Fruit recipes

Allow three heaping tablespoons of cornstarch to one quart of milk, wetting and dissolving it with a little of cold milk. Heat the rest of the milk to boiling point with three tablespoons of sugar and pinch of salt. Add to it the dissolved cornstarch and cook gently about five minutes, adding at the last the flavouring desired. Eggs may be used with this if the perfectly smooth stiffness is not desired. In this case have eggs ready whipped, the whites alone (one or two or more) or both yolks and whites; pour in and beat lightly with the mixture just before removing. Place in a wetted mould to cool and chill before serving. PLAIN TAPIOCA OR SAGO Allow one-half cup tapioca or sago to one quart of cold milk. Let soak in part of the milk till softened well. Place the rest of the milk meantime in double boiler to heat with two tablespoons sugar and half teaspoon salt. When the sago or tapioca is softened add to the heated milk and cook till thick. The sugar may be omitted and a little butter substituted. Also, for a richer pudding, two eggs may be added, whipped (with flavouring) and beaten in just before removing from the fire. For the plainest form add no milk or egg, substituting fruit juice or wineand pouring over the fruit desired. However the white of an egg whipped stiff gives lightness in texture and taste. PLAIN GELATINE Soak one box gelatine in three-fourths pint of cold water till dissolved, when add one quart boiling water, the juice of three lemons (or other fruit juice) and sugar to taste (about two cups will make this moderately sweet). Let cool, then set on ice to harden. In hot weather reduce somewhat the quantity of water used. Or use three pints fruit juice (no water) to one box of gelatine, soaking it in part of the juice. Proceed as above “SPONGE” A “sponge” may be made by the addition of whipped white of egg to plain gelatine (as above). ITALIAN OR SPANISH AND BAVARIAN CREAMS The so-called Italian and Spanish creams are founded upon a gelatine mixture with the addition of eggs, while the Bavarian Cream in general substitutes whipped cream for eggs. Very simple forms of these are here given: 1. Spanish or Italian Cream Dissolve one-half box gelatine by barely covering it with cold water, letting stand an hour or more. Meantime make a custard with one pint milk, three-fourths cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, and, when at boiling point, the yolks of three eggs (beaten with part of the sugar), whipped in with the dissolved gelatine. Beat and stir a few minutes then remove, add flavouring and the whites of the eggs whipped very stiff. Let cool and set on ice to chill. 2. Bavarian Cream Dissolve one-half box gelatine in one-half cup water. Heat to boiling point a cup of milk with a half cup of sugar and pinch of salt. Add the softened gelatine, then strain and add flavouring. Beat till it begins ta cool and thicken when add lightly a pint of cream well whipped and place on ice to harden. ICE CREAM AND ICES For a plain foundation ice cream use equal quantity of new milk and cream. Heat to boiling point (not beyond) adding one cup of sugar with a pinch of salt. Let cool before adding fruit juice or pulp, or both, with perhaps a little lemon juice to bring out the flavour. It is often advisable, where the fruit juice is uncooked or very tart, to partially freeze the cooled cream and milk before adding the juice. About one heaping teaspoon of gelatine (dissolved before adding) for each pint of the milkand cream gives the smoothness of a mousse, which is also attained by the addition of whipped cream. Evaporated cream or condensed milk may be used with excellent results. Whipped cream and the whipped whites of eggs in equal portion may be frozen and merely flavoured with fruit juice or have added an equal part of sweetened fruit pulp. FROZEN CUSTARD