BRANDY is the alcoholic or spirituous portion of wine, separated from the aqueous part, the colouring matter, &c., by distillation. The word is of German origin, and in its German form, brantuein, signifies burnt wine, or wine that has undergone the action of fire; brandies, so called, however, have been made from potatoes, carrots, beetroot, pears, and other vegetable substances; but they are all inferior to true brandy. Brandy is prepared in most wine countries, but that of France is the most esteemed. It is procured not only by distilling the wine itself, but also by fermenting and distilling the marc, or residue of the pressings of the grape. It is procured indifferently from red or white wine, and different wines yield very different proportions of it, the strongest, of course, giving the largest quantity. Brandy obtained from marc has a more acrid taste than that from wine. The celebrated brandy of Cognac, a town in the department of Charente, and that brought from Andraye, seem to owe their excellence from being made from white wine. Like other spirit, brandy is colourless when recently distilled; by mere keeping, however, owing, probably, to some change in the soluble matter contained in it, it acquires a slight colour, which is much increased by keeping in casks, and is made of the required intensity by the addition of burnt sugar or other colouring matter. What is called British brandy is not, in fact, brandy, which is the name, as we have said, of a spirit distilled from wine; but is a spirit made chiefly from malt spirit, with the addition of mineral acids and various flavouring ingredients, the exact composition being kept secret. It is distilled somewhat extensively in this country; real brandy scarcely at all. The brandies imported into England are chiefly from Bordeaux, Rochelle, and Cognac.

A POUND PLUM-PUDDING.

1329. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of suet, 1 lb. of currants, 1 lb. of stoned raisins, 8 eggs, 1/2 grated nutmeg, 2 oz. of sliced candied peel, 1 teaspoonful of ground ginger, 1/2 lb. of bread crumbs, 1/2 lb. of flour, 1/2 pint of milk.



Mode.—Chop the suet finely; mix with it the dry ingredients; stir these well together, and add the well-beaten eggs and milk to moisten with. Beat up the mixture well, and should the above proportion of milk not be found sufficient to make it of the proper consistency, a little more should be added. Press the pudding into a mould, tie it in a floured cloth, and boil for 5 hours, or rather longer, and serve with brandy-sauce.

Time.—5 hours, or longer. Average cost, 3s.

Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable in winter.

Note.—The above pudding may be baked instead of boiled; it should be put into a buttered mould or tin, and baked for about 2 hours; a smaller one would take about 1-1/4 hour.

CITRON.—The fruit of the citron-tree (Citrus medica) is acidulous, antiseptic, and antiscorbutic: it excites the appetite, and stops vomiting, and, like lemon-juice, has been greatly extolled in chronic rheumatism, gout, and scurvy. Mixed with cordials, it is used as an antidote to the machineel poison. The candied peel is prepared in the same manner as orange or lemon-peel; that is to say, the peel is boiled in water until quite soft, and then suspended in concentrated syrup (in the cold), after which it is either dried in a current of warm air, or in a stove, at a heat not exceeding 120 deg. Fahrenheit. The syrup must be kept fully saturated with sugar by reboiling it once or twice during the process. It may be dusted with powdered lump sugar, if necessary. The citron is supposed to be the Median, Assyrian, or Persian apple of the Greeks. It is described by Risso as having a majestic appearance, its shining leaves and rosy flowers being succeeded by fruit whose beauty and size astonish the observer, whilst their odour gratifies his senses. In China there is an enormous variety, but the citron is cultivated in all orange-growing countries.

PLUM-PUDDING OF FRESH FRUIT.

1330. INGREDIENTS.—3/4 lb. of suet crust No. 1-1/2 pint of Orleans or any other kind of plum, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar.

Mode.—Line a pudding-basin with suet crust rolled out to the thickness of about 1/2 inch; fill the basin with the fruit, put in the sugar, and cover with crust. Fold the edges over, and pinch them together, to prevent the juice escaping. Tie over a floured cloth, put the pudding into boiling water, and boil from 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Turn it out of the basin, and serve quickly.

Time.—2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Average cost, 10d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

Seasonable, with various kinds of plums, from the beginning of August to the beginning of October.



PLUMS.—Almost all the varieties of the cultivated plum are agreeable and refreshing: it is not a nourishing fruit, and if indulged in to excess, when unripe, is almost certain to cause diarrhoea and cholera. Weak and delicate persons had better abstain from plums altogether. The modes of preparing plums are as numerous as the varieties of the fruit. The objections raised against raw plums do not apply to the cooked fruit, which even the invalid may eat in moderation.

PLUM TART.

1331. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of good short crust No. 1211, 1-1/2 pint of plums, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar.



Mode.—Line the edges of a deep tart-dish with crust made by recipe No. 1211; fill the dish with plums, and place a small cup or jar, upside down, in the midst of them. Put in the sugar, cover the pie with crust, ornament the edges, and bake in a good oven from 1/2 to 3/4 hour. When puff-crust is preferred to short crust, use that made by recipe No. 1206, and glaze the top by brushing it over with the white of an egg beaten to a stiff froth with a knife; sprinkle over a little sifted sugar, and put the pie in the oven to set the glaze.

Time.—1/2 to 3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Seasonable, with various kinds of plums, from the beginning of August to the beginning of October.

POTATO PASTY.

1332. INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of rump-steak or mutton cutlets, pepper and salt to taste, 1/3 pint of weak broth or gravy, 1 oz. of butter, mashed potatoes.



Mode.—Place the meat, cut in small pieces, at the bottom of the pan; season it with pepper and salt, and add the gravy and butter broken, into small pieces. Put on the perforated plate, with its valve-pipe screwed on, and fill up the whole space to the top of the tube with nicely-mashed potatoes mixed with a little milk, and finish the surface of them in any ornamental manner. If carefully baked, the potatoes will be covered with a delicate brown crust, retaining all the savoury steam rising from the meat. Send it to table as it comes from the oven, with a napkin folded round it.

Time.—40 to 60 minutes. Average cost, 2s.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.

POTATO PUDDING.

1333. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of mashed potatoes, 2 oz. of butter, 2 eggs, 1/4 pint of milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of sherry, 1/4 saltspoonful of salt, the juice and rind of 1 small lemon, 2 oz. of sugar.

Mode.—Boil sufficient potatoes to make 1/2 lb. when mashed; add to these the butter, eggs, milk, sherry, lemon-juice, and sugar; mince the lemon-peel very finely, and beat all the ingredients well together. Put the pudding into a buttered pie-dish, and bake for rather more than 1/2 hour. To enrich it, add a few pounded almonds, and increase the quantity of eggs and butter.

Time.—1/2 hour, or rather longer. Average cost, 8d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

TO ICE OR GLAZE PASTRY.

1334. To glaze pastry, which is the usual method adopted for meat or raised pies, break an egg, separate the yolk from the white, and beat the former for a short time. Then, when the pastry is nearly baked, take it out of the oven, brush it over with this beaten yolk of egg, and put it back in the oven to set the glaze.

1335. To ice pastry, which is the usual method adopted for fruit tarts and sweet dishes of pastry, put the white of an egg on a plate, and with the blade of a knife beat it to a stiff froth. When the pastry is nearly baked, brush it over with this, and sift over some pounded sugar; put it back into the oven to set the glaze, and, in a few minutes, it will be done. Great care should be taken that the paste does not catch or burn in the oven, which it is very liable to do after the icing is laid on.

Sufficient—Allow 1 egg and 1-1/8 oz. of sugar to glaze 3 tarts.



SUGAR has been happily called "the honey of reeds." The sugar-cane appears to be originally a native of the East Indies. The Chinese have cultivated it for 2,000 years. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Jews knew nothing about it. The Greek physicians are the first who speak of it. It was not till the year 1471 that a Venetian discovered the method of purifying brown sugar and making loaf sugar. He gained an immense fortune by this discovery. Our supplies are now obtained from Barbadoes, Jamaica, Mauritius, Ceylon, the East and West Indies generally, and the United States; but the largest supplies come from Cuba. Sugar is divided into the following classes:—Refined sugar, white clayed, brown clayed, brown raw, and molasses. The sugarcane grows to the height of six, twelve, or even sometimes twenty feet. It is propagated from cuttings, requires much hoeing and weeding, giving employment to thousands upon thousands of slaves in the slave countries, and attains maturity in twelve or thirteen months. When ripe, it is cut down close to the stole, the stems are divided into lengths of about three feet, which are made up into bundles, and carried to the mill, to be crushed between rollers. In the process of crushing, the juice runs down into a reservoir, from which, after a while, it is drawn through a siphon; that is to say, the clear fluid is taken from the scum. This fluid undergoes several processes of drying and refining; the methods varying in different manufactories. There are some large establishments engaged in sugar-refining in the neighbourhoods of Blackwall and Bethnal Green, London. The process is mostly in the hands of German workmen. Sugar is adulterated with fine sand and sawdust. Pure sugar is highly nutritious, adding to the fatty tissue of the body; but it is not easy of digestion.

BAKED RAISIN PUDDING.

(Plain and Economical.)

1336. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 3/4 lb. of stoned raisins, 1/2 lb. of suet, a pinch of salt, 1 oz. of sugar, a little grated nutmeg, milk.

Mode.—Chop the suet finely; stone the raisins and cut them in halves; mix these with the suet, add the salt, sugar, and grated nutmeg, and moisten the whole with sufficient milk to make it of the consistency of thick batter. Put the pudding into a buttered pie-dish, and bake for 1-1/2 hour, or rather longer. Turn it out of the dish, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. This is a very plain recipe, and suitable where there is a family of children. It, of course, can be much improved by the addition of candied peel, currants, and rather a larger proportion of suet: a few eggs would also make the pudding richer.

Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, 9d.

Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable in winter.

INTRODUCTION OF SUGAR.—Sugar was first known as a drug, and used by the apothecaries, and with them was a most important article. At its first appearance, some said it was heating; others, that it injured the chest; others, that it disposed persons to apoplexy; the truth, however, soon conquered these fancies, and the use of sugar has increased every day, and there is no household in the civilized world which can do without it.

BOILED RAISIN PUDDING.

(Plain and Economical.)

1337. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of stoned raisins, 1/2 lb. of chopped suet, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, milk.

Mode.—After having stoned the raisins and chopped the suet finely, mix them with the flour, add the salt, and when these dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, moisten the pudding with sufficient milk to make it into rather a stiff paste. Tie it up in a floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil for 4 hours: serve with sifted sugar. This pudding may, also, be made in a long shape, the same as a rolled jam-pudding, and will then not require so long boiling;—2-1/2 hours would then be quite sufficient.

Time.—Made round, 4 hours; in a long shape, 2-1/2 hours.

Average cost, 9d.

Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. Seasonable in winter.

BOILED RHUBARB PUDDING.

1338. INGREDIENTS.—4 or 5 sticks of fine rhubarb, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar, 3/4 lb. of suet-crust No. 1215.

Mode.—Make a suet-crust with 3/4 lb. of flour, by recipe No. 1215, and line a buttered basin with it. Wash and wipe the rhubarb, and, if old, string it—that is to say, pare off the outside skin. Cut it into inch lengths, fill the basin with it, put in the sugar, and cover with crust. Pinch the edges of the pudding together, tie over it a floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil from 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Turn it out of the basin, and serve with a jug of cream and sifted sugar.

Time.—2 to 2-1/2 hours. Average cost, 7d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable in spring.

RHUBARB TART.

1339. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of puff-paste No. 1206, about 5 sticks of large rhubarb, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar.

Mode.—Make a puff-crust by recipe No. 1206; line the edges of a deep pie-dish with it, and wash, wipe, and cut the rhubarb into pieces about 1 inch long. Should it be old and tough, string it, that is to say, pare off the outside skin. Pile the fruit high in the dish, as it shrinks very much in the cooking; put in the sugar, cover with crust, ornament the edges, and bake the tart in a well-heated oven from 1/2 to 3/4 hour. If wanted very nice, brush it over with the white of an egg beaten to a stiff froth, then sprinkle on it some sifted sugar, and put it in the oven just to set the glaze: this should be done when the tart is nearly baked. A small quantity of lemon-juice, and a little of the peel minced, are by many persons considered an improvement to the flavour of rhubarb tart.

Time.—1/2 to 3/4 hour. Average cost, 9d.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Seasonable in spring.



RHUBARB.—This is one of the most useful of all garden productions that are put into pies and puddings. It was comparatively little known till within the last twenty or thirty years, but it is now cultivated in almost every British garden. The part used is the footstalks of the leaves, which, peeled and cut into small pieces, are put into tarts, either mixed with apples or alone. When quite young, they are much better not peeled. Rhubarb comes in season when apples are going out. The common rhubarb is a native of Asia; the scarlet variety has the finest flavour. Turkey rhubarb, the well-known medicinal drug, is the root of a very elegant plant (Rheum palmatum), coming to greatest perfection in Tartary. For culinary purposes, all kinds of rhubarb are the better for being blanched.

RAISED PIE OF POULTRY OR GAME.

1340. INGREDIENTS.—To every lb. of flour allow 1/2 lb. of butter, 1/2 pint of water, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt (these are for the crust); 1 large fowl or pheasant, a few slices of veal cutlet, a few slices of dressed ham, forcemeat, seasoning of nutmeg, allspice, pepper and salt, gravy.



Mode.—Make a stiff short crust with the above proportion of butter, flour, water, and eggs, and work it up very smoothly; butter a raised-pie mould, as shown in No. 1190, and line it with the paste. Previously to making the crust, bone the fowl, or whatever bird is intended to be used, lay it, breast downwards, upon a cloth, and season the inside well with pounded mace, allspice, pepper, and salt; then spread over it a layer of forcemeat, then a layer of seasoned veal, and then one of ham, and then another layer of forcemeat, and roll the fowl over, making the skin meet at the back. Line the pie with forcemeat, put in the fowl, and fill up the cavities with slices of seasoned veal and ham and forcemeat; wet the edges of the pie, put on the cover, pinch the edges together with the paste-pincers, and decorate it with leaves; brush it over with beaten yolk of egg, and bake in a moderate oven for 4 hours. In the mean time, make a good strong gravy from the bones, pour it through a funnel into the hole at the top; cover this hole with a small leaf, and the pie, when cold, will be ready for use. Let it be remembered that the gravy must be considerably reduced before it is poured into the pie, as, when cold, it should form a firm jelly, and not be the least degree in a liquid state. This recipe is suitable for all kinds of poultry or game, using one or more birds, according to the size of the pie intended to be made; but the birds must always be boned. Truffles, mushrooms, &c., added to this pie, make it much nicer; and, to enrich it, lard the fleshy parts of the poultry or game with thin strips of bacon. This method of forming raised pies in a mould is generally called a timbale, and has the advantage of being more easily made than one where the paste is raised by the hands; the crust, besides, being eatable. (See coloured plate N 1.) Time.—Large pie, 4 hours. Average cost, 6s. 6d.

Seasonable, with poultry, all the year; with game, from September to March.

RAISED PIE OF VEAL AND HAM.

1341. INGREDIENTS.—3 or 4 lbs. of veal cutlets, a few slices of bacon or ham, seasoning of pepper, salt, nutmeg, and allspice, forcemeat No. 415, 2 lbs. of hot-water paste No. 1217, 1/2 pint of good strong gravy.

Mode.—To raise the crust for a pie with the hands is a very difficult task, and can only be accomplished by skilled and experienced cooks. The process should be seen to be satisfactorily learnt, and plenty of practice given to the making of raised pies, as by that means only will success be insured. Make a hot-water paste by recipe No. 1217, and from the mass raise the pie with the hands; if this cannot be accomplished, cut out pieces for the top and bottom, and a long piece for the sides; fasten the bottom and side-piece together by means of egg, and pinch the edges well together; then line the pie with forcemeat made by recipe No. 415, put in a layer of veal, and a plentiful seasoning of salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice, as, let it be remembered, these pies taste very insipid unless highly seasoned. Over the seasoning place a layer of sliced bacon or cooked ham, and then a layer of forcemeat, veal seasoning, and bacon, and so on until the meat rises to about an inch above the paste; taking care to finish with a layer of forcemeat, to fill all the cavities of the pie, and to lay in the meat firmly and compactly. Brush the top edge of the pie with beaten egg, put on the cover, press the edges, and pinch them round with paste-pincers. Make a hole in the middle of the lid, and ornament the pie with leaves, which should be stuck on with the white of an egg; then brush it all over with the beaten yolk of an egg, and bake the pie in an oven with a soaking heat from 3 to 4 hours. To ascertain when it is done, run a sharp-pointed knife or skewer through the hole at the top into the middle of the pie, and if the meat feels tender, it is sufficiently baked. Have ready about 1/2 pint of very strong gravy, pour it through a funnel into the hole at the top, stop up the hole with a small leaf of baked paste, and put the pie away until wanted for use. Should it acquire too much colour in the baking, cover it with white paper, as the crust should not in the least degree be burnt. Mushrooms, truffles, and many other ingredients, may be added to enrich the flavour of these pies, and the very fleshy parts of the meat may be larded. These pies are more frequently served cold than hot, and form excellent dishes for cold suppers or breakfasts. The cover of the pie is sometimes carefully removed, leaving the perfect edges, and the top decorated with square pieces of very bright aspic jelly: this has an exceedingly pretty effect.

Time.—About 4 hours. Average cost, 6s. 6d.

Sufficient for a very large pie. Seasonable from March to October.

BAKED RICE PUDDING.

I.

1342. INGREDIENTS.—1 small teacupful of rice, 4 eggs, 1 pint of milk, 2 oz. of fresh butter, 2 oz. of beef marrow, 1/4 lb. of currants, 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy, nutmeg, 1/4 lb. of sugar, the rind of 1/2 lemon.

Mode.—Put the lemon-rind and milk into a stewpan, and let it infuse till the milk is well flavoured with the lemon; in the mean time, boil the rice until tender in water, with a very small quantity of salt, and, when done, let it be thoroughly drained. Beat the eggs, stir to them the milk, which should be strained, the butter, marrow, currants, and remaining ingredients; add the rice, and mix all well together. Line the edges of the dish with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake for about 3/4 hour in a slow oven. Slices of candied-peel may be added at pleasure, or Sultana raisins may be substituted for the currants.

Time.—3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s. 3d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Seasonable.—Suitable for a winter pudding, when fresh fruits are not obtainable.

RICE, with proper management in cooking it, forms a very valuable and cheap addition to our farinaceous food, and, in years of scarcity, has been found eminently useful in lessening the consumption of flour. When boiled, it should be so managed that the grains, though soft, should be as little broken and as dry as possible. The water in which it is dressed should only simmer, and not boil hard. Very little water should be used, as the grains absorb a great deal, and, consequently, swell much; and if they take up too much at first, it is difficult to get rid of it. Baking it in puddings is the best mode of preparing it.

II.

(Plain and Economical; a nice Pudding for Children.)

1343. INGREDIENTS.—1 teacupful of rice, 2 tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, 1 quart of milk, 1/2 oz. of butter or 2 small tablespoonfuls of chopped suet, 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg.

Mode.—Wash the rice, put it into a pie-dish with the sugar, pour in the milk, and stir these ingredients well together; then add the butter cut up into very small pieces, or, instead of this, the above proportion of finely-minced suet; grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake the pudding, in a moderate oven, from 1-1/2 to 2 hours. As the rice is not previously cooked, care must be taken that the pudding be very slowly baked, to give plenty of time for the rice to swell, and for it to be very thoroughly done.

Time.—1-1/2 to 2 hours. Average cost, 7d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 children. Seasonable at any time.

PLAIN BOILED RICE PUDDING.

1344. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of rice.

Mode.—Wash the rice, tie it in a pudding-cloth, allowing room for the rice to swell, and put it into a saucepan of cold water; boil it gently for 2 hours, and if, after a time, the cloth seems tied too loosely, take the rice up and tighten the cloth. Serve with sweet melted butter, or cold butter and sugar, or stewed fruit, jam, or marmalade; any of which accompaniments are suitable for plain boiled rice.

Time.—2 hours after the water boils. Average cost, 2d.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.

BOILED RICE PUDDING.

I.

1345. INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of rice, 1-1/2 pint of new milk, 2 oz. of butter, 4 eggs, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, 4 large tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, flavouring to taste.

Mode.—Stew the rice very gently in the above proportion of new milk, and, when it is tender, pour it into a basin; stir in the butter, and let it stand to cool; then beat the eggs, add these to the rice with the sugar, salt, and any flavouring that may be approved, such as nutmeg, powdered cinnamon, grated lemon-peel, essence of bitter almonds, or vanilla. When all is well stirred, put the pudding into a buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for 1-1/4 hour.

Time.—1-1/4 hour. Average cost, 1s.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

VARIETIES OF RICE.—Of the varieties of rice brought to our market, that from Bengal is chiefly of the species denominated cargo rice, and is of a coarse reddish-brown cast, but peculiarly sweet and large-grained; it does not readily separate from the husk, but it is preferred by the natives to all the others. Patua rice is more esteemed in Europe, and is of very superior qualify; it is small-grained, rather long and wiry, and is remarkably white. The Carolina rice is considered as the best, and is likewise the dearest in London.

II.

(With Dried or Fresh fruit; a nice dish for the Nursery.)

1346. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of rice, 1 pint of any kind of fresh fruit that may be preferred, or 1/2 lb. of raisins or currants.

Mode.—Wash the rice, tie it in a cloth, allowing room for it to swell, and put it into a saucepan of cold water; let it boil for an hour, then take it up, untie the cloth, stir in the fruit, and tie it up again tolerably tight, and put it into the water for the remainder of the time. Boil for another hour, or rather longer, and serve with sweet sauce, if made with dried fruit, and with plain sifted sugar and a little cream or milk, if made with fresh fruit.

Time.—1 hour to boil the rice without the fruit; 1 hour, or longer, afterwards.

Average cost, 6d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 children. Seasonable at any time.

Note.—This pudding is very good made with apples: they should be pared cored, and cut into thin slices.

BOILED RICE FOR CURRIES, &c.

1347. INGREDIENTS.—3/4 lb. of rice, water, salt.

Mode.—Pick, wash, and soak the rice in plenty of cold water; then have ready a saucepan of boiling water, drop the rice into it, and keep it boiling quickly, with the lid uncovered, until it is tender, but not soft. Take it up, drain it, and put it on a dish before the fire to dry: do not handle it much with a spoon, but shake it about a little with two forks, that it may all be equally dried, and strew over a little salt. It is now ready to serve, and may be heaped lightly on a dish by itself, or be laid round the dish as a border, with a curry or fricassee in the centre. Some cooks smooth the rice with the back of a spoon, and then brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and set it in the oven to colour; but the rice well boiled, white, dry, and with every grain distinct, is by far the more preferable mode of dressing it. During the process of boiling, the rice should be attentively watched, that it be not overdone, as, if this is the case, it will have a mashed and soft appearance.

Time.—15 to 25 minutes, according to the quality of the rice.

Average cost, 3d.

Sufficient for a large dish of curry.

Seasonable at any time.

RICE, in the native rough state, with the husk on, is called paddy, both in India and America, and it will keep better, and for a much longer time, in this state, than after the husk has been removed; besides which, prepared rice is apt to become dirty from rubbing about in the voyage on board ship, and in the warehouses. It is sometimes brought to England in the shape of paddy, and the husk detached here. Paddy pays less duty than shelled rice.

TO BOIL RICE FOR CURRIES, &c.

(Soyer's Recipe.)

1348. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of the best Carolina rice, 2 quarts of water, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, a little salt.

Mode.—Wash the rice well in two waters; make 2 quarts of water boiling, and throw the rice into it; boil it until three-parts done, then drain it on a sieve. Butter the bottom and sides of a stewpan, put in the rice, place the lid on tightly, and set it by the side of the fire until the rice is perfectly tender, occasionally shaking the pan to prevent its sticking. Prepared thus, every grain should be separate and white. Either dish it separately, or place it round the curry as a border.

Time.—15 to 25 minutes.

Average cost, 7d.

Sufficient for 2 moderate-sized curries.

Seasonable at any time.

BUTTERED RICE.

1349. INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of rice, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 2 oz. of butter, sugar to taste, grated nutmeg or pounded cinnamon.

Mode.—Wash and pick the rice, drain and put it into a saucepan with the milk; let it swell gradually, and, when tender, pour off the milk; stir in the butter, sugar, and nutmeg or cinnamon, and, when the butter is thoroughly melted, and the whole is quite hot, serve. After the milk is poured off, be particular that the rice does not burn: to prevent this, do not cease stirring it.

Time.—About 3/4 hour to swell the rice.

Average cost, 7d.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Seasonable at any time.

RICE was held in great esteem by the ancients: they considered it as a very beneficial food for the chest; therefore it was recommended in cases of consumption, and to persons subject to spitting of blood.

SAVOURY CASSEROLE OF RICE.

Or Rice Border, for Ragouts, Fricassees, &c. (an Entree).

1350. INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of rice, 3 pints of weak stock or broth, 2 slices of fat ham, 1 teaspoonful of salt.



Mode.—A casserole of rice, when made in a mould, is not such a difficult operation as when it is moulded by the hand. It is an elegant and inexpensive entree, as the remains of cold fish, flesh, or fowl may be served as ragouts, fricassees, &c., inclosed in the casserole. It requires great nicety in its preparation, the principal thing to attend to being the boiling of the rice, as, if this is not sufficiently cooked, the casserole, when moulded, will have a rough appearance, which would entirely spoil it. After having washed the rice in two or three waters, drain it well, and put it into a stewpan with the stock, ham, and salt; cover the pan closely, and let the rice gradually swell over a slow fire, occasionally stirring, to prevent its sticking. When it is quite soft, strain it, pick out the pieces of ham, and, with the back of a large wooden spoon, mash the rice to a perfectly smooth paste. Then well grease a mould (moulds are made purposely for rice borders), and turn it upside down for a minute or two, to drain away the fat, should there be too much; put some rice all round the bottom and sides of it; place a piece of soft bread in the middle, and cover it with rice; press it in equally with the spoon, and let it cool. Then dip the mould into hot water, turn the casserole carefully on to a dish, mark where the lid is to be formed on the top, by making an incision with the point of a knife about an inch from the edge all round, and put it into a very hot oven. Brush it over with a little clarified butter, and bake about 1/2 hour, or rather longer; then carefully remove the lid, which will be formed by the incision having been made all round, and remove the bread, in small pieces, with the point of a penknife, being careful not to injure the casserole. Fill the centre with the ragout or fricassee, which should be made thick; put on the cover, glaze it, place it in the oven to set the glaze, and serve as hot as possible. The casserole should not be emptied too much, as it is liable to crack from the weight of whatever is put in; and in baking it, let the oven be very hot, or the casserole will probably break.

Time.—About 3/4 hour to swell the rice.

Sufficient for 2 moderate-sized casseroles.

Seasonable at any time.

SWEET CASSEROLE OF RICE (an Entremets).

1351. INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of rice, 3 pints of milk, sugar to taste, flavouring of bitter almonds, 3 oz. of butter, the yolks of 3 eggs.

Mode.—This is made in precisely the same manner as a savoury casserole, only substituting the milk and sugar for the stock and salt. Put the milk into a stewpan, with sufficient essence of bitter almonds to flavour it well; then add the rice, which should be washed, picked, and drained, and let it swell gradually in the milk over a slow fire. When it is tender, stir in the sugar, butter, and yolks of eggs; butter a mould, press in the rice, and proceed in exactly the same manner as in recipe No. 1350. When the casserole is ready, fill it with a compote of any fruit that may be preferred, or with melted apricot-jam, and serve.

Time.—From 3/4 to 1 hour to swell the rice, 1/2 to 3/4 hour to bake the casserole.

Average cost, exclusive of the compote or jam, 1s. 9d.

Sufficient for 2 casseroles.

Seasonable at any time.

FRENCH RICE PUDDING, or GATEAU DE RIZ.

1352. INGREDIENTS.—To every 1/4 lb. of rice allow 1 quart of milk, the rind of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, sugar to taste, 4 oz. of butter, 6 eggs, bread crumbs.

Mode.—Put the milk into a stewpan with the lemon-rind, and let it infuse for 1/2 hour, or until the former is well flavoured; then take out the peel; have ready the rice washed, picked, and drained; put it into the milk, and let it gradually swell over a very slow fire. Stir in the butter, salt, and sugar, and when properly sweetened, add the yolks of the eggs, and then the whites, both of which should be well beaten, and added separately to the rice. Butter a mould, strew in some fine bread crumbs, and let them be spread equally over it; then carefully pour in the rice, and bake the pudding in a slow oven for 1 hour. Turn it out of the mould, and garnish the dish with preserved cherries, or any bright-coloured jelly or jam. This pudding would be exceedingly nice, flavoured with essence of vanilla.

Time.—3/4 to 1 hour for the rice to swell; to be baked 1 hour in a slow oven.

Average cost, 1s. 8d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

BAKED OR BOILED GROUND RICE PUDDING.

1353. INGREDIENTS.—2 pints of milk, 6 tablespoonfuls of ground rice, sugar to taste, 4 eggs, flavouring of lemon-rind, nutmeg, bitter almonds or bay-leaf.

Mode.—Put 1-1/2 pint of the milk into a stewpan, with any of the above flavourings, and bring it to the boiling-point, and, with the other 1/2 pint of milk, mix the ground rice to a smooth batter; strain the boiling milk to this, and stir over the fire until the mixture is tolerably thick; then pour it into a basin, leave it uncovered, and when nearly or quite cold, sweeten it to taste, and add the eggs, which should be previously well beaten, with a little salt. Put the pudding into a well-buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for 1-1/2 hour. For a baked pudding, proceed in precisely the same manner, only using half the above proportion of ground rice, with the same quantity of all the other ingredients: an hour will bake the pudding in a moderate oven. Stewed fruit, or preserves, or marmalade, may be served with either the boiled or baked pudding, and will be found an improvement.

Time.—1-1/2 hour to boil, 1 hour to bake. Average cost, 10d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

ICED RICE PUDDING.

1354. INGREDIENTS.—6 oz. of rice, 1 quart of milk, 1/2 lb. of sugar, the yolks of 6 eggs, 1 small teaspoonful of essence of vanilla.

Mode.—Put the rice into a stewpan, with the milk and sugar, and let these simmer over a gentle fire until the rice is sufficiently soft to break up into a smooth mass, and should the milk dry away too much, a little more may be added. Stir the rice occasionally, to prevent its burning, then beat it to a smooth mixture; add the yolks of the eggs, which should be well whisked, and the vanilla (should this flavouring not be liked, essence of bitter almonds may be substituted for it); put this rice custard into the freezing-pot, and proceed as directed in recipe No. 1290. When wanted for table, turn the pudding out of the mould, and pour over the top, and round it, a compote of oranges, or any other fruit that may be preferred, taking care that the flavouring in the pudding harmonizes well with the fruit that is served with it.

Time.—1/2 hour to freeze the mixture.

Average cost, 1s. 6d.; exclusive of the compote, 1s. 4d.

Seasonable.—Served all the year round.

MINIATURE RICE PUDDINGS.

1355. INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of rice, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 2 oz. of fresh butter, 4 eggs, sugar to taste; flavouring of lemon-peel, bitter almonds, or vanilla; a few strips of candied peel.

Mode.—Let the rice swell in 1 pint of the milk over a slow fire, putting with it a strip of lemon-peel; stir to it the butter and the other 1/2 pint of milk, and let the mixture cool. Then add the well-beaten eggs, and a few drops of essence of almonds or essence of vanilla, whichever may be preferred; butter well some small cups or moulds, line them with a few pieces of candied peel sliced very thin, fill them three parts full, and bake for about 40 minutes; turn them out of the cups on to a white d'oyley, and serve with sweet sauce. The flavouring and candied peel might be omitted, and stewed fruit or preserve served instead, with these puddings.

Time.—40 minutes. Average cost, 1s.

Sufficient for 6 puddings. Seasonable at any time.

ARROWROOT SAUCE FOR PUDDINGS.

1356. INGREDIENTS.—2 small teaspoonfuls of arrowroot, 4 dessert-spoonfuls of pounded sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 1/2 pint of water.

Mode.—Mix the arrowroot smoothly with the water; put this into a stewpan; add the sugar, strained lemon-juice, and grated nutmeg. Stir these ingredients over the fire until they boil, when the sauce is ready for use. A small quantity of wine, or any liqueur, would very much improve the flavour of this sauce: it is usually served with bread, rice, custard, or any dry pudding that is not very rich.

Time.—Altogether, 15 minutes.

Average cost, 4d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

CHERRY SAUCE FOR SWEET PUDDINGS.

(German Recipe.)

1357. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of cherries, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 oz. of butter, 1/2 pint of water, 1 wineglassful of port wine, a little grated lemon-rind, 4 pounded cloves, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, sugar to taste.

Mode.—Stone the cherries, and pound the kernels in a mortar to a smooth paste; put the butter and flour into a saucepan; stir them over the fire until of a pale brown; then add the cherries, the pounded kernels, the wine, and the water. Simmer these gently for 1/4 hour, or until the cherries are quite cooked, and rub the whole through a hair sieve; add the remaining ingredients, let the sauce boil for another 5 minutes, and serve. This is a delicious sauce to serve with boiled batter pudding, and when thus used, should be sent to table poured over the pudding.

Time.—20 minutes to 1/2 hour. Average cost, 1s. 1d.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable in June, July, and August.

LEMON SAUCE FOR SWEET PUDDINGS.

1358. INGREDIENTS.—The rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 oz. of butter, 1 large wineglassful of sherry, 1 wineglassful of water, sugar to taste, the yolks of 4 eggs.

Mode.—Rub the rind of the lemon on to some lumps of sugar; squeeze out the juice, and strain it; put the butter and flour into a saucepan, stir them over the fire, and when of a pale brown, add the wine, water, and strained lemon-juice. Crush the lumps of sugar that were rubbed on the lemon; stir these into the sauce, which should be very sweet. When these ingredients are well mixed, and the sugar is melted, put in the beaten yolks of 4 eggs; keep stirring the sauce until it thickens, when serve. Do not, on any account, allow it to boil, or it will curdle, and be entirely spoiled.

Time.—Altogether, 15 minutes. Average cost, 1s. 2d.

Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.

SOYER'S SAUCE FOR PLUM-PUDDING.

1359. INGREDIENTS.—The yolks of 3 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of powdered sugar, 1 gill of milk, a very little grated lemon-rind, 2 small wineglassfuls of brandy.

Mode.—Separate the yolks from the whites of 3 eggs, and put the former into a stewpan; add the sugar, milk, and grated lemon-rind, and stir over the fire until the mixture thickens; but do not allow it to boil. Put in the brandy; let the sauce stand by the side of the fire, to get quite hot; keep stirring it, and serve in a boat or tureen separately, or pour it over the pudding.

Time.—Altogether, 10 minutes. Average cost, 1s.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

SWEET SAUCE FOR PUDDINGS.

1360. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 pint of melted butter made with milk, 4 heaped teaspoonfuls of pounded sugar, flavouring; of grated lemon-rind, or nutmeg, or cinnamon.

Mode.—Make 1/2 pint of melted butter by recipe No. 380, omitting the salt; stir in the sugar, add a little grated lemon-rind, nutmeg, or powdered cinnamon, and serve. Previously to making the melted butter, the milk can be flavoured with bitter almonds, by infusing about half a dozen of them in it for about 1/2 hour; the milk should then be strained before it is added to the other ingredients. This simple sauce may be served for children with rice, batter, or bread pudding.

Time.—Altogether, 15 minutes. Average cost, 4d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

VANILLA CUSTARD SAUCE, to serve with Puddings.

1361. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 pint of milk, 2 eggs, 2 oz. of sugar, 10 drops of essence of vanilla.

Mode.—Beat the eggs, sweeten the milk; stir these ingredients well together, and flavour them with essence of vanilla, regulating the proportion of this latter ingredient by the strength of the essence, the size of the eggs, &c. Put the mixture into a small jug, place this jug in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir the sauce one way until it thickens; but do not allow it to boil, or it will instantly curdle. Serve in a boat or tureen separately, with plum, bread, or any kind of dry pudding. Essence of bitter almonds or lemon-rind may be substituted for the vanilla, when they are more in accordance with the flavouring of the pudding with which the sauce is intended to be served.

Time.—To be stirred in the jug from 8 to 10 minutes.

Average cost, 4d.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

AN EXCELLENT WINE SAUCE FOR PUDDINGS.

1362. INGREDIENTS.—The yolks of 4 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of flour, 2 oz. of pounded sugar, 2 oz. of fresh butter, 1/4 saltspoonful of salt, 1/2 pint of sherry or Madeira.

Mode.—Put the butter and flour into a saucepan, and stir them over the fire until the former thickens; then add the sugar, salt, and wine, and mix these ingredients well together. Separate the yolks from the whites of 4 eggs; beat up the former, and stir them briskly to the sauce; let it remain over the fire until it is on the point of simmering; but do not allow it to boil, or it will instantly curdle. This sauce is delicious with plum, marrow, or bread puddings; but should be served separately, and not poured over the pudding.

Time.—From 5 to 7 minutes to thicken the butter; about 5 minutes to stir the sauce over the fire.

Average cost, 1s. 10d.

Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.

WINE OR BRANDY SAUCE FOR PUDDINGS.

1363. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 pint of melted butter No. 377, 3 heaped teaspoonfuls of pounded sugar; 1 large wineglassful of port or sherry, or 3/4 of a small glassful of brandy.

Mode.—Make 1/2 pint of melted butter by recipe No. 377, omitting the salt; then stir in the sugar and wine or spirit in the above proportion, and bring the sauce to the point of boiling. Serve in a boat or tureen separately, and, if liked, pour a little of it over the pudding. To convert this into punch sauce, add to the sherry and brandy a small wineglassful of rum and the juice and grated rind of 1/2 lemon. Liqueurs, such as Maraschino or Curacoa substituted for the brandy, make excellent sauces.

Time.—Altogether, 15 minutes. Average cost, 8d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

WINE SAUCE FOR PUDDINGS.

1364. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 pint of sherry, 1/4 pint of water, the yolks of 6 eggs, 2 oz. of pounded sugar, 1/2 teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, a few pieces of candied citron cut thin.

Mode.—Separate the yolks from the whites of 5 eggs; beat them, and put them into a very clean saucepan (if at hand, a lined one is best); add all the other ingredients, place them over a sharp fire, and keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken; then take it off and serve. If it is allowed to boil, it will be spoiled, as it will immediately curdle.

Time.—To be stirred over the fire 3 or 4 minutes; but it must not boil.

Average cost, 2s.

Sufficient for a large pudding; allow half this quantity for a moderate-sized one.

Seasonable at any time.

OPEN TART OF STRAWBERRY OR ANY OTHER KIND OF PRESERVE.



1365. INGREDIENTS.—Trimmings of puff-paste, any kind of jam.

Mode.—Butter a tart-pan of the shape shown in the engraving, roll out the paste to the thickness of 1/2 an inch, and line the pan with it; prick a few holes at the bottom with a fork, and bake the tart in a brisk oven from 10 to 15 minutes. Let the paste cool a little; then fill it with preserve, place a few stars or leaves on it, which have been previously cut out of the paste and baked, and the tart is ready for table. By making it in this manner, both the flavour and colour of the jam are preserved, which would otherwise be lost, were it baked in the oven on the paste; and, besides, so much jam is not required.

Time.—10 to 15 minutes. Average cost, 8d.

Sufficient.—1 tart for 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.

STRAWBERRY.—The name of this favourite fruit is said to be derived from an ancient custom of putting straw beneath the fruit when it began to ripen, which is very useful to keep it moist and clean. The strawberry belongs to temperate and rather cold climates; and no fruit of these latitudes, that ripens without the aid of artificial heat, is at all comparable with it in point of flavour. The strawberry is widely diffused, being found in most parts of the world, particularly in Europe and America.

QUICKLY-MADE PUDDINGS.

1366. INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of butter, 1/2 lb. of sifted sugar, 1/4 lb. of flour, 1 pint of milk, 5 eggs, a little grated lemon-rind.

Mode.—Make the milk hot; stir in the butter, and let it cool before the other ingredients are added to it; then stir in the sugar, flour, and eggs, which should be well whisked, and omit the whites of 2; flavour with a little grated lemon-rind, and beat the mixture well. Butter some small cups, rather more than half fill them; bake from 20 minutes to 1/2 hour, according to the size of the puddings, and serve with fruit, custard, or wine sauce, a little of which may be poured over them.

Time.—20 minutes to 1/2 hour. Average cost, 1s. 2d.

Sufficient for 6 puddings. Seasonable at any time.

SAGO PUDDING.

1367. INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 pint of milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of sago, the rind of 1/2 lemon, 3 oz. of sugar, 4 eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, grated nutmeg, puff-paste.

Mode.—Put the milk and lemon-rind into a stewpan, place it by the side of the fire, and let it remain until the milk is well flavoured with the lemon; then strain it, mix with it the sago and sugar, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Let the mixture cool a little, and stir to it the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the butter. Line the edges of a pie-dish with puff-paste, pour in the pudding, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake from 3/4 to 1 hour.

Time.—3/4 to 1 hour, or longer if the oven is very slow.

Average cost, 1s.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

Note.—The above pudding may be boiled instead of baked; but then allow 2 extra tablespoonfuls of sago, and boil the pudding in a buttered basin from 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hour.

SAGO.—Sago is the pith of a species of palm (Cycas circinalis). Its form is that of a small round grain. There are two sorts of sago,—the white and the yellow; but their properties are the same. Sago absorbs the liquid in which it is cooked, becomes transparent and soft, and retains its original shape. Its alimentary properties are the same as those of tapioca and arrowroot.

SAGO SAUCE FOR SWEET PUDDINGS.

1368. INGREDIENTS.—1 tablespoonful of sago, 1/3 pint of water, 1/4 pint of port or sherry, the rind and juice of 1 small lemon, sugar to taste; when the flavour is liked, a little pounded cinnamon.

Mode.—Wash the sago in two or three waters; then put it into a saucepan, with the water and lemon-peel; let it simmer gently by the side of the fire for 10 minutes; then take out the lemon-peel, add the remaining ingredients, give one boil, and serve. Be particular to strain the lemon-juice before adding it to the sauce. This, on trial, will be found a delicious accompaniment to various boiled puddings, such as those made of bread, raisins, rice, &c.

Time.—10 minutes. Average cost, 9d.

Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.

BAKED SEMOLINA PUDDING.

1369. INGREDIENTS.—3 oz. of semolina, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 1/4 lb. of sugar, 12 bitter almonds, 3 oz. of butter, 4 eggs.

Mode.—Flavour the milk with the bitter almonds, by infusing them in it by the side of the fire for about 1/2 hour; then strain it, and mix with it the semolina, sugar, and butter. Stir these ingredients over the fire for a few minutes; then take them off, and gradually mix in the eggs, which should be well beaten. Butter a pie-dish, line the edges with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake in rather a slow oven from 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with custard sauce or stewed fruit, a little of which may be poured over the pudding.

Time.—40 to 50 minutes. Average cost, 1s. 2d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

SEMOLINA.—After vermicelli, semolina is the most useful ingredient that can be used for thickening soups, meat or vegetable, of rich or simple quality. Semolina is softening, light, wholesome, easy of digestion, and adapted to the infant, the aged, and the invalid. That of a clear yellow colour, well dried and newly made, is the fittest for use.

TAPIOCA PUDDING.

1370. INGREDIENTS.—3 oz. of tapioca, 1 quart of milk, 2 oz. of butter, 1/4 lb. of sugar, 4 eggs, flavouring of vanilla, grated lemon-rind, or bitter almonds.

Mode.—Wash the tapioca, and let it stew gently in the milk by the side of the fire for 1/4 hour, occasionally stirring it; then let it cool a little; mix with it the butter, sugar, and eggs, which should be well beaten, and flavour with either of the above ingredients, putting in about 12 drops of the essence of almonds or vanilla, whichever is preferred. Butter a pie-dish, and line the edges with puff-paste; put in the pudding, and bake in a moderate oven for an hour. If the pudding is boiled, add a little more tapioca, and boil it in a buttered basin 1-1/2 hour.

Time.—1 hour to bake, 1-1/2 hour to boil.

Average cost, 1s. 2d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

TAPIOCA.—Tapioca is recommended to the convalescent, as being easy of digestion. It may be used in soup or broth, or mixed with milk or water, and butter. It is excellent food for either the healthy or sick, for the reason that it is so quickly digested without fatigue to the stomach.

TARTLETS.

1371. INGREDIENTS.—Trimmings of puff-paste, any jam or marmalade that may be preferred.



Mode.—Roll out the paste to the thickness of about 1/2 inch; butter some small round patty-pans, line them with it, and cut off the superfluous paste close to the edge of the pan. Put a small piece of bread into each tartlet (this is to keep them in shape), and bake in a brisk oven for about 10 minutes, or rather longer. When they are done, and are of a nice colour, take the pieces of bread out carefully, and replace them by a spoonful of jam or marmalade. Dish them high on a white d'oyley, piled high in the centre, and serve.

Time.—10 to 15 minutes. Average cost, 1d. each. Sufficient.—1 lb. of paste will make 2 dishes of tartlets. Seasonable at any time.

ROLLED TREACLE PUDDING.

1372. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of suet crust No. 1215, 1 lb. of treacle, 1/2 teaspoonful of grated ginger.

Mode.—Make, with 1 lb. of flour, a suet crust by recipe No. 1215; roll it out to the thickness of 1/2 inch, and spread the treacle equally over it, leaving a small margin where the paste joins; close the ends securely, tie the pudding in a floured cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for 2 hours. We have inserted this pudding, being economical, and a favourite one with children; it is, of course, only suitable for a nursery, or very plain family dinner. Made with a lard instead of a suet crust, it would be very nice baked, and would be sufficiently done in from 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Time.—Boiled pudding, 2 hours; baked pudding, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Average cost, 7d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

MEAT OR SAUSAGE ROLLS.

1373. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of puff-paste No. 1206, sausage-meat No. 837, the yolk of 1 egg.

Mode.—Make 1 lb. of puff-paste by recipe No. 1206; roll it out to the thickness of about 1/2 inch, or rather less, and divide it into 8, 10, or 12 squares, according to the size the rolls are intended to be. Place some sausage-meat on one-half of each square, wet the edges of the paste, and fold it over the meat; slightly press the edges together, and trim them neatly with a knife. Brush the rolls over with the yolk of an egg, and bake them in a well-heated oven for about 1/2 hour, or longer should they be very large. The remains of cold chicken and ham, minced and seasoned, as also cold veal or beef, make very good rolls.

Time.—1/2 hour, or longer if the rolls are large.

Average cost, 1s. 6d.

Sufficient.—1 lb. of paste for 10 or 12 rolls.

Seasonable, with sausage-meat, from September to March or April.

SOMERSETSHIRE PUDDINGS.

1374. INGREDIENTS.—3 eggs, their weight in flour, pounded sugar and butter, flavouring of grated lemon-rind, bitter almonds, or essence of vanilla.

Mode.—Carefully weigh the various ingredients, by placing on one side of the scales the eggs, and on the other the flour; then the sugar, and then the butter. Warm the butter, and with the hands beat it to a cream; gradually dredge in the flour and pounded sugar, and keep stirring and beating the mixture without ceasing until it is perfectly smooth. Then add the eggs, which should be well whisked, and either of the above flavourings that may be preferred; butter some small cups, rather more than half-fill them, and bake in a brisk oven for about 1/2 hour. Turn them out, dish them on a napkin, and serve custard or wine-sauce with them. A pretty little supper-dish may be made of these puddings cold, by cutting out a portion of the inside with the point of a knife, and putting into the cavity a little whipped cream or delicate preserve, such as apricot, greengage, or very bright marmalade. The paste for these puddings requires a great deal of mixing, as the more it is beaten, the better will the puddings be. When served cold, they are usually called gateaux a la Madeleine.

Time.—1/2 hour. Average cost, 10d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 puddings. Seasonable at any time.

SUET PUDDING, to serve with Roast Meat.

1375. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 6 oz. of finely-chopped suet, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, 1/2 saltspoonful of pepper, 1/2 pint of milk or water.

Mode.—Chop the suet very finely, after freeing it from skin, and mix it well with the flour; add the salt and pepper (this latter ingredient may be omitted if the flavour is not liked), and make the whole into a smooth paste with the above proportion of milk or water. Tie the pudding in a floured cloth, or put it into a buttered basin, and boil from 2-1/2 to 3 hours. To enrich it, substitute 3 beaten eggs for some of the milk or water, and increase the proportion of suet.

Time.—2-1/2 to 3 hours. Average cost, 6d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

Note.—When there is a joint roasting or baking, this pudding may be boiled in a long shape, and then cut into slices a few minutes before dinner is served: these slices should be laid in the dripping-pan for a minute or two, and then browned before the fire. Most children like this accompaniment to roast meat. Where there is a large family of children, and the means of keeping them are limited, it is a most economical plan to serve up the pudding before the meat: as, in this case, the consumption of the latter article will be much smaller than it otherwise would be.

SUSSEX, or HARD DUMPLINGS.

1376. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 1/2 pint of water, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt.

Mode.—Mix the flour and water together to a smooth paste, previously adding a small quantity of salt. Form this into small round dumplings; drop them into boiling water, and boil from 1/2 to 3/4 hour. They may be served with roast or boiled meat; in the latter case they may be cooked with the meat, but should be dropped into the water when it is quite boiling.

Time.—1/2 to 3/4 hour.

Sufficient for 10 or 12 dumplings. Seasonable at any time.

VERMICELLI PUDDING.

1377. INGREDIENTS.—4 oz. of vermicelli, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 1/2 pint of cream, 3 oz. of butter, 3 oz. of sugar, 4 eggs.

Mode.—Boil the vermicelli in the milk until it is tender; then stir in the remaining ingredients, omitting the cream, if not obtainable. Flavour the mixture with grated lemon-rind, essence of bitter almonds, or vanilla; butter a pie-dish; line the edges with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake in a moderate oven for about 3/4 hour.

Time.—3/4 hour.

Average cost, 1s. 2d. without cream.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Seasonable at any time.

VERMICELLI.—The finest vermicelli comes from Marseilles, Nimes, and Montpellier. It is a nourishing food, and owes its name to its peculiar thread-like form. Vermicelli means, little worms.

VICARAGE PUDDING.

1378. INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of flour, 1/4 lb. of chopped suet, 1/4 lb. of currants, 1/4 lb. of raisins, 1 tablespoonful of moist sugar, 1/2 teaspoonful of ground ginger, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt.

Mode.—Put all the ingredients into a basin, having previously stoned the raisins, and washed, picked, and dried the currants; mix well with a clean knife; dip the pudding-cloth into boiling water, wring it out, and put in the mixture. Have ready a saucepan of boiling water, plunge in the pudding, and boil for 3 hours. Turn it out on the dish, and serve with sifted sugar.

Time.—3 hours.

Average cost, 8d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Seasonable.—Suitable for a winter pudding.

VOL-AU-VENT (an Entree).

1379. INGREDIENTS.—3/4 to 1 lb. of puff-paste No. 1208, fricasseed chickens, rabbits, ragouts, or the remains of cold fish, flaked and warmed in thick white sauce.



Mode.—Make from 3/4 to 1 lb. of puff-paste, by recipe No. 1208, taking care that it is very evenly rolled out each time, to insure its rising properly; and if the paste is not extremely light, and put into a good hot oven, this cannot be accomplished, and the vol-au-vent will look very badly. Roll out the paste to the thickness of about 1-1/2 inch, and, with a fluted cutter, stamp it out to the desired shape, either round or oval, and, with the point of a small knife, make a slight incision in the paste all round the top, about an inch from the edge, which, when baked, forms the lid. Put the vol-au-vent into a good brisk oven, and keep the door shut for a few minutes after it is put in. Particular attention should he paid to the heating of the oven, for the paste cannot rise without a tolerable degree of heat When of a nice colour, without being scorched, withdraw it from the oven, instantly remove the cover where it was marked, and detach all the soft crumb from the centre: in doing this, be careful not to break the edges of the vol-au-vent; but should they look thin in places, stop them with small flakes of the inside paste, stuck on with the white of an egg. This precaution is necessary to prevent the fricassee or ragout from bursting the case, and so spoiling the appearance of the dish. Fill the vol-au-vent with a rich mince, or fricassee, or ragout, or the remains of cold fish flaked and warmed in a good white sauce, and do not make them very liquid, for fear of the gravy bursting the crust: replace the lid, and serve. To improve the appearance of the crust, brush it over with the yolk of an egg after it has risen properly.—See coloured plate O1.

Time.—3/4 hour to bake the vol-au-vent.

Average cost, exclusive of interior, 1s. 6d.

Seasonable at any time.



Note.—Small vol-au-vents may be made like those shown in the engraving, and filled with minced veal, chicken, &c. They should be made of the same paste as the larger ones, and stamped out with a small fluted cutter.

SWEET VOL-AU-VENT OF PLUMS, APPLES, OR ANY OTHER FRESH FRUIT.

1380. INGREDIENTS.—3/4 lb. of puff-paste No. 1208, about 1 pint of fruit compote.

Mode.—Make 1/2 lb. of puff-paste by recipe No. 1208, taking care to bake it in a good brisk oven, to draw it up nicely and make it look light. Have ready sufficient stewed fruit, the syrup of which must be boiled down until very thick; fill the vol-au-vent with this, and pile it high in the centre; powder a little sugar over it, and put it back in the oven to glaze, or use a salamander for the purpose: the vol-au-vent is then ready to serve. They may be made with any fruit that is in season, such as rhubarb, oranges, gooseberries, currants, cherries, apples, &c.; but care must be taken not to have the syrup too thin, for fear of its breaking through the crust.

Time.—1/2 hour to 40 minutes to bake the vol-au-vent.

Average cost, exclusive of the compote, 1s. 1d.

Sufficient for 1 entremets.

VOL-AU-VENT OF FRESH STRAWBERRIES WITH WHIPPED CREAM.

1381. INGREDIENTS.—3/4 lb. of puff-paste No. 1208, 1 pint of freshly-gathered strawberries, sugar to taste, a plateful of whipped cream.

Mode.—Make a vol-au-vent case by recipe No. 1379, only not quite so large nor so high as for a savoury one. When nearly done, brush the paste over with the white of an egg, then sprinkle on it some pounded sugar, and put it back in the oven to set the glaze. Remove the interior, or soft crumb, and, at the moment of serving, fill it with the strawberries, which should be picked, and broken up with sufficient sugar to sweeten them nicely. Place a few spoonfuls of whipped cream on the top, and serve.

Time.—1/2 hour to 40 minutes to bake the vol-au-vent.

Average cost, 2s. 3d.

Sufficient for 1 vol-au-vent.

Seasonable in June and July.

STRAWBERRY.—Among the Greeks, the name of the strawberry indicated its tenuity, this fruit forming hardly a mouthful. With the Latins, the name reminded one of the delicious perfume of this plant. Both nations were equally fond of it, and applied the same care to its cultivation. Virgil appears to place it in the same rank with flowers; and Ovid gives it a tender epithet, which delicate palates would not disavow. Neither does this luxurious poet forget the wild strawberry, which disappears beneath its modest foliage, but whose presence the scented air reveals.

WEST-INDIAN PUDDING.

1382. INGREDIENTS.—1 pint of cream, 1/2 lb. of loaf-sugar, 1/2 lb. of Savoy or sponge-cakes, 8 eggs, 3 oz. of preserved green ginger. Mode.—Crumble down the cakes, put them into a basin, and pour over them the cream, which should be previously sweetened and brought to the boiling-point; cover the basin, well beat the eggs, and when the cream is soaked up, stir them in. Butter a mould, arrange the ginger round it, pour in the pudding carefully, and tie it down with a cloth; steam or boil it slowly for 1-1/2 hour, and serve with the syrup from the ginger, which should be warmed, and poured over the pudding.

Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, with cream at 1s. per pint, 2s. 8d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

YEAST DUMPLINGS.

1383. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 quartern of dough, boiling water.

Mode.—Make a very light dough as for bread, using to mix it, milk, instead of water; divide it into 7 or 8 dumplings; plunge them into boiling water, and boil them for 20 minutes. Serve the instant they are taken up, as they spoil directly, by falling and becoming heavy; and in eating them do not touch them with a knife, but tear them apart with two forks. They may be eaten with meat gravy, or cold butter and sugar, and if not convenient to make the dough at home, a little from the baker's answers as well, only it must be placed for a few minutes near the fire, in a basin with a cloth over it, to let it rise again before it is made into dumplings.

Time.—20 minutes. Average cost, 4d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

YEAST consists principally of a substance very similar in composition, and in many of its sensible properties, to gluten; and, when new or fresh, it is inflated and rendered frothy by a large quantity of carbonic acid. When mixed with wort, this substance acts upon the saccharine matter; the temperature rises, carbonic acid is disengaged, and the result is ale, which always contains a considerable proportion of alcohol, or spirit. The quantity of yeast employed in brewing ale being small, the saccharine matter is but imperfectly decomposed: hence a considerable portion of it remains in the liquor, and gives it that viscid quality and body for which it is remarkable. The fermenting property of yeast is weakened by boiling for ten minutes, and is entirely destroyed by continuing the boiling. Alcohol poured upon it likewise renders it inert; on which account its power lessens as the alcohol is formed during fermentation.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING, to serve with hot Roast Beef.

1384. INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 pint of milk, 6 large tablespoonfuls of flour, 3 eggs, 1 saltspoonful of salt.



Mode.—Put the flour into a basin with the salt, and stir gradually to this enough milk to make it into a stiff batter. When this is perfectly smooth, and all the lumps are well rubbed down, add the remainder of the milk and the eggs, which should be well beaten. Beat the mixture for a few minutes, and pour it into a shallow tin, which has been previously well rubbed with beef dripping. Put the pudding into the oven, and bake it for an hour; then, for another 1/2 hour, place it under the meat, to catch a little of the gravy that flows from it. Cut the pudding into small square pieces, put them on a hot dish, and serve. If the meat is baked, the pudding may at once be placed under it, resting the former on a small three-cornered stand.

Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, 7d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.



CHAPTER XXVIII.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON CREAMS, JELLIES, SOUFFLES, OMELETS, & SWEET DISHES.

1385. CREAMS.—The yellowish-white, opaque fluid, smooth and unctuous to the touch, which separates itself from new milk, and forms a layer on its surface, when removed by skimming, is employed in a variety of culinary preparations. The analyses of the contents of cream have been decided to be, in 100 parts—butter, 3.5; curd, or matter of cheese, 3.5; whey, 92.0. That cream contains an oil, is evinced by its staining clothes in the manner of oil; and when boiled for some time, a little oil floats upon the surface. The thick animal oil which it contains, the well-known butter, is separated only by agitation, as in the common process of churning, and the cheesy matter remains blended with the whey in the state of buttermilk. Of the several kinds of cream, the principal are the Devonshire and Dutch clotted creams, the Costorphin cream, and the Scotch sour cream. The Devonshire cream is produced by nearly boiling the milk in shallow tin vessels over a charcoal fire, and kept in that state until the whole of the cream is thrown up. It is used for eating with fruits and tarts. The cream from Costorphin, a village of that name near Edinburgh, is accelerated in its separation from three or four days' old milk, by a certain degree of heat; and the Dutch clotted cream—a coagulated mass in which a spoon will stand upright—is manufactured from fresh-drawn milk, which is put into a pan, and stirred with a spoon two or three times a day, to prevent the cream from separating from the milk. The Scotch "sour cream" is a misnomer; for it is a material produced without cream. A small tub filled with skimmed milk is put into a larger one, containing hot water, and after remaining there all night, the thin milk (called wigg) is drawn off, and the remainder of the contents of the smaller vessel is "sour cream."

1386. JELLIES are not the nourishing food they were at one time considered to be, and many eminent physicians are of opinion that they are less digestible than the flesh, or muscular part of animals; still, when acidulated with lemon-juice and flavoured with wine, they are very suitable for some convalescents. Vegetable jelly is a distinct principle, existing in fruits, which possesses the property of gelatinizing when boiled and cooled; but it is a principle entirely different from the gelatine of animal bodies, although the name of jelly, common to both, sometimes leads to an erroneous idea on that subject. Animal jelly, or gelatine, is glue, whereas vegetable jelly is rather analogous to gum. Liebig places gelatine very low indeed in the scale of usefulness. He says, "Gelatine, which by itself is tasteless, and when eaten, excites nausea, possesses no nutritive value; that, even when accompanied by the savoury constituents of flesh, it is not capable of supporting the vital process, and when added to the usual diet as a substitute for plastic matter, does not increase, but, on the contrary, diminishes the nutritive value of the food, which it renders insufficient in quantity and inferior in quality." It is this substance which is most frequently employed in the manufacture of the jellies supplied by the confectioner; but those prepared at home from calves' feet do possess some nutrition, and are the only sort that should be given to invalids. Isinglass is the purest variety of gelatine, and is prepared from the sounds or swimming-bladders of certain fish, chiefly the sturgeon. From its whiteness it is mostly used for making blanc-mange and similar dishes.

1387. THE WHITE OF EGGS is perhaps the best substance that can be employed in clarifying jelly, as well as some other fluids, for the reason that when albumen (and the white of eggs is nearly pure albumen) is put into a liquid that is muddy, from substances suspended in it, on boiling the liquid, the albumen coagulates in a flocculent manner, and, entangling with it the impurities, rises with them to the surface as a scum, or sinks to the bottom, according to their weight.

1388. SOUFFLES, OMELETS, AND SWEET DISHES, in which eggs form the principal ingredient, demand, for their successful manufacture, an experienced cook. They are the prettiest, but most difficult of all entremets. The most essential thing to insure success is to secure the best ingredients from an honest tradesman. The entremets coming within the above classification, are healthy, nourishing, and pleasant to the taste, and may be eaten with safety by persons of the most delicate stomachs.



RECIPES.

CHAPTER XXIX.

BAKED APPLE CUSTARD.

1389. INGREDIENTS.—1 dozen large apples, moist sugar to taste, 1 small teacupful of cold water, the grated rind of one lemon, 1 pint of milk, 4 eggs, 2 oz. of loaf sugar.

Mode.—Peel, cut, and core the apples; put them into a lined saucepan with the cold water, and as they heat, bruise them to a pulp; sweeten with moist sugar, and add the grated lemon-rind. When cold, put the fruit at the bottom of a pie-dish, and pour over it a custard, made with the above proportion of milk, eggs, and sugar; grate a little nutmeg over the top, place the dish in a moderate oven, and bake from 25 to 35 minutes. The above proportions will make rather a large dish.

Time.—25 to 35 minutes.

Average cost, 1s. 4d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

Seasonable from July to March.

BUTTERED APPLES (Sweet Entremets).

1390. INGREDIENTS.—Apple marmalade No. 1395, 6 or 7 good boiling apples, 1/2 pint of water, 6 oz. of sugar, 2 oz. of butter, a little apricot jam.

Mode.—Pare the apples, and take out the cores without dividing them; boil up the sugar and water for a few minutes; then lay in the apples, and simmer them very gently until tender, taking care not to let them break. Have ready sufficient marmalade made by recipe No. 1395, and flavoured with lemon, to cover the bottom of the dish; arrange the apples on this with a piece of butter placed in each, and in between them a few spoonfuls of apricot jam or marmalade; place the dish in the oven for 10 minutes, then sprinkle over the top sifted sugar; either brown it before the fire or with a salamander, and serve hot.

Time.—From 20 to 30 minutes to stew the apples very gently, 10 minutes in the oven.

Average cost, 1s. 6d.

Sufficient for 1 entremets.

Note.—The syrup that the apples were boiled in should be saved for another occasion.

FLANC OF APPLES, or APPLES IN A RAISED CRUST.

(Sweet Entremets.)

1391. INGREDIENTS.—3/4 lb. of short crust No. 1211 or 1212, 9 moderate-sized apples, the rind and juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 lb. of white sugar, 3/4 pint of water, a few strips of candied citron.

Mode.—Make a short crust by either of the above recipes; roll it out to the thickness of 1/2 inch, and butter an oval mould; line it with the crust, and press it carefully all round the sides, to obtain the form of the mould, but be particular not to break the paste. Pinch the part that just rises above the mould with the paste-pincers, and fill the case with flour; bake it for about 3/4 hour; then take it out of the oven, remove the flour, put the case back in the oven for another 1/4 hour, and do not allow it to get scorched. It is now ready for the apples, which should be prepared in the following manner: peel, and take out the cores with a small knife, or a cutter for the purpose, without dividing the apples; put them into a small lined saucepan, just capable of holding them, with sugar, water, lemon juice and rind, in the above proportion. Let them simmer very gently until tender; then take out the apples, let them cool, arrange them in the flanc or case, and boil down the syrup until reduced to a thick jelly; pour it over the apples, and garnish them with a few slices of candied citron.

1392. A MORE SIMPLE FLANC may be made by rolling out the paste, cutting the bottom of a round or oval shape, and then a narrow strip for the sides: these should be stuck on with the white of an egg, to the bottom piece, and the flanc then filled with raw fruit, with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely. It will not require so long baking as in a mould; but the crust must be made everywhere of an equal thickness, and so perfectly joined, that the juice does not escape. This dish may also be served hot, and should be garnished in the same manner, or a little melted apricot jam may be poured over the apples, which very much improves their flavour.

Time.—Altogether, 1 hour to bake the flanc from 30 to 40 minutes to stew the apples very gently.

Average cost, 1s. 6d.

Sufficient for 1 entremets or side-dish.

Seasonable from July to March.

APPLE FRITTERS.

1393. INGREDIENTS.—For the batter, 1/2 lb. of flour, 1/2 oz. of butter, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, 2 eggs, milk, apples, hot lard or clarified beef-dripping.

Mode.—Break the eggs; separate the whites from the yolks, and beat them separately. Put the flour into a basin, stir in the butter, which should be melted to a cream; add the salt, and moisten with sufficient warm milk to make it of a proper consistency, that is to say, a batter that will drop from the spoon. Stir this well, rub down any lumps that may be seen, and add the whites of the eggs, which have been previously well whisked; beat up the batter for a few minutes, and it is ready for use. Now peel and cut the apples into rather thick whole slices, without dividing them, and stamp out the middle of each slice, where the core is, with a cutter. Throw the slices into the batter; have ready a pan of boiling lard or clarified dripping; take out the pieces of apple one by one, put them into the hot lard, and fry a nice brown, turning them—when required. When done, lay them on a piece of blotting-paper before the fire, to absorb the greasy moisture; then dish on a white d'oyley, piled one above the other; strew over them some pounded sugar, and serve very hot. The flavour of the fritters would be very much improved by soaking the pieces of apple in a little wine, mixed with sugar and lemon-juice, for 3 or 4 hours before wanted for table; the batter, also, is better for being mixed some hours before the fritters are made.

Time.—About 10 minutes to fry them; 5 minutes to drain them.

Average cost, 9d.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Seasonable from July to March.

ICED APPLES, or APPLE HEDGEHOG.

1394. INGREDIENTS.—About 3 dozen good boiling apples, 1/2 lb. of sugar, 1/2 pint of water, the rind of 1/2 lemon minced very fine, the whites of 2 eggs, 3 tablespoonfuls of pounded sugar, a few sweet almonds.

Mode.—Peel and core a dozen of the apples without dividing them, and stew them very gently in a lined saucepan with 1/2 lb. of sugar and 1/2 pint of water, and when tender, lift them carefully on to a dish. Have ready the remainder of the apples pared, cored, and cut into thin slices; put them into the same syrup with the lemon-peel, and boil gently until they are reduced to a marmalade: they must be kept stirred, to prevent them from burning. Cover the bottom of a dish with some of the marmalade, and over that a layer of the stewed apples, in the insides of which, and between each, place some of the marmalade; then place another layer of apples, and fill up the cavities with marmalade as before, forming the whole into a raised oval shape. Whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, mix with them the pounded sugar, and cover the apples very smoothly all over with the icing; blanch and cut each almond into 4 or 5 strips; place these strips at equal distances over the icing sticking up; strew over a little rough pounded sugar, and place the dish in a very slow oven, to colour the almonds, and for the apples to get warm through. This entremets may also be served cold, and makes a pretty supper-dish.

Time.—From 20 to 30 minutes to stew the apples.

Average cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Seasonable from July to March.

THICK APPLE JELLY OR MARMALADE, for Entremets or Dessert Dishes.

1395. INGREDIENTS.—Apples; to every lb. of pulp allow 3/4 lb. of sugar, 1/2 teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel.



Mode.—Peel, core, and boil the apples with only sufficient water to prevent them from burning; beat them to a pulp, and to every lb. of pulp allow the above proportion of sugar in lumps. Dip the lumps into water; put these into a saucepan, and boil till the syrup is thick and can be well skimmed; then add this syrup to the apple pulp, with the minced lemon-peel, and stir it over a quick fire for about 20 minutes, or until the apples cease to stick to the bottom of the pan. The jelly is then done, and may be poured into moulds which have been previously dipped in water, when it will turn out nicely for dessert or a side-dish; for the latter a little custard should be poured round, and it should be garnished with strips of citron or stuck with blanched almonds.

Time.—From 1/2 to 3/4 hour to reduce the apples to a pulp; 20 minutes to boil after the sugar is added.

Sufficient.—1-1/2 lb. of apples sufficient for a small mould.

Seasonable from July to March; but is best in September, October or November.

CLEAR APPLE JELLY.

1396. INGREDIENTS.—2 dozen apples, 1-1/2 pint of spring-water; to every pint of juice allow 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar, 1/2 oz. of isinglass, the rind of 1/2 lemon.

Mode.—Pare, core, and cut the apples into quarters, and boil them, with the lemon-peel, until tender; then strain off the apples, and run the juice through a jelly-bag; put the strained juice, with the sugar and isinglass, which has been previously boiled in 1/2 pint of water, into a lined saucepan or preserving-pan; boil all together for about 1/4 hour, and put the jelly into moulds. When this jelly is nice and clear, and turned out well, it makes a pretty addition to the supper-table, with a little custard or whipped cream round it: the addition of a little lemon-juice improves the flavour, but it is apt to render the jelly muddy and thick. If required to be kept any length of time, rather a larger proportion of sugar must be used.

Time.—From 1 to 1-1/2 hour to boil the apples; 1/4 hour the jelly.

Average cost, 1s. 6d.

Sufficient for a 1-1/2-pint mould.

Seasonable from July to March.

A PRETTY DISH OF APPLES AND RICE.

1397. INGREDIENTS.—6 oz. of rice, 1 quart of milk, the rind of 1/2 lemon, sugar to taste, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, 8 apples, 1/4 lb. of sugar, 1/4 pint of water, 1/2 pint of boiled custard No. 1423.

Mode.—Flavour the milk with lemon-rind, by boiling them together for a few minutes; then take out the peel, and put in the rice, with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely, and boil gently until the rice is quite soft; then let it cool. In the mean time pare, quarter, and core the apples, and boil them until tender in a syrup made with sugar and water in the above proportion; and, when soft, lift them out on a sieve to drain. Now put a middling-sized gallipot in the centre of a dish; lay the rice all round till the top of the gallipot is reached; smooth the rice with the back of a spoon, and stick the apples into it in rows, one row sloping to the right and the next to the left. Set it in the oven to colour the apples; then, when required for table, remove the gallipot, garnish the rice with preserved fruits, and pour in the middle sufficient custard, made by recipe No. 1423, to be level with the top of the rice, and serve hot.

Time.—From 20 to 30 minutes to stew the apples; 3/4 hour to simmer the rice; 1/4 hour to bake.

Average cost, 1s. 6d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Seasonable from July to March.

APPLES A LA PORTUGAISE.

1398. INGREDIENTS.—8 good boiling apples, 1/2 pint of water, 6 oz. of sugar, a layer of apple marmalade No. 1395, 8 preserved cherries, garnishing of apricot jam.

Mode.—Peel the apples, and, with a vegetable-cutter, push out the cores; boil them in the above proportion of sugar and water, without being too much done, and take care they do not break. Have ready a white apple marmalade, made by recipe No. 1395; cover the bottom of the dish with this, level it, and lay the apples in a sieve to drain, pile them neatly on the marmalade, making them high in the centre, and place a preserved cherry in the middle of each. Garnish with strips of candied citron or apricot jam, and the dish is ready for table.

Time.—From 20 to SO minutes to stew the apples.

Average cost, 1s. 3d.

Sufficient for 1 entremets.

Seasonable from July to March.

APPLES IN RED JELLY.

(A pretty Supper Dish.)

1399. INGREDIENTS.—6 good-sized apples, 12 cloves, pounded sugar, 1 lemon, 2 teacupfuls of water, 1 tablespoonful of gelatine, a few drops of prepared cochineal.

Mode.—Choose rather large apples; peel them and take out the cores, either with a scoop or a small silver knife, and put into each apple 2 cloves and as much sifted sugar as they will hold. Place them, without touching each other, in a large pie-dish; add more white sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, and 2 teacupfuls of water. Bake in the oven, with a dish over them, until they are done. Look at them frequently, and, as each apple is cooked, place it in a glass dish. They must not be left in the oven after they are done, or they will break, and so would spoil the appearance of the dish. When the apples are neatly arranged in the dish without touching each other, strain the liquor in which they have been stewing, into a lined saucepan; add to it the rind of the lemon, and a tablespoonful of gelatine which has been previously dissolved in cold water, and, if not sweet, a little more sugar, and 6 cloves. Boil till quite clear; colour with a few drops of prepared cochineal, and strain the jelly through a double muslin into a jug; let it cool a little; then pour it into the dish round the apples. When quite cold, garnish the tops of the apples with a bright-coloured marmalade, a jelly, or the white of an egg, beaten to a strong froth, with a little sifted sugar.

Time.—From 30 to 50 minutes to bake the apples.

Average cost, 1s., with the garnishing.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Seasonable from July to March.

APPLES AND RICE.

(A Plain Dish.)

1400. INGREDIENTS.—8 good sized apples, 3 oz. of butter, the rind of 1/2 lemon minced very fine, 6 oz. of rice, 1-1/2 pint of milk, sugar to taste, 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 6 tablespoonfuls of apricot jam.

Mode.—Peel the apples, halve them, and take out the cores; put them into a stewpan with the butter, and strew sufficient sifted sugar over to sweeten them nicely, and add the minced lemon-peel. Stew the apples very gently until tender, taking care they do not break. Boil the rice, with the milk, sugar, and nutmeg, until soft, and, when thoroughly done, dish it, piled high in the centre; arrange the apples on it, warm the apricot jam, pour it over the whole, and serve hot.

Time.—About 30 minutes to stew the apples very gently; about 3/4 hour to cook the rice.

Average cost, 1s. 6d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Seasonable from July to March.

APPLE SNOW.

(A pretty Supper Dish.)

1401. INGREDIENTS.—10 good-sized apples, the whites of 10 eggs, the rind of 1 lemon, 1/2 lb. of pounded sugar.

Mode.—Peel, core, and cut the apples into quarters, and put them into a saucepan with the lemon-peel and sufficient water to prevent them from burning,—rather less than 1/2 pint. When they are tender, take out the peel, beat them to a pulp, let them cool, and stir them to the whites of the eggs, which should be previously beaten to a strong froth. Add the sifted sugar, and continue the whisking until the mixture becomes quite stiff; and either heap it on a glass dish, or serve it in small glasses. The dish may be garnished with preserved barberries, or strips of bright-coloured jelly; and a dish of custards should be served with it, or a jug of cream.