Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (179 page)

An electric mixer or a wooden spoon

2 ounces (½ stick) soft butter

⅓ cup granulated sugar

The grated rind of 1 lemon or orange

A 2-quart mixing bowl

¼ cup egg whites (about 2 egg whites)

⅓ cup all-purpose flour (measure by scooping dry-measure cup into flour; sweep off excess with knife)

A sieve or sifter

A rubber spatula

Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon or orange rind in the bowl with electric mixer or wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Pour in the egg whites and mix a few seconds, only just enough to blend. Place flour in
sieve or sifter and shake it over the batter, rapidly folding it in with rubber spatula.

2)
Forming, baking, and shaping—oven preheated to 425 degrees

NOTE
: If this is the first time you have done this type of cookie, experiment with one or two first so that you will understand the system of baking, removing, and molding; they are easy to do as soon as you know what to expect.

A rubber spatula and a dessert spoon

A kitchen timer

A flexible-blade spatula (blade should be at least 8 inches long) for unmolding cookies

The oiled cups or bowls for unmolding the cookies

A cake rack or racks

Using rubber spatula to dislodge the batter, place a 1½-tablespoon gob in the center of each of the 4 circles on one of the baking sheets. Using back of spoon, smear the batter out to fill the circles; it will be less than ⅛ inch thick. Place in middle level of preheated oven, set timer for 5 minutes, and bake until cookies have browned lightly, either to within an inch of the center, or in large splotches. (Form cookies on second sheet while these are baking.)

As soon as they are done, set baking sheet on open oven door so that cookies will stay warm and pliable—they crisp immediately they cool, and then cannot be molded. Working rapidly, slide long side of spatula blade under one cookie to scrape and
lift it off the baking sheet; turn in upside down over one of the oiled cups or bowls, and
press into the cup with your fingers.
Rapidly remove a second cookie from the sheet and press into second cup. Immediately take first cookie out of first cup—they crisp in seconds—and place on rack. Rapidly mold the third cookie, and finally the fourth. (They will be fragile, so handle with care.)

Close oven door and wait for a few minutes for temperature to return to 425 degrees; bake and mold the second sheet of cookies.

3)
Storing and serving

Cookies will stay crisp for several days in dry weather if stored airtight; for longer storage, freeze them. Spoon sherbet, ice cream, or fruits into the cookie cups just before serving. For fruit sherbets or ice cream, such as strawberry, save some of the fruit to decorate top of each serving.

LE KILIMANJARO—GLACE AU CHOCOLAT, PRALINÉE

[Chocolate-Burnt-Almond Ice Cream]

For lovers of chocolate and ice cream, we think this is the best combination we know.

For 6 cups, serving 6 to 8 people

1)
Toasted almond brittle—pralin aux amandes—for 1 cup

4 ounces (about 1 cup) blanched almonds

A pizza tray or roasting pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in tray or pan, set in middle level, and roast 10 to 15 minutes, stirring up several times, until they are a walnut brown. Remove from oven.

½ cup sugar

3 Tb water

A small, heavy saucepan with cover

The almonds in a bowl

The roasting pan, lightly oiled

An electric blender

Combine sugar and water in saucepan and set over moderately high heat. Swirl pan slowly by its handle, but do not stir sugar with a spoon while liquid is coming to the boil. Continue swirling for a moment while liquid boils and changes from cloudy to perfectly clear.

Cover pan, raise heat to high, and boil for several minutes until bubbles are thick and heavy. Uncover, and continue boiling, swirling gently, until syrup turns a nice caramel brown. Remove from heat and stir in the almonds; immediately turn
out into oiled pan. When cold and hard, in 20 minutes or so, break up; grind a half cupful at a time in electric blender.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
:
Pralin
freezes perfectly for several months in an airtight jar.