The household cook book

VANILLA CREAM — Soak 1 ounce of gelatine in cold water 1 hour, drain and dissolve in a little hot water. Thoroughly beat the whites of 6 eggs and beat in 1 quart of whipped cream, add sugar to sweeten, and flavor with 1^ teaspoons of vanilla; then add the gelatine, beat until it begins to thicken and pour into molds. Serve very cold with cream. ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. fCE creams and ices can be easily prepared at home, and without much expense or labor. Many people do not realize how easily many wholesome and attractive dishes can be prepared in this way. Cream. — Cream which is skimmed off of milk after it has stood 12 hours is called single cream; that which is taken off at the end of 24 hours is called double cream, and that taken off at the end of 36 hours is called butter cream.. The best double cream, and which can all be whipped to a stiff froth, is obtained by letting " single cream " stand 12 hours, and then taking off the richer part. The best cream to use is " double cream," the next best is " single cream." If any milk is used it is apt to give the ice cream a mushy, snowy taste, because the water it contains will freeze into coarse crystals, and it melts quicker than when i^ure cream is used. Gelatine is sometimes, added to such cream to give it firmness and disguise the milk. There are many so called ice creams made with corn=starch, etc., without using any cream at all; of course real cream is superior to any substitute, but for economy's sake the substitutes are often used. The more water and less cream used, the easier ices are frozen. When short of cream it is well to remember that to add a little, if not more than ^ teacup, is always better than to use none. Condensed MHk can be used by mixing it with scalded milk (1 can of condensed milk to 1^ quarts of scalded milk) making it into a thick custard, and freezing it; flavor to taste, but rather highly. Sugar. — Double refined or sifted white sugar is the best to use. See what we say about eggs in the introduction to our article on "Cake." Ice cream should seem quite sweet before freezing, as when frozen it seems less so. Arrowroot, etc — A little arrowroot added to the plainer creams gives them a smooth consistency, but the best creams are made without it. Arrowroot is more delicate and better to use than corn= starch or flour in creams. Ice. — The best ice to use is snowy ice which is full of air=holes, and is readily penetrated by the salt. The ice is most readily broken up by putting it in a coarse bag or coffee-sack, and pounding it witii an ax or wooden mallet until it is broken into pieces about as large as walnuts. The finer it is broken the faster it melts. Snow makes an excellent substitute for ice, and in winter can readily be used. Pack it firmly into the freezer, add enough water to make it into a thick mush, and then put in the salt. The proportion is about 2 to 3 parts snow or ice, to 1 part salt. It is not necessary to draw ofp the water as fast as the ice melts, but wait until it floats the ice.