After having tried many new and patent freezers, some of the best housekeepers have come to the conclusion that the old-fashioned freezer is the best. It is well, however, to keep a patent freezer on hand, in case of your wanting ice cream on short notice; but for common use an old-fashioned one is the best, especially as servants are so apt to get a patent freezer out of order.

The great secret of freezing cream quickly in a common freezer is to have the cream and salt in readiness before breaking the ice into small pieces the size of a walnut. There must be a space of two inches between the freezer and the tub in which it is set. Put a little ice and salt under the bottom of the freezer, then pack alternate layers of ice and salt several inches higher than the cream is in the freezer. If there is no top to the tub, with an aperture to admit the freezer, pin a woollen cloth over it and turn the freezer rapidly. When the cream begins to harden on the sides of the freezer, cut it down with a knife, scrape from the sides, and beat with a large iron spoon. Then cover again, and turn rapidly till it is as hard as mush. When the ice begins to melt, drain off the salt and water, adding more salt and ice, which must be kept above the level of the cream in the freezer. When done, tie large newspapers over the tub and freezer. Put a woollen cloth or blanket over these, and set the cream in a dark, cool closet till wanted. In this way it may be kept for hours in summer, and for days in winter, and will grow harder instead of melting. As cream can be kept thus, it is well to make it early in the day and set it aside, leaving more leisure for other preparations that are better made immediately before dinner.

Ice cream making, like other branches of housekeeping, is much facilitated by having all the ingredients at hand before beginning on it. As such explicit directions for the process are given in the subsequent pages, it is unnecessary for me to add anything further on the subject. Unless you have pure cream to freeze, it is better to make plain boiled custard rather than to attempt an imitation of ice cream.

It is a good plan to make jelly and custard at the same time, so that the yolks of eggs not used in the jelly may be utilized in custard either boiled or baked. The same proportions are generally used for boiled and baked custard. Instead of flavoring with extract of vanilla, it is much better to boil a vanilla bean in the milk, or to boil some peach leaves tied up in a piece of muslin (six or eight leaves to a quart of milk), or to flavor it with burnt sugar. Never flavor custard with extract of lemon, when you can obtain fresh lemons for the purpose.

When you have no yolks left from making jelly, boil a quart of milk (flavored by the above directions). Have ready three eggs, whites and yolks beaten together to a stiff froth, and into these stir a teacup of powdered white sugar. Dip up the boiling milk, pour slowly on the eggs, stirring rapidly. When all the milk has been stirred in the eggs, wash out the kettle, put the milk and eggs back into it, and let the mixture boil till it begins to thicken, when it must be taken immediately from the fire, poured into a bowl, and stirred till cold and smooth.

Many persons, before freezing, stir in the frothed whites of three eggs. The same directions given for freezing cream apply to the freezing of custard.

Boiled custard should never be used as a substitute for cream in making fruit ice creams, nor should it ever be eaten with jelly.

Ice Cream.

Dissolve five teaspoonfuls Oswego starch or arrow-root in a teacup milk. Add to it the whites of three eggs well frothed, and the yolk of one, well beaten.

Sweeten with loaf sugar and boil half a gallon new milk. As soon as it begins to boil, pour it in small quantities over the mixture of eggs and starch, till about half the milk is taken out of the kettle. Then pour all back in the kettle and stir a few moments. After it cools, add one quart rich cream; season to the taste and freeze.—Mrs. Dr.E.

Ice Cream.

One quart milk, two eggs, one teaspoonful corn starch, one teaspoonful arrow-root. A small lump of butter.—Mrs.E.B.

Ice Cream.

Cream one tablespoonful butter from which the salt has been washed. Add three tablespoonfuls com starch. Dissolve this in half a gallon new milk, heated, sweetened and seasoned. Beat the whites of four eggs, and stir in just before freezing.—Mrs. McG.

Lemon Ice Cream.

One gallon rich cream, six lemons, first rubbed till soft, and then grated. Tie the yellow peel, which has been grated off, in a piece of coarse muslin. Cut each lemon in half and squeeze the juice from it. Strain the juice, and soak the muslin bag of lemon peel in it, squeezing it frequently till it becomes highly flavored and colored by it. Then add two teacups of sugar.

In sweetening the cream, allow a teacup of sugar to each quart. Pour the juice into it slowly, carefully stirring. Froth and freeze, reserving a portion of cream to pour in as it sinks in freezing.—Mrs.S.T.

Orange Ice Cream.

Four oranges, one gallon cream. Rub four or five lumps of sugar on the orange peel, squeeze the juice out, put the lumps of sugar in it and pour into the cream. Sweeten heavily with pulverized sugar before freezing.—Mrs.M.

Strawberry Cream.

Four quarts thick sweet cream, four quarts strawberries. The berries must be mashed or bruised, caps and all, with a teacup of granulated sugar to each quart. After standing several hours, strain through a thin coarse cloth.

Put four teacups of white sugar to the cream, and then add the juice of the berries. Whip or froth the cream with a patent egg-whip or common egg-beater. Pour two-thirds of the cream into the freezer, reserving the rest to pour in after it begins to freeze. Raspberry cream may be made by the same recipe.—Mrs.S.T.

Peach Cream.

Take nice, soft peaches, perfectly ripe. Pare and chop fine, make them very sweet, and mash to a fine jam. To each quart of peaches, add one pint of cream and one pint of rich milk. Mix well and freeze. If you cannot get cream, melt an ounce of Cox's gelatine in a cup of water. Boil the milk, pour it on the gelatine, and when cold, mix with the peaches.—L.D.L.

Peach Cream.

To two quarts of rich, sweet cream, add two teacups of sugar. Whip to a stiff froth with a patent egg-whip, one with a wheel, if convenient; if not, use the common egg-whip. Then peel soft, ripe peaches till you have about two quarts. As you peel, sprinkle over them two teacups powdered white sugar. Mash quickly with a silver tablespoon, or run through a colander, if the fruit is not soft and ripe. Then stir into the whipped cream, and pour into the freezer, reserving about one-fourth to add when the cream begins to sink in freezing. When you add the remainder, first cut down the frozen cream from the sides of the freezer. Beat hard with a strong iron spoon, whenever the freezer is opened to cut down the cream, till it becomes too hard. This beating and cutting down is required only for the common freezer, the patent freezer needing nothing of the kind.

Tie over the freezer large newspapers, to exclude the air, and set aside till wanted.

Apricot cream may be made exactly by this receipt.—Mrs.S.T.

Pineapple Ice Cream.

Whip two quarts rich, sweet cream to a froth, with two teacups powdered white sugar. Use a patent egg-whip with a wheel, if convenient; if not, use the common egg-whip.

Grate two ripe pineapples, and add to them two teacups white sugar. When well mixed, stir into the cream.

Pour into the freezer, reserving one-fourth. When it begins to freeze, it will sink; then beat in the remainder with a strong iron spoon. Beat every time the freezer is opened to cut down the cream from the sides. Never cook fruit of any sort to make cream.—Mrs.S.T.

Vanilla Ice Cream.

Boil half a vanilla bean, cut in small pieces, in half a pint of rich new milk. When cool, strain and add to two quarts thick sweet cream. Sweeten with two heaping teacups powdered sugar, and whip to a stiff froth. Pour into a freezer, reserving one-fourth of the cream. As soon as it begins to freeze, stir from the sides with a large iron spoon, and beat hard. Add the remaining cream when it begins to sink. Beat every time the freezer is opened. When frozen, tie newspapers over the freezer and bucket, throw a blanket over them, and set in a close, dark place till the ice cream is wanted.—Mrs.S.T.

Norvell House Caramel Ice Cream.

One gallon rich, sweet cream, four teacups powdered sugar, five tablespoonfuls caramel. Mix well and freeze hard.

Caramel.

Put in a stewpan one teacup nice brown sugar and half a teacup water. Stew over a hot fire till it burns a little. If too thick, make it of the consistency of thin molasses, by adding a little boiling water. Bottle and cork, ready for use.—Mrs.J.W.H.

Caramel Ice Cream.

Three quarts cream, two pints brown sugar, put in a skillet and stir constantly over a brisk fire until it is dissolved. Be careful not to let it burn, however. While it is melting, heat one pint milk, and stir a little at a time with the dissolved sugar. Then strain it, and when cool, pour it into the cream, well beaten. Then freeze.—Mrs.W.C.R.

Chocolate Ice Cream.

Half a pound sweet chocolate, twelve eggs, one gallon milk, two tablespoonfuls arrow-root, sugar and vanilla to the taste. Dissolve the chocolate in one pint and a half boiled milk. Whip the eggs. Mix the arrow-root in a little cold milk, and add to the eggs. Then pour on one gallon boiled milk, and put on the fire to thicken. When cool, season and freeze.—Mrs.D.R.

Chocolate Ice Cream.

Three quarts milk, eight eggs, six ounces chocolate dissolved in a pint of boiling water, three heaping tablespoonfuls arrow-root well mixed in cold milk, one pound and a half of brown sugar, vanilla to the taste. Made like custard, and boiled very thick.—MissD.D.

Chocolate Ice Cream.

One quart morning's milk, one-quarter of a pound chocolate, one teaspoonful vanilla, sugar to the taste. Boil as for table use. When ready to freeze, whip in one quart rich cream.

Cocoanut Ice Cream.

One pound grated cocoanut, one pound sugar, one pint cream. Stir the grated nut gradually into the cream. Boil gently, or merely heat it, so as to thoroughly get the flavor of the nut. Then pour the cream into a bowl and stir in the sugar. When cold, stir in three pints fresh cream, then freeze.

Cocoanut Ice Cream.

One cocoanut, pared and grated. Mix with a quart of cream, sweeten, and freeze.—Mrs.E.I.

Cocoanut Ice Cream.

One grated nut, three and a half quarts of milk, one pint of cream, two tablespoonfuls arrow-root mixed in a little cold milk. Sweeten to the taste, and freeze.—Mrs.D.R.

Gelatine Ice Cream.

Soak one-half package of Cox's gelatine in a pint of morning's milk. Boil three pints of milk, and while hot, pour on the gelatine, stirring till dissolved. When cold, add two quarts of cream, and sweeten and season to your taste. Then freeze. It is improved by whipping the cream before freezing.—Miss E.T.

White Ice Cream.

Three quarts milk, whites of four eggs beaten light, three tablespoonfuls arrow-root mixed in a little cold water and added to the eggs. Boil the milk and pour over the eggs, etc. Then put on the fire and thicken a little. When nearly cold, add a quart of cream. Sweeten and season to the taste and freeze.—Mrs.D.R.

Ice Cream without Cream.

One gallon milk, yolks of two eggs well beaten, whites of twelve eggs well beaten. Sweeten and scald the milk, and pour it on the eggs, stirring all the time. Put it in the kettle again and let it come to a boil. Season to the taste and freeze at once.—Mrs.E.W.

Bisque Ice Cream.

One half-gallon of freshly turned clabber, one-half gallon rich sweet cream, one good vanilla bean boiled in one-half pint sweet milk, sugar to the taste. Churn this five minutes before freezing. One can of condensed milk may be used with less clabber. Mrs.H.L.S.

Buttermilk Cream.

One gallon buttermilk, yolks of eight eggs, and whites of four, well beaten; three pints sweet milk. Boil the sweet milk and pour on the eggs; then thicken, stirring all the time. When cool stir in the buttermilk slowly, season and sweeten to the taste, then freeze.—Mrs.D.R.

Caramel Custard (Frozen).

Make a rich custard, allowing a cup of nice brown sugar to every quart. Stew the sugar till it burns a little. Then mix it with the custard while both are hot. Boil two sticks cinnamon in the custard.—Mrs.J.J.B.

Frozen Custard.

One quart fresh milk, eight eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately. Put the milk on the fire, sweetened to the taste, and let it come to boiling heat; then take it off and add the yolks. Then wash the kettle and put the custard on the fire again, and let it boil till quite thick. Take it off, and when cool enough, add the whites. Flavor with lemon or vanilla, and freeze.—Mrs.C.N.

Frozen Custard.

Twelve eggs, one gallon milk, four lemons, sugar to taste, freeze.—Mrs. Dr.S.

Bisque.

Make one-half gallon rich boiled custard, allowing six eggs to each quart. Add, before taking it from the fire, two pounds of macaroon almonds. When cold, freeze.—Mrs.A.P.

PlumbiÈre.

Make a rich custard, and flavor it when cool with wine and extract of lemon. When half frozen, add blanched almonds, chopped citron, brandy peaches cut up, and any other brandied or crystallized fruit. Make the freezer half full of custard and fill with fruit.

Frozen Pudding.

Forty blanched almonds pounded rather fine, one ounce citron cut in small squares, two ounces currants, two ounces raisins stoned and divided. Soak all in two wine-glasses wine, all night. Make custard of a pint of cream or milk. If cream, use yolks of four eggs; if milk, yolks of eight eggs. Make a syrup of one pound white sugar and a pint of water. When nearly boiling, put in the fruit and wine and boil one minute. When cool, mix with the custard. Whip whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and add to the custard and syrup after they are mixed. Add last a wine-glass of brandy.—MissE.W.

Plum Pudding GlacÉ.

To one pint cream or new milk, stir in thoroughly two tablespoonfuls arrow-root. Boil three pints milk, and while boiling add the cold cream and arrow-root, also three eggs well beaten, and sugar to the taste. When cold season with vanilla bean, and stir in half a pound cut citron, half a pound currants, half a pound raisins cut and seeded. Freeze hard and serve in moulds.—Mrs.T.

Cream Sherbet.

Three quarts water, four lemons, whites of six eggs, one pound and two ounces sugar, one pint sweet cream. Mix one-half the sugar with the cream and eggs, which must be beaten to a stiff froth; mix the rest of the sugar with the water and lemons. Mix all together just before freezing.—Mrs.A.P.

Lemon Sherbet.

Take one dozen lemons, squeeze out the juice, then slice the rind and pour over it six quarts boiling water. Mix three pounds sugar with the lemon juice, and one quart milk, brought to a boil and thickened with three tablespoonfuls arrow-root or corn-starch. Be careful to remove all the seed and most of the rind, leaving only a few slices to make the dish pretty. After the lemonade begins to freeze, stir in the thickened milk, and the whites of six eggs beaten very light.

Lemon Sherbet.

One dozen good lemons, whites of twelve eggs beaten stiff, three pounds white sugar, one gallon water. Stir all well together and add one quart nice fresh cream. Stir often while freezing.—MissE.T.

Lemon Sherbet.

Two quarts water, four large lemons, one pound and a half sugar, whites of six eggs. Rub some lumps of sugar on the rind of the lemons. Powder some of the sugar, beat it with the whites of the eggs, and mix with the lemonade when it begins to freeze.—Mrs.M.

A new Recipe for Lemon Sherbet.

Make one and a half gallon rather acid lemonade, grating the peel of three or four of the lemons before straining the juice into the water. Let it stand fifteen minutes. Then make and add to it the following mixture: pour a pint cold water over one box gelatine and let it stand half an hour; then pour over it one pint boiling water, and let it stand till thoroughly dissolved. Beat the whites of eight eggs with two pounds pulverized sugar till as thick as icing; then churn a quart rich cream till it is reduced to a pint; then beat the froth of the cream into the egg and sugar. Pour in gradually the lemonade, beating all the time so as to mix thoroughly, and then freeze. Delicious.—Mrs.F.C.W.

Orange Sherbet.

One gallon water, twelve oranges, juice of three lemons, whites of six eggs. Rub some lumps of sugar on the orange peel. Mix as lemon sherbet, and freeze.—Mrs.M.

Orange Ice.

One dozen oranges, juice of two lemons, two quarts water; sugar to the taste. Rind of four oranges grated on sugar. Freeze as usual.—Mrs.G.D.L.

Orange Ice.

Juice of nine oranges, juice of one lemon, one and one-quarter pounds powdered sugar, two quarts water. To be frozen.—Mrs.I.H.

Pineapple Ice.

To a two-pound can of pineapples add three quarts water, half a box gelatine (prepared as for jelly), juice of two oranges, whites of four eggs. Remove the black and hard pieces of pineapple, then pass it through the colander by beating with a potato-masher. Sweeten to your taste and freeze.—Mrs.I.H.

Pineapple Ice.

One large pineapple peeled and finely grated, juice of one lemon, two quarts water. Sweeten to the taste, and freeze hard.—Mrs.G.D.L.

Pineapple Ice.

Dissolve one box gelatine in one gallon water. Beat two pounds pineapple through a colander with a wooden pestle. Add the juice of two lemons and the juice of two oranges; sweeten to your taste, but add more sugar than is required for ice cream.

Beat six eggs separately and stir in the mixture. When half frozen, beat rapidly half a dozen times, at intervals.

This makes two gallons when frozen.—Mrs.E.T.

Citron Ice.

Slice citron, pour on it a rich, hot lemonade, and freeze.—Mrs.E.I.

Raspberry Ice.

Three quarts juice, one quart water. Sweeten heavily, and after putting in the freezer add the whites of six eggs beaten very light. The same recipe will answer for currant or cherry ice.—Mrs.M.C.C.

Watermelon Ice (beautiful and delicious).

Select a ripe and very red melon. Scrape some of the pulp and use all the water. A few of the seeds interspersed will add greatly to the appearance. Sweeten to the taste and freeze as you would any other ice. If you wish it very light, add the whites of three eggs, thoroughly whipped, to one gallon of the icing just as it begins to congeal. Beat frequently and very hard with a large iron spoon.—Mrs.J.J.

Gelatine Ice.

Let one ounce sparkling gelatine stand an hour in a pint of cold water. Then add three pints boiling water, one and one-half pounds loaf sugar, one and one-half pint wine, juice of three lemons, rind of two lemons. Stir all these ingredients and freeze before allowing it to congeal. Delicious.

Ambrosia.

Pare and slice as many oranges as you choose, in a glass bowl. Sprinkle sugar and grated cocoanut over each layer.—Mrs. W C.R.

Ambrosia.

Cut pineapple and orange in slices, sprinkle with sugar, and put in a deep dish alternately to form a pyramid. Put grated cocoanut between each layer. If you like, pour good Madeira or sherry wine over the dish.—Mrs.T.

Pineapple.

Peel and slice thin, just before eating. Sprinkle pulverized sugar over it, but nothing else, as the flavor of this delicious fruit is impaired by adding other ingredients. Keep on ice till wanted.—Mrs.S.T.

Watermelons.

Keep on ice till wanted. If lacking in sweetness, sprinkle powdered sugar over them.—Mrs.S.T.

Cantaleupes.

Cut out carefully the end with the stem, making a hole large enough to admit an apple. With a spoon, remove the seed. Fill with ice, replace the round piece taken out, and place on end. Eat with powdered sugar, salt, and pepper.—Mrs.S.T.

Peaches and Cream.

While the first course is being served, peaches should be pared and split, and the stones removed. Lay in a glass bowl and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. No fruit should be sweetened till just before eating. Ornament the edges of the bowl with any handsome, glossy leaves convenient, and serve with cream.—Mrs.S.T.

Strawberries

Should never be washed unless sand or earth adheres to them. Cap carefully while the first course is being served, or, if more convenient, you may cap in the morning, but never sweeten till just before eating, as sweetening long beforehand extracts the juice and makes the fruit tough. Set it on ice, or in a refrigerator. No ice must be put on fruit. Serve with cream that has been set on ice. Decorate the edges of the bowl with strawberry leaves.

The same directions will apply to raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries. Whortleberries may be washed, picked, and drained, though not sweetened till dinner.—Mrs.S.T.