Crackling Crust

Paste for Crackling-crust.
Having provided about two Handfuls of Almonds, which are sufficient for one Pan-pye, let them be scalded, blanch'd, and thrown into fresh Water: Then they are to be wip'd, and pounded in a Mortar, moistening them from time to time, with a little White of an Egg and Orange-flower Water, beaten together, to prevent them from turning to Oil. 'Tis very material, that they be well pounded, and they may also be squeez'd through a Sieve, to take away all the Clods, or Lumps, The Almond-paste being thus prepar'd, must be spread on a Bason or Dish, and dried with Powder-sugar, as an ordinary sort of Paste, till it become very pliable. Afterwards, having set it by for some time, you are to roll out a Piece for the under-crust, to be dried in the Oven upon the Pie-pan; whilst other small Pastry-works are making, with what was par'd off, such as Petits Choux, Ciphers, Knots and other Devices, that may serve for the Garnishing of your Pie.

Crackling-crust made after another manner.
After the Almonds have been thoroughly pounded and moisten'd, as before, let as much Sugar as Paste, at least, be put into a Copper-pan, and boil'd till it become Feathered: Then throwing in your Almonds, let all be well temper'd and mingled together with the Spatula, and having set them over the Fire again, keep continually stirring the whole Mass, till your Paste slips of[f] from the bottom and sides of the Pan. Afterwards, it must be laid in a Dish, strew'd with Powder-sugar on the top, and set by, for a while, as the former, in order to make a Pye of it, after the same manner.

In preparing the Paste conformable to either of these Methods, the Pie will certainly become crackling and delicious to the highest Degree: But if you are minded to avoid the trouble, and perhaps the charge of Almonds, very good Pies may also be made according to the following Instructions.

Another Way.
Take one, or two Whites of Eggs, with three or four Spoonfuls of fine Sugar, and as much Flower, if you would only make one Pan-pye: The Sugar being first temper'd with the Whites of the Eggs, and then the Flower, knead all together, till your Paste become pliable, and roll out a very thin Piece; strewing it with fine Sugar: Afterwards, having put it into te Pie-pan, let the Sides be neatly pinch'd, at certain Intervals, and prickt with the point of a Knife, to hinder them from puffing: In the mean while, the remaining part of the Paste is to be roll'd out into Slips of the thickness of a Lace, to compleat the inside of the Pie; which may be made in the form of a Sun, Star, Malta-cross, Flower-de-luce, Coat of Arms, or the like. At last, it must be gently bak'd in the Oven, and when ready to be brought to Table, the void Spaces are to be fill'd up, with several sorts of Marmelades, or Jellies, according to the Colours, that shall be judg'd most expedient: The same thing ough also to be observ'd, with respect to Pies made of the preceding Pastes. To the latter, may be added a little Orange-flower Water, or some other sweet Water, and if it be requisite to prepare a greater quantity of either sort of Paste, another Piece, of an equal thinness, may be roll'd out for the Lid; which must be cut round, and dried in the Oven, upon a Pie-pan, or Plate, in order to cover the Pie, after it has been ic'd over, if you have no mind to leave it in its natural Colour.
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The court & country cook, faithfully translated out of French into English by J. K. A. J. Churchill, London, 1702, p. 114-116.New Instructions for Confectioners

Biscotins - Passover Desserts

Desserts for Passover often present a problem—how to cook something new and delicious without the addition of leavening, which is proscribed during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Following is a delightful French biscotin or dry cookie still made in artisanal bakeries in France, especially Provence.

Biscotins
Take 3 egg whites, four spoonfuls of caster sugar, & a spoonful of marmalade of anything you wish, oranges, lemons, apricots, etc; the remainder will be of flour that you will knead in until your paste is quite handy; form your biscotins of various figures, the one round, the other long, in “noose of love” better known as true lovers knot or figure-eights, & any other figure [you like]. You will bake them with small fire [slow oven]; & when you see that they are of lightly russet-red colored, withdraw them. To detach them, you moisten the paper sheet behind with water, & it should come off easily; but it should be done at once. [This implies that the biscotins have been placed on a sheet of paper and then onto the oven sole or bottom of the bake oven, instead of being placed on a baking sheet as in the following recipe. This is a common baking method.]

Another manner of Biscotins
Take a half-pound of sugar; cook it to the feather stage (Hess* identifies the temperature as 232ºF, Recipe S6, "grand soufflé or feather."). Once cooked, remove it from the fire, & weigh three-quarters [pound] of flour which you will put inside your sugar syrup, reserve some flour that you will keep to handle it on the table. Having put your flour in your syrup, you will stir it well with a spoon: when your paste is well done [all your syrup has been absorbed into the flour], take it from the stove, & put it onto a clean table [marble pastry board], where you will have strewn a little flour before; it is necessary to stir it up; at the same time you will pour out your paste, & make small balls about one inch: you must work quickly; because when the paste is cold, one cannot work with it anymore: when the balls are formed, cook in the oven without paper; on copper sheets. When they are cooked, take out of the oven, & put them in a paper cone at the drying oven.

Another manner.
You will take a pound & half wholewheat flour: cook twenty ounces of sugar to the small feather; you will pour it in a mortar; let it cool & afterwards put in the flour, six fresh eggs & a spoonful of orange flower water; pound the whole together one quarter-of-an-hour, & pour out of the mortar onto a clean table, & roll the aforementioned paste in rolls, as large as a hazel nut, & cook in an oven until hot [cooked through or set] and sweet-smelling.

Nouvelle Instruction pour les Confitures, les Liqueurs, et les Fruits, François Massialot. Chez Claude Prudhomme, Paris, 1716, pp. 194-196.

*Karen Hess Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery

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Prenez trios blancs d’œufs, quatre cuillerées à bouche de sucre en poudre, & une cuillerée de marmalade de quoy que ce soit, oranges, citrons, abricots, etc. Le reste sera de farine, que vous pêtrirez tout ensemble jusqu’a ce que vôtre pâte soit bien maniable; & vous en dresserez des biscotins de differentes figures, les une ronds, les autres longs, en lacs d’amour, chifres & autre chose. Vous les ferez cuire à petit feu; & quand vous voyez qu’ils le sont & d’un roux un peu coloré, vous les retirez. Pour les detacher, vous humectez la feüille de papier par derriere avec de l’eau, & vous en venez à bout aisément; il faut le faire sur le champ.

Autre maniere de Biscotins
Prenez une demi-livre de sucre; faites-le cuire dans une petite poële à la plume. Etant cuit, vous l’ôterez du feu, & peserez trios quarterons de farine que vous mettrez dedans vôtre sucre, à la reserve d’une poignée que vous garderez pour la manier sur la tables. Ayant mis vôtre farine dans vôtre sucre, vous la remuërez bien avec la gâche: quand vôtre pâte sera bien délayée, vous la tirerez de la poële, & mettrez sur une table bien nette, là où vous aurez semé un peu de farine auparavant; il la faut bien remüer; en même temps vous filerez vôtre pàte, & la cou-pour en faire de petites boules grosses comme le poûce: Cela vout être travaillé promtement; car quand la pâte est froide, on n’en peut plus venire à bout: les boules étant toutes faites, on les fait cuire dans le four sans papier; sur des feüilles de cuivre. Quand elles sont cuires, on les tire du four, & on les met dans un cornet de papier à l’etuve.

Autre maniere.
Vous prendrez une livre & demie de farine de froment: vous serez cuire vingt onces de sucre à la petite plume; vous le verserez dans un mortier; le laisserez refroidir après vous y mettrez la farine, six œufs frais & une cuillerée d’eau de fleur d’orange; batter le tout ensemble un quart-d’heure, & le tiret du mortier, le mettre dessus une table bien nette, & rouler ladite pâte en de petits pains, gros comme une noisette, & les faire cuire dans un four n.oderément chaud.