WATERMELON SHERBET
Take good, pale sherry and boil down to quite a thick syrup, with loaf sugar; and then allow to cool. When cold mix with the chopped meat of a very fine, sweet melon, use only the heart of the soft red part, not any near the white rind. Freeze in a freezer as you would ice, but do not allow it to get too hard. Serve in gla.s.ses. You may use claret instead of the sherry. If you do, spice it while boiling with whole spices, such as cloves and cinnamon. Strain before adding to the melon.
CAFe a LA GLACe
Take five tablespoons of fresh-roasted and ground coffee. Pour four cups of boiling water over it; cover quickly and put on the back of the stove, and add one-half pound of sugar. When cold, press through a sieve, and fill in the can to be frozen. Let it remain in freezer five minutes longer before you begin to turn the freezer. Serve in gla.s.ses, and put sweetened whipped cream on the top.
*CANDIES AND SWEETS*
WHITE FONDANT
Used as a foundation for all cream candies.
Put two and one-half cups of granulated sugar in a saucepan, add three-fourths cup of hot water and one-half saltspoon of tartar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, but no longer. Boil without stirring until, when tried in cold water, it will form a soft ball. Wash down the edges of the pan with the finger first dipped in cold water, as the sugar boils up. Pour slowly on greased pan or marble slab. Cool slightly; beat with a wooden spoon until white and creamy. As soon as large lumps appear, it should be kneaded with the hands until smooth. Place in bowl and cover with waxed paper, let it stand overnight in a cool place. If covered and kept in a cool place this will keep for days. Form into bonbons, color and flavor any desired way; dip in melted chocolate, to which has been added a small piece of wax or paraffine. In fact the bonbons may be used in any desired way.
DIVINITY
Boil two cups of granulated sugar, one-half cup of corn syrup and one-half cup of water until it will thread. Beat into the stiff whites of two eggs; add one cup of nuts. Beat until cool and thick. Pour out, cool, and when set, cut into squares.
FUDGE
Boil together two cups of granulated sugar, one-eighth teaspoon of salt and one cup of milk or cream, until when tried in cold water, it will form a soft ball (about eight minutes). Add one-half a cake of Baker"s chocolate, two tablespoons of b.u.t.ter and one teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy; pour into greased pans; cool and cut in squares.
PINOCHE
Take one cup of (packed) medium brown sugar, one-quarter cup of cream, one-third cup of nut meats, one-quarter pound pecans, weighed in sh.e.l.l, and one-third pound hickory in sh.e.l.l. Cook sugar and cream to soft ball test. Cool until you can bear your hand on bottom of pan. Stir until it begins to thicken, add chopped nuts; and when it is too thick to pour easily, spread quickly on a b.u.t.tered pan, cut in squares and cool.
FRUIT LOAF
Chop coa.r.s.ely one-half cup of raisins, one-half cup of nuts, one-half cup figs or dates, add enough honey or corn syrup to make a stiff loaf, about two tablespoons. Place in ice-box for one hour, slice and serve in place of candy, rolling each slice in cornstarch.
GLACe FOR CANDIES
Boil one pound of sugar with one-half pint of water until it ropes; then add one-half cup of vinegar and boil until it hardens. Dip in fruit, orange slices, nuts or green grapes with stems on, and put aside on a b.u.t.tered platter to set.
ORANGE CHIPS
Can be made after the fruit has been used. Halve, scoop out, then sc.r.a.pe inside; lay the peel in salt water overnight. Make syrup of two cups of sugar and one cup of water. When boiled thick, cut orange-peel in small strips and drop them into boiling liquid, letting them remain about ten minutes. Remove strips carefully, spreading them on waxed paper to dry.
Grape-fruit rind may be used as well as that of oranges.
CANDIED CHERRIES, PINEAPPLE AND OTHER FRUITS
Boil, but do not stir, one-half pound of loaf sugar in one breakfast cup of water. Pit some cherries, or prepare any desired fruit, and string them on a thread, then dip them in the syrup; suspend them by the thread. When pineapples are used, slice them crosswise and dry them on a sieve or in the open air; oranges should be separated into sections and dried like pineapple.
STUFFED DATES
Make a cut the entire length of dates and remove stones. Fill cavities with English walnuts, blanched almonds, pecans or with a mixture of chopped nuts, and shape in original form. Roll in granulated sugar or powdered sugar and serve on small plate or bonbon dish.
DATES STUFFED WITH GINGER AND NUTS
Remove the stones from choice dates, and chop together equal measures of preserved ginger and blanched nuts chopped, (hickory, pecan, or almond). Mix with fondant or a paste of confectioner"s sugar and ginger syrup. Use only enough fondant or paste to hold the ingredients together. With this mixture fill the open s.p.a.ce in the dates, cover securely, and roll in granulated sugar.
DATES STUFFED WITH FONDANT
Fill with fondant, letting it project slightly, and insert in it a pecan or half a walnut. Roll in granulated sugar.
STUFFED FIGS
Cut a slit in the side of dried figs, take out some of the pulp with the tip of a teaspoon. Mix with one-fourth cup of the pulp, one-fourth cup of finely-chopped crystallized ginger, a teaspoon of grated orange or lemon rind and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Fill the figs with the mixture, stuffing them so that they look plump.
STUFFED PRUNES
Take one pound of best prunes, stone and soak in sherry for about an hour (do not cover with the wine). Fill prunes with one large browned almond and one-half marshmallow or with another prune, roll in granulated sugar, and when all are finished, put in oven for two or three minutes.
FROSTED CURRANTS
Pick fine, even, large bunches of red currants (not too ripe) and dip each bunch, one at a time, into a mixture of frothed white of egg, then into a thick, boiled sugar syrup. Drain the bunches by laying on a sieve, and when partly dry dip again into the boiled syrup. Repeat the process a third time; then sprinkle powdered sugar over them and lay on a sheet of paper in a slightly warm oven to dry. Used on extra occasions for ornamenting charlottes, cakes, creams, etc.
*BEVERAGES*
All drinks contain a large proportion of water which is the beverage nature has provided for man. Water for hot drinks should be freshly boiled, freshly drawn water should be used for cold drinks.
COFFEE
Coffee should be bought in small quant.i.ties and kept in air-tight cans, and freshly ground as needed. To have perfect coffee, use an earthen or china pot, and have the water boiling when turned onto the coffee. Like tea, the results will not be right if the water is allowed to fall below the boiling point before it is used. Have the coffee ground to a fine powder in order to get its full flavor as well as strength.