Paul Richards' book of breads, cakes, pastries, ices and sweetmeats

Peel and core the apples. Put in flat sauce pan, with a stick of cinnamon, the peel and juice of one lemon. Cover with a thin syrup, made with two pounds of sugar to two quarts of water. Let stew slowly till tender. Take the apples out of the syrup and place in a shallow dish. Boil the syrup down to half and pour over the apples in the dish, after removing the peel and cinnamon. Set to cool and serve. The apples may be served plain or with whipped cream. 30.— BAKED COMPOTE OF APPLES. Peel and core the apples, put close together in a pan and pour over a syrup made as in the receipt No. 29. Put in the oven and bake till done. Flavor with lemon or nutmeg and serve in the syrup. For variety, the core of the apples may be filled with chopped almonds, nuts, other fruits, or fruit jam, and decorated with cherries and angelique; or served with a border of whipped cream. 31.— SLICED COMPOTE OF APPLES. Cut the peeled and cored apples in slices, cover with water. To each quart of water take eight ounces of sugar; add the peel and juice of one lemon, also one stick cinnamon; stew slowly till tender; serve. 32.— APPLE BRAISE. Prepare like for Sliced Compote No. 31. Use one pound of sugar to the quart of water; add half a pint of white wine, also add four ounces of currants, four ounces Sultana raisins and four ounces almonds, blanched and sliced, two ounces of butter, one stick cinnamon and one lemon peel. Stew till tender. Reduce the syrup and pour over. 33— BAKED APPLES. Wash and core good baking apples; put in pan with some water and sugar. Bake in a medium heat till done; serve hot or cold. 34— APPLE SAUCE. Peel, core and quarter the apples; stew with some water till soft; sweeten and press through colander; serve hot or cold. 35.— COMPOTE OF PEARS. Select nice pears; peel and divide in halves or quarters; remove the seeds and stew slowly in a light syrup with the juice of one lemon and a few whole cloves till tender. Take out of the syrup and put into a shallow dish. Reduce the syrup and pour over the fruit; let cool and serve. 36.— COMPOTE OF QUINCES. Peel and quarter the fruit and put in cold water. Boil the peel and core in some water till soft, then strain off the juice. Add one pound of sugar to each quart of the liquid. Let come to a boil, then add the sliced fruit and stew till tender. Sweet apples and quinces in equal portions make a nice compote stewed in this manner. 37.— COMPOTE OF CHERRIES. Take sour cherries, remove the stems and stones and stew in a light syrup till clear. Serve cold. 38— COMPOTE OF WHITE CHERRIES. Take nice sound cherries; cut the stalk in half and stew in a light syrup with a drop of almond flavor for five minutes. Take out carefully, reduce the syrup to half and pour over; serve cold. 39.— COMPOTE OF PEACHES & APRICOTS. Blanch and skin, or peel; cut in halves and boil slowly in a light syrup till tender; serve in the syrup. The peaches may also be stewed whole in the same way. 40.— BAKED PEACHES. Wash and prick the fruit with a silver fork; put close together in a pan, add a little syrup and bake till soft. 41.— COMPOTE OF PLUMS. Wash and prick all over, then stew in a thin syrup for about ten minutes from the time it begins to boil; let cool and serve. 42.— COMPOTE OF FRESH PRUNES. Prepare like the plums No. 41. 43.— COMPOTE OF DRIED PRUNES. Wash and soak the prunes over night in cold water. Take from the water and put into fresh water; add a few slices of lemon, a stick of cinnamon and enough sugar to make a thin syrup; let boil very slow till the fruit has resumed the natural shape, then take off the fire and let cool. Prunes should be handled carefully in serving, so as not to break the fruit.