My mother's cook book

During this time prepare a flannel, or what is better a felt bag, by pouring through it a little tepid water, and when the jelly has simmered ten minutes, pour it through this bag into a bowl, and repeat the process of straining until the jelly becomes perfectly clear. Pour it into a mould, and stirring into it the sherry, place the mould upon ice or in a very cool place until the jelly sets and becomes firm enough to turn out and serve. NOTK. — Brandy may be substituted for the sherry in this preparation if desired, and half brandy and half sherry is sometimes used to make up the quantity prescribed. Lemon Sponge — — One ounce of gelatine, one pint of water, two lemons, one-half pound of cut loaf sugar, whites of three eggs. Put the gelatine into a bowl, cover it with the cold water and let it soak for twenty minutes. At the end of this time add to it the rind of the lemons, squeeze over the lemon juice, throw in the sugar and pour all into a copper or porcelain-lined saucepan, place the saucepan over the fire and stir its contents until boiling, after which it must be allowed to boil for two minutes. At the end of this time pour the mixture through a APPLE TRANSPARENCY. jgi sieve into a bowl, and let it remain therein until cold, but not long enough to set. Beat the whites of eggs slightly, pour them into the mixture in the bowl and stir all together, when all must be whisked with an egg-whisk until thick and white, which will take nearly or quite half an hour. Pour the sponge into a mould, stand this in a cool dry place, and when " set " turn it out upon, and serve in a ■crystal dessert dish. Apple Transparency. — Six large apples, one pint of water, one-half pound of cut loaf sugar, rind of one lemon, six drops of cochineal, one-half ounce of gelatine, white of one egg. Put the gelatine into a bowl, and pour over it half a gill of the cold water, and allow' it to soak in this for half an hour. Pare the apples and take the core from them without breaking the form of the fruit. Put the sugar into a shallow saucepan and with it the lemon rind, pour over this the remainder, of the cold water, and stir all until boiling. Into this syrup throw the apples, cover the saucepan, and placing it over the fire, let all cook very slowly until the apples become tender, and may easily be pierced through with a skewer or fork. Remove the apples without breaking them, and place them in a crystal dish. Throw the gelatine into the syrup that remains in the saucepan, stir all until the gelatine is melted, pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl, add to it the cochineal, and stand the bowl in a cool dry place until the syrup congeals. 1 82 PIES AND PASTRIES. ' Cut the jelly so made into rough pieces, distribute it among the apples in the dessert dish, and whipping the white of egg to a stiff froth, garnish the dish with this. Note. — Double cream is cream that has been twenty-four hours in rising. Single cream rises in twelve hours, and cream for butter requires forty-eight. PIES AND PASTRIES. PASTRIES. Fuff Paste. — One-quarter pound of butter, one-quarter pound of flour, yolk of one egg, one-half gill of cold water, six drops of lemon juice. Sift the flour through a fine sieve upon a mixing board. Put the yolk of egg into a small bowl and add to it the lemon juice and cold water, beating these together with a fork. \ Make a well then in the centre of the flour, pour into it by degrees the mixture from the bowl and mixing in the flour from the sides, knead all firmly together. Flour a rolling-pin and roll the paste out very thinly, place the butter in the corner of a towel, and covering it with the opposite corner, press out in this any moisture that the butter may contain, spread it upon half of the crust, fold the other half oyer it, and press the edges tightly together.