The Book of Household Management Part 176

1431. INGREDIENTS.--2 eggs, 3 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 3 oz. of flour, 3 oz. of pounded sugar.

_Mode_.--Well whisk the eggs; put them into a basin, and stir to them the b.u.t.ter, which should be beaten to a cream; add the flour and sifted sugar gradually, and then mix all well together. b.u.t.ter a baking-sheet, and drop on it a teaspoonful of the mixture at a time, leaving a s.p.a.ce between each. Bake in a cool oven; watch the pieces of paste, and, when half done, roll them up like wafers, and put in a small wedge of bread or piece of wood, to keep them in shape. Return them to the oven until crisp. Before serving, remove the bread, put a spoonful of preserve in the widest end, and fill up with whipped cream. This is a very pretty and ornamental dish for the supper-table, and is very nice and very easily made.

_Time_.--Altogether 20 to 25 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the preserve and cream, 7d.

_Sufficient_ for a nice-sized dish. _Seasonable_ at any time.

GINGER CREAM.

1432. INGREDIENTS.--The yolks of 4 eggs, 1 pint of cream, 3 oz. of preserved ginger, 2 dessertspoonfuls of syrup, sifted sugar to taste, 1 oz. of isingla.s.s.

_Mode_.--Slice the ginger finely; put it into a basin with the syrup, the well-beaten yolks of eggs, and the cream; mix these ingredients well together, and stir them over the fire for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens; then take it off the fire, whisk till nearly cold, sweeten to taste, add the isingla.s.s, which should be melted and strained, and serve the cream in a gla.s.s dish. It may be garnished with slices of preserved ginger or candied citron.

_Time_.--About 10 minutes to stir the cream over the fire.

_Average cost_, with cream at 1s. per pint, 3s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for a good-sized dish. _Seasonable_ at any time.

PRESERVED GINGER comes to us from the West Indies. It is made by scalding the roots when they are green and full of sap, then peeling them in cold water, and putting them into jars, with a rich syrup; in which state we receive them. It should be chosen of a bright-yellow colour, with a little transparency: what is dark-coloured, fibrous, and stringy, is not good. Ginger roots, fit for preserving, and in size equal to West Indian, have been produced in the Royal Agricultural Garden in Edinburgh.

TO MAKE GOOSEBERRY FOOL.

1433. INGREDIENTS.--Green gooseberries; to every pint of pulp add 1 pint of milk, or 1/2 pint of cream and 1/2 pint of milk; sugar to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the tops and tails off the gooseberries; put them into a jar, with 2 tablespoonfuls of water and a little good moist sugar; set this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and let it boil until the fruit is soft enough to mash. When done enough, beat it to a pulp, work this pulp through a colander, and stir to every pint the above proportion of milk, or equal quant.i.ties of milk and cream. Ascertain if the mixture is sweet enough, and put in plenty of sugar, or it will not be eatable; and in mixing the milk and gooseberries, add the former very gradually to these: serve in a gla.s.s dish, or in small gla.s.ses. This, although a very old-fashioned and homely dish, is, when well made, very delicious, and, if properly sweetened, a very suitable preparation for children.

_Time_.--From 3/4 to 1 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per pint, with milk.

_Sufficient_.--A pint of milk and a pint of gooseberry pulp for 5 or 6 children.

_Seasonable_ in May and June.

GOOSEBERRY TRIFLE.

1434. INGREDIENTS.--1 quart of gooseberries, sugar to taste, 1 pint of custard No. 1423, a plateful of whipped cream.

_Mode_.--Put the gooseberries into a jar, with sufficient moist sugar to sweeten them, and boil them until reduced to a pulp. Put this pulp at the bottom of a trifle-dish; pour over it a pint of custard made by recipe No. 1423, and, when cold, cover with whipped cream. The cream should be whipped the day before it is wanted for table, as it will then be so much firmer and more solid. The dish may be garnished as fancy dictates.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour to boil the gooseberries.

_Average cost_, 1s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 trifle. _Seasonable_ in May and June.

INDIAN FRITTERS.

1435. INGREDIENTS.--3 tablespoonfuls of flour, boiling water, the yolks of 4 eggs, the whites of 2, hot lard or clarified dripping, jam.

_Mode_.--Put the flour into a basin, and pour over it sufficient _boiling_ water to make it into a stiff paste, taking care to stir and beat it well, to prevent it getting lumpy. Leave it a little time to cool, and then break into it (_without beating them at first_) the yolks of 4 eggs and the whites of 2, and stir and beat all well together. Have ready some boiling lard or b.u.t.ter; drop a dessertspoonful of batter in at a time, and fry the fritters of a light brown. They should rise so much as to be almost like b.a.l.l.s. Serve on a dish, with a spoonful of preserve or marmalade dropped in between each fritter. This is an excellent dish for a hasty addition to dinner, if a guest unexpectedly arrives, it being so easily and quickly made, and it is always a great favourite.

_Time_.--From 5 to 8 minutes to fry the fritters.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the jam, 5d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

INDIAN TRIFLE.

1436. INGREDIENTS.--1 quart of milk, the rind of 1/2 large lemon, sugar to taste, 5 heaped tablespoonfuls of rice-flour, 1 oz. of sweet almonds, 1/2 pint of custard.

_Mode_.--Boil the milk and lemon-rind together until the former is well flavoured; take out the lemon-rind and stir in the rice-flour, which should first be moistened with cold milk, and add sufficient loaf sugar to sweeten it nicely. Boil gently for about 5 minutes, and keep the mixture stirred; take it off the fire, let it cool _a little_, and pour it into a gla.s.s dish. When cold, cut the rice out in the form of a star, or any other shape that may be preferred; take out the spare rice, and fill the s.p.a.ce with boiled custard. Blanch and cut the almonds into strips; stick them over the trifle, and garnish it with pieces of brightly-coloured jelly, or preserved fruits, or candied citron.

_Time_.--1/4 hour to simmer the milk, 5 minutes after the rice is added.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 1 trifle.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CITRON.]

THE CITRON.--The citron belongs to the same species as the lemon, being considered only as a variety, the distinction between them not being very great. It is larger, and is less succulent, but more acid: with a little artificial heat, the citron comes to as great perfection in England as in Spain and Italy. The fruit is oblong and about five or six inches in length. The tree is th.o.r.n.y. The juice forms an excellent lemonade with sugar and water; its uses in punch, negus, and in medicine, are well known. The rind is very thick, and, when candied with sugar, forms an excellent sweetmeat. There are several varieties cultivated in England, one of which is termed the Forbidden Fruit.

ITALIAN CREAM.

1437. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of milk, 4 pint of cream, sugar to taste, 1 oz. of isingla.s.s, 1 lemon, the yolks of 4 eggs.

_Mode_.--Put the cream and milk into a saucepan, with sugar to sweeten, and the lemon-rind. Boil until the milk is well flavoured then strain it into a basin, and add the beaten yolks of eggs. Put this mixture into a jug; place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and stir the contents until they thicken, but do not allow them to boil.

Take the cream off the fire, stir in the lemon-juice and isingla.s.s, which should be melted, and whip well; fill a mould, place it in ice if at hand, and, when set, turn it out on a dish, and garnish as taste may dictate. The mixture may be whipped and drained, and then put into small gla.s.ses, when this mode of serving is preferred.

_Time_.--From 5 to 8 minutes to stir the mixture in the jug.

_Average cost_, with the best isingla.s.s, 2s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ to fill 1-1/2-pint mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.

THE HIDDEN MOUNTAIN.

(_A pretty Supper Dish_.)