1677.—APPLE CHEESECAKES.
Ingredients.— 1½ lbs. of apples, 3 ozs. of sugar, 1½ oz. of butter, 3 eggs, 1 lemon, paste No. 1668.
Method.— Peel, core and slice the apples, place them in a stewpan with the sugar, and 1 tablespoonful of water, simmer gently until tender, and rub them through a hair sieve. Return the apple-pulp to the stewpan. add the lemon-juice and the rind finely-grated, re-heat, stir in the yolks of 3 eggs and the white of one, and cook until the mixture thickens. Have ready the patty-pans lined with paste and partially baked, fill with the apple preparation, cover lightly with whipped sweetened white of egg, and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.
Time.—About 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 10d., exclusive of the paste. Sufficient for 12 cheese-cakes.
The Apple.—The most useful of all the British fruits is the apple, which is a native of Britain and may be found in woods and hedges in the form of the common wild crab, of which all our best apples are varieties produced by culture or particular circumstances. In most temperate climates it is extensively cultivated, and in England, both as regards variety and quantity, the apple is excellent and abundant. Immense supplies are also imported from the United States and from France, Australia and Tasmania. The apples grown in the vicinity of New York are universally admitted to be among the finest specimens of this fruit; but unless selected and packed with great care, they are apt to spoil before reaching England.
1678.—APPLE TART. (Fr.—Tourte aux Pommes.)
Ingredients.—2 lbs. of apples, 2 tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, 4 cloves or a ¼ of a teaspoonful of grated lemon-rind, short paste (No. 1667, or 1668).
Method.—Peel, core and cut the apples into thick slices. Roll the paste into an oval form a little larger than the top of the pie-dish, invert the dish in the centre of the paste, and cut round, leaving a ¼-inch margin on all sides. Line the edge of the pie dish with the trimmings, put in half the apples, add the sugar, and flavouring ingredient, then the remainder of the fruit. Moisten the paste lining the edge of the dish with water, put on the cover, press the edges together and notch them at intervals of about ⅛ of an inch. Bake in a brisk oven from 40 to 50 minutes, and when the paste has risen and set, brush it over lightly with cold water, and dredge well with castor sugar. This must be done quickly, and the tart immediately replaced in the oven. If the tart is to be eaten cold, directly it leaves the oven the crust should be raised gently with a knife, to allow some of the steam to escape, otherwise it may lose some of its crispness.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Coat, 6d. to 8d., exclusive of the pastry. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
1679.—APPLE TART CREAMED. (Fr.—Tourte de Pommes à la Créme.)
Ingredients.—Short crust (No. 1667), 2 lbs. of apples, 2 tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, 1 oz. of butter, 1 pint of custard (No. 332).
