Observation. – Cheesecakes should be quickly put through hand, especially those composed of almonds, which are apt to oil and have a bad taste, which spoils their lightness. The oven should be moderate, not to scorch them but to give time for rising.
Lemon Cheesecakes.
Take the peel of two lemons, boiled very tender and pounded in a mortar, four ounces almonds, blanched and pounded with rosewater; beat light four ounces or more sugar with the yolks of six eggs, and half a pound of butter; melted mix them all well together, lay a puff paste in the pans, fill them half full, and ornament them with bars, or cut tops.
Orange Cheesecakes,
Are made the same way as the lemon. Or, take marmalade in place of boiling the skins.
Almond Cheesecakes.
Take half a pound sweet and two ounces bitter almonds, blanch and pound them with the white of an egg; beat up six eggs (leaving out four whites) with half a pound of sugar, when light mix in the almonds; melt ten ounces fresh butter, and when near cold stir it in; add the grate of a lemon, line the pans with paste, and fill them half full. Or, take the same quantity of almonds, six ounces sugar, six ounces butter, and six yolks of eggs; proceed as before and glaze them with an egg.
Bread Cheesecakes.
Slice a penny loaf as thin as possible and pour on it a pint (mutchkin) of boiling cream; let it stand two hours; then beat eight eggs, half a pound of butter, and seasoning of nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon, which mix well together, and then add the cream and bread, with half a pound currants and a glass of wine or brandy; line with paste; then fill the patty, or queencake pans, bar them across and glaze them.
Rice Cheesecakes.
Boil four ounces rice till it is tender, and put it into a sieve to drain; beat up four eggs, which mix with the rice and half a pound melted butter, two gills cream, six ounces sugar, a glass of brandy and spiceries; beat all well together, and fill the pans, or small raised crusts; bar or ornament them.
Common Cheesecakes.
Put a spoonful of runnet* into a quart (choppin) of warm milk, drain the whey from the curd through a hair sieve, put it in a mortar with four ounces butter, four ounces sugar, and spiceries, two Naples biscuits, the yolks of four eggs, one ounce pounded almonds, and a class of brandy, or wine. Mix all together, add six ounces currants, with which fill the patty pans, and bar them across.
Curd Cheesecakes.
Take one gallon (2 pints) milk, set it as for cheese, whey it, and break the curd; put it in a mortar with six yolks and four whites of eggs; sugar, spiceries, and wine, to your taste. Mix these well together, set over the fire two gills cream, make it into a hasty pudding with flour, then mix all well together, fill the small pans and bar them.
Potatoe Cheesecakes.
Take six ounces potatoes, four ounces lemon peel, four ounces sugar, and four ounces butter. Boil the peel tender, pare or scrape the potatoes, boil them tender and bruise them; beat the lemon peel and sugar, then beat all together. When all are cold put paste in the pans, fill them more than half full, and sift a little sugar on the top. This quantity makes a dozen.
Cheesecakes.
Take of old biscuits, diet loaves, and almond biscuits; pound the whole in a mortar, adding eggs to reduce it to a proper consistence, sugar and butter in proportion, and lemon grate; when all are well mixed fill the pans nearly full.
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* Rennet, for an alternative to the animal-stomach-based type see Thistle Rennet.
