The Art of Cookery Part 19

TAKE seville oranges when in season, which is generally at the beginning of March; cut them into halves, and the halves again into thin slices, which put with the juice, but not too much of the core, and take away the pips. To every pound weight of orange add two pounds of sifted sugar and a gill of water; then put them into a preserving pan, set the pan over a quick fire, and when the mixture boils keep stirring and skimming till it becomes of a proper stiffness, which may be known by putting a little into a saucer and setting it in cold water. Then fill the pots with the marmalade, and when cold put over white paper dipped in brandy; after which cover the pots with paper and white leather, and preserve them in a dry place for use.

N. B. In the same way try the proper stiffness of other jellies or jams, and cover them in like manner.

_Raspberry Jam._

TO every pound weight of ripe picked raspberries, add fourteen ounces of sifted sugar and half a gill of currant juice; put them into a preserving pan, set them over a brisk fire, and when it boils skim it well and let it simmer till it becomes of a good consistence.

N. B. The raspberries may be mashed with a spoon previous to adding the sugar, or rubbed through a wicker sieve.

_Quince Jam._

PARE ripe quinces, cut them into thin slices, put them into a stewpan with a sufficient quant.i.ty of water to cover them, let them boil gently till tender close covered, and rub them through a large hair sieve; add to a pound of the pulp a pound and a half of sifted sugar and half a gill of syrup of cloves; then put them into a preserving pan, and let them simmer together till of a good strength.

N. B. A little of this jam mixed with apples in a pie will make it very good.

_Green Gage Jam._

RUB ripe gages through a large hair sieve, and put them into a preserving pan; then, to a pound of pulp add a pound of sifted sugar; after which boil to a proper thickness, skim it clean, and put it into small pots.

_Apricot Jam._

TAKE apricots when nearly ripe, pare and cut them into halves, break the stones, blanch the kernels, and add them to the halves. To a pound of fruit put a pound of sifted sugar and a gill of the water in which the parings have been boiled. Then set it over a brisk fire, stir the mixture well together till it becomes of a good strength, but let it not be very stiff.

_Preserved Apricots for Tarts or Desserts._

CUT ripe apricots in halves, blanch the kernels and add them to the fruit. Have ready clarified sugar boiling hot, put the apricots into it, and let them stand till cold. Then boil the syrup again, add the apricots as before, and when they are cold put the halves into small pots or gla.s.ses, and if the syrup is too thin boil it again, and when it is cold put it to the fruit, and cover it with paper dipped in brandy.

N. B. Green gages may be done whole in the same manner, or green gooseberries with the seeds taken out. These fruits may be served up with the syrup; or they may be dried on tin plates, in a moderately heated oven, and when almost cold put sifted sugar over.

_Currant Jelly._

TAKE two thirds of ripe red currants and one third of white, pick them, put them into a preserving pan over a good fire, and when they are dissolved run their liquor through a flannel bag. To a pint of juice add fourteen ounces of sifted sugar. Set it over a brisk fire, let it boil quick, skim it clean, and reduce it to a good stiffness, which may be known as before directed in orange marmalade.

N. B. In the same manner may be made black currant jelly, but allowing sixteen ounces of sugar to a pint of juice.

_Crisp Tart Paste._

TAKE half a pound of sifted flour, a quarter of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter, two ounces of sifted sugar, and two eggs beaten; mix them with pump water, and knead the paste well.

_Eggs and Bacon another way._

BOIL six eggs for five minutes, then peel and cut them into halves; after which take out the yolks, put them into a marble mortar with a small quant.i.ty of the white meat of dressed fowl, lean ham, a little chopped parsley, one eschallot, a table spoonful of cream, a dessert spoonful of ketchup, a little cayenne, some breadcrumbs, and sifted mace, a very small quant.i.ty of each. Pound all well together, fill the halves of the whites with the mixture, bake them gently ten minutes, and serve them up on rashers of bacon or ham broiled, and put some cullis over them.

_To make Puff Paste._

MOULD with the hands a pound of fresh or good salt b.u.t.ter and lay it in cold water; then sift a pound of best white flour, rub lightly into it half the b.u.t.ter, mix it with cold spring water, roll it out, put on it (in pieces) half the remaining b.u.t.ter, fold the paste, roll it again, and add the remainder of the b.u.t.ter. Strew lightly upon it a little flour, fold it together, set it in a cold place, and when it is wanted for use, roll it out twice more.

N. B. In summer time the white of an egg beat up may be added with the water that mixes it.

_To make an Almond Cake._

TAKE eight ounces of jordan and one ounce of bitter almonds, blanch and pound them very fine; then beat in with the almonds the yolks of eight eggs, and let the whites be whisked up to a solid froth. Then take eight table spoonfuls of sifted sugar, five spoonfuls of fine flour, a small quant.i.ty of grated lemon peel and pounded cinnamon, and mix all the ingredients. Rub the inside of a mould with fresh b.u.t.ter, fill it with the mixture, and bake it of a light colour.

_Almond Custards._

ADD to a pint and a half of cream a small stick of cinnamon, a blade of mace, a bit of lemon peel, some nutmeg, and sugar to the palate. Boil the ingredients together ten minutes, and strain it; then blanch and pound (quite fine) three ounces of jordan and eight single bitter almonds; after which rub through a hair sieve, add the fine pulp to the cream, likewise a little syrup of roses, and the yolks of six eggs beat up, and put the mixture into small cups; or it may be baked in a dish with a rim of puff paste round it.

N. B. Plain custards may be made in the same manner, but instead of almonds add a little orange flower water.

_Rhubarb Tart._

TAKE slips of green rhubarb, wash it, and cut it into small pieces the bigness of young gooseberries; put them into a dish, sweeten with sifted sugar, add the juice of a lemon, cover it with puff paste, and bake it. Serve it up either plain or with cream, the same as for an apple pie.

_Orange Pudding._

PEEL four seville oranges thin, boil them till tender, rub them through a hair sieve, and preserve the fine pulp. Take a pound of naples biscuits, a little grated nutmeg, two ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter, and pour over them a quart of boiling milk or cream in which a stick of cinnamon has been boiled. When the ingredients are cold mix with them the pulp and eight eggs well beaten, sweeten to the palate, and (if approved) add half a gill of brandy. Edge a dish with puff paste, put in the mixture, garnish the top with strings of paste as for tartlets, and bake it in a moderately heated oven.

N. B. A lemon pudding may be made in the same manner.

_Rice Pudding._

TO a pint and a half of cream or new milk add a few coriander seeds, a bit of lemon peel, a stick of cinnamon, and sugar to the palate. Boil them together ten minutes, and strain it to two ounces of ground rice, which boil for ten minutes more. Let it stand till cold, and then put to it two ounces of oiled fresh b.u.t.ter, a little brandy, grated nutmeg, six eggs well beaten, and a gill of syrup of pippins. Mix all together, put it into a dish with puff paste round it, and bake it, taking care it is not done too much. Should the pudding be made with whole rice it should be boiled till nearly done before the cream is strained to it, and if approved a few currants may be added.

N. B. Millet or sago (whole or ground) may be done in the same manner.

_Tansey Pudding._

BLANCH and pound very fine a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds; then put them into a stewpan, add a gill of the syrup of roses, the crumb of a french roll, a little grated nutmeg, half a gill of brandy, two table spoonfuls of tansey juice, three ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter, and some slices of citron. Pour over it a pint and a half of boiling cream or milk, sweeten to the palate, and when it is cold mix it well, add the juice of a lemon and eight eggs beaten. It may be either boiled or baked.

_Almond Pudding._

TO be made as a tansey pudding, only omitting the french bread and tansey juice, and adding as subst.i.tutes a quarter of a pound of naples biscuits and a spoonful of orange flower water.