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

Use only red-ripe raspberries of fine quality. Beat cream to stiff froth, gradually adding sugar and kirsch. Mix lightly with berries, chill, and serve in tall thin glasses. PEACHES ROYAL (Peches a la Royale) 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup water 1 cup wild strawberries V2 dozen fine ripe peaches 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 2 tablespoons brandy Boil sugar and water 5 minutes; pare, cut in halves, and cook peaches a few minutes in syrup. Remove, arrange in a glass dish and chill in refrigerator. Have cream and berries chilled. When ready to serve mash berries fine; whip cream to a stiff froth while gradually adding powdered sugar and brandy; combine lightly with berries and put by spoonfuls over peaches. PEACH COMPOTE {Compote de Peches au Marasquin) Yi dozen fine ripe peaches i% teaspoons vanilla Powdered sugar i cup maraschino Peel peaches, cut in eighths, and arrange in layers in a glass compote dish. Sprinkle powdered sugar over each layer with a few drops of vanilla. Pour maraschino over all and set in the refrigerator % of an hour before serving. COMPOTE OF PEARS {Compote de Poires) 8 ripe medium-sized pears Juice i lemon 2 cups granulated sugar i cup wine i cup water Peel pears, do not remove stems and drop in cold water. Place sugar and water in a thick kettle over a slow fire and stir until sugar melts; then drain pears and drop into it. Add lemon juice, cover kettle and cook gently until pears are done. Take up with skimmer and place upright in a compote dish. Add wine to juice in kettle and cook until it thickens; then pour over pears. A small stick of cinnamon may replace lemon if preferred. v APPLES IN BUTTER (Pommes au Beurre) 5 tart apples Grated rind of % lemon i cup granulated sugar Powdered sugar % cup water 2 tablespoons apricot jam Juice of 2 lemons 2 tablespoons Madeira Peel, core and quarter apples; place in a buttered basin. Mix sugar and water and let cook 5 minutes over fire to a syrup. Pour l/2 of syrup over apples. Add lemon juice, and rind, and sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar. Cover and let apples simmer gently until tender, but not broken. Remove to serving plate; add apricot and Madeira to syrup in basin and pour over apples. ™ BRANDIED CHERRIES (Cerises a l'Eau-de-Vie) Prepare cherries by clipping part of stem and fill a widemouthed bottle with them. Pour over cherries as much fine brandy as the bottle will contain. Let stand 3 weeks, then add 1 pound of sugar to each quart of brandied cherries. Stir well, cover, and let stand 2 months before using. Peaches, pears and marrons are brandied in the same manner. Prunes require no sugar and are ready to use in 15 days. APPLES IN FLAMES (Pommes Flammantes) 8 small apples Few gratings of lemon peel 1 cup sugar or small stick cinnamon 1 cup water l/2 cup rum Powdered sugar Pare and core apples. Cook sugar, water and desired flavoring 7 minutes, strain and return to pan. Add apples, cooking slowly while basting frequently with syrup. When tender remove to a fire-proof service dish. Leave syrup on fire to thicken and pour over apples. Powder with sugar, pour over rum and light. Apples must be very hot or the rum will not burn. PEACHES WITH RICE (Peches a la Conde) 8 ripe peaches 54 teaspoon salt Sugar syrup 3 pints milk