Chapter XV: Part 15

784. _Soufflé of Lemon, or any other flavor._--Prepare a crust or croustade of fine paste (No. 687), or water paste, by lining a raised pie-mould with it, filling with bread-crumbs, and finishing the edges as for a raised pie; bake it (of a very light brown color) about an hour in a moderate oven, when done, empty out all the bread-crumbs without taking it out of the mould, then tie a band of buttered paper (four inches wide) round the top, and put it by until wanted. Put half a pound of butter in a stewpan, with which mix three quarters of a pound of flour without melting it, in another stewpan have rather more than a quart of milk, into which, when boiling, put two sticks of vanilla, place a cover upon the stewpan and let it remain until half cold, then take out the vanilla, and pour the milk upon the butter and flour, stir over a sharp fire, boiling it five minutes, then stir in quickly the yolks of ten eggs, and sweeten with half a pound of sugar; when cold, and an hour and a quarter before you are ready to serve, whip the whites of the ten eggs very stiff, stir them in with the mixture lightly, pour it into the croustade, and bake about an hour in a moderate oven; if going too fast, and liable to be done before required, open the oven door, as it ought to be served the moment it is done; when ready to serve take it from the oven, detach the band of paper, take it from the mould, dress it upon a napkin on a dish, and serve immediately.

These soufflés may be baked in a silver soufflé-case, if preferred, they will take considerably less time in baking, but fall quicker after being taken from the oven; any liquor or spirits may be introduced in soufflés of this description if approved of.

This is large enough for a dinner of eighteen; a quarter of that quantity will make a nice family one, baked in a plain tart-dish.

785. _Soufflé of Orange-flowers._--Proceed exactly as in the last, but infusing an ounce of candied orange-flowers in the milk instead of the vanilla.

786. _Soufflé of Rice Cream_ is made by using ground rice instead of the common flour, finishing the same, and using any of the flavors directed in the last three.

787. _Soufflé of Lemon._--Proceed as directed for soufflé à la vanille, but infusing the rind of two lemons, free from pith, in the milk instead of the vanilla.

788. _Omelette Soufflé._--Break six eggs, place the yolks in one basin and the whites in another; add to the yolks three tablespoonfuls of lump sugar, half one of fecule of potato or wheat flour, and ten drops of orange-flower water; beat well together; whip the whites, beginning rather slowly at first, increasing by degrees, until it forms a stiff froth; then add the yolks, very gently beating up the whites as you add it: have ready a silver or plated dish (for want of either, use tin), and butter it well; place the mixture on it, and put it into a hot oven; look that it rises; if so, run a knife round it; sift some sugar on it, place it in the oven again, and serve, when well raised, immediately.

789. _Omelette Soufflé Sauté._--The mixture is prepared precisely as the last, but the appearance and flavor are very different, being produced by the different method of cooking them; put an ounce of butter into a very clean omelette-pan over the fire; when melted, pour in half the preparation, place it over a very brisk fire a few seconds, then twist it round in the pan, which give a jerk, tossing the omelette half-way over, stand it over the fire again, give the pan another jerk, tossing the omelette again over, and turn it out upon your dish, set it in the oven, and proceed the same with the remainder of the preparation, which when done turn over upon the other; leave it in the oven about a quarter of an hour, sprinkle sugar over, salamander and serve very quickly. The butter the soufflé is sauté in gives it a superior flavor to the last.

790. _Cream Omelette Soufflé._--Proceed as in the last, deducting two of the whites of eggs, and adding a gill of whipped cream, sauté and serve as before.

791. _Soufflé Biscuits._--Put the yolks of five eggs in a basin, and the whites in a copper bowl, add a pound of sugar, upon which you have rubbed the rind of a lemon previous to pounding, beat it well with the yolks of the eggs, then add a gill of cream, well whipped, and five ounces of flour; stir all together lightly, whip the whites of the eggs very stiff, and stir them into the preparation; have ready ten small paper cases, fill each one three parts full, and fifteen minutes before serving place them in a moderate oven; when done shake sugar over, dress in pyramids, upon a napkin, and serve.

792. _Soufflé, or Whipped Cream._--Take one quart of cream, put it into a bowl, with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and orange-flower powder of water, and have another bowl near you, over which you must place a sieve to receive and drain the cream, whip the cream with a whisk, or blow it up with a bellows made on purpose, and as it rises in a froth, take it off with a spoon, and place it on the sieve; continue till all is used, then put back the drainings, and continue until you have none left, then put it into your dish or in glasses, or on a trifle, and ornament with nonpareils, or with green citron peel or angelica cut very fine and tastefully. It can likewise be iced.

793. _Coffee Soufflé Cream._--Take about a quarter of a pound of clean raw coffee, heat it in a clean sauté-pan on the fire, so that it gets hot through, but does not burn, then put it into one quart of cream, and cover it up; let it cool as quickly as possible on ice, add five ounces of powdered sugar, and proceed as above.

794. _Vanilla Soufflé Cream._--Cut a pod of vanilla small, pound it with sugar, sift it through a fine sieve, and add it to your cream, or add some drops of essence of vanilla, and proceed as directed above.

795. _Fondue of Parmesan and Gruyère, or any other grated Cheese._--Put a quarter of a pound of butter and six ounces of flour in a stewpan, mix them well together (without melting the butter) with a wooden spoon, then add rather more than a pint of boiling milk, stir over the fire, boil twenty minutes, then add the yolks of five eggs (stir in well), half a pound of grated Parmesan, and a quarter of a pound of grated Gruyère cheese; season with half a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter do. of pepper, and half a saltspoonful of cayenne; if too thick add two or three whole eggs to give it the consistency of a soufflé, whip the five whites of egg firm, stir them gently into the mixture, have ready a croustade prepared as for the soufflé (No. 784), pour in the above mixture, and bake it in a moderate oven; it will require a little longer time than the soufflé; dish and serve the same.

796. _Neapolitan Fondue._--Prepare half of the mixture as in the last, but previous to adding the whites of eggs stir in a quarter of a pound of good macaroni blanched, and cut into pieces an inch in length; add the whites, bake, and serve as before.

797. _Fondue (simple method)._--Put two ounces of Gruyère and two ounces of Parmesan cheese (grated) into a basin (or, if you have not got them, use English cheese), with a little salt, pepper, and cayenne, add the yolks of six eggs, with a quarter of a pound of butter melted (mix well), whip the whites of the six eggs, stir gently into the other ingredients, fill small paper cases with it, bake about a quarter of an hour in a moderate oven, dress upon a napkin, and serve very hot.

798. _Fondue of Stilton Cheese._--Put six ounces of butter and half a pound of flour in a stewpan, rub well together with a wooden spoon, then add a quart of warm milk, stir over the fire a quarter of an hour, then add the yolks of eight eggs, three quarters of a pound of grated Parmesan, and half a pound of Stilton cheese in small dice, season rather highly with pepper, salt, and cayenne, add the white of the eggs whipped very stiff, which stir in lightly; have a dozen and a half of small paper cases, fill each one three parts full, place them in a moderate oven, bake about twenty minutes; when done dress them upon a napkin on your dish, and serve very hot.

799. _Cheese Raminole._--Put a gill of water in a stewpan, to which add two ounces of Gruyère and the same quantity of Parmesan cheese (grated), two ounces of butter, a little cayenne pepper, and salt if required, set it upon the fire, and when boiling stir in two or three spoonfuls of flour; keep stirring over the fire until the paste becomes dryish and the bottom of the stewpan quite white, then add three or four eggs by degrees, until forming a paste like No. 724, butter a baking-sheet well, and lay the paste out in pieces upon it with a tablespoon, making them long, and half the size of the bowl of the spoon; egg over, and lay a small piece of Gruyère cheese upon each, put them into the oven about twenty minutes before they are required; bake them a little crisp, and serve very hot, dressed in pyramid upon a napkin.

800. _Puff Cheesecake._--Make half a pound of paste (No. 686), which roll very thin, have ready some grated Parmesan and Gruyère cheese mixed, throw half a handful over the paste, which fold in three, roll it out to the same thickness again, cover again with cheese, proceeding thus until you have used the whole of the cheese (half a pound), then cut them into any shapes you like with pastry cutters, set on a wet baking-sheet, egg them over, bake a nice color in a moderate oven, dress in pyramid upon a napkin on a dish, and serve very hot.

801. _Cheese Soufflé, or Diablotins._--Put a gill of milk in a stewpan, with two ounces of butter; when boiling, stir in two spoonfuls of flour, keep stirring over the fire until the bottom of the stewpan is dry, then add four eggs by degrees, half a pound of Gruyère, and half a pound of grated Parmesan cheese; mix well in, season with pepper, salt, and cayenne rather highly, mould the paste into little balls with the forefinger against the side of the stewpan containing it, drop them into hot lard; fry of a nice light brown, dress in pyramid upon a napkin, and serve very hot; a quarter of that quantity may of course be made.

802. _Turban of Almond Cake Iced._--This is a very good and useful second course remove. Make half a pound of puff paste, give it nine rolls, rolling it the last time to the thickness of a penny-piece, have ready blanched and chopped half a pound of sweet almonds, which put in a basin with half a pound of powdered sugar and the whites of two eggs, or a little more if required; spread it over the paste the thickness of a shilling, and with a knife cut the paste into pieces two inches and a half in length and nearly one in breadth, place them upon a baking-sheet, and bake nicely a very light brown color, in a moderate oven, dress them on a stiff border of any kind of stiff jam or marmalade, so as to form a large crown according to the size you require it; then fill the interior with vanilla cream, or any other, iced, but not too hard, and bring it up to a point; the cake may be cut in any shape you fancy, but never make them too large.

803. _Turban of Pastry._--Observe that any kind of pastry fourrée, as No. 712, or meringue, No. 711, will, if dished as above, with iced cream, make a very nice remove.

804. _Custard for Puddings._--Take one pint of milk, to which add the yolks of two eggs, and beat up, add a quarter of a pound of sugar, half a saltspoonful of powdered cinnamon and nutmeg, and a bay-leaf. For mould puddings, the mould should be filled first with the bread, &c., and the custard added; should it be wanted alone in glasses, it must then be put into a saucepan on the fire until it nearly boils, keep stirring it well during the time.

805. _Batter for Fritters._--Take half a pound of flour, one ounce of butter, which melt, the whites of three eggs well beaten, half a glass of beer, and enough water to make a thick batter.

DESSERT.

LETTER No. XVI

MA CHERE ELOISE,--Remembering your admiration of the small dessert
I put on the table at my last birth-day party, you will, I am
confident, feel interested in the description of desserts in
general, and I will give you a few more hints and receipts, which
will tend both to economize as well as gratify the palate and
sight; and very different in style from some of our visitors, who,
though they spend their money freely enough when they give their
Christmas party, but still keep up the old style of covering their
table with dry sweet stuff, and, in the way of fruits, display
oranges in their original golden skin, Ribston pippins in their
mournful ones, American apples with their vermilion cheeks, large
winter pears in their substantial state, the whole ornamented and
crowned with laurel, no doubt to signify their immortality, being
present upon almost every table from year to year, especially the
unsociable pear, which no teeth can ever injure, but, on the
contrary, it may injure the teeth. A very comical friend assured
us, as a fact, that he had met one of the before-mentioned pears in
three different parties in less than a week, having, for
curiosity's sake, engraved his initial with a penknife upon one he
was served with at the first party. "And, talk about pine-apples,"
said he, "many times I have had the pleasure of meeting with the
same, and even as much as twice in less than twelve hours, quite in
a different direction, that is, on a dinner-table in the west-end
about eight in the evening, and, at midnight, on the supper-table
of a civic ball; at dinner being perched on an elevated stand in
the centre of a large wide table, so much out of reach that it
would almost require a small ladder to get at it; and I must say
that every guest present paid due respect to his high position, and
never made an assault, or even an attempt to disturb, much less to
uncrown his fruity majesty, though, now and then, one of the fair
guests, as a compliment, would remark to the amphitrion, that she
never saw in her life a finer pine-apple. 'Very fine, very fine
indeed, madam! will you allow me to offer you part of an orange?'
'Not any more, I thank you, sir,' being the reply."

On the supper table this aristocratic and inaccessible pine still
holds its kingly rank, and is still proudly perched on the top of a
sideboard, surrounded by Portugal or Rhenish grapes, and to prevent
its dethronement by removing the grapes the intelligent waiter has
carefully tied it to the ornament that supports it. Our friend, who
is a literary gentleman, has promised to write a small brochure, to
be called the 'Memoirs of a Pineapple in London,' which I am
confident, will not fail of being very interesting, having had the
advantage of mixing in so many different societies.

I know, dearest, what will be your feeling after the perusal of the
above, that I have given vent to a little scandal; but it is the
truth, and of almost daily occurrence, so that there is no mystery
about it. I do not mean that it is very general, but is certainly
often practised; for my part, you know my style: I never attempt to
astonish my guests with extensive wonders of nature and art in any
shape of eatable, but simply follow the middle prices, by which I
always can procure the best quality of article in comestibles; and
nothing pleases me more when I give a party than that every dish on
the table should be partaken of, and still more so when entirely
eaten. I do not approve of meanness; though a great economist, I
abhor it as much as I do extravagance; and we never, I assure you,
give a single party without being perfectly satisfied that it does
not interfere with our daily comforts, that is, as regards
financial matters. For dessert in summer I confine it entirely to
fresh fruit, compotes, ices, and a few almond cakes, and Savoy
biscuits. Fruits, preserves, oranges, compotes, and biscuits in
winter.

The list of names I here inclose to you consists of moderately
priced articles, and will enable you to make a good appearance for
your dessert, and at a trifling expense.

The first thing I wish you to be initiated in is, what is called in
France "compote," which may be made almost from any kind of fruits,
especially apples, pears, apricots, plums, greengages, peaches,
cherries, gooseberry, oranges, &c. It was on my second visit to
Havre that I took lessons in confectionery; I paid as much as ten
shillings per lesson to M. Bombe Glacé, that being the "nom de
guerre" of the first confectioner there; but you know, dearest, how
quick I am learning, especially anything in the way of cookery. I
really must say I do love cooking, so you may fancy that the clever
artist, Monsieur le Confiseur, had not very many of our
demi-souvereign, as he called them, from us; my Mr. B. thought at
the time that it was quite ridiculous and extravagant to pay so
much for a trifle like that; but let me tell you, dear, he had not
then tasted them; but now all the wall-and tree-fruits from our
garden, if I were to follow entirely his taste, would be converted
into compote, he being so remarkably fond of it.

COMPOTE.

Procure a very clean tin stewpan or a small sugar-pan; it being
more preferable for boiling sugar, why I cannot tell, never having
asked the reason, being so anxious to know other things which I
thought more serviceable. Since I have tried it in a common
stewpan, it has answered very well; and knowing by experience that
your culinary laboratory is still in its innocent infancy, you
might be prevented from making an immediate experiment by waiting
till you could get one; you may use that three-pint size stewpan
for it, which I lent you for a pattern about three weeks ago, and
after which I shall feel extremely gratified by its reappearance on
my kitchen shelf at No. 5, being out of the middle row of them,
because every time I enter my kitchen it puts me in mind of a very
pretty woman minus one of her front teeth.

Excuse me if I claim it of you, but I want to teach you punctuality
as well as economy.

806. _Winter Pears._--To put an end to its long and hard existence, I would cut it into six or eight pieces lengthwise, peel and cut out the cores, giving them a nice shape; then put them into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of sugar, a gill of port wine, the thin rind of a lemon, a little cinnamon, and half a pint of water; let them simmer gently about an hour or until tender; when done, put them into a basin, reduce the syrup until thickish if required, and pour over; when cold they are ready to serve.

A little prepared cochineal mixed with the syrup very much improves their appearance. A dish composed half of these and half of the white has a very pretty appearance. By placing a layer of marmalade among them, at the bottom of the dish, you may dish them in crown, or any shape you like.

807. _Compote of Peaches._--Put half a pound of lump sugar (broken into small pieces) into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pint of water, which set upon the fire to boil until forming a thickish syrup; you have previously cut four ripe peaches in halves, lay them carefully in the boiling syrup to simmer a couple of minutes, then carefully remove them with a colander-spoon on to a hair-sieve to drain, when remove the skins, and dress the peaches neatly upon your dessert-dish; reduce the syrup until of a good consistency, and when cold pour it over, and they are ready to serve.

808. _Compote of Apples._--Procure six nice ripe apples, but not too large, which peel, cut in halves, and cut out the cores, rub each piece over with a little lemon, and put them into boiling syrup made as last directed, but with the juice of a lemon, and the rind cut into small fillets added; let the apple stew until tender, but not broken, when drain them upon a sieve, reduce the syrup; and when both are cold, dress the apple neatly upon your dish, and pour the syrup over. A little green angelique, cut in various shapes, will make a pretty ornament on any white compote.

809. _Compote of small Apples, served whole._--Select nine small golden pippins, each as nearly as possible of an equal size, and with a long round vegetable cutter, of the size of a sixpenny piece, cut out the cores, then peel them very thin and smooth, rub their surface with lemon juice, and throw them into a basin of spring water; have ready boiling half a pint of syrup, made as before directed, to which add the rind of a lemon (cut into thin strips), and the juice, lay in the apples, which let simmer very gently until quite tender, when drain them upon a hair-sieve, and reduce the syrup until thickish; when quite cold, dress the apples upon your dish, five at the bottom, three upon them, and one upon the top; when ready to serve, pour the syrup over.

810. _Compote of Green Apricots._--Have a pottle of green apricots, from which pick off all the stalks, and throw them into a stewpan containing a quart of boiling water, and let them boil very fast for ten minutes, and drain them upon a sieve: have ready half a pint of syrup made as before directed, in which boil them until tender, but not to break, and thicken the syrup, pour the whole into a basin until quite cold; should the syrup then be too thin, strain it off into the stewpan to reduce to a proper consistency, pouring it again over the apricots when quite cold. Dish tastefully.

811. _Compote of Greengages._--Procure twelve greengages, not quite ripe, each of which cut into halves; have ready boiling half a pint of syrup, as before directed, into which put half the fruit, let it simmer a couple of minutes, then remove them with a colander-spoon, draining them upon a sieve; then put in the remainder, with which proceed in the same manner; remove the skins, put the fruit into a basin, reduce the syrup until thickish, and when cold, pour it over the fruit, which is then ready to serve.

Any description of plums may be dressed in precisely the same method.

812. _Compote of Apricots._--Procure six very fine ripe apricots, which divide into halves; have ready half a pint of boiling syrup reduced quite thick, in which let them simmer about a minute, when pour the whole into a basin until cold; should the fruit not be quite ripe, they would require longer time to simmer. I frequently break the stones and blanch the kernels to add to the compote; they are a great improvement, also, to cherries and plums.

813. _Compote of Cherries._--Take a pound of fine cherries, not too ripe, and cut away half the stalks with a pair of scissors; have half a pint of syrup, which boil until very thick, when add half of the cherries, and boil them two or three minutes, take them out with a colander-spoon, drain them upon a sieve, and proceed the same with the remaining half; reduce the syrup until very thick, dress the cherries pyramidically upon your dish, stalks uppermost, and when the syrup is cold, pour it over, and serve.

814. _Compote of Oranges._--Make a pint of syrup as before; have six fine oranges, which skin carefully, scraping off as much of the pith as possible; divide each orange into eight entire pieces, without breaking the delicate skin with which they are divided; when the syrup is very thick, put in the pieces of oranges, which simmer gently for five minutes, when take them out with a colander-spoon, and drain them upon a sieve; reduce the syrup very quickly until thickish, and when cold, pour it over the oranges, which will be then ready to serve. Half the rind of the oranges, free from pith, cut into small fillets, are a great improvement boiled in the syrup.

815. _Compote of French Plums._--Put half a pound of French plums into a stewpan, with a gill of water, the same of wine, the rind of half a lemon cut thin, two cloves, and a good spoonful of sugar, let them simmer about twenty minutes, and when cold take out the lemon and cloves, and they are ready to serve.

COMPOTES OF FRUIT SIMPLIFIED.

As I usually make them when alone, or, if not, for a very
ceremonious dinner-party. The whole of the following must be done
over a very slow fire.

816. _Pears._--Cut six ripe middling-sized pears in halves, peel neatly, cut out the cores, and put them into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, the juice of a lemon, the thin rind cut into strips, and a very little drop of water, set them upon the fire, stewing them until tender; they will form their own syrup; put them in a basin until cold, when they are ready to serve.

817. _Pippins._--Peel and cut four apples into quarters, take out the cores, and stew them as directed for pears, but using the rind of an orange instead of the rind of a lemon.

818. _Oranges._--Prepare four oranges as directed (No. 814), which put into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and the juice of another orange; set them upon the fire, and when the syrup becomes sufficiently thick to adhere to the pieces of orange, they are done; when cold, dress them in a circle upon your dish, with strips of angelica between each.

819. _Apricots._--Cut eight unripe apricots into quarters, which put into a stewpan, with four ounces of sugar, the juice of a lemon, and a drop of sherry, set them upon the fire, shaking the stewpan round occasionally, until the apricots are tender, but not broken; a very few minutes would be sufficient to stew them, and when cold, they are ready to serve.

For Peaches, proceed exactly the same; but if too ripe, they must be done as directed for compote of peaches.

820. _Greengages and other Plums._--Put twelve into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of sugar, the juice of a lemon and a little drop of water, set them over the fire, shaking the stewpan round occasionally until the fruit is tender, but not mashed; when cold, dress them in pyramid, and pour the syrup over.

821. _Cherries._--Cut the stalks of a pound of cherries rather short, and put the fruit into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of sugar and the juice of a lemon; place them over the fire (occasionally shaking the pan round), letting them simmer about two minutes, when take them out with a colander-spoon, and put them into a basin until cold, reduce the syrup, to which add sufficient isinglass to set it as a jelly, and pour it upon a large plate until set, when dress the cherries pyramidically, just dip the bottom of the plate containing the syrup into warm water, and turn it as a jelly over the cherries.

822. _Green Gooseberries._--Put a pint of green gooseberries into a stewpan with two ounces of sugar and a little sherry, place them over a sharp fire, as the quicker they cook the better color they will keep; when tender but not broken, pour them into a basin, and when cold they are ready to serve.

823. _Red Rhubarb._--The small forced rhubarb (Mitchell's Royal Albert) is by far the best. Cut about half a pound of it into pieces half an inch in length, which put into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar and a wineglassful of water; set it over a sharp fire, occasionally shaking the stewpan round, and when quite tender pour it into a basin until cold; when it is ready to serve, should the syrup be too thin, add sufficient isinglass to set it, and when cold dress it pyramidically upon your dish.

824. _Currants and Raspberries._--Pick the stalks from a pint of currants, which put into a stewpan with half a pint of raspberries and a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar; set them upon the fire, shaking the stewpan round occasionally until boiling, when pour them into a basin to cool. Should the syrup be too thin, which would be the case if the fruit is too ripe, drain the fruit from it, reduce it by boiling, and when cold, pour it again over the fruit, which will then be ready to serve.

825. _Royal Iceing for Cakes._--Have ready a pound of the best white sugar, which pound well and sift through a silk sieve, put it into a basin with the whites of three eggs, beat well together with a wooden spoon, adding the juice of half a lemon, keep beating well until it becomes very light and hangs in flakes from the spoon (if it should be rather too stiff in mixing, add a little more white of egg, if, on the contrary, too soft, a little more sugar), it is then ready for use where required.

826. _Chocolate Iceing for Cakes_ is made similar to the last, but when finished have ready a piece of the common chocolate, which melt in a stewpan over the fire, keeping it stirred; when quite melted stir some of it in with the iceing until you have obtained the color required, moistening the iceing with a little more white of egg, and use where directed.

827. _Sugar in Grains_ is made by pounding a quantity of sugar in a mortar, and sifting off all the fine through a hair-sieve, then again what remains in the sieve put into a rather coarse wire sieve, and that which passes through is what is meant by the above term.

828. _How to give color to Sugar._--Prepare about half a pound of the sugar as in the last, which put upon a baking-sheet; have a spoonful of the essence of spinach, which stir in with the sugar until every gram is stained, then put them in a warmish place to dry, but not too hot: to color them red, use a little prepared cochineal or liquid carmine, instead of the spinach, and proceed exactly the same: sugar may be made of other colors by the use of indigo, rouge, saffron, &c.; but not being partial to such a variety of coloring, I have merely given the red and the green, which, with the white, I consider to be sufficient for any of the purposes for which they are used.

829. _Sugar of Vanilla._--Chop a stick of well-frosted vanilla very small, and put it into a mortar, with half a pound of lump sugar, pound the whole well together in a mortar, sift through a hair sieve, and put by in a bottle or jar, corking it up tight, and using where required.

830. _Sugar of Lemon._--Rub the rind of some fresh lemons upon a large piece of sugar, and as it discolors the part upon which it is rubbed scrape it off with a knife; when you have obtained a sufficient quantity, dry a little in the screen, and bottle for use where required. Orange sugar may be made in the same manner, substituting very red oranges for the lemons.

831. _How to make clear Sugar._--Break three pounds of fine white sugar, the hardest and closest grained is the best, put it into a sugar-pan, with three pints of clear spring water, set over a sharp fire, and when beginning to boil place it at the corner to simmer, and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, skim well and reduce to two thirds, it is then ready to use for jellies.

If not able to obtain the best quality of sugar, it would be necessary to use white of eggs as an assistance in the clarification, by putting the white of one egg in a basin and whipping it well with a pint of cold water, add half of it to the sugar, whipping it well in, let simmer, adding the remainder by degrees whilst simmering, and passing it through a fine cloth into a basin. The boiling of sugar is divided into seven different degrees, which may be ascertained by the following directions:--

The first degree is known by dipping a copper skimmer into it whilst boiling, turning it over two or three times, if the sugar falls from it in sheets it has attained the first degree.

The second is known by boiling your sugar rather longer, dipping your finger and thumb into cold water, then your finger into the boiling sugar, putting your finger and thumb together, and again opening them, it will form a kind of thread; if it is too weak boil a little longer, this is the most useful degree for fruit or water ices.

The third degree is attained by boiling it a little longer, and trying it in the same manner, upon the thread baking, should it form a kind of pearl, it has attained the above degree; the sugar in boiling would also be covered with a quantity of small bubbles resembling pearls.

The fourth degree is attained by boiling it still longer, dip a skimmer into it, turn, take out and blow it hard, when the sugar will form little bladders and float in the air, this degree is called the soufflé.

For the fifth degree boil still longer, trying it in the same manner, but blowing harder, the bladders will be larger and adhere together, forming feathers; this degree is called la plume, or the feather.

The sixth is called le petit casée, and is obtained by boiling the sugar a little longer: to know this degree have a pint of cold water in a basin, into which you have put a piece of ice, dip your finger into it, then into the boiling sugar, and then into the water again, take the piece which adheres to the finger and bite, if rather crisp, but sticking to the teeth, it has attained that degree.

The seventh and last requires great attention, to attain it boil rather longer, dip your finger in as before, if it cracks and does not at all adhere to the teeth in biting it is done, take from the fire, and it is ready for use for making any kind of sugar ornament.

When intended for such purposes, however, add a little tartaric acid when it arrives to the degree la plume and pour it into a smaller sugar-pan, allowing it to reach the rims, it will be then unable to burn round the sides as if in a larger pan; if such a thing should, however, happen in a larger pan, wipe the interior of the pan round with a sponge previously dipped in cold water, or it would discolor the sugar.

Ornaments of spun sugar I have a very great dislike to for a dinner; but, if required, the sugar must be boiled to the last degree. Should the sugar grain it may be brought back by adding more water, and when dissolved, boiling over again; in spinning sugar you must keep the bulk of it in a warm temperature, having a little in a smaller pan for use, which keep in a melted state by placing it in a bain-marie of hot water, or in a hot closet.

832. _Silk Thread, or Spun Sugar._--Having boiled your sugar to the seventh degree, as in the last, oil the handle of a wooden spoon, tie two forks together, the prongs turned outwards, dip them lightly into the sugar, take out and shake them to and fro, the sugar running from them over the spoon forming fine silken threads, proceeding thus until you have as much as you require, take it from the spoon and form it with your hands into whatever may be directed for the garnishing of any dish, not, however, too thick, or it would look heavy. An experienced hand would prefer doing it from the lip of the sugar-pan.

Other kinds of ornaments from sugar are made in a similar manner by oiling a mould or shape and running fillets of the sugar from the lip of the pan over it as tastefully as possible, but as I have not referred to it in this work I will not enter into its details. These are more fit for suppers than dinners.

833. _Vanilla Ice Cream._--Put the yolks of twelve eggs in a stewpan, with half a pound of sugar, beat well together with a wooden spoon, in another stewpan have a quart of milk, and when boiling throw in two sticks of vanilla, draw it from the fire, place on the lid and let remain until partly cold, pour it over the eggs and sugar in the other stewpan, mix well, and place it over the fire (keeping it stirred) until it thickens and adheres to the back of the spoon, when pass it through a tammy into a basin, let remain until cold, then have ready a pewter freezing-pot in an ice-pail well surrounded with ice and salt;[8] put the above preparation into it, place on the lid, which must fit rather tightly, and commence twisting the pot round sharply, keeping it turned for about ten minutes, when take off the lid, and with your spatula clear the sides of the interior of the pot, place the lid on again, turn the pot ten minutes longer, when again clear the sides and beat the whole well together, until smooth, it being then about half frozen, then add four glasses of noyeau or maresquino and a pint and a half of cream well whipped, beat the whole well together, place the lid upon the top, keep twisting it round a quarter of an hour, clear well from the sides, beat again well together, proceeding thus until the whole is frozen into a stiff but smooth and mellow substance; should you require to keep it some time before serving, pour the water which has run from the ice out of the pail, and add fresh ice and salt; when ready to serve work it up smoothly with your spatula, fill the mould and proceed as No. 778.

834. _Coffee Ice Cream._--Proceed exactly as in the last, but omitting the noyeau or maresquino, and making an infusion with coffee as directed (No. 40) instead of vanilla.

835. _Ice of Chocolate_ is made similar to the vanilla ice cream, but omitting the vanilla and liqueur, in the room of which scrape a quarter of a pound of chocolate, place it in a stewpan over the fire and keep stirring until melted, then have ready boiling a quart of milk, which mix with the chocolate by degrees, finish with eggs and sugar, and freeze as before.

836. _Ice of Pine-apple._--Procure a rather small pine-apple, take off the rind, which reserve, and cut the apple into pieces an inch in length and about the thickness of a quill, place them in a sugar-pan, with half a pound of sugar and half a pint of water, set it upon the fire and reduce to a rather thickish syrup, have ready a pint and a half of milk upon the fire, into which, when boiling, throw the rind of the pine-apple, cover it over and let infuse ten minutes; in another stewpan have the yolks of twelve eggs, to which add the milk by degrees (previously straining it), place over the fire, keeping it stirred until adhering to the back of the spoon, when pass it through a tammy into a basin, add the syrup and pine-apple, and freeze it as in the last, adding a pint and a half of whipped cream; when half frozen, use where directed.

837. _Lemon Ice Cream._--Take the rind from six lemons as thin as possible and free from pith, squeeze the juice of the lemons into a sugar-pan, with half a pound of sugar and half a pint of water, place it upon the fire and reduce until rather a thickish syrup, have a pint and a half of milk upon the fire, into which, when boiling, throw the rind of the lemons, cover over and let remain until half cold; in another stewpan have the yolks of twelve eggs (to which you have added an ounce of sugar), with which mix the milk by degrees, and stir over the fire till it adheres to the back of the spoon, when stir in the syrup and pass it through a tammy; when cold, freeze as directed (No. 833), adding a pint of whipped cream when half frozen.

838. _Orange Ice Cream._--Proceed precisely as in the last, but using the juice and rind of ten oranges instead of lemons as there directed.

839. _Apricot Ice Cream._--Procure a dozen and a half of fine ripe apricots, which cut in halves, take out the stones, which break, extracting the kernels, which blanch in very hot water and skin, then put them with the apricots into a sugar-pan, with half a pound of sugar and half a glassful of water, let them boil until almost forming a marmalade, when put them by in a basin, have the yolks of twelve eggs in a stewpan, with which mix by degrees a pint and a half of milk, set over the fire, keeping it stirred until thick enough to adhere to the back of the spoon, when pass it through a tammy into a basin, add the syrup and apricots, and, when cold, three glasses of noyeau, freeze as in No. 833, and, when half frozen, add a pint of good whipped cream.

840. _Strawberry Ice Cream._--Procure about two pounds of fine ripe strawberries, which pick and rub through a hair-sieve with a wooden spoon, obtaining all the juice and pulp of the strawberries, with which mix half a pound of powdered sugar and put it by in a basin; in a stewpan have the yolks of twelve eggs, with which mix by degrees a pint and a half of milk, stir over the fire until it becomes thickish, adhering to the back of the spoon, when pass it through a tammy, and when cold add the juice from the strawberries and three glasses of maraschino, freeze it as directed (No. 833), adding a pint of whipped cream when half frozen and sufficiently prepared; cochineal, to give it a strawberry color, if approved of.

841. _Marmalade of Apple._--Peel and cut thirty apples in slices, taking out the cores, and, if for preserving, to every pound of fruit put three quarters of a pound of broken sugar (but, if for immediate use, half a pound would be quite sufficient), place the whole in a large preserving-pan, with half a spoonful of powdered cinnamon and the rind of a lemon chopped very fine, set the pan over a sharp fire, stirring it occasionally until boiling, when keep stirring until becoming rather thick; it is then done: if for immediate use, a smaller quantity would be sufficient, which put by in a basin until cold; but if to keep any time put it in jars, which cover over with paper, and tie down until wanted.

842. _Marmalade of Apricots._--Stone about eight pounds of ripe fleshy apricots, break the stones, and blanch and skin the kernels, which with the apricots put into a preserving-pan, add six pounds of sugar and place it over a sharp fire, stirring occasionally until boiling, when keep stirring until becoming rather thick, take it off, put it in jars, and when cold tie paper over, and put by until ready for use.

843. _Quince Jam Purée._--Procure a sieve of fine ripe quinces, which peel and cut in four, taking out the cores, place them in a large preserving-pan and cover with cold water; set upon the fire, and when boiling and tender to the touch, place them in a large sieve to drain one hour, pass them through a tammy, then have ready a corresponding weight of sugar boiled to the sixth degree (No. 831) in the preserving-pan, to which add the purée of quinces, keep stirring over the fire till forming thin sheets, drop a little upon the cover of a stewpan, if it sets quickly take it from the fire, put it in small jars, and let remain a day until quite cold, when tie them down, and put by until wanted.

844. _Apricot Marmalade Jam._--Procure a quantity of very ripe apricots, each of which cut into four or six pieces, break the stones and blanch the kernels, put the apricots in a preserving-pan with a small quantity of water, boil them until quite tender, when pass them through a sieve; to every pound of fruit have three quarters of a pound of sugar (in a preserving-pan) boiled to the sixth degree (No. 831), add the apricots with their kernels, and keep stirring over the fire, until forming thin transparent sheets, try when done as in the last, and put away in pots. The marmalade would be still more transparent if you were to peel the apricots first, but then you would lose some of their delicious flavor.

845. _Marmalade of Cherries._--Procure a sieve of bright Kentish cherries, pull out the stalks and stones, and put the fruit in a preserving-pan, place over the fire, keeping it stirred until reduced to two-thirds; have in another preserving-pan, to every pound of fruit, half a pound of sugar boiled to the sixth degree (No. 831), into which pour the fruit when boiling hot, let reduce, keep stirring until you can just see the bottom of the pan, when take it from the fire, and fill your jars as before.

A plainer way is to take off the stalks and stone the fruit, place them in a pan over a sharp fire, and to every pound of fruit add nearly a pound of sugar, keep stirring until reduced as above, and let it get partly cold in the pan before filling the jars.

846. _Strawberry Jam._--Pick twelve pounds of very red ripe strawberries, which put into a preserving-pan, with ten pounds of sugar (broken into smallish pieces), place over a sharp fire, keep continually stirring, boiling it until the surface is covered with clearish bubbles, try a little upon a cover, if it sets, fill the jars as before.

847. _Raspberry Jam._--Pick twelve pounds of raspberries, and pass them through a fine sieve to extract the seeds, boil as many pounds of sugar as you have pounds of fruit to the sixth degree (No. 831), when add the pulp of the fruit, keep stirring over the fire, reducing it until you can just see the bottom of the pan, take it from the fire, and put it into jars as before.

848. _Jelly of Apple._--Cut six dozen of sound rennet apples in quarters, take out all the pips, put them into a sugar-pan, just cover them with cold water, and place over the fire, let boil until the apples become quite pulpy, when drain them upon a sieve, catching the liquor in a basin, which afterwards pass through a new and very clean jelly-bag; to every pint of liquor have one pound of sugar, which boil to the sixth degree as directed (831); when, whilst hot, mix in the liquor from the apple with a very clean skimmer; to prevent it boiling over keep it skimmed, lift the skimmer occasionally from the pan, and when the jelly falls from it in thin sheets, take it up and fill the pots as before; the smaller pots are the best adapted for jellies.

849. _Jelly of Quince._--Proceed exactly as directed in the last, but using quinces instead of apples.

850. _Sweetmeat of Currant Jelly._--Put half a sieve of fine red currants in a large stewpan, with a gallon of white currants and a gallon of raspberries, add a quart of water, place over the fire, keep stirring, to prevent them sticking to the bottom, and let boil about ten minutes, pour them into a sieve to drain, catching the juice in a basin and draining the currants quite dry, pass the juice whilst hot through a clean jelly-bag, have a pound of sugar to every pint of juice, and proceed precisely as directed for apple jelly. Should you have time to pick the currants from the stalks previous to boiling, you would lose that bitter flavor, and have less difficulty in making your jelly clear.

851. _Currant Jelly_ is made precisely as in the last, omitting the raspberries, the difference being in the use; the last being adapted for the garnishing of pastry, and this to use for sauces, or to serve with hares, venison, or any other meat, where required.

A more simple method of making currant jelly is to rub the fruit through a sieve, and afterwards squeeze it through a fine linen cloth, put it into a preserving-pan with, to every pint of juice, three quarters of a pound of white sugar; place over a sharp fire, stirring occasionally with a skimmer, keeping it well skimmed; it is done when dropping in sheets as before from the skimmer. For my own part, I prefer this last simple method, being quicker done, and retaining more of the full freshness of the fruit.

It is not my intention to give a description of the various methods
of preserving fruits, which belongs to the confectionery
department; that I shall do in the Letters from the Farm; I have,
however, given the few foregoing receipts, they being required for
reference from various parts of this work, and being all that are
required for the garnishing of dishes for the second course;
various other fruits may, however, be made into marmalades and
jellies by following those few simple directions.

SALADS OF VARIOUS FRUITS.

You will perceive, my dear Eloise, that there is no end to the
variation of dishing fruits for desserts; the following being more
simple than any, and within the reach of almost every individual.

852. _Salad of Oranges._--Select four good oranges, the thinnest rind ones are preferable; cut them crosswise into slices double the thickness of a crown-piece, dress them round upon your dish, one piece resting half-way upon the other; shake one ounce of sifted sugar over, pour over a good tablespoonful of brandy, and it is ready; to serve it out, put two pieces upon the plate of each guest, with a spoonful of the syrup. Slices of red Malta oranges, dressed alternately with the other, has a pleasing effect. Any kind of liquor may be used, as also might whiskey, rum, or that white cream or blue devil commonly called g----; dear me, I quite forget the name.

853. _Salad of Strawberries._--Pick the stalks from a pottle of very fine strawberries, which put into a basin with half a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, two glasses of brandy, and an ounce of sifted sugar, toss them lightly over, and dress them in pyramid upon your dish, pouring the syrup over; these should only be dressed a few minutes before serving; the brandy might be omitted. If handy, a glass of maraschino, substituted for brandy, makes them delicious.

854. _Salad of Peaches._--Procure four ripe peaches, which peel and cut into quarters; put them into a basin with two ounces of sugar and a glass of sherry, toss them lightly over, dress upon your dish and serve. Apricots, greengages, and other plums are dressed in salads in the same manner, leaving their skins on.

855. _Salad of Currants and Raspberries._--Put an equal quantity of each, making rather more than a pint, into a basin, with two ounces of powdered sugar-candy, and a little powdered cinnamon, toss them over lightly, and they are ready to serve.