in a very quick oven. Patties
must be watched, and turned if they show signs of rising unevenly. When
they are a fine yellow-brown take them out, and leave five minutes for
them to cool slightly, then with a penknife or a boning-knife carefully
remove the top formed by the smaller circle you marked, and which (if
the paste was very light and the oven in good condition) will probably
have risen out of the centre. Be careful in handling these covers, for
while warm they are very brittle. With a coffee-spoon remove the
half-cooked dough from the centre of the patty, taking care, however, to
leave sufficient thickness of inner crust to prevent the sauce from
oozing through.

The filling for patties can be made before it is needed; but when that
is done, it must be made quite hot before it is put into the cases, as,
if it were put in cold, the pastry would burn before the inside became
warm.

_Dresden Patty Cases._--These make a very pretty kind of patty when
puff-paste is not to be had, and even when it is are a desirable
variety. They are made from fine light baker's bread. Cut slices an inch
and a half thick, then with a biscuit cutter about two inches in
diameter cut circles from these slices, and with another cutter, a size
smaller, press half-way through each. You will now have pieces of bread
the size and shape of patties. Beat four eggs; mix with a pint of milk
and a saltspoonful of salt; pour this into a shallow pan, and stand the
bread patties in it. The amount of milk and eggs must of course depend
on the number of patties; the proportion named is enough for six small
ones. The patties must remain steeping until they are thoroughly soaked;
they must be carefully turned upside down when the lower part is
sufficiently steeped. The time required will depend on the quality of
the bread, but one hour will generally suffice. The bread must be
thoroughly penetrated by the custard, be almost as moist as mush, yet
be in no danger (with careful handling) of breaking. When sufficiently
steeped, take each one on a cake turner and lay it on a drainer. (They
may be prepared some hours before they are needed for cooking.) When
quite drained, baste each one carefully with beaten egg till every part
is coated, then smother it in cracker meal. Gently pat it to make it
adhere, then slip the patty on to a dish till you are ready to fry. Do
not attempt to move the patties with the hand or a spoon, but with a
flat skimmer or cake tu