FANCHONNETTES, or CUSTARD TARTLETS

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 pint milk
• 2 oz butter
• 2 oz pounded sugar
• 3 dessertspoonful flour
• flavouring to taste
• the whites of 2 eggs
• 2 oz pounded sugar

Instructions

1. Well beat the eggs;
2. stir to them the milk, the butter, which should be beaten to a cream, the sugar, and flour;
3. mix these ingredients well together, put them into a very clean saucepan, and bring them to the simmering point, but do not allow them to boil.
4. Flavour with essence of vanilla, bitter almonds, lemon, grated chocolate, or any flavouring ingredient that may be preferred.
5. Line some round tartlet-pans with good puff-paste;
6. fill them with the custard, and bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes;
7. then take them out of the pans;
8. let them cool, and in the mean time whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth;
9. stir into this the pounded sugar, and spread smoothly over the tartlets a little of this mixture.
10. Put them in the oven again to set the icing, but be particular that they do not scorch: when the icing looks crisp, they are done.
11. Arrange them, piled high in the centre, on a white napkin, and garnish the dish, and in between the tartlets, with strips of bright jelly, or very firmly-made preserve.