Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Almond Custard. — Place over the stove one pint of milk, in which put one large handful of bitter almonds that have been blanched and broken up. Let it boil until highly flavored with the almonds ; then strain and set it aside to cool. Boil one quart of rich milk, and when cold add the flavored milk, half a pint of 'sugar, and eight eggs, the yolks and whites beaten separately, stirring all well together. Bake in cups, and when cold place a macaroon on top of each cup. Apple Custard. — Take 4 lbs. of finely flavored apples, and stew them gently, till tender, with a pint and a half of water, 1 lb. of sugar, and a little cinnamon. Strain the liquid, and stir into it, very gradually, eight wellbeaten eggs. Put the mixture into a saucepan and stir it until it thickens, Apple Sponge Boiled Custard which will be in about ten minutes. Pour into custard-glasses, and cover with sifted sugar. Apple Sponge — Take six or eight apples, pare, core, and cut them in pieces; add a small quantity of water, and stew them until soft. When entirely soft, remove from the fire, strain through a colander, add a very small piece of butter, and let them get cold. In a glass dish arrange slices of sponge cake or lady fingers, covering the bottom and sides ; pour in enough wine to soak the cake at the bottom, and, a little at a time, enough to moisten that on the sides ; if any is left that has not been absorbed, take it out with a spoon. Have ready small glasses of raspberry and quince jelly ; put these on the cake in layers, so as to make the two colors appear to advantage. To the apples add sugar to taste, and stir lightly in the well-beaten whites of five eggs ; pour this over the cake, etc., in the bowl. Cream can be eaten with it, or a custard may be made with the yolks of the five eggs and three pints of milk. Apricot Custard. — Line a pie-dish with a good short crust and then spread smoothly at the bottom a layer of apricot marmalade about an inch in thickness, and pour over it a custard made of a pint of new milk, three eggs, and a teaspoonful of ground rice, a little sugar, and four drops of the essence of almonds. Bake in a quick oven. Time to bake, fifteen minutes. Baked Custard. — Beat the yolks of four fresh eggs for at least half an hour; add 5 ozs. of pulverized white sugar, then stir into the sugar and eggs one quart of rich, new milk, cold. Add a teaspoonful of distilled rosewater, or any flavoring extract you fancy. Fill your custard-cups, and set them in a stone pan half filled with water, which may be warm at first — not hot. Put the pan in a rather cool oven, and gradually increase to a moderate heat. In about twenty minutes dip a teaspoon into one of the custards to ascertain if it is firm. Judgment and great care are needed to attain skill in baking custard, for if left in the oven a minute too long, or if the fire is too hot, the milk will certainly whey.