The "Queen" cookery books: Ices

ly say, the second course. Somewhere about a century ago, some adventurous spirit, remembering its old state, elected to ice his punch, and produced a liquor so attractive, that under the name of “ Punch a la Romaine,” it came into general favour. In this, as the recipe given later shows, the water- steeped fruit pulp was replaced by a water ice of some kind, usually, if not invariably, at first, a lemon water ice, to which the alcohol and spice in the shape of liquid essences were added during the course of its freezing. These sorbets were as they still are, usually served in portions, a glass or cup for each guest, and soon some of the more skilful glaciers evolved little cups of real ice in which to serve them ; these were at first imitations of the primitive method of serving these ices, when a water ice was piled up in one of the flat tazza-like champagne glasses, the pyramidal top being flattened down and hollowed, so as to contain a tablespoonful of spirit or liqueur to taste. Then came the actual ice cup; for this a large shallow tub was chosen and filled with a mixture of ice, salt, and saltpetre, as many wineglasses as were required being packed in this mixture, and filled up with any fruit syrup to taste ; a cover was then placed over the top of the glasses to keep dust, &c., off, and the whole was left till a thick skin of fruit ice had formed round the glasses, the still liquid syrup in the centre was poured off, and the glasses returned to the ice tub to harden ; and then when wanted they were turned out from their moulds, and served, filled up with any sorbet, or, for that matter, any ice, to taste. This process, however, was not altogether an easy one, and only the masters of thc^r art attempted such things. Now, however, these ice cups are within the reach of any one possessing an ice cave who cares to go to the expense of the proper ice-cup moulds, of which we give an illustration (Fig. 9). The latest ideas, however, are nowadays the ice tray, and the ice howl, on the same principle as the ice cup, and, like that, introduced by Mrs. A. B. Marshall. These are excellent for serving o sorbets, and all sorts of ices, not to mention that they come in splendidly for cold vegetables, e.g., asparagus, which never shows to such advantage as when presented on one of these ice trays. The process of freezing them is easy enough. Fill the moulds three parts full (to allow of the ice expanding on freezing) and set them in the ice cave for two and a half to four hours, according to size. Fig. 9, Sorbets. — Punch a la Bomaine. — Add one pound of loaf sugar to a quart of absolutely and freshly boiling water, and pour this on to the thinly pared rind of three, and the strained juice of six, lemons ; let it stand, covered, till cold, then tammy, and freeze, adding to it when about half frozen two glasses of Jamaica rum, and finish the freezing. Another and rather more modern way is thus : Whip the whites of five eggs till stiff, with a tiny pinch of salt, and then incorporate with this meringue, lightly and quickly, 4oz. of caster sugar ; then stir this all in to a quart of just half frozen lemon water ice, and continue the freezing till the