1697.—DAMSON TART. (Fr.—Tourte aux prunes de damas.)
Ingredients.— Short paste (No. 1667, or 1668), 1½ pints of damsons, 2 heaped tablespoonfuls of brown sugar, or to taste.
Method.—Prepare the crust as directed in Apple Tart (No. 1678). In the centre of the pie-dish place an inverted cup or a ventilating cup and funnel to retain the juice, half fill the dish with fruit, add the sugar, then put in the remainder of the fruit. Cover with paste, brush lightly over with cold water, sprinkle liberally with castor sugar, and bake in a quick oven.
Time.—About 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 10d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Damsons.—Whether for jam, jelly, pie, pudding, water, ice, wine, dried fruit, or preserved, the damson plum or damascene (for it was originally brought from Damascus, whence its name), is invaluable. It combines sugary and acid qualities in happy proportions, when full ripe. The damson is easily cultivated, and, if budded nine inches from the ground on vigorous stocks, it will grow several feet high in the first year, and make fine standards in the year following. Amongst the list of the best sorts of baking plums the damson stands first, not only on account of the abundance of its rich juice, but because it so soon softens. Owing to the roughness of its flavour, it requires a large quantity of sugar.
1698.—ECLAIRS. (Fr.—Éclairs.)
Ingredients.—Choux paste (No. 1650), chocolate or coffee icing (No. 1733, and 1735), cream, custard (No. 1738,) or jam.
Method.—Put the choux paste into a forcing-bag, and press it out on to a buttered baking-sheet in the form of small savoy biscuits. Or, if a bag and pipe are not available, roll it on a floured board to the same shape. Bake from 15 to 20 minutes in a moderate oven, let them cool on a sieve, then make an incision on the side of them and scoop out the soft interior. Fill the cavities with stiffly-whipped sweetened cream, confectioners' custard or jam, and coat them with chocolate or coffee icing.
Time.—Altogether from 1¾ to 2 hours. Average Cost, 2d. each.
1699.—FILBERT TARTLETS. (Fr.—Tartelettes aux Avelines.)
Ingredients.—Paste (No. 1667, or 1668), 3 ozs. of filberts, 1 oz. of ground almonds, 3 ozs. of castor sugar, ½ an oz. of cornflour, 4 yolks of eggs, ½ a gill of cream or milk.
Method.—Blanch and peel the nuts and chop them finely. Mix the cornflour smoothly with the milk, and stir it over the fire until it thickens. Cream the yolks of eggs and sugar together until thick and smooth, add the prepared nuts and almonds, then stir in the cornflour and milk. Put the mixture into 12 patty-pans lined with paste, fix 2 thin strips of paste across each tartlet, brush over with milk, and dredge with castor sugar. Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes.
Time.—About 40 minutes. Average Cost, 9d. or 10d., exclusive of the paste. Sufficient for 12 tartlets.
