FoodNet

The "Queen" cookery books: Ices

1902

Page 51

Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
serving witli any kind of iced fruit is made by sweetening a pint of stiffly whipped cream (whipped very dry) , and flavouring it with vanilla, essence of lemon, &c., moulding and freezing it. The spongada is another form of ice, somewhat of the natiue of a parfait, but not frozen so hard, and seldom, if ever, moulded nowadays. Indeed, it is too light to mould properly, and, when not served separately in cups or glasses, is generally used as a, centre for some other mould. In some rare cases it is frozen sufficiently stiff to mould, but in that case it is more like an ordinary moulded ice or parfait. The old-fashioned freezing pot is generally used in the preparation of this form of ice. The method of its making is as follows : Having prepared the mixture, it is strained into the charged freezer, which is then covered down and turned sharply and steadily for a few minutes till it begins to thicken ; now take off the cover, and give it another turn or two un- covered, easing the ice as it forms, with a spatula,, from the bottom and sides of the pot ; as soon as it thickens stop turning, and with the spatula work it well up from the bottom, till the cream is (^uite soft and light and fully double its original bulk, when you add a little flavoui’ing and sweetening syrup, if necessary, and serve at once, either in glasses, or with a moulded ice, as preferred. The distinctive mark of this kind of ice is its frothy lightness, whence comes its name, and also the appellation of spumante, or frothing, given to it in Italy, where it 108 ICES. is mostly served. Needless to say, it is susceptible of almost endless variety, according to the use to which it is to be put. It is particularly dehcious if shred almonds are added to it lightly, especially when used in conjunction with a cream or water ice set in a square or oval border mould. It is occasionally used as a filling for bombes or melon shapes. Spongcidd oXlci JRomctnci, — Dissolve 6oz. of fine vanilla chocolate and put it into a basin with a pint of good sugar syrup, the whites of six eggs (lightly broken up, but not beaten, with a fork), and a tablespoonful each of vanilla and cinnamon sugars ; mix these all well together, then strain the whole through a sieve into the freezing pot, and work it as described above till it has increased to nearly twice the original bulk, when you dish it and stand it in the ice cave for two or three hours till wanted. Spongada alia Toledo. — Pound 8oz. of sweet and 2oz. of bitter almonds with half a pint of water, and wring it through a tammy to express all the juice possible ; there should be half a pint of this (known in kitchen parlance as “ milk of almonds ”), then mix this milk with a pint of strong sugar syrup, the whites of six eggs, and a wineglassful of kirsch ; strain it into the freezing pot, and work as in the preceding recipe, to twice its original bulk, when you add to it 6oz. of roughly chopped burnt almonds and half a pint of whipped cream, and finish freezing as before. Another way is to make a puree of the same quantity of almonds by poimding them when blanched, with about a gill of water, and nibbing PARFAITS AND SPONGADAS. 109