Ingredients
Puff Paste (Pastry dough)
1 pound flour
a pinch of salt
1 cup ice water
1 pound butter
Vanilla Cream (Filling)
1 pint cream or milk
2 tablespoonfuls flour
the yolks of 4 eggs
1 tablespoonful butter
3 tablespoonfuls sugar
1 teaspoonful vanilla extract
a sprinkle of salt
yolk of 1 egg mixed with a little sweet cream
Currant jelly (filling)
For glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoonful boiling water
a few drops of lemon juice
Directions
Vanilla Cream
Place a saucepan with 1 pint cream or milk over the fire, add 2 tablespoonfuls flour, the yolks of 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful butter, 3 tablespoonfuls sugar, 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract and a sprinkle of salt; stir this until it comes to a boil; when cold mix cream with the yolk of 1 egg and a little sweet cream.
To make Puff Paste
1 pound flour, a pinch of salt, 1 cup ice water and 1 pound butter; sift flour in a bowl, add salt and ice water and mix it into a smooth paste; work it thoroughly on the board with your hands for 5 minutes, cover and set it for 20 minutes on ice; knead the butter well in ice water, to remove the salt, and dry it in a napkin; put the paste onto a floured board and roll it out into a square about 1? inches in thickness; press the butter flat, also into a square, but smaller than the paste; lay the butter in center of paste and fold the paste first from the right and left side; then from you and towards you over the butter together; turn the paste over with the folded side towards the board; dust under and over a little flour and roll the paste out 3 times as long as wide; fold the lower third over the center and roll over it once with the rolling pin; then fold over that the upper third, so the paste is three double; roll over it once with the rolling pin; turn the paste around, roll it out again 3 times as long as wide, fold it again 3 double, lay it on a plate and set the paste for 1 hour on ice; then roll it out again and fold the same way twice; let it rest for ? hour on ice; roll and fold it twice more, so the paste has been rolled out and folded up 6 times; after the last rolling let it rest for 20 minutes and then use. The rolling out and folding together must be done 188 with the greatest care, so the layers fit exactly over one another, as the whole success depends upon this. The paste has attained its greatest lightness when rolled and folded together 6 times; if it is rolled out oftener it will loose in lightness; and if it is to be used where lightness is not wanted it must be rolled and folded together from 8 to 10 times. Puff paste is best made in a cool place, and if handy on a marble slab.
To make cake
Roll out some puff paste to 1/8 inch in thickness, cut it into 3 strips 5 inches wide and about 10 inches long; moisten a large shallow tin pan with cold water, put in the strips, dust them with powdered sugar, and bake in a medium-hot oven.
When done and cold, cover 1 strip with boiled vanilla cream, put over this the second strip, and spread over some currant jelly; lay on the third strip.
Mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoonful boiling water and a few drops of lemon juice, pour it over the cake, and set aside till firm.
Notes
The recipe in this entry was taken from "Desserts and Salads" by Gesine Lemcke. The cookbook was published by D. Appleton and Company in New York in 1920. For the complete copyright-free cookbook visit www.gutenberg.org. Photo: Mary Melfi.
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