Cookery and housekeeping

Infuse the rinds of six good oranges, pared very thin, in two bottles of the best brandy for a fortnight. Dissolve 2 lbs. lump sugar in one pint of water, and add it to the brandy. Pour in one pint skimmed milk quite boiling, and let it stand for twenty-four hours, then filter it, and bottle for use. CUP 421 Chablis, &c. Cup. Take the thinly cut peel of one lemon, twelve lumps of sugar, two glasses golden sherry, a quart bottle of Chablis, and, if the flavour is liked, a sprig of borage. Stir well together and pour into the jug, which is to be placed on ice. Immediately before serving stir the mixture, and pour in two bottles of soda water. The practice of adding liqueur or brandy to ' cup ' is 7iot to be commended. Claret cup is made like Chablis cup, using claret instead of Chablis, and cider cup by using cider. CHAPTER XXIX. To make ices there must be a pewter freezing-pot and an ice-tub, rough ice and freezing salt. Ice alone will not become a freezing medium, for ice is never colder than 32° Fahrenheit. In order, therefore, to produce a freezing medium — ie. a degree of cold that will communicate frost to another liquid — it is found that common salt, in the proportion of one-half of the ice used, stirred up together, will effect the object, inasmuch as this mixture will reduce the temperature to zero. Few persons have the slightest notion of how ices have been produced, the prevalent idea being that a quantity of cream and juice is put into a pot or mould, which is imbedded in freezing mixture until frozen ; nothing can be more erroneous. Ice creams, &c., require to be whipped up, or churned, during congelation, with great care. The old process was to place the freezing-pots in the tub surrounded with ice, to turn the pots in the tub, and the cream or syrup in the pot, for nearly an hour. There are now machines which allow of the ne- cessary agitation, both outside and inside the freezingpot, being given with a far less expenditure of time and trouble. With these machines there are explanations how each is to be used. It is only necessary to add, therefore, that when the machine is laid by, and again a little time before it is used, an examination of the parts should be made to see that they are in working order. Ices come to a large mould. ICE MACHINE. table m a large mouia, as in ice puddings ; in a heaped -up mass, as for dessert, or in small china cups ; or again, in very small moulds, each guest taking one. Great care is required, when ice is prepared in these smaller quantities, that the salt mixture should not get inside, and give a taste ; and in hot weather, the greater liability to melt is a reason against the sending up ice in little quantities. Ices may also be served in a frarrie of sponge cakes, or wafers. These devices add to the difficulty of sending up ice in a good state, and in no way improve its flavour. Sponge rusks or wafers are always handed round with ices, but are not necessarily handed round with ice puddings. Custard for Ice Puddings.