Flavor.

Beat the eggs and sugar together for six minutes, and add a gill of cold milk to them. Put the remainder of the milk in the double-boiler and set on the fire. When this milk comes to the boiling point, pour it over the ingredients in the bowl, and stir well. Turn the mixture into the double-boiler, and, placing it on the fire, cook, stirring all the while, until the custard will coat the spoon. It will take about five minutes. Take from the fire, and instantly turn into the cold bowl. Stir constantly until it begins to cool. Should it grow thin as it cools, you may know that it has not cooked enough; in which case it should be returned to the double-boiler and cooked a little longer. If, on the other hand, it begins to look slightly curdled on taking it from the fire, it has cooked too much. In that case, pour it back and forth from one bowl to another, holding the bowl from which it is poured quite high, and the custard will become smooth again, unless it be very much overdone.

Soft custard is one of the easiest dishes for dessert that one can make, and one of the most useful; but only experience will enable one to detect the changes in the cooking mixture. It is impossible to give exact time. When eggs are cheap allow four; for this dish is improved by the use of a generous number.

The yolks of the eggs make a richer custard than when the whole egg is used. If the whites be required for any other purpose, you may use even half a dozen yolks.

Baked Cup Custards.

Make these the same as the custard pudding, and pour into four custard cups. Place the cups in a pan of warm water and bake in a moderate oven until firm in the centre.

Steamed Cup Custards.

Make the same as the baked custards, but steam over boiling water until firm in the centre.

Tapioca Custard.

Wash the tapioca in cold water; then put it in a bowl with the cupful of cold water and soak it over night. In the morning put the milk in a double-boiler and set on the fire. Beat together the sugar, eggs, and salt. Drain off any water the tapioca may not have absorbed. Add the tapioca to the eggs and sugar, and, as soon as the milk boils, stir in this mixture. Cook for five minutes, stirring all the time. Take from the fire and add the vanilla extract. Pour into a bowl and set away to cool. At serving time pour the pudding into a glass dish. It should be icy cold.

Rennet Custard.

Make the milk blood-warm, and then add the sugar and rennet wine, stirring only enough to mix the ingredients. Pour this into glass custard cups, and grate the nutmeg over the custards. Let them stand in a warm room until the mixture becomes firm; then set in a cold place until serving time.

The prepared rennet, which can be bought in small bottles, may be substituted for the rennet wine.

Slip.

Have the milk blood-warm,—about one hundred degrees. Flavor it, and pour it into the dish in which it is to be served. Now add the rennet wine, and stir gently, to mix it. Let the dish stand in the warm room until the mixture has stiffened; then place it in the refrigerator, or in a cold room, until the time to serve. The slip must not be disturbed until you are ready to serve it on the table, as it may separate into curds and whey when once broken.

Strawberry Bavarian Cream.

Pick over the strawberries, put them in a bowl with the sugar, and crush well. Let them stand for two hours. Soak the gelatine in the cold water for two hours. Next whip the cream. Rub the strawberries and sugar through a strainer into a large bowl. Pour the boiling water on the gelatine, and when this is dissolved, add it to the strained strawberries. Place the bowl in a pan of ice-water and let it stand, stirring all the time, until it begins to thicken. Immediately add the whipped cream, stirring it in gently. Pour the cream into a mould, which has been dipped in cold water, and set away to harden. At serving time dip the mould in tepid water, turn out the cream on a large flat dish, and heap whipped cream around it. One pint and a half of cream will give enough whipped cream to make the dish and to serve with it.

Sea Moss Farina Blancmange.

Put the farina in a bowl, and gradually pour the milk over it, stirring until smooth. Turn into the double-boiler and cook, stirring frequently, until the mass looks white; then add the sugar, salt, and flavor. Rinse a mould in cold water, and turn the blancmange into it. Set away in a cool place to harden. It should have three or four hours for this. Serve with powdered sugar and cream.

Chocolate Blancmange.

Make as directed for the sea moss farina. While it is cooking put into a small pan two tablespoonfuls of shaved chocolate, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and one of hot water. Stir over a hot fire until smooth and glossy; then stir into the hot blancmange. Pour into moulds and set away to harden.

Moss Blancmange.

Measure the moss loosely. Wash it and pick out all the pebbles and seaweed. Continue washing it until every particle of sand is removed. Put it in the double-boiler with the cold milk, and place on the fire. Cook for twenty minutes, stirring frequently; then add the salt, and strain into a bowl. Now add the sugar and flavor. Rinse a bowl in cold water, and, after turning the blancmange into it, set it away to harden. Serve with powdered sugar and cream.

Wine Jelly.

Soak the gelatine in a gill of cold water for two hours. Heat the remainder of the water to the boiling point, and pour it upon the soaked gelatine. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and wine. Place the bowl in a pan of boiling water and stir until the liquid is clear. Strain through a napkin and pour into moulds. Set away to harden.

Cider Jelly.

Soak the gelatine in half a pint of the cider for two hours. Heat the rest of the cider to the boiling point and pour it on the soaked gelatine. Add the sugar, and place the bowl in a pan of boiling water. Stir until the liquid is clear; then strain, pour into a mould, and set away to harden.

Lemon Jelly.

Soak the gelatine for two hours in the cold water. Pour the pint of boiling water on the lemon rind and let it stand for two hours. At the end of that time place on the fire; and when it boils pour it over the soaked gelatine. Now add the sugar, and, placing the bowl in a pan of boiling water, stir until the liquid is clear. Strain through a coarse napkin, and, turning into a mould, set away to harden.

In hot weather be generous in the measure of gelatine.

Orange Jelly.

Soak the gelatine in the cold water for two hours. Squeeze the oranges, grating the thin yellow rind from one into the juice; but be careful not to grate off any of the white skin. Add the lemon juice. Pour the boiling water on the soaked gelatine. Add the sugar, and place the bowl in a pan of boiling water. Now add the fruit juice, and stir until the liquid is clear. Strain through a napkin and pour into moulds. Set away to harden.

Whipped cream is a desirable addition to this jelly when it is served.

Strawberry Jelly.

Make in the same way as the orange jelly, using half a pint of strawberry juice.

Raspberry Jelly.

Make in the same way as orange jelly, using raspberry juice.

Blackberry Jelly.

Use a pint of blackberry juice and half a pint of water, and proceed as for orange jelly.

Coffee Jelly.

Soak the gelatine in the cold water for two hours or more. Pour the boiling water and hot coffee on this. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Set the bowl in a pan of boiling water and stir until all the sugar is dissolved; then strain through a coarse napkin and turn into a mould. Set away in a cold place for six or more hours. Serve with whipped cream, or with plain cream and sugar.

DIRECTIONS FOR FREEZING.

The mixture to be frozen should be icy cold. Put it in the freezing can, and place this in position in the wooden tub. See that every part of the freezer is properly fastened, and that the can and beater work with ease when the crank is turned. Pound the ice in a bag until it is almost as fine as snow. Put a layer of ice in the freezer, having it come about one third the height of the tin can. Now add a layer of salt, and, with a wooden paddle or a flat stick, pack the salt and ice as solid as possible. Continue this until the salt and ice come to the top of the tin can. Work the freezer occasionally, that the mixture may be more firmly packed. Now begin to turn the crank slowly for ten minutes; then turn rapidly for ten minutes longer, at the end of which time the mixture should be frozen into a light, thick mass. Take off the cross-piece; next wipe the top of the tin can; take out the beater, scrape off all the frozen mixture, and return it to the freezer. Work a strong iron spoon up and down in the cream until the mass becomes compact and light. Place a piece of white or brown paper over the can, and then put on the cover and replace the cross-piece. Put a piece of woollen carpet over the tub and set away in a cold place.

In warm weather it will be necessary to repack the cream. To do this, place the freezer on the edge of the sink and take the stopper from the lower part of the tub. This will allow the water to pass off. Now put back the stopper and pack with enough salt and ice to come over the cover of the tin can.

For a two-quart freezer allow for the first packing one pint and a half of salt and enough ice to pack hard to the top of the wooden tub. Snow may be used in winter. If the snow should be very dry, sprinkle a little water over each layer before it is packed down. Never let the water off while freezing, unless there be danger of its coming up to the cover of the tin can. In that case take out the stopper and let off only enough water to be assured that the rest cannot get into the tin can. The water is essential to the freezing of the cream.

When the frozen mixture has been used, and the ice has melted, pour the water into a strainer, and save the salt to use when freezing again.

Vanilla Ice Cream.

Set the milk on the fire, in the double-boiler. Put the flour, half the sugar, and the unbeaten egg in a bowl, and beat until light. Stir this into the boiling milk, and cook for fifteen minutes, beating frequently. On taking from the fire, add the remainder of the sugar and the cream. Beat well, and set away to cool. When cold, add the flavor, and freeze.

Any other flavor may be substituted for vanilla. For coffee ice cream use three tablespoonfuls of the extract of coffee; for lemon, three fourths of a tablespoonful of lemon extract.

Chocolate Ice Cream.

Make the foundation the same as for vanilla cream. Shave one ounce of plain chocolate and put it in a small pan with two tablespoonfuls of sugar and one tablespoonful of boiling water. Stir this over a hot fire until smooth and glossy; then stir it into the cooking mixture. Finish with the cream and sugar, the same as when making the vanilla cream, and freeze.

Pistachio Ice Cream.

Make the cream the same as for vanilla ice cream, but flavor with a teaspoonful of pistachio extract and half a teaspoonful of almond. Color with one eighth of a teaspoonful of the green coloring that can be bought of first-class grocers. This is a delicious cream.

Be sure to get the flavor and coloring of a reputable manufacturer.

Peach Ice Cream.

After paring and stoning the peaches, mash them in a bowl with the sugar and let them stand for an hour or more; then rub them through a fine strainer, and add the cream and almond to them. Freeze. A little liquid cochineal may be added to the cream to give it color.

Strawberry Ice Cream.

Hull the strawberries and mash them in a bowl with the sugar. Let them stand for two or more hours; then rub through a strainer fine enough to keep back the seeds. Add the cream, and freeze.

Lemon Sherbet.

Boil the sugar and water together for twenty minutes. Cool the syrup, add the lemon juice, and freeze.

Orange Sherbet.

Grate the thin yellow rind of three oranges into a bowl. Squeeze the juice of two oranges on this and let the mixture stand for an hour or more. Boil the sugar and water together for thirty minutes. Add the orange and lemon juice to this. Strain the juice in which the rind has been soaking, and add to the mixture. Freeze.

In grating the orange rind great care must be taken not to go beyond the thin yellow surface. If the grating be deep, the sherbet will be bitter.

The juices of any acid fruit may be made very sweet, diluted with water, and frozen.

Milk Sherbet.

Cut the thin yellow rind from the lemon and put it in a bowl. Pour the water on the rind. Cover the bowl and set it on the back part of the range for half an hour. Mix the lemon juice and powdered sugar together. When the rind has steeped for half an hour, strain the water on the lemon juice and sugar.

Mix the corn starch with three tablespoonfuls of milk. Put the remainder of the milk on to boil in the double-boiler. Stir the corn starch mixture into the boiling milk, and, after adding the sugar, cook for ten minutes. Cool this mixture, and then freeze for ten minutes. Take the cover from the freezer and stir the lemon mixture into the cream. Put on the cover and finish freezing.

Peach Ice.

Boil the sugar and water until the syrup is reduced to one pint. Mash the peaches fine, and rub through a strainer. Add the syrup to the strained fruit, and freeze.

Apricot Ice.

Rub the apricots through a sieve. Add the water and sugar to the strained fruit, and freeze.

The sugar and water may be boiled together for fifteen minutes, and, when cold, added to the strained apricot. This will give a smoother and richer ice.