365 desserts

29. — Meringues. Beat the whites of four eggs to a very stiff froth ; stir in carefully eight ounces of powdered sugar, one teaspoonful of vanilla sugar, and put them at once on greased paper, this on a heavy board or plank, then into a moderate oven where they will simply dry. If the oven is hot, they will swell, crust on the outside, then fall, and you have a result very much like the meringue on the top of a pie. It is wise to have the paper greased, fitted on the board, and the oven in good condition before beginning to beat the whites of the eggs. After the sugar is added, the mixing must be most carefully done or the sugar will melt, making the whites of the eggs liquid, and of course they will not keep their shape. Kisses may be made with the pastry-bag or in round shapes with a teaspoon. May. 30. — Strawberry Charlottes. Cover one-fourth of a box of gelatine with a quarter of a cup of cold water, whip one pint of cream until it makes three pints. If any is left boil it with one-third of a cup of granulated sugar (if no cream is left over a small cup full of milk) ; when boiling add the gelatine and stir until dissolved. Strain it into a bowl and add a tablespoonful of lemon juice. Stand the bowl in a pan of crushed ice, stir occasionally, and when the mixture is cold and begins to thicken, stir in lightly the whipped cream. Line a mould with whole strawberries, and when the cream is nearly stiff enough to dry pour it into the mould.—From "Table Talk," Philadelphia. 31. — Italian Cream. One quart whipped cream ; the juice of 2 lemons into 2 wine-glasses of wine ; 6 ounces of sugar. Dissolve 2 ounces of gelatine in a small quantity of water ; let this boil together once, and when milk-warm add the cream, and pour into moulds. JUNE. i. — Cherry Bread Pudding. One qt. of milk, with a pinch of soda stirred in, slices of bread and butter, 4 eggs or 2 for a plain pudding, 1 teacup of sugar, 1 teacup stoned cherries. Put a layer of bread and butter in the bottom of a pie dish, and pour upon it a little warm custard made of the beaten eggs, sugar and milk ; put over this a layer of cherries, then more bread and butter and custard, and proceed in this order till the dish is full, taking care that the top is bread well buttered. Cover with a dish, and let it soak for an hour; then put it still covered in a pan of hot water, and bake for 1 hour ; then uncover and brown delicately. Serve hot. 2. — Strawberry Shortcake. Sift together 1 qt. of flour, 2 heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, 2 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoonful of salt. Chop up 3 ozs. of butter in this pre- June* pared flour. Beat one egg in a bowl, add to it a half pt. of sweet unskimmed milk, and mix well. Pour this quickly, but a little at a time, into the flour, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Roll out about 1½ inches thick and bake in a large well greased square baking pan, about 20 minutes in a very hot oven. When done split in halves and butter both halves. Place one on a large dish and dust it with powdered sugar. Cover it well with strawberries slightly mashed, sprinkle thickly with powdered sugar. Place the other half, crust side down on top of the berries, and cover with fruit and sugar as before. Serve hot with cream.—"Table Talk."