1445. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of cream, 2 dozen sweet almonds, 3 gla.s.ses of sherry, the rind and juice of 2 lemons, sugar to taste.
_Mode_.--Blanch and chop the almonds, and put them into a jug with the cream; in another jug put the sherry, lemon-rind, strained juice, and sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. Pour rapidly from one jug to the other till the mixture is well frothed; then, pour it into jelly-gla.s.ses, omitting the lemon-rind. This is a very cool and delicious sweet for summer, and may be made less rich by omitting the almonds and subst.i.tuting orange or raisin wine for the sherry.
_Time_.--Altogether, 1/2 hour.
_Average cost_, with cream at 1s. per pint, 3s.
_Sufficient_ to fill 12 gla.s.ses. _Seasonable_ at any time.
LEMON CREAMS OF CUSTARDS.
1446. INGREDIENTS.--5 oz. of loaf sugar, 2 pints of boiling water, the rind of 1 lemon and the juice of 3, the yolks of 8 eggs.
_Mode_.--Make a quart of lemonade in the following manner:--Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, having previously, with part of the sugar, rubbed off the lemon-rind, and add the strained juice. Strain the lemonade into a saucepan, and add the yolks of the eggs, which should be well beaten; stir this _one way_ over the fire until the mixture thickens, but do not allow it to boil, and serve in custard-gla.s.ses, or on a gla.s.s dish. After the boiling water is poured on the sugar and lemon, it should stand covered for about 1/2 hour before the eggs are added to it, that the flavour of the rind may be extracted.
_Time_.--1/2 hour to make the lemonade; about 10 minutes to stir the custard over the fire.
_Average cost_, 1s.
_Sufficient_ to fill 12 to 14 custard-gla.s.ses. _Seasonable_ at any time.
LEMON JELLY.
1447. INGREDIENTS.--6 lemons, 3/4 lb. of lump sugar, 1 pint of water, 1-1/2 oz. of isingla.s.s, 1/4 pint of sherry.
_Mode_.--Peel 3 of the lemons, pour 1/2 pint of boiling water on the rind, and let it infuse for 1/2 hour; put the sugar, isingla.s.s, and 1/2 pint of water into a lined saucepan, and boil these ingredients for 20 minutes; then put in the strained lemon-juice, the strained infusion of the rind, and bring the whole to the point of boiling; skim well, add the wine, and run the jelly through a bag; pour it into a mould that has been wetted or soaked in water; put it in ice, if convenient, where let it remain until required for table. Previously to adding the lemon-juice to the other ingredients, ascertain that it is very nicely strained, as, if this is not properly attended to, it is liable to make the jelly thick and muddy. As this jelly is very pale, and almost colourless, it answers very well for moulding with a jelly of any bright hue; for instance, half a jelly bright red, and the other half made of the above, would have a very good effect. Lemon jelly may also be made with calf"s-feet stock, allowing the juice of 3 lemons to every pint of stock.
_Time_.--Altogether, 1 hour.
_Average cost_, with the best isingla.s.s, 2s. 9d.
_Sufficient_ to fill 1-1/2-pint mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.
LEMON SPONGE.
1448. INGREDIENTS.--2 oz. of isingla.s.s, 1-3/4 pint of water, 3/4 lb. of pounded sugar, the juice of 5 lemons, the rind of 1, the whites of 3 eggs.
_Mode_.--Dissolve the isingla.s.s in the water, strain it into a saucepan, and add the sugar, lemon-rind, and juice. Boil the whole from 10 to 15 minutes; strain it again, and let it stand till it is cold and begins to stiffen. Beat the whites of the eggs, put them to it, and whisk the mixture till it is quite white; put it into a mould which has been previously wetted, and let it remain until perfectly set; then turn it out, and garnish it according to taste.
_Time_.--10 to 15 minutes. _Average cost_, with the best isingla.s.s, 3s.
6d.
_Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.
LIQUEUR JELLY.
1449. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of lump sugar, 2 oz. of isingla.s.s, 1-1/2 pint of water, the juice of 2 lemons, 1/4 pint of liqueur.
[Ill.u.s.tration: OVAL JELLY-MOULD.]
_Mode_.--Put the sugar, with 1 pint of the water, into a stewpan, and boil them gently by the side of the fire until there is no sc.u.m remaining, which must be carefully removed as fast as it rises. Boil the isingla.s.s with the other 1/2 pint of water, and skim it carefully in the same manner. Strain the lemon-juice, and add it, with the clarified isingla.s.s, to the syrup; put in the liqueur, and bring the whole to the boiling-point. Let the saucepan remain covered by the side of the fire for a few minutes; then pour the jelly through a bag, put it into a mould, and set the mould in ice until required for table. Dip the mould in hot water, wipe the outside, loosen the jelly by pa.s.sing a knife round the edges, and turn it out carefully on a dish. Noyeau, Maraschino, Curacoa, brandy, or any kind of liqueur, answers for this jelly; and, when made with isingla.s.s, liqueur jellies are usually prepared as directed above.
_Time_.--10 minutes to boil the sugar and water.
_Average cost_, with the best isingla.s.s, 3s. 6d.
_Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.
A SWEET DISH OF MACARONI.
1450. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of macaroni, 1-1/2 pint of milk, the rind of 1/2 lemon, 3 oz. of lump sugar, 3/4 pint of custard No. 1423.
_Mode_.--Put the milk into a saucepan, with the lemon-peel and sugar; bring it to the boiling-point, drop in the macaroni, and let it gradually swell over a gentle fire, but do not allow the pipes to break.
The form should be entirely preserved; and, though tender, should be firm, and not soft, with no part beginning to melt. Should the milk dry away before the macaroni is sufficiently swelled, add a little more.
Make a custard by recipe No. 1423; place the macaroni on a dish, and pour the custard over the hot macaroni; grate over it a little nutmeg, and, when cold, garnish the dish with slices of candied citron.
_Time_.--From 40 to 50 minutes to swell the macaroni.
_Average cost_, with the custard, 1s.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
MERINGUES.
1451. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of pounded sugar, the whites of 4 eggs.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MERINGUES.]
_Mode_.--Whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and, with a wooden spoon, stir in _quickly_ the pounded sugar; and have some boards thick enough to put in the oven to prevent the bottom of the meringues from acquiring too much colour. Cut some strips of paper about 2 inches wide; place this paper on the board, and drop a tablespoonful at a time of the mixture on the paper, taking care to let all the meringues be the same size. In dropping it from the spoon, give the mixture the form of an egg, and keep the meringues about 2 inches apart from each other on the paper. Strew over them some sifted sugar, and bake in a moderate oven for 1/2 hour. As soon as they begin to colour, remove them from the oven; take each slip of paper by the two ends, and turn it gently on the table, and, with a small spoon, take out the soft part of each meringue.
Spread some clean paper on the board, turn the meringues upside down, and put them into the oven to harden and brown on the other side. When required for table, fill them with whipped cream, flavoured with liqueur or vanilla, and sweetened with pounded sugar. Join two of the meringues together, and pile them high in the dish, as shown in the annexed drawing. To vary their appearance, finely-chopped almonds or currants may be strewn over them before the sugar is sprinkled over; and they may be garnished with any bright-coloured preserve. Great expedition is necessary in making this sweet dish; as, if the meringues are not put into the oven as soon as the sugar and eggs are mixed, the former melts, and the mixture would run on the paper, instead of keeping its egg-shape. The sweeter the meringues are made, the crisper will they be; but, if there is not sufficient sugar mixed with them, they will most likely be tough. They are sometimes coloured with cochineal; and, if kept well covered in a dry place, will remain good for a month or six weeks.
_Time_.--Altogether, about 1/2 hour.
_Average cost_, with the cream and flavouring, 1s.
_Sufficient_ to make 2 dozen meringues. _Seasonable_ at any time.
NOYEAU CREAM.
1452. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 oz. of isingla.s.s, the juice of 2 lemons, noyeau and pounded sugar to taste, 1-1/2 pint of cream.