The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

If the tipsy cake is made from cake which has been cut in slices horizontally, spread these slices with a thin layer of jam, and then pile them up so as to regain the original shape of the cake. Now soak the cake in some wine, sherry being very good for the purpose, and let the cake thoroughly soak up the wine. Now pour over it a good rich custard flavoured with vanilla. Then take some almonds, blanch them, cut them into thin strips, and stick them in all over the cake. The flavour of vanilla harmonises extremely well with sherry and apricot jam. Essence of vanilla is also useful for making vanilla cream ice. When cream cannot be obtained an excellent substitute can be made by. mixing two yolks of eggs with half a pint of milk and a tablespoonful of Swiss milk. Add sufficient sugar to sweeten the whole if the Swiss milk has not already sweetened it sufficiently. Add to this a saltspoonful of essence of vanilla. Now freeze the mixture, and a very excellent ice will be made, though of course not equal to those that would be made from pure cream. VANILLA JELLY.— Vanilla jelly, as its name implies, is a very, delicious jelly, and can be obtained in bottles containing half pints, pints, and quarts. This jelly is particularly suited for being put into very small moulds, when one mould forms a portion for each person. In melting the jelly in the bottle care should be taken not to overheat it. The best way of melting jelly in bottles is to put the bottle into lukewarm water, and as soon as it Ls sufficiently melted round the edges, to pour it out at once, as of course the jelly will begin to melt round the outside before it does in the centre. The jelly in the neck of the bottle will be easily melted at once by placing round it a cloth dipped in boiling wafer. Vanilla jelly in bottles, when used for making small moulds, can be varied in colour by having one half of it made pink by the addition of either cochineal or some of Breton’s vegetable colouring. When the weather is cold, or when ice is obtainable, it can be improved by the addition of a little extra wine. Should the jelly not be sufficiently impregnated with the flavour of vanilla to suit the taste of those who are fond of highlyflavoured jellies, of course the flavour can be improved by the addition of a little essence of vanilla. VANILLA PODS. — Vanilla pods, or sticks, are, of course, the pure vanilla itself. It is very important to keep these sticks in long glass-stoppered bottles. Perhaps the pure vanilla itself is the most perfect way of imparting the flavour of vanilla to most substances. It is not, however, so convenient as essence of vanilla. The best wray of using vanilla is to take a small quantity and sew it up in a small piece of muslin, to which a string can be attached. At first the flavour of vanilla is very strong indeed. Suppose the cook is going to make a pint of custard. Place the muslin bag with the string attached in the milk, so that it can be taken out at any moment. After a short time the cook should taste the milk to see if it is sufficiently flavoured. If so, take out the muslin bag, squeeze it dry, and replace it in the stoppered bottle.