FRANGIPANÉ TARTLETS.--One quarter pint of cream, four yolks of eggs, two
ounces of flour, three macaroons, four tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar,
the peel of a grated lemon, and a little citron cut very fine, a little
brandy and orange-flower water. Put all the ingredients, except the
eggs, in a saucepan--of course you will mix the flour smooth in the
cream first--let them come to a boil slowly, stirring to prevent lumps;
when the flour smells cooked, take it off the fire for a minute, then
stir the beaten yolks of eggs into it. Stand the saucepan in another of
boiling water and return to the stove, stirring till the eggs seem
done--about five minutes, if the water boils all the time. Line patty
pans with puff paste, and fill with frangipané and bake. Ornament with
chopped almonds and meringue, or not, as you please.

It is very difficult to make fine puff paste in warm weather, and almost
impossible without ice; for this reason I think the brioche paste
preferable; but if it is necessary to have it for any purpose, you must
take the following precautions:

Have your water iced; have your butter as firm as possible by being
kept on ice till the last moment; make the paste in the coolest place
you have, and under the breeze of an open window, if possible; make it
the day before you use it, and put it on the ice between every "turn,"
as each rolling out is technically called; then leave it on the ice, as
you use it, taking pieces from it as you need them, so that the warmth
cannot soften the whole at once, when it would become quite
unmanageable. The condition of the oven is a very important matter, and
I cannot do better than transcribe the rules given by Gouffé, by which
you may test its fitness for any purpose:

Put half a sheet of writing paper in the oven; if it catches fire it is
too hot; open the dampers and wait ten minutes, when put in another
piece of paper; if it blackens it is still too hot. Ten minutes later
put in a third piece; if it _gets dark brown_ the oven is right for all
small pastry. Called "_dark brown paper heat_." _Light brown paper heat_
is suitable for _vol-au-vents_ or fruit pies. _Dark yellow paper heat_
for large pieces of pastry or meat pies, pound cake, bread, etc. _Light
yellow paper heat_ for sponge cake, meringues, etc.

To obtain these various degrees of heat, you try paper every ten minutes
till the heat required for your purpose is attained. But remember that
"light yellow" means the paper only tinged; "dark yellow," the paper the
color of ordinary pine wood; "light brown" is only a shade darker, about
the color of nice pie-crust, and dark brown a shade darker, by no means
coffee color.