New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-04
SOME SECRETS OF A FRENCH KITCHEN.
DIABETES SWEETS.
From C1ssell's WdqGziHe.

'~ooftsa
Our skful Babette eXceled in making other
things besides pctits pains especially those
creamy aud dcllghttu though, alas deusiyc' Jumps
of melting sweetness known rs merngues some de-
licousy creamy Others the rich brown of the choc-
Oatc of which they were composed \ good MANY
folks who read this NAV know them, bnt for the
bcnefit of those who do not and who may like to
turn out q lovely dshfnl 10 deck \ supper table and
delight their friends paates. will Keep at Ba-
bcttcs elbow and tell all about them the more az
though II may r qulrc practice 1t IS neither DIM
cult nor expensive treat.
First she made about pint Of clear white sugar
SyruD boiling n slow w till II began To bubble then
she tested IL by rubbing sweet spoonful against the
side Of the pan, where at the proper moment, II
turned quite white. during This time bad been
vigorously whiskng tie whites % hall dozen eggs
m BASIN; this she now took hastily from me, ard
poured lis contents sharply into the boiling sugar
explaining. while she stirred vigorously, that
If she lost any time over IL, the sugar would cake
and powder and the whole thing prove failure.
Having mixed the whole into st.H batter or PASTE
She proceeded TO Las lar,e eoc-shaped spOOntuls
of IL on to strips Of papcr Land on long, narrow
board Of hard wood. which she first well wetted-eX-
plaiuin- iut otherwise the merinoueS world dry ana
become hard before they were done. When she had
sp0oucd our long of these half eggs atabout an
inch distance from each other she Suited some finely
powdered white sugar over the whole; aud as soon
"a that hal a little diSsOy ed, placed the board IN
rat her tOol oven ard watched hem fse-the outside
shining little and becoming slightly set and
clouded wiki brown. but the inside remaining
moist 20. become, properly cooked meungues. In q
few moments they were slipped out stripped Oh
tue infers ~ th broad knife. pat of preserve or
lrllv popped the tat side 10 stick 10 fast to
another half and 50 form q complete cgg-shapcd
meringac. which. piled mp with Others ION "A large
silver plate, was to form one OF the Drcttiest Orna-
mcntS If my aUnrS birthday suppers
And uos for the chocolate meringueS which Ba-
hrit, treated rs to occasionally. They We're rather
more Troublesome 20 make, fancy but bong also
more uncommon ard much favored by those who
like chocolate. which do not, made "A note ~ the
homes proceedings when She WAS preparing these
rich COufrctious.
Half u dozen eggs one pound Of sugar: one quart
q III d.. Of n.rr fD4VU
starcil n spoonful of vanilla and five ounces OF
chocolate; that l. the list-now 10 what she DID
with th"m FIRST Of all she broke mp the chocolate.
put n n'oa pan AMI having nearly covered IT win
milk, put IL ~ u place where u could heat very
gently: rs II dissolved she stirred IL INTO smooth
paste. adding tine milk gradually, and stirring mill
n arrived at sca'diuc point. Then having
mixed the cors-il0ur with two or three SpcOnsu of
milk she poured n slowly n keeping on the stirring
until the whole Was o the cOnsisteuce Of very thick
boiled custard; tben she set II aside TO cool little
before puttiug IN tine vanilla and turning the rich
brown. creamy stuff into small glass dishes, which
she ahout half filled. Having allowed them 10 cool,
she tucu covered the contents with Layer II white
mrriucuc batter. maj" with the remaining sugar
and crgs-thc sugar beng boiled to syrup the eggs
beaten mp and dropped Suddenly INTO IL, already
dc~cuhrd tins should be poured on so rs 10 stand
up ln little snowy peaks which can be very slightly
Drowned and set by holdnga hot shovel over them.
rs have said, Bdbptte made sweets as Wen as
bread and cakcs-one. u special French goOdo, ]
must mention Perhaps YOU viii know III when |
tell you % is called "uOugat, OF which there are
Our homes recipe nearly rs can remember II.
was a. follows: Twenty ounces of almonds lshe
preferred pistachio nuts half pound of sugar. half
pound az honey, one glass OF Oraige-uoWer wafer.
and three whites of eggs; she also used some WHITE
wafer paper. ~ | will explain presently.
Having allowed the sugar To boil, the melted
honey was poured into IT, together with tie orange
flower water aud well stirred. Then all tins was
added by degrees to the well-whipped whites OF
egg. which were ready in large bowl; stirring II
quickly until II formed paste, which was decided
To be- of q sufficient cOnsstence when spoonful
dropped quite cold water might beeasy snapped
and broken In half. The almonds or piStachiOs
were then added, and having been we'll stirred IN
the paste, II was spread out forming a timex ana
sweet cake, on the wafer paper n sheet OF which
was also placed on the top over this was lad some
clean letter paper, and the Whole pressed down Hat
by "a lin or baking plate, and left to cool after
which II was cut into tempting slabs OF about two
inches square, aud put III TIN boxes and out OF our
reach for the time beng.
But for her faVorltes Babette made something
much nicer than the generality of such things. 1t
was not hard and brck-like-not TO say suggestive
of glue, rs is the ordinary English gingerbread
neither was II sp0ngy and tastcess, like the every
day gingerbread of French life. Ii was-well, II
was Babette'S gingerbread" and this was how she
made II ont OF q great tin can she poured perhaps
SIX pounds OF rich, clear, brown treacle INTO big
pan; then she tr0tted oil to the dairy and
fetched pound and half or two pounds of sweet.
fresh butter, which she melted almost, not quite
though, and then poured into the pan of teacle; 10
this she added two ounces Of ground ginger, quar-
ter Of pound Of carraway-seed, whole halt-p0und
of candied peel chopped up ever so small some
angelica half II dozen beaten-up eggs, ana az much,
or rather rs little flour would work the whole
into "A stiff paste, to be made into round cakes.
large slabs, afterward TO be cut into obOng brown
bricks, aud set round with split halt-almonds or
strips of peel. These were then baked In brisk
oven and set by in a cool place. where they never
remained lOng-that ~, if l were anywhere near.
That was gingerbread indeed.