It’s time for another Historic Foodway’s Challenge!!!
This particular one comes from the magazine “Eaten”. It was through this challenge that I figured out this magazine existed (and promptly purchased several editions because I needed to).
This cooking challenge is their first and it is “To Make a Hedge-Hog”, two ways. Certainly check it out, as well as the magazine. And, even though this challenge was only for one receipt, there is no way I could decide on just one. So I did both!
What can I say, I like a challenge!
So, without further ado, here’s a tale of two hedgehogs…
To Make a Hedge-Hog
“Take two pounds of sweet almonds blanched, beat them well in a mortar, with a little canary and orange-flower water, to keep them from oiling. Make them into a stiff paste, then beat in the yolks of twelve eggs, leave out five of the whites, put to it a pint of cream, sweetened it with sugar, put in half a pound of sweet butter melted, set it on a furnace on slow fire, and keep continually stirring till it is stiff enough to be made into the forme of a hedge-hog, then stick it full of blanched almonds slit, and stuck up like the bristles of a hedgehog, then put it into a dish.
Take a pint of cream, and the yolks of four eggs beat up, and mix with the cream; sweeten to your palate, and keep them stirring over a slow fire all the time till hot, then pour into your dish round the hedgehog; let it stand till it is cold, and serve it up.
Or you may make a fine hartshorn-jelly, and pour into the dish, which will look very pretty. You may eat wine and sugar with it, or eat it without.
One cold cream sweetened, with a glass of white wine in it, and the juice of a Seville orange, and pour it into the dish. It will be pretty for change.
This is a pretty side-dish at a second course, or in the middle for supper, or in a grand dessert. Plump two currants for the eyes.”
Glasse, Hannah, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, London, 1777
I was very excited to try this one! Having looked through Hannah Glasse’s famous cookbook many times I had seen this receipt come up but didn’t have the situation arise to try it, till now. So I made my list of ingredients, bought them (had a little adventure in sending my husband to the store for orange blossom essence (thank you hon)), and then prepped them for a morning of cooking.
I also decided that I would try the cream/wine/orange (sadly not a Seville) sauce. Mainly because I’ve had a rough time with custards (curdling when I look away for 5 seconds) and once I realized what hartshorn was (powdered deer antler) I though better of that one.
The first step, pounding the 2 lbs of blanched almonds with a little canary (a reference to a fortified wine, like sack or sherry) and a little orange blossom extract (which is MUCH more concentrated than orange flower water so be careful).
I decided it would also be a great idea to pound it by hand too. Why not!
That lasted about 10 minutes…
That’s better!
Yes, I soon realizing that pounding 2 lbs of blanched almonds into a powder would probably take me all day to do this one step. Now I see why this was a receipt made by rich people with lots of servants.
But I live in the 21st century with no servants. So food processor it is!
I added a little “sack” or cooking sherry…
… and the little bit of orange blossom essence.
Then I plugged it in and let it do its work.
While that was happening (or not happening as I will reveal shortly) I started to separating eggs. I reread the instructions several times and I decided that it meant that there would be a dozen eggs, minus five of the whites. So seven whole eggs and 5 yolks. I figure if it really didn’t work I’d try it a different way later.
While I was separating the eggs, I was watching the almonds not be pulverized by the food processor. After looking it over with my husband it was determined that the center spinner thingy (yes that’s a technical term) wasn’t working anymore. So, putting the separated eggs into the fridge, I got my keys and went out to buy a new food processor. Because going out and buying a new one would take less time than it would for me to pound all those almonds by hand. I mean, I still needed a food processor for everyday cooking, but the urgency of getting one became instant in this situation.
So once the almonds were pulverized and held together when I squeezed them (I probably should have added more sherry but I didn’t for this round) I mixed in the eggs with the almond paste.
This seemed to bind it even more together, becoming even more of a stiff paste.
I then added the cream which I sweetened with 1/4 of a cup of sugar.
And then I added the 1/2 pound of melted unsalted butter…
… and mixed the whole thing together. And it looked, well, like very unappetizing gruel.
But, having not made it before, maybe that’s what it’s supposed to look like. So I went with it and put the pot on a low heat and stirred almost consistently for about 20 minutes. By “almost consistently” I mean stirring for a few minutes, switching arms, then switching back, then calling husband for back up, then stirring again, then getting pain medicine, then stirring again… you get the idea.
Luckily the stiffness in my arm coincided with the mixture coming together and sticking in clumps. So I decided to stop and set the pot aside to cool, knowing that if I tried to make the hedgehog at that particular moment I would need to visit the doctor for more than a stiff arm.
While the mixture cooled I decided to make the cream/wine/orange sauce that Mrs. Glasse says is “pretty for change“. I did do a hunt for Seville oranges but came up short this time. But this beautiful orange gave me about 1/3rd of a cup of juice, which I combined with a cup of cream and 1/2 cup of white wine. Then I put it in the fridge to chill.
Once the mixture was cool enough to handle I got everything else together for decorating, including the already slivered almonds I got at the grocery store and the currants that I had been soaking in some wine to plump them up.
Now, many hours of hedgehog research went into making this likeness. And by “many hours” I mean about 20 minutes, and by “research” I mean watching very cute videos of hedgehogs eating and sleeping in fuzzy blankets.
The texture was very oily as I was working with it and I had to dab several times along the bottom to sop up the oil. I probably should have cooked the mixture longer, but it was keeping its shape and starting to look like a cute little hedgehog!
After adding who knows how many almond slivers and two plump currents…
Voila! We have a hedgehog! Now it was time to add the cream/wine/orange sauce!
And voila again! The sauce was added! Doesn’t he look cute?!? Don’t answer that.
And now, the TASTE TEST!
The verdict? Not very good. It was very gritty and oily with a very bland taste. Even with the nice cream/wine/orange sauce. Not something I would serve to impress my guests, which I assume was the point of this dish.
Now, I could have left it like this, knowing I would revisit this challenge another time. But nope, I was already out the door to buy more ingredients and try this receipt again.
So, the saga of the Hedge-Hog #1 continues…
THE SAGA OF HEDGE-HOG #1: PART 2!
So, restocked with more cream, butter, 2 dozen eggs and a 2 lb bag of almond flour, I started the whole process again.
This is very similar to what I did earlier (so I won’t show you all each step) but there were a few major changes. The biggest one was using almond flour (shown above) and adding more sherry and orange blossom essence to help bind the flour better and making a firmer paste of it before beating in the eggs. I also added 1/2 a cup of sugar to sweeten the cream since the sweetness had been completely lost in the previous attempt.
I also nearly doubled the amount of time I cooked the mixture, but I did have to take it on and off the heat because my arm was certainly feeling all this hard work by now.
All these steps taken, this is what the cooked mixture looked like. It was much thicker and came together better.
After waiting some time for the mixture to cool I again, like a proud sculptor, created my second hedgehog masterpiece…
… added many slivered almonds to make the bristled back…
… and finished with two cute little currant eyes and a currant nose (my son’s suggestion).
Now to add a good sauce!
I don’t know where I had it, but I had enough energy to constantly whisk this milk/egg/sugar mixture over low heat to create a very good custard! And luckily it didn’t curdle this time! It’s the little things.
So there he is, Hedge-Hog 1.5!
Now it was time again for the TASTE TEST…
The verdict? This one was MUCH better than the first!
It was still a bit oily, but the nuttiness of the almonds came through much better and the flavors that were nonexistent before were starting to come through. But, sadly and happily, the custard was the true star of this dish.
I’ll have to revisit this receipt another time, because now I have to clear the decks and get ready for the next challenge!
HEDGEHOG #2
Savoy Cake to imitate a Hedgehog
“Bake a cake in a mould to that form; blanch some Valentia or Jordan almonds; cut them into small fillets and stick them over the surface to form the quills or prickles of the hog. Put in two currants for the eyes.”
Parkinson, Eleanor, The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook and Baker, Philadelphia, 1844
This one seems to be simple in its instruction, especially after Glasse’s multiple paragraph receipt. But, in the pursuit of historical accuracy, it became a bit more challenging. Or maybe it’s just me being a perfectionist. But being a perfectionist took me on an interesting hunt for a cake mold (more about that later) and to face the brave new challenges in my cake making abilities!
The cake is the centerpiece of this particular receipt, so I decided to do some research on how to make a Savoy cake. But not just any Savoy cake. I went to the same book used for the Hedgehog receipt above (which is free on Google books in case you’re curious). And in it I found (on the page next to the Hedgehog cake) a receipt for a Savoy cake, which is the one I used for my 2nd Hedgehog challenge.
And here’s the receipt!
Savoy Cake (Cold Mixture)
1 pint eggs
1 pound pounded loaf sugar
14 oz flour
“Separate the yolks from the whites when you break the eggs. Put the yolks into a clean pan with the sugar, and the whites in another by themselves. Let the pans be quite free from grease. If they are rubbed around with a little flour, it will take off any which may be left about them. Wipe out with a clean cloth. Beat up the yolks and sugar by themselves, with a wooden spoon, and afterwards whip up the whites to a very strong froth. If they should happen to be rather weak, a bit of powdered alum may be added. When the whites are whisked firm, stir in the yolks and the sugar. Sift the flour and mix it lightly with the spatula, adding a little essence of lemon to flavor it. Fill the molds and baked as before.
(Moderate oven till top is firm and dry, when stick comes out clean.)
Parkinson, Eleanor, The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook and Baker, Philadelphia, 1844
So did you know that there are hedgehog cake pans out there? Believe me I searched. And I’m not talking about Sonic the Hedgehog but actual hedgehogs.
Did you also know that they are all in England? Yep! Which left me in a bit of a predicament. Even if I had ordered one it wouldn’t be here in time to make the receipt and post it by the end date of this challenge.
Que an interesting hunt in several stores to find a hedgehog shaped pan. But I found what I needed in the Michael’s “Clearance” section!
Ready for this?
That’s right, a football pan!
f you think it’s crazy, you’re probably in good company. Even my husband agreed with you. But I was mainly looking for the teardrop shape that this pan gives, figuring I’d cut away the excess and create the shape of a little hedgehog.
This was the closest thing I could find so I figured “Worth a try!”
So I prepped the pan with butter and flour. Then I read that the pans shouldn’t be greased. But (fearful of sticking) I decided not to follow the directions (I can hear you all gasping in shock) and left it prepped. I would rather be sure I could get it out then have to try all of these steps again. I knew I only had enough nerves for one preparation.
And this is why!
I had only seen cakes prepared with stiff egg whites for leavening on “The Great British Bake Off”. And I was so scared that my egg whites would deflate that I don’t think I breathed much through the next few steps.
I did, as shown above, add 1/8th of a teaspoon of cream of tartar (a good substitute for alum powder) to help keep those peaks stiff.
I also decided my arm had enough with the other Hedge-Hog so I gave it a break and employed a modern device…
Yay for electric hand mixers! Something that would, again, take a long time by hand was now going to be done in minutes!
It’s starting to froth and grow…
… almost there…
… there it is!!!
I also really lucked out because the egg whites grew much more than I expected, and they just fit in the bowl I beat them in. But I knew they wouldn’t be able to hold much more so I transferred them to a bigger bowl. Something to keep in mind the next time I try making a cake like this.
Since time was of the essence I had all the other ingredients ready to mix!
First I beat the egg yolks and sugar (granulated) until it became nice and frothy. And yes I did this by hand. (My poor arm!)
Then I added some of the beaten egg whites to the egg yolk/sugar mixture.
Then I folded it in slowly trying not to deflate the eggs too much.
I really held my breath, wondering if Paul or Mary would be jumping out from behind the couch to criticized my deflated batter at any moment.
Then I poured the egg yolk/white/sugar mixture in with the rest of the egg whites and began to fold it in, still holding my breath!
The sifted flour was mixed in afterwards, and I panicked a little when the mixture started to deflate and become more like a cake batter.
I also went against the recipes recommendation, again, and I added vanilla extract rather than lemon essence. Mainly because I like vanilla much more than lemon.
There! I did it!
Deep breath!
So I poured it into the football cake pan (which threatened to tip over several times because of its odd shape) and then put it into a “moderate oven”, or 350 degrees F. I put the timer on for 30 minutes and then checked on it every 10 minutes after that till a toothpick came out clean…
… which ended up being an hour and 20 minutes in the oven.
I think it was actually in about 10 more minutes than necessary. But the depth of this pan made it hard to have the center baked when the outside seemed ready.
I then allowed the cake to completely cool so that it would be much easier to carve.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER…
The carving went well! The pan actually worked out, giving the hedgehog its cute little nose, but still with some strategic cuts, rounded its back and sides.
Now it was decoration time!
My son, up from his nap, asked if he could help me out and was very happy when I said yes. I love cooking with him!
I highly recommend this type of decorating for small children. He loved pushing all the pieces in and was not as organized or methodical about it as I was. Which gave me more leeway in wanting it to look perfect.
Isn’t he cute? Again, don’t answer that.
So now, the TASTE TEST…
I decided to add some of the leftover custard sauce I had from the previous hedgehog because, why not? I did taste the cake with and without the custard so that I could give a honest assessment.
The Verdict?
DELICIOUS!!! This one was MUCH better than Hedge-Hog #1 and #1.5. The cake was nice and fluffy (I think Paul and Mary would be quite pleased) and it had a nice sweetness to it. And it was cake, which is very hard not to like.
I will say that it did need the custard though. Because I baked it a bit too long it was not a moist as I think it could be. So the custard gave it a nice sweetness and moistness that it was lacking on its own.
So the official verdict of this tale of two hedgehogs?
Make Hedgehog #2 with the custard from Hedgehog #1!
I really enjoyed this challenge and I can’t wait to see what the next challenge will be!