place free from any current of air. This kind of paste should be made the evening previous to the day it is required. The first thing the following morning, the brioche paste must be turned off the napkin on to the slab ; shake some flour under and over it ; fold the paste over half a dozen times, pressing it down with the knuckles each time ; put the paste back into the napkin in the same way as before ; and about three hours afterwards knead again in a similar manner, previously to its being baked. If this paste when finished, appears to be fall of small globules of air, and is perfectly elastic to the touch, it is certain to be well mada After that, spread slightly with butter a baking-sheet, and form the paste into buns or rolls ; egg these well with the paste-brush, make a little round incision on the top, and bake in a brisk oven for about twenty-five minutes. Note, — Parmesan or Gruy^re cheese is sometimes introduced in brioches, in which case a quarter of a pound of the former should be grated, or the same quantity of the latter cut up in dice and well mixed with the paste. 798. ALMOND PASTE.