The Book of Household Management Part 184

_Mode_.--Lay the macaroons or sponge-cakes in a gla.s.s dish, and pour over them as much sherry as will cover them, or sufficient to soak them well. Put the cream into a lined saucepan, with the sugar and lemon-rind, and let it remain by the side of the fire until the cream is well flavoured, when take out the lemon-rind. Mix the arrowroot smoothly with the cold milk; add this to the cream, and let it boil gently for about 3 minutes, keeping it well stirred. Take it off the fire, stir till nearly cold, when add the lemon-juice, and pour the whole over the cakes. Garnish the cream with strips of angelica, or candied citron cut thin, or bright-coloured jelly or preserve. This cream is exceedingly delicious, flavoured with vanilla instead of lemon: when this flavouring is used, the sherry may be omitted, and the mixture poured over the _dry_ cakes.

_Time_.--About 1/2 hour to infuse the lemon-rind; 5 minutes to boil the cream.

_Average cost_, with cream at 1s. per pint, 3s.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

TO MAKE SYLLABUB.

1486. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of sherry or white wine, 1/2 grated nutmeg, sugar to taste, 1-1/2 pint of milk.

_Mode_.--Put the wine into a bowl, with the grated nutmeg and plenty of pounded sugar, and milk into it the above proportion of milk frothed up.

Clouted cream may be laid on the top, with pounded cinnamon or nutmeg and sugar; and a little brandy may be added to the wine before the milk is put in. In some counties, cider is subst.i.tuted for the wine: when this is used, brandy must always be added. Warm milk may be poured on from a spouted jug or teapot; but it must be held very high.

_Average cost_, 2s.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

TIPSY CAKE.

1487. INGREDIENTS.--1 moulded sponge-or Savoy-cake, sufficient sweet wine or sherry to soak it, 6 tablespoonfuls of brandy, 2 oz. of sweet almonds, 1 pint of rich custard.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TIPSY CAKE.]

_Mode_.--Procure a cake that is three or four days old,--either sponge, Savoy, or rice answering for the purpose of a tipsy cake. Cut the bottom of the cake level, to make it stand firm in the dish; make a small hole in the centre, and pour in and over the cake sufficient sweet wine or sherry, mixed with the above proportion of brandy, to soak it nicely.

When the cake is well soaked, blanch and cut the almonds into strips, stick them all over the cake, and pour round it a good custard, made by recipe No. 1423, allowing 8 eggs instead of 5 to the pint of milk. The cakes are sometimes crumbled and soaked, and a whipped cream heaped over them, the same as for trifles.

_Time_.--About 2 hours to soak the cake. _Average cost_, 4s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 dish. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ALMOND.--The almond-tree is a native of warmer climates than Britain, and is indigenous to the northern parts of Africa and Asia; but it is now commonly cultivated in Italy, Spain, and the south of France. It is not usually grown in Britain, and the fruit seldom ripens in this country: it is much admired for the beauty of its blossoms. In the form of its leaves and blossoms it strongly resembles the peach-tree, and is included in the same genus by botanists; but the fruit, instead of presenting a delicious pulp like the peach, shrivels up as it ripens, and becomes only a tough coriaceous covering to the stone inclosing the eatable kernel, which is surrounded by a thin bitter skin.

It flowers early in the spring, and produces fruit in August.

There are two sorts of almonds,--sweet and bitter; but they are considered to be only varieties of the species; and though the qualities of the kernels are very different, they are not distinguishable by their appearance.

AN EASY WAY OF MAKING A TIPSY CAKE.

1488. INGREDIENTS.--12 stale small sponge-cakes, raisin wine, 1/2 lb. of jam, 1 pint of custard No. 1423.

_Mode_.--Soak the sponge-cakes, which should be stale (on this account they should be cheaper), in a little raisin wine; arrange them on a deep gla.s.s dish in four layers, putting a layer of jam between each, and pour round them a pint of custard, made by recipe No. 1423, decorating the top with cut preserved fruit.

_Time_.--2 hours to soak the cakes. Average cost, 2s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 dish. _Seasonable_ at any time.

TO MAKE A TRIFLE.

1489. INGREDIENTS.--For the whip, 1 pint of cream, 3 oz. of pounded sugar, the whites of 2 eggs, a small gla.s.s of sherry or raisin wine. For the trifle, 1 pint of custard, made with 8 eggs to a pint of milk; 6 small sponge-cakes, or 6 slices of sponge-cake; 12 macaroons, 2 dozen ratafias, 2 oz. of sweet almonds, the grated rind of 1 lemon, a layer of raspberry or strawberry jam, 1/2 pint of sherry or sweet wine, 6 tablespoonfuls of brandy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TRIFLE.]

_Mode_.--The whip to lay over the top of the trifle should be made the day before it is required for table, as the flavour is better, and it is much more solid than when prepared the same day. Put into a large bowl the pounded sugar, the whites of the eggs, which should be beaten to a stiff froth, a gla.s.s of sherry or sweet wine, and the cream. Whisk these ingredients well in a cool place, and take off the froth with a skimmer as fast as it rises, and put it on a sieve to drain; continue the whisking till there is sufficient of the whip, which must be put away in a cool place to drain. The next day, place the sponge-cakes, macaroons, and ratafias at the bottom of a trifle-dish; pour over them 1/2 pint of sherry or sweet wine, mixed with 6 tablespoonfuls of brandy, and, should this proportion of wine not be found quite sufficient, add a little more, as the cakes should be well soaked. Over the cakes put the grated lemon-rind, the sweet almonds, blanched and cut into strips, and a layer of raspberry or strawberry jam. Make a good custard by recipe No. 1423, using 8 instead of 5 eggs to the pint of milk, and let this cool a little; then pour it over the cakes, &c. The whip being made the day previously, and the trifle prepared, there remains nothing to do now but heap the whip lightly over the top: this should stand as high as possible, and it may be garnished with strips of bright currant jelly, crystallized sweetmeats, or flowers; the small coloured comfits are sometimes used for the purpose of garnis.h.i.+ng a trifle, but they are now considered rather old-fas.h.i.+oned. (See coloured plate, V1.)

_Average cost_, with cream at 1s. per pint, 5s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 trifle. _Seasonable_ at any time.

VANILLA CREAM.

1490. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of milk, the yolks of 8 eggs, 6 oz. of sugar, 1 oz. of isingla.s.s, flavouring to taste of essence of vanilla.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VANILLA-CREAM MOULD.]

_Mode_.--Put the milk and sugar into a saucepan, and let it get hot over a slow fire; beat up the yolks of the eggs, to which add gradually the sweetened milk; flavour the whole with essence of vanilla, put the mixture into a jug, and place this jug in a saucepan of boiling water.

Stir the contents with a wooden spoon one way until the mixture thickens, but do not allow it to boil, or it will be full of lumps. Take it off the fire; stir in the isingla.s.s, which should be previously dissolved in about 1/4 pint of water, and boiled for 2 or 3 minutes; pour the cream into an oiled mould, put it in a cool place to set, and turn it out carefully on a dish. Instead of using the essence of vanilla, a pod may be boiled in the milk instead, until the flavour is well extracted. A pod, or a pod and a half, will be found sufficient for the above proportion of ingredients.

_Time_.--About 10 minutes to stir the mixture.

_Average cost_, with the best isingla.s.s, 2s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.

VANILLE or VANILLA, is the fruit of the vanillier, a parasitical herbaceous plant, which flourishes in Brazil, Mexico, and Peru.

The fruit is a long capsule, thick and fleshy. Certain species of this fruit contain a pulp with a delicious perfume and flavour. Vanilla is princ.i.p.ally imported from Mexico. The capsules for export are always picked at perfect maturity. The essence is the form in which it is used generally and most conveniently. Its properties are stimulating and exciting. It is in daily use for ices, chocolates, and flavouring confections generally.

VICTORIA SANDWICHES.

1491. INGREDIENTS.--4 eggs; their weight in pounded sugar, b.u.t.ter, and flour; 1/4 saltspoonful of salt, a layer of any kind of jam or marmalade.

_Mode_.--Beat the b.u.t.ter to a cream; dredge in the flour and pounded sugar; stir these ingredients well together, and add the eggs, which should be previously thoroughly whisked. When the mixture has been well beaten for about 10 minutes, b.u.t.ter a Yorks.h.i.+re-pudding tin, pour in the batter, and bake it in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Let it cool, spread one half of the cake with a layer of nice preserve, place over it the other half of the cake, press the pieces slightly together, and then cut it into long finger-pieces; pile them in crossbars on a gla.s.s dish, and serve.

_Time_.--20 minutes.

_Average cost_, 1s. 3d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

WHIPPED CREAM, for putting on Trifles, serving in Gla.s.ses, &c.

1492. INGREDIENTS.--To every pint of cream allow 3 oz. of pounded sugar, 1 gla.s.s of sherry or any kind of sweet white wine, the rind of 1/2 lemon, the white of 1 egg.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PASTRY LEAF.]