The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)

Shave or grate chocolate, melt over hot water, adding a little thin sugar syrup and stirring with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Pass through a fine sieve; cool. Beat in the whipped cream, a little at a time. Sweeten and flavor with vanilla to taste. (The French cook is sparing with sugar.) Heap mixture to overflowing in a mousse mold, or a pudding mold with tight fitting cover. Lay paraffin paper over and fasten cover securely — it should be further secured against seepage of salt from freezing mixture, by sealing with pastry dough, or lard, and wrapping a wide tape dipped in melted fat around the rim, sealing the juncture of cover and mold. Bury in ice and salt with the top of the mold well above the outlet of ice container, so salt water cannot touch top of mold during freez- ing. Freeze 3 ^-4 hours, renewing ice and salt and discarding salt water when necessary. (Sucre Vanille is made thus: Finely sift granulated sugar. Slit a vanilla bean and cut in pieces. Pour sugar into a mason jar, scattering in the pieces of vanilla bean. Close air tight and leave several days before opening. Two or three tablespoons of Sucre Vanille imparts flavor more delicious than l/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.) At Prunier's, in Paris, the classic mousse de chocolat is considered a fit dessert to follow one of their magnificently cooked fish and sea food dinners. It is served in a very fine, very tall fluted glass, and eaten slowly with a long spoon. FROZEN CREAM WITH PISTACHIOS {Creme Glacee, aux Pistaches) % cup blanched pistachios 1 pint heavy cream *4 cup sugar syrup !/2 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons maraschino *4 teaspoon vanilla Divide each pistachio nut in'o halves, put in small bowl and cover with syrup and maraschino. Mix well, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Beat cream to a stiff froth, adding sugar and vanilla gradually, and continue beating several minutes after incorporated. Have a mold prepared and chilled in a tub of chopped ice and salt. Put layers of cream into mold by small teaspoonf uls ; have liquid drained from nuts and sprinkle them over each layer. Cover, seal, and freeze 1% hours. COFFEE PARFAIT (Parfait au Cafe) 1 54 CUPS powdered sugar 4 ounces freshly roasted coffee 6 egg yolks beans (not ground) 1 quart 'rich cream 1 cup roasted almonds, ground fine Put sugar, egg yolks, and i pint of cream into a basin, stir 2 or 3 minutes until thoroughly mixed and creamy, then cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until mixture coats spoon. It must not boil. Remove, and immediately add coffee, stirring in well. Place a cloth over basin, cover, and let stand i hour to infuse. Whip remainder of cream and put in refrigerator until wanted. Have freezer ready and strain infused mixture into it. Cover, and turn handle briskly in opposite directions for 5 minutes; then remove cover and scrape down sides. Repeat this process twice and cream will be frozen. Drop in whipped cream, a litde at a time, mixing it in carefully. Place in a 3-pint mold and leave 1 hour buried in salt and ice. Unmold, roll in almond dust and arrange on serving plate. Savoy RASPBERRIES ROMANOFF (Framboises Romanoff) 1 pint raspberries % cup powdered sugar 1V2 cups heavy cream !4 cup kirsch