This requires the greatest lightness in the pastry, as all depends upon its rising when baked; it should be rolled out about an inch and a half in thickness, cut it with a fluted tin of the size of the dish in which it is to be served. Also cut a smaller piece, which must be rolled out considerably thinner than an inch, to serve as a lid for the other part; bake both pieces, and when done, scoop out the crumb of the largest, and fill it with a white fricassee of chicken, sweetbread, or whatever may be selected; the sauce should be well thickened, or it would soften, and run through the crust. * * * * * A VOL-AU-VENT OF FRUIT. It is now the fashion to fill _vol-au-vents_ with fruits richly stewed with sugar until the syrup is almost a jelly; it forms a very pretty entremêt. * * * * * PETITS VOL-AU-VENTS. These are made in the same way, but cut in small rounds, the crumb of the larger is scooped out, and the hollow filled with any of the varieties of patty preparations or preserved fruits. * * * * * MINCE PIES. Grease and line tin patty-pans with a fine puff paste rolled out thin; fill them with mince-meat, cover them with another piece of paste, moisten the edges, close them carefully, cut them evenly round, and bake them about half an hour in a well-heated oven. * * * * * PATTY MEATS May be prepared from any dressed materials, such as cold dressed veal, beef and mutton, poultry, sweetbreads, and fish; the chief art is to mince them properly, and give them the appropriate flavor and sauce; for veal, sweetbreads, and poultry, which may be used together or separately, the usual seasonings are mace, nutmeg, white pepper, salt, mushrooms minced, or in powder, lemon-peel, and sometimes the juice also; the mince is warmed in a small quantity of white sauce, not too thin, and the patty crusts, when ready baked, are filled with it. For beef and mutton the seasonings are salt, pepper, allspice, a few sweet herbs powdered, with the addition, if approved, of a little ketchup; the mince must be warmed in strong well-thickened beef gravy. If the mince is of fish, season with anchovy sauce, nutmeg, lemon-peel, pepper and salt; warm it, in a sauce prepared with butter, flour, and milk or cream, worked together smoothly and stirred till it thickens; the mince is then simmered in it for a few minutes, till hot; the seasonings may be put with the sauces, instead of with the mince. CHAPTER VII. Sweet Dishes, Puddings, Cakes, &c. GENERAL REMARKS. The freshness of all ingredients for puddings is of great importance. Dried fruits should be carefully picked, and sometimes washed and should then be dried. Rice, sago, and all kinds of seed should be soaked and well washed before they are mixed into puddings. Half an hour should be allowed for boiling a bread pudding in a half pint basin, and so on in proportion.