The new practical housekeeping

Apples, — The varieties are almost innumerable, every section having its preferred kinds, though there are some general favorites, among them the following ; Early Harvests, Red Streaks, Golden Pippins, Pound Sweets, Belle Flower, Maiden Blush, Snow Apples; Winter Pippins, King's, Spitzenberg, Baldwin, Ben Davis, Germains, Rhode Island Greenings, Roxbury Russets and Wine Saps. The last eight varieties are all excellent keepers, the Wine Sap keeping the longest, and the Rhode Island Greening is a famous pie apple known and used everywhere. The others named are all excellent eating and cooking apples. Select smooth, mellow, fine-flavored ones, wash and wipe dry and serve at dessert heaped in fruit dish with a border of green leaves, or with leaves interspersed. A border of small fruits makes a very attractive dish. Baked Apples. — Whether plainly or elaborately prepared and served, baked apples form an always acceptable and appropriate dish for breakfast, luncheon, dessert or tea. Sweet apples require longer baking than sour. To bake tart apples, wash and cut out the blossoms and stems, and in the stem end put some stigar; bake till soft, basting occasionally with the juice in the pan ; serve either warm or cold with sweetened cream or milk. Or, bake them entirely whole and without paring, pricking with a coarse needle to prevent bursting. Put in baking dish, stems upward, and as they begin to warm rub over well with butter. Serve either warm or j FRUIT. 285 ■ ■ ■ cold thickly strewn with powdered sugar. For Baked Apples with Syrup take half a dozen apples, a half pound of sugar, and little cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg ; peel and core the apples, put them into a deep pie-dish half filled with water, and add above ingredients. Bake until fruit is soft and brown and syrup thick. When cold, place the apples in a glass dish, pouring the syrup over. For an extra nice dish, pare and core tart apples, place in pan with a little water, put butter and sugar in cavity, sprinkle cinnamon over, and bake, basting often; serve with sweetened cream or milk. Or, fill cavities with sugar, a little lemon juice or extract, and some thin slices lemon rind : sprinkle sugar over the tops, baste often, and serve cold with cream, or with whipped cream, flavored with sugar and essence of lemon, or a boiled custard, poured over so as * to nearly conceal them. For Spiced Apples pare and core tart apples, fill center with sugar, stick four cloves in the top of each, and bake in deep Pie-plates, with a little water. For Stuffed Apples peel and core large sour apples, put in baking dish with a very little water, and for every half dozen take a cup sugar, half teaspoon mixed ground spices, pinch of salt, two tablespoons each cracker-crumbs and cream, or milk ; mix all well together and fill the core cavities, bake until tender but not broken, basting often with the juice in the dish ; serve either hot or cold with sweetened cream, or place apples in center of a large dish with border of whipped cream around. A really elegant dish. Another equally tempting dish is Jellied Pippins, made by putting in baking dish a layer of pippins or other tender, juicy apples, pared and cored but not shced. Pour over them a syrup of one cup water and a half cup sugar, stirred over the fire until sugar is dissolved ; cover closely and bake slowly until tender.