Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (202 page)

A LITTLE SELECTION OF PETITS FOURS

LES TRUFFES AUX CHOCOLAT

[Chocolate Candies in the Form of
Truffles]

Rough balls of melted chocolate, butter, and orange liqueur rolled in cocoa look like freshly dug truffles. These homemade candies are easy to make
and, unfortunately for those who are trying not to resemble Babar the elephant, they are quite irresistible.

For 1½ dozen

¼ cup strong coffee (1 Tb instant coffee in ¼ cup boiling water)

A covered saucepan for melting the chocolate

7 ounces semisweet baking chocolate

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

A larger pan of simmering water removed from heat, to hold chocolate pan

A hand-held electric mixer

5 ounces (1¼ sticks) chilled unsalted butter

¼ cup orange liqueur

Dissolve the coffee in the saucepan with the hot water; break up the chocolate, and stir it into the liquid. Cover, and set in the pan of hot but not simmering water. When chocolate has softened, beat with electric mixer until perfectly smooth and creamy. Remove from hot water and beat a moment to cool. Cut chilled butter into ⅓-inch slices and gradually beat into the chocolate with mixer, adding a new piece as soon as a previous one is almost absorbed. When smooth, beat in the orange liqueur by dribbles. Chill for an hour or two, until firm.

A sturdy teaspoon

About ½ cup unsweetened cocoa on a plate

Frilled paper bonbon cups

When chocolate mixture has chilled and set, remove by teaspoon gobs, roll into rough circular shapes, then roll in the cocoa to enrobe them completely. Place in paper cups.

(*) When packed in an airtight container,
truffes
will keep perfectly for several weeks in the refrigerator, or for several months in the freezer.

LES CROQUETS DENISON

[Walnut and Almond Puffs]

These easy-to-make mouthfuls can take the place of after-dinner mints, or go with tea, coffee, sweet liqueurs, and sweet wines. Ideally they are baked directly in fluted paper candy cups, if you can find any that are the no-stick kind. Otherwise bake them in tiny buttered molds, preferably not fluted ones because the batter may stick to them. Lacking proper containers, you may form the mixture on a baking sheet, like cookies; they will not be as elegant to look at but will be just as good to eat.

NOTE
: A heavy-duty mixer with flat beater works beautifully here; if you do not have one, beat everything together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

For 3½ to 4 dozen 1¼-inch puffs

1)
The batter

2 ounces (½ cup) walnut meats

2 ounces (½ cup) blanched almonds

4 ounces (1½ cups) confectioner’s sugar (Sift sugar directly into dry-measure cups and sweep off excess)

1½ tsp kirsch

The grated peel of ½ lemon

2 to 3 Tb egg white

Pulverize the nut meats in an electric blender and turn into a bowl. Add the sugar, kirsch, grated lemon peel, and 2 tablespoons of egg white. Mixture is now to be beaten until it forms a mass stiff enough to hold its shape when bits are rolled into balls: beat for 2 to 3 minutes, and if ingredients remain sandy and unmassed, add ½ tablespoon more egg white; continue beating, and if mixture still separates, beat in a little more egg white. (If too soft, on the other hand, beat in a tablespoon or so more pulverized nuts or confectioner’s sugar, or refrigerate for half an hour until it becomes firmer.)

2)
Forming the petits fours

Waxed paper on a tray

A table fork

2 egg whites in a small bowl

½ cup confectioner’s sugar on a plate; more sugar as needed

Fluted no-stick paper candy cups (or buttered molds, 1 Tb capacity)

A baking sheet, clean and dry if you are using paper cups

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Puffs will double in size when baked, therefore cups or molds should be filled only by half. Form mixture into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands; place each ball, as formed, on the waxed paper. Beat egg whites with fork to break up thoroughly. One by one, dip each ball in egg white, then roll in sugar, place in candy paper or mold and arrange on baking sheet. (Or flatten the balls into disk shapes, dip in egg white, then coat with sugar and arrange on a buttered baking sheet.)

3)
Baking and serving

Optional: paper candy cups

Bake in middle level of preheated 300-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffs have about doubled in size and are pale gold in color. Let cool and crisp for 10 to 15 minutes. If you have baked them in molds, dislodge delicately with the point of a knife and, if you wish, place each in a candy cup.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: Will keep several days when covered airtight; for longer storage, freeze them.

TUILES AUX AMANDES

[Lacy Curved Almond Wafers]

These delicate mouthfuls go nicely with fresh fruit desserts, ices, and afternoon tea. Rapidly mixed and baked, the wafers crisp almost immediately into the shape of old-fashioned roof tiles when they are lifted from the baking sheet to a rolling pin or bottle to cool. The only
tour de main
involved here is that you work out your own system for removing the wafers as quickly as possible from baking sheet to rolling pin; as they cool, they become too crisp to mold. Bake one sheet at a time, even though you may prepare several sheets in advance, or be baking one while you are preparing another.

For about 45 wafers 3 inches in diameter