The home science cook book

Either a cream or fruit jelly, or both together, may be blended with either whipped cream and stiff egg whites, or both. The important point is not to attempt the blending until the jelly or cream is half thickened. Then the sponge will be of uniform texture throughout, otherwise the jelly will separate from the froth and settle, while the froth stays on top, and, therefore, is at the bottom when the dessert is turned out of the mold. Whipped Cream. Heavy cream, costing forty to sixty cents a quart, may be whipped with an egg beater and forced through fancy tubes for a garnish, or used for filling cream puffs, etc. It may be slightly diluted for this purpose with fruit juice, strong coffee, or milk, and then is less likely to turn to butter in whipping. i86 Home Science Cook Book. Thin cream, or the heavy cream combined with an equal quantity of milk, is whipped with a special churn. Put cream and churn in a deep bowl, move the dasher down quickly and up slowly. Skim off the froth as it rises, and drain on a fine strainer. All cream to whip should be chilled. Charlotte Russe. Whip one quart of thin cream and drain on a fine strainer. Soften one-fourth box of gelatin, and dissolve by heating with a little of the cream which drips from the whip ; add one-half cup of powdered sugar, a speck of salt, and one teaspoon of vanilla. Strain into an agate pan set in ice water; as the jelly thickens, with a wire whisk fold in the whipped cream. When all is mixed put in cups or a large mold lined with lady-fingers or thin slices of sponge cake. Frozen Desserts. So many names are given to different frozen desserts that a few words of explanation are needed. Ice-Cream. This consists mainly or entirely of cream, and takes a specific name from the substance used for flavoring. Frozen Pudding. Ice-cream or custard, highly flavored, and containing preserved fruits and nuts becomes frozen pudding. It is often served with a sauce. Mousse. The name is due to the mossy, feathery ice developed in whipped cream, which is put into a mold, and packed for several hours in ice and salt. Desserts. 187 Water Ices. These are frozen without rapid motion, which would interfere with the clearness of the ice ; fruit juices are the principal ingredient. Sherbets. Water ices' frozen more rapidly are called sherbets, and white of egg or gelatin is often added to give a creamy consistency. Frappe. These ices are served when half frozen or like a mush. In the city it is more convenient and often cheaper to buy ices, but in the country an ice-cream freezer is a valuable aid, though many ices may be prepared without a regular freezer. Ices are more easily prepared than pies, and during the summer are far more acceptable. A few general laws apply to all frozen desserts. The proportion of sugar and flavoring must be about double that needed for an ordinary pudding. For water ices it is considered better to boil the sugar and water together to form a sirup. This may be made in large quantities and kept on hand. Fruits mashed or cut up become lumps of ice in a cream, therefore, it is better to use only juice and pulp pressed through a linen strainer and discard skins and seeds. The heavy cream which is sold at forty cents a quart must be reduced by milk or fruit juices, or the action of the freezer is likely to produce butter.