Fruit recipes

Stew separately one pound dried apples and two pounds each of apricots, prunes, and pears, and when quite done mix together, adding two pounds raisins and a pound each of chopped citron and nuts. Also add one pound sugar, one-half teaspoon cloves, and one teaspoon each of all- spice, anise, and cinnamon. Set a dough with flour and plenty of yeast but dampen only with the juice cooked out of the fruit. Let rise, and bake slowly two hours or more. BREAD FOR FRUIT TOAST At noon put to soak one cake of yeast in one-half pint lukewarm water and when thoroughly dissolved stir with it sufficient flour to thicken well into rather a stiff batter. Let rise till just before ‘‘bed time.”” Then add one quart and a half-pint lukewarm milk (or one five-cent can evaporated cream diluted to equal above quantity); one heaping tablespoon shortening; one dessertspoon salt; three-fourths cup sugar and flour to make a moderately stiff bread dough (as if for last working). Work just a little, then set to rise (covered) in place free from draughts. This will be ready to make up by about six o’clock next morning (depending somewhat of course upon the temperature). Work out into individual loaves and set to rise again. Bake three-quarters of an hour. Have oven at moderate temperature at first, then increase the heat as the loaves come up. This will make four ‘brick loaves.” To each loaf may be added one and a half cups of chop- 14 FRUIT RECIPES ped nuts (preferably peanuts), but the nut bread must not be allowed to become stale or rancid. Served with fruit and the fruit juice this combination gives an excellent proportion of the food values required by the body for nourishment and in sufficient quantity is of itself a good luncheon or breakfast. BATTER PUDDING This is an old-fashioned foundation batter pudding which may be used plain with a fresh or stewed fruit sauce or the fruit cooked with the pudding. The pudding may be baked in a buttered dish for thirty-five minutes or boiled in a close-covered mould in rapidly boiling water for two hours. To a pint of cold milk allow two eggs, a little salt, and four tablespoons of flour. Sufficient for four people. BATTER FOR FRUIT FRITTERS To one cup of flour add a good pinch of salt and a half teaspoon of baking powder, then sift. Into the middle of this stir two beaten eggs and a half cup each of milk and sugar, then beat well. One egg only may be used, in which case add a half teaspoon of baking powder. PLAIN BOILED CUSTARD AND FLOAT To each quart of milk allow four or five eggs and three tablespoons of sugar, beating the sugar with the yolks of the eggs before adding the milk. The whites may be whipped separately with a tablespoon of sugar and used as a meringue or whipped lightly into the body of the custard as preferred. The custard may have added to it a tea- spoon or more of dissolved cornstarch. This may also be baked, placing the custard in cups or one dish, baking carefully in moderate oven in an outer vessel of water. INTRODUCTORY RECIPES 15 Float is a thinner form of custard and for this three or four eggs may be used with a little cornstarch. Neither the thicker, ‘‘boiled’’ custard or float should be allowed to boil but (in a double boiler) cooked just under boiling point and watched carefully while it thickens. PLAIN CORNSTARCH BLANC MANGE