Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume IV Part 17

113. Receptacles of numerous kinds are in use for individual servings of frozen desserts. Slices of ice cream cut from a brick mold and individual molds are usually served on a small plate about the size of a bread-and-b.u.t.ter plate. It may be placed directly on the plate, or a paper doily of the proper size may be put on the plate and the frozen dessert set on this. Sherbet gla.s.ses are much used for individual portions and are very attractive for this purpose, especially when they have long stems. Paper cases, such as those shown in Fig. 23, also make excellent receptacles for individual servings. They may be plain or fancy and are generally used to carry out a color scheme or a decorative idea. Meringues having the bottom removed and the center scooped out are sometimes used as cases in which to serve ice cream. These are made of egg white and sugar and baked in the oven. They are not difficult to prepare, as the recipes for them in _Cakes, Cookies, and Puddings_, Part 2, explain, and they are often garnished with whipped cream. All such receptacles are placed on a small plate either with or without a paper doily of the right size.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 24]

114. It is a little more difficult to serve desserts frozen in a freezer than those which an molded. However, there are numerous ways of garnishing and serving such desserts to add to their attractiveness.

Candied fruits, such as cherries and pineapple, candied violet, mint, and rose leaves, maraschino and creme-de-menthe cherries, fresh strawberries, preserved cherries, strawberries, and other fruits, sliced peaches or bananas, whipped cream, toasted coconut, chopped nuts of different kinds, and various kinds of fruit sirups may all be used to advantage with these desserts. Fig. 24 shows ice cream served in a stemmed sherbet gla.s.s with grape juice and garnished with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Then, too, a chocolate sirup made by cooking sugar, water, and chocolate or sugar, milk, and chocolate may be served hot or cold over ice cream and similar desserts. Another excellent dip is made of any kind of fruit juice thickened with sugar. The marshmallow whip explained in Art. 54 may be made in any desirable color and then used alone or with a dip as a garnish for ice cream.

COLD AND FROZEN DESSERTS

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

(1) Discuss briefly the value of desserts with meals.

(2) What points should be considered in the selection of desserts?

(3) What is the value of an attractive appearance in a dessert?

(4) (_a_) How do the general rules of cookery apply in the preparation of desserts? (_b_) Give an example.

(5) Of what value to desserts is: (_a_) a bland sauce? (_b_) a highly seasoned sauce?

(6) (_a_) Mention the proportion of eggs and milk for a custard. (_b_) Describe the method of making and baking plain custard.

(7) (_a_) Give a common test for determining when baked custard is done.

(_b_) Give the test for soft custard.

(8) (_a_) How should pearl tapioca be prepared for cooking? (_b_) What should be its appearance when it has been cooked?

(9) How is gelatine prepared when it is to be used for desserts?

(10) Give the theory for the freezing of desserts.

(11) Give the proportion of ice to salt for: (_a_) ice cream; (_b_) sherbets; (_c_) ices; (_d_) frappes; (_e_) frozen punch; (_f_) frozen desserts that are packed and not turned to freeze.

(12) Describe the procedure in getting a mixture ready to freeze.

(13) To what is the increase in quant.i.ty during the freezing of a mixture due?

(14) How does the rate of speed in turning the dasher affect the freezing of a dessert?

(15) How can you determine when the mixture in a freezer is sufficiently frozen?

(16) What should be done in making a frozen dessert when the freezing has been completed?

(17) State the advantages and disadvantages of a vacuum freezer.

(18) What are: (_a_) ices? (_b_) sherbets?

(19) How is a mold of ice cream packed?

(20) Describe an original way of serving ice cream.

CAKES, COOKIES, AND PUDDINGS (PART 1)

CAKE AND PUDDING MIXTURES IN THE DIET

1. CAKE is a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, b.u.t.ter, and liquid that is baked in the oven in a variety of forms and distinguished by a tender texture and a sweet flavor. Closely allied to cake mixtures proper are many others, including cookies, small cakes, puddings, etc. While these differ from cakes in some respects, they are similar in use, ingredients, or methods of preparation. Because of this similarity, a number of these related mixtures are taken up in connection with cakes.

2. Foods of this cla.s.s, which are usually served as dessert, are for the most part considered as luxuries and, of course, are not used so extensively in the diet as other cla.s.ses of foods. However, sweet food is required to a certain extent in each person's diet, and it may be obtained in this agreeable form without overbalancing the food account if a little economy is practiced elsewhere. Thus, a small quant.i.ty of cake or pudding that is light, not too rich, and properly made may be served without injury to most persons as a dessert or as an accompaniment to a dessert. For children, the less rich and sweet mixtures, such as cookies, are preferable to rich cake and very sweet confections and may be fed to them occasionally.

3. Because of the almost unlimited variation in the proportion of ingredients, considerable variety exists in desserts of this kind. Cakes range from those made with only eggs for leavening to those containing very few eggs and having the standard proportion of other leavening agents. For instance, there is sponge cake; which contains no shortening and no leavening except eggs, in contrast with b.u.t.ter cake, which has much shortening or little, as the case may be, and requires proportionate quant.i.ties of flour and leavening other than eggs. Then there are soft, rich cookies containing shortening and sugar and the harder, less rich ones containing a greater proportion of flour.

4. In addition to cakes and puddings proper, there are many mixtures that can scarcely be cla.s.sed as cakes at all. A few of them, such as meringues, are so sweet and delicate that they could be considered as confections, but they are discussed in connection with cakes because they take the place of cake in the meal. The peculiar pastes used for the making of cream puffs and eclairs are not in reality cakes, nor are they real pastry, but because they are served as desserts and belong somewhere in this cla.s.s, they are included here. Doughnuts and crullers are perhaps more often thought of as quick breads than as cakes.

However, the mixtures used for them are sweet. They differ from the mixtures for cakes only in being less rich, but by the peculiar method of their preparation in deep fat these foods become richer than the majority of cakes. Then there are a few varieties of cakes made with yeast which are related to cake in some respects and can well be taken up in this connection.

5. The proportions of liquid to flour for the various kinds of cake mixtures do not differ materially from those of the batters and doughs given in _Hot Breads_. Still, the increased amount of sugar, eggs, and shortening must always be considered, for these ingredients make considerable variation in the general proportions. All that is said in _Hot Breads_ concerning leavening agents and the proportions in which they are used applies with equal force to the making of cakes.

6. To be able to make foods of this nature well is one of the triumphs of the modern housewife. But this accomplishment is not beyond the limitations of any woman who masters the principles of cookery and diligently applies them to this part of the subject. In addition to making desserts that are merely palatable, she can, with a little practice, learn to decorate these foods, particularly cakes, both attractively and artistically. When she is equipped with such knowledge, she will be able to present her family with many varieties of this pleasing dessert.

CAKES

INGREDIENTS USED IN CAKES

NECESSARY INGREDIENTS

7. QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS.--The materials used in the making of cakes should be of as good quality as possible, and when put into the cake they should be in the best condition. In this phase of cookery, as in all others, better results are obtained when good materials are used.

Besides possessing this general characteristic, certain of the ingredients require special attention.

8. FAT FOR CAKES.--The fat used for cakes must necessarily be of an agreeable flavor, and for this reason b.u.t.ter is the kind in general use.

There are, of course, other fats that may be used to advantage either as part or all of the fat required. However, when another fat is to take the place of b.u.t.ter, one that is practically flavorless should be chosen. Oleomargarine of various kinds, Crisco, and even some of the liquid fats are very satisfactory, especially in the making of cookies.

9. SWEETENING FOR CAKES.--Numerous varieties of sugar may be employed in the making of cakes. Probably granulated sugar is used more frequently than any other, but brown sugar, soft sugar, and confectioner's sugar all have a place in cake making. Any of these may be used in the preparation of icing as well as for an ingredient of the cake itself.

10. LEAVENING FOR CAKES.--An important source of leavening in cakes is eggs. For cakes to be most satisfactory, the eggs employed should be strictly fresh. During the season when they are scarce and consequently high in price, recipes that require only a few eggs should be prepared.

Baking powder, which is also an important leavening in cakes, should be of an approved brand that can be relied on to do the work expected of it. Soda and cream of tartar are sometimes used together, and, again, soda is used alone with mola.s.ses or sour milk. For every 3 eggs in a cake mixture, 1 teaspoonful of the baking powder called for in the recipe may be omitted. Alt.i.tude affects the amount of baking powder required in cakes. The quant.i.ty given in the recipes is correct for alt.i.tudes varying from sea level to 1/2 mile high, but it should be reduced one-fifth at an elevation of 1 mile, and three-tenths at an elevation of 7,000 feet.

11. LIQUID FOR CAKES.--Milk, as a rule, is the liquid used in cake making. It may be skim milk or whole milk, it may consist of part water and part milk, or it may be entirely water, depending on the kind of cake. When a large number of eggs are used in a cake, very little liquid is employed. Sometimes the liquid consists of mola.s.ses and sour milk used together, separately, or with some other liquid.