The Book of Household Management
Chapter 168 : 1374. INGREDIENTS.--3 eggs, their weight in flour, pounded sugar and b.u.t.ter, flavou

1374. INGREDIENTS.--3 eggs, their weight in flour, pounded sugar and b.u.t.ter, flavouring of grated lemon-rind, bitter almonds, or essence of vanilla.

_Mode_.--Carefully weigh the various ingredients, by placing on one side of the scales the eggs, and on the other the flour; then the sugar, and then the b.u.t.ter. Warm the b.u.t.ter, and with the hands beat it to a cream; gradually dredge in the flour and pounded sugar, and keep stirring and beating the mixture without ceasing until it is perfectly smooth. Then add the eggs, which should be well whisked, and either of the above flavourings that may be preferred; b.u.t.ter some small cups, rather more than half-fill them, and bake in a brisk oven for about 1/2 hour. Turn them out, dish them on a napkin, and serve custard or wine-sauce with them. A pretty little supper-dish may be made of these puddings cold, by cutting out a portion of the inside with the point of a knife, and putting into the cavity a little whipped cream or delicate preserve, such as apricot, greengage, or very bright marmalade. The paste for these puddings requires a great deal of mixing, as the more it is beaten, the better will the puddings be. When served cold, they are usually called _gateaux a la Madeleine_.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 puddings. _Seasonable_ at any time.

SUET PUDDING, to serve with Roast Meat.

1375. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of flour, 6 oz. of finely-chopped suet, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, 1/2 saltspoonful of pepper, 1/2 pint of milk or water.

_Mode_.--Chop the suet very finely, after freeing it from skin, and mix it well with the flour; add the salt and pepper (this latter ingredient may be omitted if the flavour is not liked), and make the whole into a smooth paste with the above proportion of milk or water. Tie the pudding in a floured cloth, or put it into a b.u.t.tered basin, and boil from 2-1/2 to 3 hours. To enrich it, subst.i.tute 3 beaten eggs for some of the milk or water, and increase the proportion of suet.

_Time_.--2-1/2 to 3 hours. _Average cost_, 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--When there is a joint roasting or baking, this pudding may be boiled in a long shape, and then cut into slices a few minutes before dinner is served: these slices should be laid in the dripping-pan for a minute or two, and then browned before the fire. Most children like this accompaniment to roast meat. Where there is a large family of children, and the means of keeping them are limited, it is a most economical plan to serve up the pudding before the meat: as, in this case, the consumption of the latter article will be much smaller than it otherwise would be.

SUSs.e.x, or HARD DUMPLINGS.

1376. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of flour, 1/2 pint of water, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt.

_Mode_.--Mix the flour and water together to a smooth paste, previously adding a small quant.i.ty of salt. Form this into small round dumplings; drop them into boiling water, and boil from 1/2 to 3/4 hour. They may be served with roast or boiled meat; in the latter case they may be cooked with the meat, but should be dropped into the water when it is quite boiling.

_Time_.--1/2 to 3/4 hour.

_Sufficient_ for 10 or 12 dumplings. _Seasonable_ at any time.

VERMICELLI PUDDING.

1377. INGREDIENTS.--4 oz. of vermicelli, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 1/2 pint of cream, 3 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 3 oz. of sugar, 4 eggs.

_Mode_.--Boil the vermicelli in the milk until it is tender; then stir in the remaining ingredients, omitting the cream, if not obtainable.

Flavour the mixture with grated lemon-rind, essence of bitter almonds, or vanilla; b.u.t.ter a pie-dish; line the edges with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake in a moderate oven for about 3/4 hour.

_Time_.--3/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 2d. without cream.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

VERMICELLI.--The finest vermicelli comes from Ma.r.s.eilles, Nimes, and Montpellier. It is a nouris.h.i.+ng food, and owes its name to its peculiar thread-like form. Vermicelli means, little worms.

VICARAGE PUDDING.

1378. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of flour, 1/4 lb. of chopped suet, 1/4 lb.

of currants, 1/4 lb. of raisins, 1 tablespoonful of moist sugar, 1/2 teaspoonful of ground ginger, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a basin, having previously stoned the raisins, and washed, picked, and dried the currants; mix well with a clean knife; dip the pudding-cloth into boiling water, wring it out, and put in the mixture. Have ready a saucepan of boiling water, plunge in the pudding, and boil for 3 hours. Turn it out on the dish, and serve with sifted sugar.

_Time_.--3 hours.

_Average cost_, 8d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_.--Suitable for a winter pudding.

VOL-AU-VENT (an Entree).

1379. INGREDIENTS.--3/4 to 1 lb. of puff-paste No. 1208, frica.s.seed chickens, rabbits, ragouts, or the remains of cold fish, flaked and warmed in thick white sauce.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VOL-AU-VENT.]

_Mode_.--Make from 3/4 to 1 lb. of puff-paste, by recipe No. 1208, taking care that it is very evenly rolled out each time, to insure its rising properly; and if the paste is not extremely light, and put into a good hot oven, this cannot be accomplished, and the _vol-au-vent_ will look very badly. Roll out the paste to the thickness of about 1-1/2 inch, and, with a fluted cutter, stamp it out to the desired shape, either round or oval, and, with the point of a small knife, make a slight incision in the paste all round the top, about an inch from the edge, which, when baked, forms the lid. Put the _vol-au-vent_ into a good brisk oven, and keep the door shut for a few minutes after it is put in. Particular attention should he paid to the heating of the oven, for the paste _cannot_ rise without a tolerable degree of heat When of a nice colour, without being scorched, withdraw it from the oven, instantly remove the cover where it was marked, and detach all the soft crumb from the centre: in doing this, be careful not to break the edges of the _vol-au-vent_; but should they look thin in places, stop them with small flakes of the inside paste, stuck on with the white of an egg. This precaution is necessary to prevent the frica.s.see or ragot from bursting the case, and so spoiling the appearance of the dish. Fill the _vol-au-vent_ with a rich mince, or frica.s.see, or ragot, or the remains of cold fish flaked and warmed in a good white sauce, and do not make them very liquid, for fear of the gravy bursting the crust: replace the lid, and serve. To improve the appearance of the crust, brush it over with the yolk of an egg after it has risen properly.--See coloured plate O1.

_Time_.--3/4 hour to bake the _vol-au-vent_.

_Average cost_, exclusive of interior, 1s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SMALL VOL-AU-VENTS.]

_Note_.--Small _vol-au-vents_ may be made like those shown in the engraving, and filled with minced veal, chicken, &c. They should be made of the same paste as the larger ones, and stamped out with a small fluted cutter.

SWEET VOL-AU-VENT OF PLUMS, APPLES, OR ANY OTHER FRESH FRUIT.

1380. INGREDIENTS.--3/4 lb. of puff-paste No. 1208, about 1 pint of fruit compote.

_Mode_.--Make 1/2 lb. of puff-paste by recipe No. 1208, taking care to bake it in a good brisk oven, to draw it up nicely and make it look light. Have ready sufficient stewed fruit, the syrup of which must be boiled down until very thick; fill the _vol-au-vent_ with this, and pile it high in the centre; powder a little sugar over it, and put it back in the oven to glaze, or use a salamander for the purpose: the _vol-au-vent_ is then ready to serve. They may be made with any fruit that is in season, such as rhubarb, oranges, gooseberries, currants, cherries, apples, &c.; but care must be taken not to have the syrup too thin, for fear of its breaking through the crust.

_Time_.--1/2 hour to 40 minutes to bake the _vol-au-vent_.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the compote, 1s. 1d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 entremets.