Chapter XIV: Part 14

710. _Flanc Meringue of Apple._--Sometimes I make a meringue of three eggs, as No. 711; when it is hard I cover the apples with it half an inch thick, keeping the pyramid; then I put the remainder in a paper cornet; cut the point so that by pressing it the mixture may go out by degrees, with which I make various designs, according to fancy, sugar over, and put for half an hour to bake in a very slow oven; the color ought to be pale yellow; they are equally good hot or cold. If you would keep it quite white, bake it in a still slower oven, and give it a quarter of an hour longer. When I do it so, I merely make dots all over, about a quarter of an inch distant from each other, of the size of small nuts, sugar over, and put a Corinth raisin in each knob, which gives it a good appearance, and bake as directed; when the eggs are just set, you may cover it with a sheet of paper, to prevent it taking too much color.

711. _Meringues à la Cuillerée._--Pound and sift one pound of lump sugar, whisk the whites of twelve eggs very stiff, throw the sugar lightly over, and with a wooden spoon stir gently, perfectly mixing the sugar, then with a table or dessert-spoon lay them out upon white paper in the shape of eggs, sift powdered sugar thickly over, let them remain ten minutes, then shake off the superfluous sugar, place upon boards which you have wetted, and put them in a slow oven, just hot enough to cause them to be light and slightly tinged; when the outside becomes quite crisp, take off the papers, by turning them topsy-turvy and lifting the papers from them, dip your spoon into hot water, and with it clear out the best part of the interior, dust them with powdered sugar, lay them upon a baking-sheet, and put into the screen to dry; they may be made a day or two before they are required, if put away in a dry place; to serve, fill them with whipped cream flavored either with vanilla or orange-flower (but do not make it too sweet), stick two together, dress in pyramid upon a napkin, and serve. Should they happen to stick to the papers, moisten the papers with a paste-brush and water underneath.

712. _Gáteau Fourré._--This style of cake is exceedingly simple, and admits of great variation. You must make a half pound of puff paste (No. 684), take one third of it and roll it out several times so as to deaden it, then mould it round with your hands to the shape of a ball, then roll it out flat to the thickness of half a crown, lay it on a baking-sheet, put on it marmalade a quarter of an inch thick, reserving about one inch all round of paste to fix the cover on, then roll out the remainder of the paste to the same shape, it will of course be thicker, wet the edges of the bottom and lay the cover on it, press it so that it sticks, cut neatly round the edges, and make a mark with the back of a knife about a quarter of an inch deep and half an inch apart all round, egg over, and lightly mark any fanciful design with the point of a knife on the cover, bake in a very hot oven for twenty minutes; when nearly done sprinkle some sugar over and salamander, and serve cold. It may be made with frangipane and cream and apple marmalade, and then can be served hot.

713. _Dartoise Fourrée._--The former one must be made in proportion to the dish you intend to serve on, but the following is simple, and looks as well: prepare the paste as before, but roll the bottom piece square, put it on a baking-sheet, cover with jam, marmalade or frangipane, leaving one inch at the edge, roll the cover the same size, wet the edges, place it over, trim the edges, mark it down every three inches, and then crosswise every inch; bake in hot oven, sugar over, and salamander. When nearly cold, cut it where you have marked it; thus, a piece twelve inches square will give you forty-eight pieces; dish as a crown or pyramid, twelve pieces make a nice dish for a party. They may be made of any puff paste which is left, but will not be so light as if made on purpose; can be cut to any fanciful shape you please.

714. _Nougat of Apricot._--Proceed as above, but lay apricot marmalade all over a quarter of an inch thick, blanched almonds, cut into fillets, mixed with two ounces of sugar, and the white of an egg added to it, bake in a moderate oven, and cut in true lozenge shapes (I do not mean those things called lozenges, but a diamond shape), dish up on a napkin in crown or pyramid; they ought to be of a nice transparent color. Orange, apple, or quince marmalade may be used instead of apricot. Red fruit preserve does not cook well.

715. _Crusts of Fruit._--Put a quarter of a pound of butter in a sauté- or frying-pan, sprinkle a little sugar over, cut four or five slices of bread a quarter of an inch thick, three inches long, and one and a half wide, lay in your pan; take one dozen of greengages, open them in two, they must not be too ripe, lay the skin part on your bread, put a pinch of sugar in each, put it in a hot oven for twenty minutes; have ready a salamander or a hot shovel, and hold it over it for a few minutes, dish and serve hot or cold; the oven ought to be hot enough to give a nice yellow color to the bottom, which will eat crisp.

716. _Crusts with Madeira._--Cut a French penny roll lengthwise in four or five slices, put the yolks of two eggs, with four spoonfuls of milk, mix it in a plate, dip quickly each piece in it, and sauté in a quarter of a pound of butter which you have previously melted in a pan, leave them on the fire until they have obtained a nice gold color on both sides, put a spoonful of apricot marmalade in a stewpan, with two glasses of Madeira, and place on the fire; when on the point of boiling, pour over the bread, which you have previously put in a plate, and serve very hot. Any preserve may be used, also any white wine; and should you have no French rolls, any fancy roll will do, or stale brioche (No. 11) is excellent for them.

717. _Cheesecakes._--Under this head, in English Cookery Books, are
a variety of Receipts, but in fact, there is only one; the others
may all be denominated tartlets of one kind or the other, and
require but little skill on the part of the cook to vary in an
innumerable number of ways. The following is the plan in use in the
farm-houses in the midland counties; some which I have received
from Stilton, and also from Tuxford, in Nottinghamshire, are
excellent.

Take four quarts of milk and turn it with some fresh rennet; when dry, crumble it and sift it through a coarse sieve into a bowl, beat it well up with a quarter of a pound of butter until it is quite smooth (it may require a little more butter, depending on the quality of the milk); mix in another bowl the yolks of four eggs and a quarter of a pound of very fine sifted biscuit powder, the rind of four lemons, the juice of two, a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar (some add a little grated nutmeg or cinnamon), beat these all well up together until forming a stiff cream, then put it by degrees into the bowl with curd, and mix them well together; line some tartlet-pans, previously buttered, with some paste (No. 686), and place some of the above mixture in, and bake quick. In some places milk is used instead of eggs. Should you not have rennet, procure some good milk, and turn it with the juice of a lemon or a teaspoonful of soda or culinary alkali to a quart of milk: drain the curd, and proceed as before.

718. _Richmond Maids of Honor._--These delicious little cakes,
which every inhabitant of London who pays a visit to the most
picturesque part of its environs knows so well, derive their name
from a period when cookery was not thought to be a degrading
occupation for those honored with that title. It is stated that
they originated with the maids of honor of Queen Elizabeth, who had
a palace at Richmond. I have a little work now before me, called
'The Queen's Delight,' in which are several receipts invented by
the wives of the first nobles of the land, which I think is an
excellent example for those housewives who honor this book by their
perusal, to imitate. They are made as follows:

Sift half a pound of dry curd, mix it well with six ounces of good butter, break the yolks of four eggs into another basin, and a glass of brandy; add to it six ounces of powdered lump sugar, and beat well together one very flowery baked potato, cold, one ounce of sweet almonds, one ounce of bitter ditto pounded, the grated rind of three lemons, the juice of one, and half a nutmeg grated, mix these well together and add to the curds and butter; stir well up, and proceed as before, filling the tartlet pans.

719. _Lemon Cheesecakes._--Take two large lemons, and rub the rind with one pound of loaf sugar, so that all the yellow part is removed; place the sugar in a basin, squeeze the juice of the lemons over, then add the yolks of six eggs, and beat it all well up, and put it by in a jar for use. It will keep for years. Any flavor, such as vanilla or cinnamon, may be added, if liked, when required for use. Having made the paste and lined the tins, mix one tablespoonful of the mixture with a teacupful of good milk, and place a little in each tartlet.

720. _Sweet Omelettes._--Break six eggs in a basin, into which put a teaspoonful of sugar, three of cream, or a few small pieces of butter; put two ounces of butter in an omelette pan; when quite hot, pour in the eggs and proceed as for Omelettes of Herbs, turn over on your dish, sift some powdered sugar over, salamander, and serve.

721. _Omelettes of Preserved Fruits_, viz. Currant Jelly, Raspberry and Strawberry Jam, Apricots, Peaches, Cherries, &c., are made the same as the last, but, just before turning on your dish, put two spoonfuls of preserves in the centre, sugar over, salamander, and serve.

722. _Macedoine of Omelettes._--Instead of making one with eight eggs, make four, with two eggs each, of different kinds of preserves; serve on the same dish, sugar over, &c., as before.

723. _Omelette with Rum._--The same as sweet omelette, but, the moment of going to table, pour two glasses of rum round, and set it on the fire.

724. _Beignet Soufflé._--Put in a stewpan a pint of milk or water, a teaspoonful of sugar, two ounces of butter, a few drops of essence of vanilla, or any flavor you please; give it a boil, throw in some flour, keep stirring all the time until it becomes quite thick and no longer tastes of the flour and detaches itself from the pan. It will take about half an hour, as the better it is done the lighter it is; withdraw it from the fire, stir in six eggs, one at a time, sift about two ounces of sugar, until the paste is of the stiffness of puff paste; have ready a pan of hot fat, into which you drop by a spoon small pieces of paste, it will increase their size; and when a nice color, take them out, drain, and dish on a napkin, with sifted sugar over.

725. _Apple Fritters._--Mix one pound of flour with half a pint of milk or water, then half a pound of butter melted in a stewpan, mix well together with a wooden spoon very smooth, thin it a little with table-beer or water, whisk the whites of three eggs very stiff, stir in gently; have six apples, peeled, cut in slices about a quarter of an inch thick, the cores taken out with a cutter, dip each piece in the batter, and fry in hot lard about six minutes; to fry well, the fat should not be too hot at first, but get hotter as it proceeds; they should be crisp, and of a nice golden color; serve on a napkin, and sift sugar over.

726. _Ditto, Peaches._--Skim and cut in halves six ripe but fine peaches, take out the stones, have a batter prepared as the last, dip them in, fry, and serve the same.

727. _Ditto, Apricots._--Cut in halves, and proceed as above, and sugar over until quite brown.

728. _Ditto, Oranges._--Peel four oranges, divide them in quarters by the thin skin, without cutting the flesh, and proceed as before.

Any other fruit may be done in the same way, and can, if required, be soaked in wine or brandy previously, but they do not fry so well.

729. _Pancake with Marmalade._--Put a quarter of a pound of sifted flour into a basin, with four eggs, mix them together very smoothly, then add half a pint of milk or cream, and a little grated nutmeg, put a piece of butter in your pan (it requires but a very little), and when quite hot put in two tablespoonfuls of the mixture, let spread all over the pan, place it upon the fire, and when colored upon one side turn it over, then turn it upon your cloth; proceed thus till they are all done, then spread apricot or other marmalade all over, and roll them up neatly, lay them upon a baking-sheet, sift sugar over, glaze nicely with the salamander, and serve upon a napkin; the above may be served without the marmalade, being then the common pancake.

730. _Apple Charlotte with Butter._--For the few following receipts, the russet apple is the one I should recommend, it being the most suitable, not being so watery, or falling in purée, but in case they cannot be obtained, other sorts may be used, which will require to be more reduced in stewing.

Well butter the interior of a plain round mould, then cut twelve pieces of bread the size and thickness of a shilling, dip them in clarified butter, and lay them in a circle round the bottom of your mould; cut also eight small pieces in the shape of diamonds, dip them in butter, and with them form a star in the centre of the circle, cover the whole with a round piece of bread the size of the bottom of the mould, and the thickness of a penny-piece, cut about thirty other pieces an inch wide and four inches in length, dip one after the other in clarified butter, which stand upright, one half-way over the other, all round the interior of the mould; then have ready prepared two dozen or more russet apples, which peel and cut in slices, put them into a round stew or preserving-pan, with three ounces of butter and half a pound of broken lump sugar, with a little lemon-peel cut in strips, and a glass of sherry, place them over a sharp fire, tossing over occasionally, but keeping them together in a cake; when quite tender fill your mould (having previously well egged and bread-crumbed the interior), place another round piece of bread (also egged and bread-crumbed) over the apples, and stand the mould in a hot oven until the bread becomes well browned, take out and turn it over upon your dish, have a few spoonfuls of red currant jelly in a stewpan, with a glass of sherry, melt it over the fire, and when quite hot pour round the charlotte; sugar and salamander the top if not quite crisp, and serve. You may also, for a change, introduce a little sweetmeat of any kind in the middle of your charlotte, and use plain pieces of bread a quarter of an inch thick, instead of so many pieces for the sides.

731. _Apples with Rice._--Peel and quarter twelve good-sized apples, put them into a preserving-pan, with three quarters of a pound of sugar, the thin rind of a lemon in strips, the juice of another, and a wineglassful of water, pass them over a sharp fire, and when tender lay them upon the back of a hair sieve to drain, then put six ounces of rice into a stewpan, with a quart of milk, place it upon the fire, stir until boiling, then place it upon a very slow fire to simmer very gently until quite tender, placing a little fire upon the lid, if it becomes dry before it is tender add a little more milk; then add a quarter of a pound of sugar, a quarter of a pound of butter, and four eggs, stir them well in, stir over the fire until becoming again thick; when put it upon a dish to get cold, then form a stand with it upon your dish eight inches in diameter and three in height, but hollow in the centre, where dress some of the apples, more rice over, then more apples, forming a pyramid; you have previously reduced the syrup drained from the apples, which pour over the whole, and garnish with some very green angelica, forming any design your fancy may dictate. Apples with rice may be served hot as well as cold.

732. _Pears with Rice._--Peel and cut in halves eighteen small ripe pears, which put in a small preserving-pan, with three quarters of a pound of sugar, a little water, and the juice of two lemons, stew them till tender, then lay them upon a dish to cool, and mix three tablespoonfuls of apricot marmalade with the syrup, have some rice prepared as in the last, with which make a stand, but not quite so high, dress the pears in a border in the interior, and again in the centre dress the remainder of the rice in pyramid; when ready to serve pour the syrup over, and garnish tastefully with angelica round.

733. _Apples with Butter._--Peel eighteen russet apples, which cut in quarters, and trim of a nice shape, put them into a small preserving-pan, with two ounces of butter and three quarters of a pound of sugar, having previously rubbed the rind of an orange upon it and pounded it, pass them over a sharp fire, moving occasionally until quite tender, have ready buttered a plain dome mould, put the apples into it, pressing them down a little close; when half cold turn it out of the mould upon a dish, and cover all over with apricot marmalade; when cold it is ready to serve.

734. _Apple Bread, Russian fashion._--Put one pound and a half of lump sugar and a pint and a half of water into a round-bottomed copper preserving-pan, place it over a sharp fire and reduce it to a crack, have ready twenty-four good brown pippin apples peeled and cut into slices, which put into the sugar, keeping stirred until it becomes quite a thick marmalade, take off the fire and put it into a cylinder mould, previously slightly oiled, shake it well down, and let it remain until quite cold; then turn it out of the mould upon your dish; have a few spoonfuls of currant jelly in a stewpan, which melt over the fire, add two glasses of good old rum, and when partly cold, pour over and serve with whipped cream in the centre, in which you have introduced a quarter of an ounce of candied orange-flowers; if any remain, it will be excellent to make croquettes.

735. _Apples sauté in Butter._--Procure a dozen russet apples, which cut into slices a quarter of an inch in thickness, peel and take out the cores with a round cutter, then put two ounces of butter in a sauté-pan, spread it over the bottom and lay in your apples, with half a pound of powdered sugar and the juice of two lemons, stew gently over a moderate fire; when done, dress them rather high in crown upon your dish, melt three spoonfuls of red currant jelly in a stewpan, with which mix a glass of Madeira wine, which pour over when ready to serve.

736. _Croquettes of Rice._--Well wash half a pound of the best Carolina rice, which put into a stewpan, with a pint and a half of milk, and a quarter of a pound of butter, place it upon the fire, stir until boiling, then place it upon a slow fire, cover the stewpan, and let simmer very slowly until quite tender; rub the rind of a lemon upon a lump of sugar, weighing a quarter of a pound, pound it in a mortar quite fine, add it to the rice, with the yolks of five eggs (mix well), stir them a few minutes longer over the fire until the eggs thicken, but do not let it boil, lay out upon a dish, when cold form it into a number of small balls, or pears, or into long square pieces, according to fancy; have three or four eggs in a basin well whisked, dip each piece in singly, and then into a dish of bread-crumbs, smooth them gently with a knife, dip them again into the eggs and bread-crumbs, put them into a wire basket, which put in a stewpan of very hot lard, fry a nice light yellow color, drain on a cloth, dress them pyramidically upon a napkin, and serve with powdered sugar sifted over them.

737. _Croquettes of Macaroni._--Blanch six ounces of macaroni in two quarts of water until tender, then strain and put it in a basin of cold water; when cold cut it into pieces half an inch in length, and put it into a stewpan containing a pint and a half of boiling milk, in which you have infused a stick of vanilla, boil until it becomes thickish, add a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, two ounces of butter, and the yolks of eight eggs, stir them well in over the fire until the eggs thicken, then pour out upon a dish, and proceed precisely as for the croquettes of rice.

738. _Pastry Cream sautéd._--Put the yolks of six eggs in a stewpan, with two good tablespoonfuls of sifted flour, mix quite smooth with a wooden spoon; then add a pint of boiling milk or cream, stir in by degrees, and place it over the fire, keeping stirred until it thickens, add an ounce of butter, six ounces of sugar, two ounces of crushed ratafias, a little orange-flower water, and three whole eggs, mix the whole well together, and stir it a few minutes longer over the fire until the eggs set; then pour it out upon a sauté-pan, previously oiled, and when quite cold cut it into pieces one inch wide and two and a half long, dip them in eggs and bread-crumbs twice over, the same as for croquettes, sauté them in the same manner, dress upon a napkin as high as you can, with sifted sugar over, they may be flavored also with vanilla or lemon. They may be varied in shape according to fancy.

JELLIES.

Nothing, I am confident, will give you more pleasure than trying
the receipts which I am now about giving you; they are for jellies,
that is, those made from gelatinous substances of animal
production. They are the most wholesome productions of cookery, and
are slightly nourishing and fortifying without being exciting. You
will find the receipts as simple as possible; and you will perceive
that, when you have made the foundation stock to perfection, they
may be varied in twenty or more different ways, by changing the
flavor, fruits, or colors.

739. _Jelly Stock_, made from calf's feet, requires to be made the day previous to being used. Take two calf's feet, cut them up, and boil in three quarts of water; as soon as it boils remove it to the corner of the fire, and simmer for five hours, keeping it skimmed, pass through a hair sieve into a basin, and let it remain until quite hard, then remove the oil and fat, and wipe the top dry. Place in a stewpan one gill of water, one of sherry, half a pound of lump sugar, the juice of four lemons, the rinds of two, and the whites and shells of five eggs, whisk until the sugar is melted, then add the jelly, place it on the fire, and whisk until boiling, pass it through a jelly-bag, pouring that back again which comes through first until quite clear; it is then ready for use, by putting it in moulds or glasses.

740. _Gelatine and Isinglass Jelly_ is made as above, using one ounce and a half of either, and boil in one quart of water, reduce to half; if not required very clear, as for lemon jelly, it need not be run through a bag, but merely through a fine sieve.

741. _Hartshorn Jelly._--Use half a pound of hartshorn shavings, boil in three quarts of water, and reduce to one; proceed as before. Also Arney's jelly powder can be used instead of any of the above, by dissolving in boiling water.

742. _Gold or Silver Jelly_, or both mixed, is made with eau de vie de Dantzic, mixing the gold or silver leaves with a little jelly, ornamenting the bottom of the mould with it, which place in ice till set, fill with very clear calf's foot jelly. It can also be made by cutting up a quarter of a sheet of gold leaf in a glass of pale brandy, and use as the former.

743. _Maresquino Jelly_ is made by mixing six liqueur-glasses of maresquino with a quart of clarified calf's foot jelly; peaches or other fruits cut in quarters may be added.

744. _Rum-Punch, Curaçoa, Noyeau_, are made with the same quantity, and as the former.

745. _French Jellies_ may be made with all kinds of fresh fruits, filling the mould by degrees, the jelly first, let it set, then the fruit, and so on till full, the mould being buried in ice; when ready to serve dip in hot water, mix it well, and turn out carefully on your dish. In the winter, preserved fruits in syrup may be used, decorating the mould with them, pouring in a little jelly at a time until it is cold, and fill up by degrees; proceed as above.

746. _Orange Jelly._--Procure five oranges and one lemon, take the rind off two of the oranges, and half of the lemon, and remove the pith, put them into a basin, and squeeze the juice of the fruit into it; then put a quarter of a pound of sugar into a stewpan, with half a pint of water, and set it to boil until it becomes a thick syrup, when take it off, and add the juice and rind of the fruits, cover the stewpan, and place it again on the fire; as soon as boiling commences skim well, and add one glass of water by degrees, which will assist its clarification, let it boil another minute, when add half an ounce of good isinglass, dissolved as directed (No. 740), pass it through a jelly-bag, add a few drops of prepared cochineal to give an orange tint, and then fill a mould and place it on ice; turn out as before.

747. _Lemon Jelly_ is made the same way, only using six lemons and the rind of one; serve quite white, and add a gill of Bucellas, or any very pale wine.

Calf's foot stock, reduced and clarified, may be used instead of the isinglass.

748. _Whipped Jellies_ are made from any of the above by placing some warm jelly in a large bowl or basin on ice, and when nearly cold whisking it; pour quickly in a mould set on ice and salt, where let remain till ready for serving; dip it in lukewarm water, strike gently, taking it in the right hand, place the left on it, turn it over, if it shakes in the mould, let it gradually slip off your hand on the dish, and remove the mould. All jellies are removed the same way.

749. _Bohemian Jelly Creams_ may be made of any flavor as jellies, and either ripe fruit or with marmalade or jam, to which add the juice of two lemons, a pint of water, in which one ounce and a half of isinglass has been dissolved, or a pint of reduced clarified calf's foot jelly, stir together in a bowl placed on ice; when nearly cold, stir quickly in three parts of a pint of whipped cream, fill the mould, which should be kept on ice, and turn out as before. A small bottle of Crosse and Blackwell's jelly may be used instead of the isinglass or jelly, by uncorking and placing the bottle in a stewpan of hot water till dissolved, or pour it in a clean stewpan, and reduce it one third. Cherries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, and gooseberries must be passed through a sieve; but apricots, peaches, apples, pears, quinces, pineapples, and marmalade may be used as they are. Creams may be made of any flavor, and of either ripe fruits, jams, or marmalade; they are made plain, thus: put the yolks of five eggs in a stewpan, with six ounces of sugar, beat it up with a spoon until white; in another stewpan have a pint of milk and one ounce of isinglass, boil ten minutes, stir continually to prevent burning, flavor with vanilla or anything to your taste, pour the milk on the eggs and sugar, put on the fire, stir well together, do not let it boil, pass through a tammy into a round bowl; when cold, set on ice, add two or three glasses of liqueur, keep stirring its contents, and when setting, add three parts of a pint of cream well whipped, mix well together, and pour into your mould in the ice, and keep there till required; turn out as before.

750. _Charlotte Russe._--Line the inside of a plain round mould with Savoy biscuits, cutting and placing them at the bottom to form a rosette, standing them upright and close together, fill with any of the above creams, omitting the fruits, place the mould in ice, let it remain till ready to serve, turn over on a dish, and remove the mould.

751. _Strawberry Charlotte._--Line a plain round mould with ripe strawberries by burying the mould in ice to the rim, and dipping the strawberries in calf's foot jelly, first covering the bottom with them cut in halves, the cut side downwards, afterwards building them up the sides, the jelly (which must be cold, but not set) causing them to adhere; when finished, fill it with the cream as directed for the charlotte russe, and when ready to serve dip the mould in warm water, and turn it out upon your dish. The cream must be very nearly set when you pour it in, or it would run between the strawberries and produce a bad effect.

752. _Chartreuse Cake of variegated Fruits._--Line a charlotte mould very tastefully with various kinds of fruits (such as stoned cherries, strawberries, pieces of peaches, apricots, &c.) by dipping them into jelly, forming some design at the bottom of the mould, and building them in reverse rows up the sides, having the mould previously placed in ice, when well set, terminate as in the last.

753. _Blancmange._--To one quart of milk add one ounce of isinglass, a quarter of a pound of sugar, a quarter of an ounce of cinnamon, a little grated nutmeg, half of the peel of a lemon, and a bay-leaf, simmer over a slow fire, stirring till the isinglass is dissolved, pass it through a napkin into a basin, and pour into a mould. This can be made any color or flavor that will not curdle the milk; the milk of bitter almonds may be added to flavor it.

754. _Another._--Put into a bowl about a pint of clear calf's-foot jelly warm, break six eggs, beat the yolks and pour them gradually into the jelly, beating all the time; put on the fire and whisk till nearly boiling, set it on ice or in cold water, keep stirring till nearly cold, and fill your mould. You may add whatever flavor you like.

755. _Trifles_ should be made early in the day on which they are wanted; take a stale Savoy cake, cut it in slices of one inch thick, and lay it on the bottom of the dish; lay on that a thin layer of any kind of marmalade, jam, or jelly, have some macaroons and ratafia cakes and lay on, and cover the whole with some sponge cakes. For a dish nine inches in diameter, mix two glasses of sherry, one of brandy, half a one of rum, and the same of noyeau, and pour over, and let it remain until it is well soaked, then pour over about one inch thick of rich custard; put a pint of cream into a bowl, with some sifted sugar, a squeeze of a lemon, and about a tablespoonful of the wine, &c., you have put on the cake, whisk it well up. I use a trifle-blower, which saves some trouble; I also use it for all whipped cream; and as the froth rises remove it with a spoon on to a clean sieve, where let it drain, then place it on the custard until it is high and handsome.

I have occasionally, when being in a hurry, and having no cream by me, proceeded as above, and made the whip with the whites of eggs, and some very white peach or egg-plum marmalade together, until it makes firm froth or whip, which put on the custard; this may also be colored a nice pink.

Trifles are generally considered unwholesome; I think it is because they are often made too long before they are wanted, and no spirit is used in the cake, the consequence is, the cream turns sour.

The remains of this make an excellent pudding.

PUDDINGS IN MOULDS.

We have already, in the Comforts for Invalids, given several of the
most simple receipts. I prefer using, in these kinds of puddings,
as the principal ingredient, stale Savoy cake, or sponge cakes, or
ladies' fingers, and, if I cannot get them, crumbs of stale bread;
they may be made in a hundred different ways, according to the
fancy and taste of the cook; the mould should be buttered and
papered; they may be either baked or steamed.

There is hardly any of our sex, from childhood to old age, but
loves this truly English mixture, which appears upon our tables in
a hundred different shapes, but always under the same name; and I
should not fancy my labors complete if I did not produce a new one
of my own invention; I therefore beg you to accept of the
dedication, as I intend to call it--

756. _Pudding à la Eloise._--It is made as follows: take half a pound of bread-crumbs, which put in a basin, with two ounces of sago, six ounces of chopped suet, six eggs, five ounces of moist sugar, and a tablespoonful of either orange, lemon, or apricot marmalade; mix all well together, and ornament the bottom of the mould with green angelica in syrup, and Smyrna raisins, and fill up with the mixture. Place the mould in a stewpan containing water to half the height of the mould, and boil gently for two hours; remove it from the mould, and serve with a sauce made of a tablespoonful of either of the marmalades, or of currant or apple jelly and two glasses of sherry poured over. This, I assure you, received great praise from the little party of juveniles that I had the other day.

757. _Pudding à la Reine._--Butter and paper the mould, fill up with cake or bread-crumbs, when full pour some custard in until it will hold no more; this may be flavored with any white liquor or essence you please, for instance, citron (then it is called Pudding à la Reine au Citron), or orange; use peel thinly sliced, and so on for any flavor you may give it.

758. _Mince-meat Pudding._--Butter and paper the mould, then put a layer of cake and a layer of mince-meat alternately, till full, then add the custard.

759. _Demi-Plum Pudding._--Prepare the mould, then add a layer of plum pudding, broken in pieces, that has been left from the previous day, alternately, till full, fill up with custard, and steam or bake for three minutes. The remains of any kind of pudding may be used thus.

760. _Trifle Pudding._--Prepare the mould, and fill with the same ingredients as directed for trifle, taking care that the wine, &c., is well soaked in before adding the custard. Steam or bake thirty minutes. The sides and tops of these puddings may be ornamented with cut angelica, hops, or candied orange or lemon-peel, in any fanciful design you please, and they may be served with any kind of wine sauce.

761. _Carrot Pudding._--Mix in a bowl half a pound of flour, half a pound of chopped suet, three quarters of a pound of grated carrot, a quarter of a pound of raisins stoned, a quarter of a pound of currants, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, brown or sifted white; place these in a mould or dish, beat up two whole eggs, the yolks of four in a gill of milk, grate a little nutmeg in it, and add it to the former; bake or steam forty-five minutes.

PUDDINGS BOILED IN CLOTHS.

The principal one, and the most celebrated, is the plum pudding.

762. _Plum Pudding._--Pick and stone one pound of the best Malaga raisins, which put in a basin, with one pound of currants (well washed, dried, and picked), a pound and a half of good beef suet (chopped, but not too fine), three quarters of a pound of white or brown sugar, two ounces of candied lemon-and orange-peel, two ounces of candied citron, six ounces of flour, and a quarter of a pound of bread-crumbs, with a little grated nutmeg; mix the whole well together, with eight whole eggs and a little milk; have ready a plain or ornamented pudding-mould, well butter the interior, pour the above mixture into it, cover a sheet of paper over, tie the mould in a cloth, put the pudding into a large stewpan containing boiling water, and let boil quite fast for four hours and a half (or it may be boiled by merely tying it in a pudding-cloth previously well floured, forming the shape by laying the cloth in a round-bottomed basin and pouring the mixture in, it will make no difference in the time required for boiling); when done, take out of the cloth, turn from the mould upon your dish, sprinkle a little powdered sugar over, and serve with the following sauce in a boat: Put the yolks of three eggs in a stewpan, with a spoonful of powdered sugar, and a gill of milk; mix well together, add a little lemon-peel, and stir over the fire until becoming thickish (but do not let it boil), when add two glasses of brandy, and serve separate.

The above sauce may be served, poured over the pudding, if approved of.

An excellent improvement to a plum pudding is to use half a pound of beef marrow cut into small dice, omitting the same quantity of suet.

763. _Rowley Powley._--Roll out about two pounds of paste (No. 685), cover it with any jam or marmalade you like, roll it over and tie it loose in a cloth, well tying each end; boil one hour and serve, or cut it in slices and serve with sauce over.

764. _Plum Bolster, or Spotted Dick._--Roll out two pounds of paste (No. 685), having some Smyrna raisins well washed, and place them on it here and there, roll over, tie in a cloth, and boil one hour, and serve with butter and brown sugar.

765. _Plain Bolster._--Roll as above, sift some white or brown sugar over it, the addition of a little powdered cinnamon to the sugar is an improvement, roll over and proceed as before.

766. _Apple Dumplings._--Peel and cut out the core with a cutter, cover it with paste (No. 685), tie in a cloth, and boil according to size; these are all the better for being boiled and kept in the cloth, hung up for four or six weeks, and re-warmed. They may likewise be baked. These kind of boiled puddings, containing a large quantity of paste, should be made with flour, in which is mixed one saltspoonful of culinary alkali powder to four pounds of flour, which will cause them to be much lighter.

PLAIN BAKED PUDDINGS IN DISHES.

767. _Marrow Pudding_ may be made in various ways; it is best with half a pound of ladies' finger cakes, and a quarter of a pound of beef marrow, chopped fine, a quarter of a pound of currants well cleaned, half an ounce of candied lemon-peel, a little nutmeg, a tablespoonful of powdered sugar, a saltspoonful of salt, and half a wineglassful of wine or brandy: put these on a dish, and fill up with custard, having previously put a border of paste on the rim; about half an hour will do it.

768. _Custard Pudding._--Make a border of paste on the dish, and fill up with custard, grate a little nutmeg on the top.

Any kind of fruit puddings with custard may be made in the same way, by placing them in the custard, and sift some finely powdered sugar over, before going to the baker's.

769. _Fruit Puddings_ are best made in a basin, the basin to be buttered and lined with the paste, and then filled with the fruit, which cover with the paste, the paste should be rolled round to the thickness of half an inch, and when the fruit is in, drawn to the centre and squeezed, and then tied up in a cloth kept on purpose, and boiled in plenty of water; when done, which will be according to the nature of the fruit you put in it, serve it either turned out of the basin or not. The cover should be of the same thickness as the sides. Sugar should be added before being covered.

770. _Apples_ should be pared, cored, and cut in quarters, and put in with some sugar, a few cloves, and a bit of lemon-peel.

771. _Wall fruit--as Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, and Plums_,--should he cut in half, and the kernels extracted from the stones and added, a little cream, according to the size of the pudding, in which a little grated cinnamon is added, may be put in at the same time as the fruit; use but little sugar.

772. _Gooseberry, Rhubarb, Currants, red, white, and black, Raspberry and Cherry, Blackberry, Whorts, Damson, and Greengage_--may all be made in a similar way.

773. _Mince Meat._--Procure four pounds and a half of kidney beef suet, which skin and chop very finely; have also a quarter of a pound of candied lemon and orange-peel; the same of citron, a pound and a half of lean cooked beef, and three pounds and a half of apples, the whole separately, chopped very fine, and put into a large pan with four pounds and a half of currants, well washed and picked, two ounces of mixed spice, and two pounds of sugar; mix the whole well together with the juice of eight lemons and a pint of brandy, place it in jars, and tie down until ready for use; a pound and a half of Malaga raisins, well stoned and chopped, may likewise be added to the above. It is ready for use in a few days.

774. _Mince Pies._--Have a piece of puff-paste, which roll out to the thickness of a penny-piece; have also a dozen tartlet-pans, which lightly butter, cut out twelve pieces with a round cutter from the paste, each the size of your tartlet-pans; lay them upon the slab, roll the trimming of the paste again to the former thickness, cut twelve other pieces, with which line the tartlet-pans; put a piece of mince-meat, made as under, in each, wet them round, place on the lids, pricking a hole with a pin in the centre, and close them well at the edges; egg over lightly, and bake about twenty minutes in a moderate oven.

775. _Fruit Pies._--These are made in pie-dishes, the top of which is only covered with paste; the edge of the dish should be wetted, and a strip of paste, about one inch wide and a quarter of an inch thick, put on it, then fill the dish with the fruit, wet the paste on the edge, and cover with paste, mark the edge with a roller, or the back of a knife.

776. _Apple Pie._--Pare, cut, and core sufficient apples to fill the dish, put a small cup in the middle or not, as you like, one clove, to every three apples, a pinch of pounded cinnamon, a small piece of chopped lemon-peel, and sugar; bake according to size.

777. _Rhubarb and Apple_, or _Rhubarb and Gooseberry, Currant and Raspberry, Cherry, Plum, Damson, Pear, Quince, Mulberry, Whortleberry_, or _Whorts and Raspberry, Dewberry and Raspberry_, or _Cranberry_, may all be made in the same way, in winter. A little whipped cream may be placed in the top, for a variety.

REMOVES--SECOND COURSE.

778. _Chestnut Pudding, Nesselrode fashion._--Blanch four dozen chestnuts in boiling water, skim and place them in the screen, when dry take them out, and when cold put them into a mortar, with one pound of sugar, and half a stick of vanilla, pound the whole well together, and sift it through a fine wire sieve, put into a stewpan, with the yolks of twelve eggs, beat them well together; in another stewpan have a quart of milk, when boiling pour it over the other ingredients, mixing well, and stir over a sharp fire until it begins to thicken and adheres to the back of the spoon, then lay a tammy upon a large dish, pour the mixture in and rub it through with two wooden spoons; when cold place it in a freezing-pot and freeze as directed (No. 833); when frozen have a large high ice-mould, which closes hermetically, have also two ounces of currants and two ounces of Smyrna raisins, soaked in four glasses of marasquino from the previous day, with four ounces of candied citron cut in dice, put them into the freezing-pot, with a pint of whipped cream and half the meringue preparation directed in No. 711; freeze the whole well together and fill your mould, which bury in ice and salt until ready to serve, then dip it into lukewarm water, and turn it out upon your dish.

779. _Iced Cabinet Pudding._--Have ready prepared, and rather stale, a sponge-cake as directed (No. 859), which cut into slices half an inch thick, and rather smaller than the mould you intend making the pudding in, soak them well with noyeau brandy; then lay some preserved dry cherries at the bottom of the mould, with a few whole ratafias, lay one of the slices over, then more cherries and ratafias, proceeding thus until the mould is three parts full; have ready a quart of the custard (No. 804), omitting half the quantity of isinglass, pour it lukewarm into your mould, which close hermetically, and bury in ice and salt, where let it remain at least two hours; when ready to serve dip it in lukewarm water, and turn it out upon your dish; you have made about half a pint of custard, which keep upon ice, pour over the pudding when ready to serve, and sprinkle a few chopped pistachios over.

780. _White Almond Pudding Ices._--Blanch and skin a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, with six or eight bitter ones, when dry and cold, place them in a mortar, with three quarters of a pound of sugar, and ten or twelve leaves of candied orange-flowers, pound well, sift through a wire sieve, and place it in a stewpan, with the yolks of eight eggs, beat them well together; then in another stewpan have boiling a pint and a half of milk, which pour over the other ingredients by degrees, keeping it stirred, place it upon the fire, stirring until it thickens and adheres to the back of the spoon, rub it through a tammy, add two glasses of noyeau; when cold put into your freezing-pot to freeze, and when half frozen add a pint and a half of whipped cream, when quite frozen fill a mould, and serve as pudding Nesselrode fashion.

781. _Fruit, Chartreuse of, with Lemon Jelly._--Make a chartreuse of fruit as directed (No. 752), in a round or oval mould, having a quantity of fruit left; having also about a quart of orange jelly, which place upon ice in a bowl, whisking it until on the point of setting, then place a layer of it in the chartreuse, then a layer of the fruit, the jelly, and so on until quite filled, place it upon ice, and when set and ready to serve, dip in lukewarm water, and turn it out upon your dish; serve garnished round with jelly in the skins of the oranges, cut in quarters after it has set, or leave out the garnishing.

782. _Soufflé of Orange Iced._--Prepare about three parts of the quantity of ice as directed in the last, to which, when half frozen, add a pint and a half of whipped orange jelly just upon the point of setting, beat the whole well together with the spatula, working it until well frozen: have a dozen and a half of oranges, peeled, quartered, and passed in sugar as directed for vol-au-vent, and place them in a basin upon ice; when ready to serve, make a border of almond paste upon your dish, in the centre of which put a little of the ice, then a layer of oranges, then the same and oranges again, proceeding thus and finishing in pyramid; garnish round with various small ripe fruits.

783. _Punch Cake Soufflé._--Break ten eggs, put the whites in a copper bowl, and the yolks in a basin, with four tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, four of crushed ratafias, two of potato flour, a little salt, and a quarter of an ounce of candied orange-flowers, beat well together, whip the whites, which stir in lightly with the mixture; well butter and bread-crumb the interior of an oval plain mould, butter also and bread-crumb a band of paper three inches broad, which tie round at the top of the mould, pour in the mixture, and half an hour before ready to serve stand it in a moderate oven (it will take about the above time to bake), when done turn it out upon your dish; have ready a custard of three yolks of eggs, to which you have added two glasses of essence of punch, pour round the cake and serve.

The above mixture may be baked in twelve small moulds and dressed in pyramid, but then they would require more sauce.

SOUFFLÉ.

These dishes, being the last of the Dinner, require the greatest
care and taste in executing, as, by the time they come on the
table, the appetites of those around it are supposed to be
satisfied; the eye and the palate require to be pleased, in order
to sustain the enjoyments of the table; this is a period of dinner
when another of the senses may be gratified by the introduction of
music (and which is continually practised on the Continent), and
all ought to be of a light and inviting character.

Formerly it was the custom never to give a dinner without a soufflé
as the last dish, or professionally speaking, remove. I do not
dislike them, but they require the greatest care and nicety, and
are rather difficult to perform in our old-fashioned kitchens, but
easy in my new stove; at any rate I must give you the receipt.