CHAPTER XXII.
CONFECTIONARY.
As I should always have recourse to the confectioner for all ornamental dishes, I shall give under this head, only such things as may be prepared at home with comparatively little risk of failure, and consequent waste of materials; observing, at the same time, that the plainest custard requires as much attention as the richest cream, and that all sweet dishes require to be flavoured with judgment. It is impossible to produce delicate creams, jellies, &c., &c., unless the ingredients, particularly cream, milk, and eggs, be perfectly fresh, and unless there be enough of them. If served in glasses or dishes, use only eggs; but, if the cream is to be turned out of a shape, isinglass must be used to stiffen it. The quantity greatly depends upon the size of the shape; 1 oz. to a pint is the general allowance, but more is often necessary.—The sugar used in jellies ought to be clarified, for one point of excellence is clearness.—To prevent oiling, put a little rose water into the mortar in which you pound almonds.—Where there is much practice in making sweet dishes, all the vessels should be kept wholly for that purpose. Jelly bags and sieves delicately clean, always dipped into, and wrung out of, hot water, before they are used.
Common Custards.
To ½ pint new milk, put a little piece of lemon peel cut very thin, a little cinnamon, and 8 bitter almonds blanched and pounded. Simmer the milk ten minutes. Then strain, and when cool, put to it a pint of cream, the yolks of 5 eggs, 2 table-spoonsful sifted sugar, and set it in a saucepan over the fire. Stir one way, all the time; take care that it do not burn, and not boil. When thick enough it will be done, and a minute or two too much will cause it to turn. When taken from the fire, add half a glass of brandy, and stir a quarter of an hour before you pour it into cups. In case of no cream, use 3 more eggs.—Or: mix a table-spoonful of rice flour in a little cold milk, and add the beaten yolks of 6 eggs. Have ready boiled, a quart of new milk, with a bit of lemon peel, and cinnamon; let it cool, then stir the eggs and some sugar into it: let it thicken over the fire, but not boil, stirring all the time. Take it off the fire, pour it into a jug, and stir till cool. Serve in cups, or a glass dish, and grate nutmeg over. Some persons boil custards in a jug, set into a deep saucepan of water, which is kept boiling.
Rich Custards to Bake, or Boil.
Boil a quart of cream with mace and cinnamon. Take it off the fire, add sugar to taste, and let it stand till no warmer than milk from the cow; then add 10 eggs, well beaten. Strain it, and fill the cups very full. The oven must be as hot as for tarts, and the cups often turned; or finish by boiling them in a jug stood in boiling water, but keep stirring all the while. Brandy is an improvement, in the proportion of a wine-glassful to a quart. Some flavour with ratafia, peach water, or orange flower water. A dessert-spoonful of isinglass will add to the firmness of custards made entirely of milk.
Lemon Custards.
Beat the yolks of 8 eggs till they are as white as milk, add the grated rinds and juice of 2 lemons, sweeten to taste; pour in a pint of boiling water and stir over the fire till it thickens, add a wine-glassful of white wine, and the same of brandy, stir over the fire again for a few minutes, then pour it into cups.
Orange Custards.
Beat the rind of a Seville orange (previously boiled), to a paste, and mix it with a dessert-spoonful of brandy, the juice of a lemon, 5 oz. sugar, and the yolks of 5 eggs; beat it well, a quarter of an hour, and pour in, by degrees, a pint of boiling cream; keep on beating till cold, then pour it into cups, and set them in a deep dish in boiling water, till very thick.
Spanish Custards.
Set 1½ pint of thin cream over the fire, leaving out a tea-cupful; put in 6 or 8 bitter almonds, and ¼ oz. isinglass dissolved in a basin with boiling water enough to cover it; simmer for three-quarters of an hour, or till the isinglass is dissolved; mix smoothly into the cold cream a table-spoonful of ground rice, pour it into the hot cream, stirring all the time, and simmer it gently till it thickens sufficiently. Flavour with 2 table-spoonsful of orange flower, or rose water, or what you like; strain through a coarse hair sieve, and stir till nearly cold, when pour it into cups dipped in cold water. Let these stand in a cool place; when firm, turn them out on a dish, stick them with blanched almonds sliced, and garnish with preserved cucumber, citron, or other preserve; when about to serve, pour a little cold cream into the dish.—Or: boil a pint of cream with a stick of cinnamon, let it cool, strain it, add 3 table-spoonsful of rice flour, the whites of 3 eggs well beaten, sugar, and a little rose water; set it over the fire, and simmer till as thick as hasty pudding; wet a mould with rose water, pour the custard in; when cold, turn it out.
Custards with Apples.
Pare, core, and either stew or bake some apples, in an earthen pan, with as little water as possible, and sugar to sweeten. When they are fallen, put them into a pie dish, and let them stand to get cold; pour over an unboiled custard, and set the dish into the oven, or before the fire, until the custard is fixed.
Custard with Rice.
Boil some rice in milk till quite tender, with cinnamon and a very few bitter almonds; when cold, sweeten it, and form a thick high wall round a glass dish, and pour a boiled custard in the centre. Just before it goes to table, strew coloured comfits, in stripes, up the wall.
A Trifle.
Whisk a quart of good cream with 6 oz. powdered sugar, a glass of white wine, the juice and grated peel of 1 lemon, and a little cinnamon. Take off the froth as it rises, and lay it on a sieve, reversed, over a bowl. This should be done early in the morning, or the day before, that the froth may be firm. Place in a deep trifle dish 3 or 4 sponge cakes, some maccaroons, and ratafia cakes, also a few sweet almonds blanched and split, then pour over enough white wine, with a little brandy, to moisten them; when the wine is soaked up, spread over the cakes a layer of raspberry jam, or any good preserve, and pour over that a rich and boiled custard. Heap the whip lightly on as high as the dish will allow. The preserve used or left out, according to taste.
Gooseberry or Apple Trifle.
Scald the fruit, and pulp it through a sieve, sweeten it, and put a thick layer in a glass dish. Mix ½ pint of milk, ½ pint of cream, and the yolk of 1 egg, scald it over the fire, stirring all the time, add sugar, and let it become cold, then lay it on the fruit, and on it a whip, as directed in the last receipt.—Or: scald, pulp, and sweeten the fruit, then stir it over the fire, into a thin custard: when cooked enough, pour it into a glass dish, to get cold. If apple, grate nutmeg and cinnamon, or lemon peel, over the top, add also lemon juice, and lay a whip on the top.
A Tipsy Cake.
Put a stale sponge cake into a deep china or glass dish, pour round it some raisin wine or Marsala, and brandy to your taste, but enough to saturate the cake: when it is soaked up, strew sifted sugar over, and pour in the dish a rich custard. Ornament the top of the cake by sticking a light flower in the centre, or bits of clear currant jelly; or, sweet almonds blanched and split.
Crême Patisserie.
Boil a quart of new milk with cinnamon and lemon peel. Rub a heaped table-spoonful of flour quite smooth with a little cold milk; stir the boiled milk, by degrees, into it; add 5 eggs, and sugar to taste. Stir it over a slow fire till it thickens; pour it into a dish, and stir it slowly a few minutes. Flavour with vanilla, orange-flower water, ratafia, or brandy. This is flavoured with tea or coffee, in the following manner: put a heaped table-spoonful of green tea into the milk, boil it up, cover the saucepan, simmer it a few minutes, then strain it. This will give a strong flavour of tea. For coffee: make a breakfast-cupful of very strong coffee, and put it into the milk just before it boils: use no other flavouring ingredient, and sweeten the cream sufficiently.—Or: boil in a pint of thin cream, the peel of a large lemon grated or pared very thin, sugar to taste, and a very small piece of cinnamon. Work up a table-spoonful of flour with the juice of the lemon; pour the boiling cream to it, by degrees, and stir it over the fire till the flour is cooked; pour it into a dish, and stir slowly till nearly cold; garnish with candied sweetmeats.
Chocolate Cream.
Boil a quart of cream, having first scraped into it 1 oz. scented chocolate; add nearly ¼ lb. lump sugar, and 8 whites of eggs; whisk well, and, as the froth rises, take it off, and put into glasses.
A Plain Cream.
Boil together, or separately, a pint of cream and a pint of new milk, with lemon peel, cinnamon, and sugar to taste; then add 12 sweet and 3 bitter almonds, pounded to a paste, with a little rose water, also a table-spoonful of rice flour rubbed smooth in cold milk; scald it, pour into a jug to cool. Serve in glasses, or a glass dish.
Italian Cream.
Boil 1½ pint of sweet cream with ½ pint of new milk, the rind of a lemon cut thin, and sugar to taste; then let it cool. Beat the yolks of 8 eggs, add them to the cream, set it over the fire, stir till it thickens, and put in about 1 oz. of melted isinglass, to stiffen it. Whisk well, and strain it through a fine sieve into a mould, to turn out. First try a little in a saucer to ascertain if more isinglass be wanted. It may be flavoured with curaçoa or noyeau.
Ginger Cream.
The same as chocolate cream; using only cream, no milk. Flavour it by boiling in the cream either preserved, or essence of ginger. Serve it in cups.—Or: after the cream has thickened over the fire, add isinglass, as directed for Italian cream, and strain it into a mould.
Lemon Cream.
Beat the whites of 9 eggs with one yolk, till as thin as water, but not frothed, add 9 table-spoonsful cold water, and the juice of 2 lemons, with sugar to taste: strain it through a fine sieve, put in a piece of lemon peel, and stir it over the fire, till as thick as cream. Do not let it stay long on the fire, to get too thick.—Or: steep the peel of 2 lemons, cut very thin, in a pint of water, all night, then sweeten and boil it; stir in the whites of 6 eggs beaten to a froth, and keep stirring over the fire till thick, then add the yolks. You may add ¼ oz. of isinglass, which makes it more like ice.—Or: boil up a pint of thick cream with the beaten yolks of 2 eggs, 4 oz. sugar, and the thin rind of a lemon; stir till nearly cold, and pour it upon the juice of a lemon, in a bowl; stir it till cold.—White lemon cream is made by using whites of eggs only.
Orange Cream.
Pare a large orange very thin, put the peel into a bason, and squeeze 4 oranges over it; pour in 1 pint of cream, and set it over the fire; before it quite boils take out the peel, or the cream may be too bitter. Let the cream become cold, then stir in the yolks and whites of 4 eggs, and sugar to taste. Set it over the fire again, and just scald it. Pour into cups.—Or: squeeze and strain the juice of 11 oranges, sweeten well with pounded loaf sugar, and stir over a slow fire till the sugar be melted, taking off the scum as it rises; when cold mix it with the beaten yolks of 12 eggs, mixed with a pint of cream, stir it over the fire again to thicken, and serve in a glass dish or cups.—Or: boil ¾ oz. of isinglass in ½ pint of water, till half reduced, and when nearly cold stir in the juice of 4 oranges and 1 lemon well sweetened, and a pint of cream previously beaten to a froth, stir it over a slow fire till it begins to thicken, and then pour it into a mould.—N.B. the juice of any fruit may he used in the same way, always adding the juice of a lemon.
Lemon or Orange Cream frothed.
Squeeze the juice of a large lemon, or orange, into a glass or china dish. Sweeten a pint of cream, and let it just boil; pour it out to get cold, put it into a tea-pot, hold it up as high as possible, and pour it upon the juice.
Alamode Cream.
Grate 2 lemons into a bason, squeeze in the juice, add ¼ lb. sifted sugar; melt ½ oz. isinglass in a tea-cupful of hot water, strain it on the lemon, stirring all the time, then pour in a pint of cold cream, but stir all the while, or it may be lumpy. Pour it in a glass dish, and keep it in a cool place. Garnish with almonds and apple paste.
Velvet Cream.
Put into a deep glass or china dish, 3 table-spoonsful of lemon juice, a little grated peel, and preserved apricot cut small, 3 table-spoonsful of white wine or brandy, and powdered sugar. Scald a pint of cream, put in ¼ oz. of melted isinglass, stir it over the fire a few minutes, and continue to stir till no warmer than new milk; then strain, and pour it into the dish. Made the day before it is wanted.
Vanilla Cream.
Boil ½ a stick of vanilla in a tea-cupful of milk till the flavour is as strong as you like, and mix it with a jelly made of calf's feet, or made with 1 oz. of isinglass in a pint of water and a pint of cream, sweeten to taste, stir it till nearly cold, then pour it into a mould which has stood in cold water. The day before it is wanted.
Burnt Cream.
Boil a stick of cinnamon with a large piece of lemon peel, in a pint of cream; when nearly cold, stir in gently the yolks of 6 eggs; sweeten it, take out the spice and peel, strew pounded sugar over, and brown it with a salamander.
Snow Cream.
Pare, core, and stew, 10 or 12 apples and pulp them; beat the pulp nearly cold, stir in enough finely powdered sugar to sweeten, a little lemon peel, and the whites of 12 eggs, already beaten, whisk, till it becomes stiff, and lay it in heaps in a glass dish.
Currant and Raspberry Cream.
Mash the fruit and strain ¼ pint of juice through a fine sieve, add rather more than ½ pint of cream, sugar to taste, and a little brandy; whisk it the same as a trifle.—Or: put a very little sifted sugar into 1½ pint of cream, a tea-cupful of raspberry jelly, the grated rind of 1 and the juice of ½ a lemon, whisk well, for half an hour, till it be thick and solid, then pour it into a glass dish or cups.
Strawberry Cream.
The same as the last.—Or: sweeten some cream, and make a strong whip. Beat up what remains of the cream with yolk of egg (3 to ½ a pint), and scald it; let it cool, mix the fruit with it, pour it into glasses or a dish, and lay the fruit on the top. The pulp of apples, apricots, and plums may be mixed with cream, in this way.—Or: it may be formed in a mould by adding melted isinglass to the cream, just scalding, then straining it: when nearly cold, add the fruit and put it into a shape.
Clouted Cream.
Put 2 blades of mace and a wine-glassful of rose water, into a ¼ pint of new milk, scald and strain it; let it cool, stir in the yolks of 2 eggs, and a quart of cream. Stir it over the fire till scalding hot, and it is done. Excellent with fruit stewed, or with fruit pies.
Creams and jellies are iced, by putting the shape (the mixture being perfectly cold), in a bucket of ice broken in small bits. Let it stand till you are ready to send it to table, then take it out, wrap a towel, dipped into hot water, round the mould, and turn it out.
Strawberry Ice Cream.
Mash the fruit, strain off the juice, and sweeten it. Mix it, in the proportion of 1 lb. of fruit to a pint of sweet cream, whip it, pour it into glasses, and freeze as directed; or, add melted isinglass, and freeze it in a shape.—Raspberry Ice Cream, the same.
Pine Apple Ice Cream.
To 1½ gill of pine apple syrup, add the juice of 1½ lemon, and a pint of cream, sweeten, then stand it in the ice, and let it freeze as thick as butter. If you would have it the shape of a pine, take the shape and fill it; then lay half a sheet of brown paper over the mould before you put it into the ice, and let it remain some time; be careful that no water gets into it.
Coffee Ice.
A refreshing preparation, and suitable to entertainments. Make some strong coffee, sweeten with sugar candy, add what cream you like, pour it into a bowl, place that in an ice pail till the coffee is frozen: serve in glasses.
Paris Curd.
Put a pint of thin cream on the fire, with the whites of 6 eggs and the juice of a lemon; stir till it becomes a curd; hang it all night in a cloth, to drain; add 2 oz. sweet almonds, beaten to a paste, sugar to taste, and a little brandy. Mix well, and put it in shapes.
Blancmange.
Blanch 1 oz. sweet and ½ an oz. of bitter almonds and pound them with a little brandy, put them with ½ an ounce of isinglass into a bowl with ½ a pint of milk and ½ a pint of cream, and 2 oz. of pounded sugar, and let it stand 3 hours; then stir it over the fire till it begins to boil, when take it off and strain it, but keep stirring it till nearly cold, and then pour it into a mould. If you choose, have 12 bitter, no sweet almonds, a wine-glassful of brandy and a table-spoonful ratafia.—When about to turn it out, wrap a towel dipped in hot water round the mould, and draw a silver knife round the edge of the blancmange.
Rice Blancmange.
Boil 4 oz. of whole rice in water till it begins to swell, pour off the water, and put the rice into nearly a quart of new milk, with sugar, a little cinnamon and lemon peel. Boil slowly till the rice is mashed, and smooth. Do not let it burn. Put it into a mould to turn out. This may be in the centre of a dish with custard round it.
Blancmange with Preserves.
Boil 1 pint of cream with cinnamon and lemon peel; sweeten it, add 1 oz. isinglass dissolved in a little water, stir it over the fire till it is on the point of boiling, then pour it into a jug, stirring it occasionally; when milkwarm add a wine-glassful of brandy and a table-spoonful of ratafia. Have ready in a china or glass dish, some East or West India preserves, pour the blancmange on it, and set it by till the next day.
Jaunemange.
Dissolve 2 oz. isinglass in nearly a pint of boiling water; put to it ¾ pint of white wine, the juice of 2 oranges, and 1 lemon, the peel of a lemon shred fine, sugar to taste, a little cinnamon and brandy, and the yolks of 8 eggs. Simmer gently a few minutes, then strain it into moulds.
Rice Flummery.
Boil 5 oz. sifted ground rice in a quart of new milk, with ½ oz. bitter almonds, 2 table-spoonsful rose water, and sugar to sweeten; keep stirring till very thick, then put it into a mould. When cold turn it out, stick blanched almonds in, and pour round it some thick cream sweetened and flavoured with white wine; or no cream, but preserves in lumps.
Dutch Flummery.
Boil the rinds of 2 and juice of 3 lemons in ½ pint of white wine, ½ pint water, ¼ lb. sugar and 1 oz. of isinglass, ten minutes, then strain and mix it gradually with the yolks of 5 eggs, stir it over the fire five minutes, then stir till nearly cold, and pour it into a mould.
Rice Cups.
Sweeten a pint of new milk, with sifted sugar, and boil in it a stick of cinnamon, when it boils stir in 2½ oz. of sifted ground rice; then take it off the fire, and add the beaten whites of 3 eggs, stir again over the fire, for three minutes, and pour into cups, previously dipped in cold water. When cold, turn them out, pour a custard round, and ornament with preserves or stewed pears.
Syllabub.
Pour a bottle of sherry or Port into a china bowl, sweeten, and add plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon. Milk into it nearly double the quantity, and let it froth up high. Serve with sponge cakes. Some add a little brandy.
Solid Syllabub.
Scald a pint of cream, and sweeten it; when cold, add ½ a pint of white wine, the juice of a lemon, the peel grated: more sugar if required. Dissolve 1 oz. isinglass in water, strain, and when cold, stir it into the mixture, and put it into a mould the day before it is wanted.
Whipt Syllabub.
Rub ½ lb. sugar on lemon rind, and put into a deep narrow pan, with ½ pint white wine, the juice of ½ a lemon, the rind of a whole one, and a pint of thick cream; whisk well, always one way and without stopping, till it is all in a good froth; put it in glasses. It will be more firm the next day.—Or: to ½ pint of cream, add a pint of milk, ½ pint sack or white wine, sweeten with loaf sugar, and whisk it to a froth; pour a little white wine in the glasses, and the froth on the top.
Calf's Feet Jelly.
The day before you want jelly, boil a cow heel and one foot in 2½ quarts of water, till they are broken, and the water half wasted, strain and put it by till the next day. Then remove all the fat as well as the sediment, put the jelly into a saucepan with sugar, wine, lemon juice, and peel to your taste. Let it simmer, and when the flavour is rich, add the whites of 5 eggs well beaten, also their shells; let it boil gently twenty minutes, but do not stir it; then pour in a tea-cupful of warm water, let it boil gently five minutes longer, take the saucepan off the fire, cover close, and let it stand by the side, half an hour. It ought to be so clear as to require only once running through the jelly bag. Some mutton shanks (10 to 2 calf's feet), make the jelly richer. Raisin wine is generally used, but Marsala is better: it gives a more delicate colour to the jelly.—This is made Noyeau Jelly by using noyeau in sufficient quantity to give a strong flavour. Also Madeira Wine Jelly. But as the firmness of the jelly may be diminished by the wine, add a little isinglass. Some think that jelly eats best in the rough, not out of a mould.—Another: boil 4 feet in 2½ quarts of water, boil twelve hours, or till all their goodness is extracted. The next day remove all fat as well as sediment, put the jelly into a saucepan with 1½ pint of sherry or Marsala, the peel and juice of 7 lemons, and sugar to your taste. Finish in the same way as directed above, and when strained, add a wine-glassful of Champagne brandy. You may add 1 oz. isinglass to make the jelly very stiff, but some object to this, as it makes it tough as well as stiff. Some use a coarse brown bag, in preference to flannel.
Punch Jelly.
Boil 2 oz. isinglass in a pint of water, add the juice of 4 lemons, and the grated rind of one, put to this 6 oz. loaf sugar, previously boiled in a very little water till it is a rich clear syrup, then add 6 table-spoonsful of rum.—Or: make a good bowl of punch (which see), stronger if you like. To every pint of punch add 1½ oz. isinglass, dissolved in ¼ pint of water; pour this into the punch whilst hot, then fill the moulds, taking care that they are not disturbed until the jelly is completely set.
Savoury Jelly.
Boil 2 lbs. knuckle of veal, 1 lb. lean beef, and 4 mutton shanks, in 2 quarts of water, with salt, pepper, mace, and 1 onion; boil till the liquor is reduced one half, then strain it; when cold, put it into a saucepan with the whites of 3 eggs, stir well, then set it over the fire till it boils, and strain through a jelly bag. A table-spoonful of soy will improve the colour.
Orange and Lemon Jelly.
Grate the rinds of 2 Seville, 2 sweet oranges, and 2 lemons; squeeze the juice of 2 sweet, 6 Seville oranges, and 3 lemons; mix the rinds and juice together; boil slowly 1 lb. lump sugar in a pint of water to thick syrup, turn it into a bowl; when nearly cold, add the juice and stir well; boil ¼ lb. of isinglass in a pint of water till dissolved, let it cool, add it to juice, stir till cold, and fill the mould.—Another, and much better: rub the rinds of 8 oranges with lump sugar, and boil a quarter of an hour in the stock of calf's feet and ½ oz. isinglass, with sugar to your taste; have the juice of the oranges, the juice of 3 lemons, and the whites of 6 eggs in a bason, pour the stock in, stir well, and boil altogether ten minutes; then pour in a wine-glassful of cold water, let it stand ten minutes, then pour through a jelly bag.—Lemon Jelly is made the same way; the rind of 2 and juice of 3 large lemons, the rind and juice of 1 orange.
Colouring for Jelly.
Boil slowly in ½ pint water, for half an hour, 15 grains cochineal in fine powder, ½ drachm of cream of tartar, and a bit of alum the size of a pea; let it stand till the next day, then pour it off.
Arrow-root Jelly.
Put ¼ pint of water into a saucepan, with a wine-glassful of sherry, or a spoonful of brandy, sugar, and grated nutmeg. Boil up once, then mix it, by degrees, with a dessert-spoonful of arrow-root, rubbed smooth, and mixed with 2 spoonsful of cold water. Return it into the saucepan, stir, and boil it three minutes.—Or: steep for three hours the rind of a lemon, and 4 bitter almonds, pounded, in 2 table-spoonsful water, strain, and mix the water with 3 table-spoonsful arrow-root, and of lemon juice, 1 of brandy; sweeten, stir over the fire till thick, and put it into glasses.
Hartshorn Jelly.
To 3 quarts of water put 1 lb. hartshorn shavings, and 1 oz. isinglass, boil gently till it becomes a jelly (about four hours); the next day melt it, add the juice of 2 lemons, half the peel, and a pint of sherry, also the whites of 5 eggs beaten to a froth, and sugar to taste; boil for a few minutes, and pass it through a jelly bag till clear.
Apple Jelly.
Pare 12 firm apples, and simmer them in a quart of water till quite cooked, but not broken; strain the liquor, and put to it 2 oz. isinglass, the juice of 2 lemons, the peel of one cut thin, sugar to taste, and a little cochineal, tied in muslin; boil till the isinglass is dissolved and the jelly of a nice colour, strain, and pour it into a mould.
Isinglass Jelly.
Dissolve 1 oz. isinglass in ½ pint of water, and put to it ½ lb. lump sugar, the juice of a large lemon, the peel cut thin, and a pint of sherry; boil five minutes, then strain it into a mould.
Gâteau de Pomme.
Dissolve 1½ oz. isinglass in ½ pint water, and boil it with ½ lb. sugar, the juice and rind of a lemon and 1 lb. of apples, pared and cored; boil it three quarters of an hour, pour it into a mould; when quite cold, turn it into a glass dish, and pour a good custard round.
A Bird's Nest.
Make some clear jelly, of an amber colour, and fill a small round basin half full. Have some bird's eggs blown, fill them with blancmange; when the latter is quite cold, peel off the shells, and it will represent small eggs. Put some moss round a glass dish, turn the jelly out, into the middle, lay some lemon peel, cut in thin strips to represent straws, on the jelly, and the eggs on the top.
Strawberry Jelly.
Boil 2 oz. isinglass in ¼ pint of water till dissolved, skimming it all the time; then strain and let it cool. Mash a quart of fresh fruit in an earthen vessel, with a wooden spoon; add powdered sugar and a very little water. Pass it through a jelly bag, stir the melted isinglass into it, and fill your mould.—Raspberry and red currant jelly in the same way.
Lemon and Orange Sponge.
Dissolve ½ oz. isinglass in a pint of water, strain it, and the next day put to it the juice of 2 lemons, and the grated peel of 1; then rub some raspberry jam through a hair sieve into the mixture, and whisk it well, till it is like sponge; then put it into an earthen mould in a cool place. Any preserve may be used, or lemon only, or orange; or it may be flavoured with raspberry vinegar.—Or: dissolve ¾ oz. isinglass in a little water, add ¾ pint of cream, the same of new milk, and ½ pint of raspberry jelly, and the juice of a lemon: whisk well, one way, till it is thick, and looks like sponge; then pour it into the mould.—Or: pour a pint of boiling water on 2 oz. isinglass, when dissolved add the strained juice of 4 Seville and 4 sweet oranges or lemons, sugar to taste; whisk well, half an hour, then pour it into a mould.—Or: dissolve 2 oz. isinglass in ½ pint of water, strain and add to it, the juice of 10 sweet oranges, and the grated rind of 2, the juice of 1 lemon, and sugar to taste; when nearly cold whisk it till it looks like sponge, and pour it in a mould. Make it in the evening, to turn out next day. Some use more isinglass.
Rice Soufflè.
Boil 2 table-spoonsful ground rice very slowly, in ½ pint good milk, with a piece of lemon peel, stirring all the time. Let it cool, then stir in the yolks of 4 eggs, and some sugar, stir it over the fire a few minutes, and let it cool again. Then add the whites of 6 eggs, well whipped; put it into a deep and round dish, and bake in a rather slack oven till the soufflè rises; send it to table instantly, or it will flatten. Potato Soufflè,—Half the quantity of potato flour, as directed for rice flour, and make it the same way.
A Good Soufflè.
Soak 4 or 5 slices of sponge cake in sherry and brandy mixed, and sweetened, cover with a layer of preserves, then pour over a rich boiled custard; beat the whites of 4 eggs to a froth, and lay it over the top to look rough; brown it in a Dutch oven, and serve directly, or it will be spoiled.
Orange Soufflè.
Mix a table-spoonful of flour with a pint of cream, put it into a saucepan, with 2 table-spoonsful rose water, some orange and lemon peel; stir till it boils, then strain and sweeten it: when cold add 2 table-spoonsful orange marmalade. Beat 6 eggs, stir in a wine-glassful of brandy, mix with the other ingredients, and put all into a buttered shape; place it in a saucepan of boiling water, over a stove: let the water boil an hour and a quarter without any cover to the shape.
Lemon Soufflè.
Pour ¾ pint of boiling water over 1 oz. isinglass, the juice of 3 lemons, and 5 oz. sifted sugar; when dissolved, boil all together five minutes, pour it into a large bason, when the steam is gone off whisk it till it becomes spongy, then put it in a glass dish. It should be made the day before it is wanted, and requires long whisking.
Omelet Soufflè.
Beat the yolks of 6 eggs, and whip the whites; strain and sweeten the yolks with powdered sugar; add a little grated lemon peel; stir in lightly the whites, and pour the whole into a frying-pan, in which you have just melted a large piece of fresh butter. Cook over a slow fire, but do not let it scorch, and, when done, turn it carefully out, and set it in the oven to rise.
Sweet Omelets.
Mix a table-spoonful of fine flour, or potato flour, in ½ pint of new milk; then whisk together the yolks and whites of 4 eggs, and add to the milk. Put fresh butter enough to fry the omelet into a pan, about ¼ lb., make it hot over a clear fire, and pour in half the mixture; when this is a little set, put 4 table-spoonsful of red currant jelly, or any other preserve, or apple pulp in the centre, and the remainder of the mixture on the top; as soon as the upper portion is fixed, send the dish to table.—Or: the omelet being fried, spread the preserve on it, in the pan, and roll it. Apples boiled to a pulp and sweetened, may be used instead of preserve.
Soufflè of Apples.
Pick, wash, and scald 4 oz. whole rice, drain off the water, and put the rice into a quart of new milk, or thin cream, which has been boiled with a bit of cinnamon or lemon peel. Simmer it very slowly till the rice is swelled, (not broken), drain it, and having brushed the edge of the dish with white of egg, place the rice in the form of a high wall round it. Mix with some apple jam, or pulped apples, 2 oz. butter, sugar to taste, and the yolks of 6 eggs; stir this over the fire, a few minutes, to cook the eggs; then stir in by degrees, the whites of 8 or 9 eggs, whipped, put it in the centre of the dish, and bake till it rises sufficiently.
Gooseberry and Apple Fool.
Pick or pare the fruit, put it in a jar, with a tea-cupful of cold water, and a little moist sugar; set the jar in a vessel of boiling water, or on a stove, till the fruit will pulp; press it through a cullender, and when nearly cold, mix in it some good cream, or thin custard.
Orange Fool.
To a pint of cream add the juice of 3 Seville oranges, 3 eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar to taste. Set this over a slow fire, and stir till as thick as melted butter; it must not boil; pour it into a dish to be eaten cold.
Stewed Oranges.
Pare 4 sweet oranges, and be careful to remove the white part without breaking the skin; pare 2 lemons very thin, cut the peel in narrow lengths, and boil it in ½ pint water, with ¼ lb. lump sugar, until it becomes a thick syrup, then add the oranges, the juice of 1 lemon, and ¼ lb. lump sugar, and simmer it a quarter of an hour.
Red Apples in Jelly.
Pare and core some fine pippins, and throw them into a pan of cold water, then boil them in a very little water, with some cochineal, and when done, put them in a dish; boil the water with sugar, lemon peel, and a little isinglass, till it jellies; let it cool, scoop it into heaps with a tea-spoon, and lay it amongst the apples. Garnish with rings or straws of lemon peel, and some green sprigs.
Pears to Stew.
After peeling them, cut the pears in halves, take out the cores, and lay the pears, flat side upwards, in a tin saucepan, with sugar to taste, ¼ pint of port wine, water to cover them, and a few cloves; spread the peel over the pears, and stew them gently till tender; the saucepan covered.
Apples to Bake.
Pare and core, but do not divide them, unless very large. Bake them in an earthen dish, with sugar, a little port wine, pounded cloves, and grated lemon peel.—Or: pare 16 large apples, and put them with 1 lb. sifted sugar, juice of 1 lemon, and a tea-cupful water, in a large flat dish; cut the rind of the lemon in strips, and put them over the apples; bake in rather a quick oven, and baste from time to time with the syrup. Excellent.—Or: pare fine large apples, scoop out the core, without dividing the fruit, and fill the hole with butter and sugar, bake in a deep dish, and baste frequently. Also very good.
Cheesecakes.
Beat the curd of 3 pints of milk quite smooth, mix with it ½ lb. currants, a little pounded cinnamon, and the rind of a lemon, rubbed off with lumps of sugar (add more sugar, as you like), the yolks of 4 eggs, ½ pint scalded cream, and a wine-glassful of brandy. Mix well, and bake in patty-pans, lined with a light puff paste, twenty minutes, in a quick oven.—For Almond Cheesecakes, mixed pounded sweet and bitter almonds, instead of currants.
Lemon Cheesecakes.
Boil the peel of one lemon in water, till tender, then pound it in a mortar with ¼ lb. lump sugar, the juice of 2 lemons, and a table-spoonful of brandy; stir in ¼ lb. fresh butter, melted, and 3 eggs; mix well and pour into saucers or patty-pans, lined with a very light paste.—Or: to 1 lb. lump sugar (in lumps), add ¼ lb. butter, the yolks of 6 eggs, the whites of 4, the juice of 3 lemons, and the rinds of 2, grated. Simmer over a slow fire till the sugar is dissolved, begins to thicken, and looks like honey. Stir gently one way, or it will curdle. This will keep a long while, closely tied down in a jar, in a cool place.—Or: ½ lb. butter, ½ lb. lump sugar, stir over the fire till melted, let it get cold, then add the yolks of 8 eggs, juice of a large lemon, mix it very well, and bake in a crust to turn out.—Or: beat 12 eggs, leaving out 4 whites; melt ½ lb. butter in a tea-cupful of cream, stir in ½ lb. sifted sugar, and when cold, stir in the eggs, then the grated rind of 2 lemons, then the juice: stir it over the fire till near boiling, then fill your patty-pans, and put them in the oven, to brown of a light colour. You may add ½ lb. of sweet almonds, blanched and pounded with rose water.
Another Curd Cheesecake.
Beat the curd of 2 quarts new milk, quite smooth, with 4 oz. butter; then mix it with ½ oz. of sweet, and 4 bitter almonds, blanched and pounded with 3 table-spoonsful rose water, add a ¼ lb. lump sugar, the peel of 3 lemons, the yolks of 6 eggs, candied citron cut small, ¼ lb. currants, ½ pint of cream, and a wine-glassful of brandy. Mix well, and bake in patty-pans, lined with thin paste.
Orange Cheesecakes.
Beat ½ lb. sweet almonds with orange flower water, add ½ lb. sugar, 1 lb. butter, melted, and nearly cold, the beaten yolks of 10 and the whites of 4 eggs, beat 2 candied oranges, the peel of a fresh one (the bitterness boiled out), till they are as tender as marmalade, then beat all well together, and bake in little patty-pans, lined.
Apple Cheesecakes.
½ lb. each, of grated apples, sugar and butter, the juice of 1 lemon, and the rind cut thin, 4 eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately: mix well and bake in lined patty-pans.
Rice Cheesecakes.
Beat the yolks of 6 with the whites of 3 eggs, add 4 oz. sifted ground rice, the same of sugar and melted butter, a wine-glassful brandy, and the grated peel of 1 lemon; mix well and bake in patty-pans, lined with paste.
Lent Potatoes.
Blanch, then pound with a little rose water, 3 oz. of sweet, and 4 or 5 bitter almonds; add 8 oz. butter, 4 eggs beaten and strained, 2 table-spoonsful white wine, and sugar to taste; beat well, grate in 3 savoy biscuits, and make into balls with a very little flour, the size of walnuts; boil in lard of a pale brown, drain and serve with sweet sauce.
Stewed French Plums.
Stew 1½ pound in a pint of Rhenish wine, till tender, then set them by to cool in a glass dish. Some use half Port and half water.
Note.—Those who like to use Gelatine will find directions with the packets, when they buy it. It is useful as a means of taking wine and brandy in the form of jelly, and is quickly prepared, but has little else to recommend it.