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

Put 1 pint of the cream into a double boiler with coffee beans; cover tightly, and let infuse for an hour in warm place (water must not boil). Strain through fine muslin into remaining cream. Make a boiled custard with cream, eggs, and sugar; cool, freeze, and serve with whipped cream piled on top. FROZEN PEACHES 12 large ripe peaches 2 cups water 2 cups granulated sugar Flavor as desired Whipped cream Cut peaches fine and mix all ingredients together. Stir 5 minutes; freeze, and serve with whipped cream. ALL-FRUITS ICE (Gelato de Tutti-Frutti) i cup pistachio nuts 4 ounces candied orange peel or almonds, blanched Kirsch 4 ounces candied cherries 1 quart pineapple sherbet 4 ounces candied apricots 1 quart orange sherbet Soak nuts and fruits in kirsch to cover until soft. Spread 1 pint of pineapple sherbet in a thin layer in the bottom of a 2 quart mold. Set mold in a mixture of ice and salt. Dice fruit and nuts, add to orange sherbet and pack down well on first layer. Fill mold to a little above the edge with remaining pineapple ice, press lid on tightly, seal joints with a buttered strip of muslin, pack in salt and ice and freeze 2 or 3 hours. This ice is a general favorite in Italy, each sorbetajo (maker of ices) having his own formula. The candied fruits are soaked until soft in lemon- and vanilla-flavored syrups; in maraschino, kirsch, or any desired liquor. Other combinations of fruits are used; pears, figs, angelica, preserved ginger and cumquats give a pleasing variety. Almonds, pistachios, chestnuts, and hazelnuts soaked in hot syrups until soft, and chopped fine, are added to fruits. ORANGE GRANITE (Granita d'Arancia) 3 cups orange juice 1 quart water 2 cups sugar About 1 dozen oranges are needed. Peel six of them, remove every bit of the white and cut in thin slices; lay these in a dish, sprinkle with sugar and let stand 3 to 4 hours to make a rich syrup; then drain. Squeeze juice of remaining oranges into this. Add water, mix well, and strain into freezer. When half frozen, like wet snow, fill small glasses and serve. These ices are delicious but will not stand. STRAWBERRY GRANITE (Granita di Fragola) 1% cups strawberry juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2% cups sugar 1 quart water Mash berries. 1 heaping quart of ripe berries will suffice. Cover with sugar and let stand several hours to form a rich syrup. Then strain, add lemon juice and water, put in freezer and freeze until mixture has a snowy, frosty look. Serve in tall, thin glasses. Raspberry granite is made the same way, substituting raspberries for strawberries. Any summer fruit drink may be served as a granite if prepared and frozen as above. In Italy, France and Spain, wherever freezers are wanting, granites are frozen in wide-mouthed water-jugs or bottles. These are filled with the fruit mixture, set in ice and salt, and stirred with a spatula. As ice forms on the sides it is scraped down and mixed with the liquid. POMONA SHERBET 1 quart fresh sweet cider 1 pint orange juice 3 cups granulated sugar Mix well; let stand 2-3 hours, stir thoroughly, then freeze hard. Let ripen 2-3 hours packed in ice-salt mixture. PEACH SHERBET (Sorbetto di Pesche) 1 quart peach pulp 1 pint orange juice 3 cups granulated sugar