Original White House Cookbook

In one teacupful of water boil until dissolved one ounce of clarified isinglass, or of patent gelatine (which is better) ; stir it continually while boiling. Then squeeze the juice of a lemon upon a cupful of fine, white sugar ; stir the sugar into a quart of rich cream and half a pint of Madeira or sherry wine ; when it is well mixed, add the dissolved isinglass or gelatine, stir all well together, pour it into molds previously wet with cold water ; set the molds upon ice, let them stand until their contents are hard and cold, then serve with sugar and cream or custard sauce. BLANC MANGE. No. 2. Dissolve two ounces of patent gelatine in cold water ; when it is dissolved, stir it into two quarts of rich milk, with a teacupful of fine white sugar ; season it to your taste with lemon, or vanilla, or peach water ; place it over the fire and boil it, stirring it continually ; let it boil five minutes ; then strain it through a cloth, pour it into molds previously wet with cold water and salt ; let it stand on ice, or in any cool place, until it becomes hard and cold ; turn it out carefully upon dishes and serve ; or, half fill your mold ; when this has set, cover with cherries, peaches in halves, strawberries or sliced bananas, and add the remainder. CHOCOLATE BLANC MANGE. Half a box of gelatine soaked in a cupful of water for an hour, half a cupful of grated chocolate, rubbed smooth in a little milk. Boil two cupfuls of milk, then add the gelatine and chocolate and one cupful of sugar ; boil all together eight or ten minutes. Remove from the fire, and when nearly cold beat into this the whipped whites of three eggs, flavored with vanilla. Should be served cold with custard made of the yolks, or sugar and cream. Set the molds in a cold place. CORNSTARCH BLANC MANGE. Take one quart of sweet milk and put one pint upon the stove to heat ; in the other pint mix four heaping tablespoonfuls of cornstarch and half a cupful of sugar ; when the milk is hot, pour in the cold milk with the cornstarch and sugar thoroughly mixed in it and stir altogether until there are no lumps and it is thick ; flavor with lemon ; take from the stove and add the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth. A Custard for the above. — One pint of milk boiled with a little salt in it ; beat the yolks of three eggs with half a cupful of sugar and add to the boiling milk ; stir well, but do not let it boil until the eggs are put in ; flavor to taste. FRUIT BLANC MANGE. Stew nice, fresh fruit (cherries, raspberries and strawberries being the best), or canned ones will do; strain off the juice and sweeten to taste; place it over the fire in a double kettle until it boils ; while boiling, stir in cornstarch wet with a little cold water, allowing two tablespoonfuls of cornstarch to each pint of juice; continue stirring until sufficiently cooked ; then pour into molds wet in cold water and set away to cool. Served with cream and sugar. ORANGE CHARLOTTE.