CHAPTER XIX

HOT DESSERTS

=SOUFFLeS=

[Sidenote: General remarks.]

The preparation of souffles is exceedingly simple, the only difficulty being in serving them soon enough, as they fall very quickly when removed from the heat. They must go directly from the oven to the table, and if the dining-room is far removed from the kitchen the souffle should be covered with a hot pan until it reaches the door. The plain omelet souffle is the most difficult. Those made with a cooked foundation do not fall as quickly, but they also must be served at once. In order to insure the condition upon which the whole success of the dish depends, it is better to keep the table waiting, rather than suffer the result of the omelet being cooked too soon. Have everything ready before beginning to make a souffle, and see that the oven is right. In adding the beaten whites "fold" them in, that is, lift the mixture from the bottom, and use care not to break it down by too much mixing.

=OMELET SOUFFLe=

Whites of 6 eggs.

Yolks of 3 eggs.

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon.

3 rounded tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, sifted.

1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice.

Whip the whites of the eggs, with a pinch of salt added to them, to a very dry stiff froth. Beat to a cream the yolks and the sugar, then add the lemon. Fold in the beaten whites lightly (do not stir) and turn the mixture into a slightly oiled pudding-dish. If preferred, turn a part of it onto a flat dish, and with a knife shape it into a mound with a depression in the center. Put the rest into a pastry-bag, and press it out through a large tube, into lines and dots over the mound; sprinkle it with sugar and bake it in a very hot oven eight to ten minutes. Serve at once in the same dish in which it is baked (see souffles above). The flavor may be vanilla, or orange if preferred.

=VANILLA SOUFFLe=

1 cupful of milk.

2 tablespoonfuls of flour.

3 tablespoonfuls of sugar.

2 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter.

1/4 teaspoonful of salt.

1 teaspoonful of vanilla.

4 eggs.

Put the milk into a double boiler with the salt; when it is scalded add the b.u.t.ter and flour, which have been rubbed together. Stir for ten minutes to cook the flour and form a smooth paste; then turn it onto the yolks of the eggs, which, with the sugar added, have been beaten to a cream. Mix thoroughly, flavor, and set away to cool; rub a little b.u.t.ter over the top, so that no crust will form. Just before time to serve, fold into it lightly the whites of the eggs, which have been beaten to a stiff froth. Turn it into a b.u.t.tered pudding-dish and bake in a moderate oven for thirty to forty minutes; or, put the mixture into b.u.t.tered paper cases, filling them one half full, and bake ten to fifteen minutes. Serve with the souffle foamy sauce (page 445). This souffle may be varied by using different flavors; also by putting a layer of crushed fruit in the bottom of the dish, or by mixing a half cupful of fruit-pulp with the paste before the whites are added. In this case the whites of two more eggs will be needed to give sufficient lightness.

Serve at once after it is taken from the oven.

=CHOCOLATE SOUFFLe=

3 ounces of chocolate.

1 heaping tablespoonful of sugar.[423-*]

2 rounded tablespoonfuls of flour.

1/2 cupful of milk.

Yolks of 3 eggs.

Whites of 4 eggs.

1 rounded tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter.

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a small saucepan; stir into it the flour and let it cook a minute, but not brown, then add slowly the milk and stir until smooth and a little thickened; remove it from the fire and turn it slowly onto the yolks and sugar, which have been beaten to a cream; mix thoroughly and add the melted chocolate (see page 388); stir for a few minutes, then set it away to cool; rub a little b.u.t.ter over the top so a crust will not form. When ready to serve, stir the mixture well to make it smooth and fold into it lightly the whites of the eggs, which have been whipped until very dry and firm. Turn the mixture into a b.u.t.tered tin, filling it two thirds full. Have the tin lined with a strip of greased paper which rises above the sides to confine the souffle as it rises. Place the tin in a deep saucepan containing enough hot water to cover one half the tin. Cover the saucepan and place it where the water will simmer for thirty minutes, keeping it covered all the time. Place the tin on a very hot dish and serve at once. Cover the top with a hot tin until it reaches the dining-room if it has to be carried far.

FOOTNOTES:

[423-*] If unsweetened chocolate is used, add about three more tablespoonfuls of sugar or to taste, and a teaspoonful of vanilla.

=PRUNE SOUFFLe=

1/2 pound of prunes.

3 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar.

4 eggs.

1 small teaspoonful of vanilla.

Beat the yolks of the eggs and the sugar to a cream, add the vanilla, and mix them with the prunes, the prunes having been stewed, drained, the stones removed, and each prune cut into four pieces. When ready to serve fold in lightly the whites of the eggs, which have been whipped to a stiff froth, a dash of salt having been added to the whites before whipping them. Turn it into a pudding-dish and bake in a moderate oven for twenty minutes. Serve it as soon as it is taken from the oven. A few chopped almonds, or meats from the prune-pits, may be added to the mixture before the whites are put in if desired.

=APPLE SOUFFLe=

Boil some peeled and cored apples until tender; press them through a colander; season to taste with b.u.t.ter, sugar, and vanilla. Place the puree in a granite-ware saucepan and let it cook until quite dry and firm. To one and one quarter cupfuls of the hot reduced apple puree add the whites of four eggs, whipped very stiff and sweetened with three tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. Mix the puree and meringue lightly and quickly together and turn it into a pudding-dish; smooth the top into a mound shape; sprinkle with sugar and bake in a slow oven twenty to twenty-five minutes. This souffle does not fall. Serve with a hard, a plain pudding, or an apricot sauce.

=FARINA PUDDING=

This is a very wholesome, delicate pudding, and is especially recommended. The receipt gives an amount sufficient for six people.

2 cupfuls of milk (1 pint).

4 tablespoonfuls of farina.

3 tablespoonfuls of sugar.

3 eggs.

Grated rind of 1/2 lemon.

Put the milk and lemon-zest into a double boiler; when it reaches the boiling-point stir in the farina and cook for five minutes; then remove from the fire and turn it onto the yolks and sugar, which have been beaten together until light; stir all the time. Let it become cool but not stiff; when ready to bake it, fold in lightly the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth, a dash of salt added to them before beating.

Turn it into a pudding-dish and place the dish in a pan containing enough hot water to half cover it. Bake it in a moderately hot oven for twenty-five minutes. Serve at once, or, like other souffles, it will fall. Serve with it a sabayon No. 2, or a meringue sauce (pages 446 and 448).

SWEET OMELETS

These desserts are quickly made, are always liked, and serve well in emergencies.

=ORANGE OMELET=

3 eggs.

3 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar.

1 orange, using the grated rind and 3 tablespoonfuls of juice.

Beat the yolks of the eggs with the sugar to a cream; add the grated zest of the rind and the orange juice; then fold in lightly the beaten whites of the eggs. Have a clean, smooth omelet or frying-pan; put in a teaspoonful of b.u.t.ter, rubbing it around the sides as well as bottom of the pan. When the b.u.t.ter bubbles, turn in the omelet mixture and spread it evenly. Do not shake the pan. Let it cook until it is a delicate brown and seems cooked through, but not hard. Fold the edges over a little and turn it onto a flat hot dish; sprinkle it plentifully with powdered sugar; heat the poker red hot and lay it on the omelet four times, leaving crossed burnt lines in the form of a star. This ornaments the top and also gives a caramel flavor to the sugar.