The new practical housekeeping

Snow Icing. — Put one pint white sugar, unbeaten whites of three €gg9 and a teaspoon rose or lemon extract into an earthen dish, stir well together and set in a saucepan boiling water ; stir constantly and cook eipht or ten minutes, or until white and glistening. Put on cake while icing is warm, as it hardens quickly. Soft Icing. — Mix a half pound finely pulverized, sifted sugar, with a tablespoon boiling water, and the same of lemon dt any fruit juice, and @pread at once on the cake while still warm from the oven, about an eighth of an inch thick. Especially nice for all kinds of sponge cake, and other light and dry cakes, such as snow -cake, etc. Transparent Icing. — ^Boil a pound granulated sugar with a ,half pint water until thick as mucilage ; then rub with a wooden spoon against sides of pan until white and milky. Stir in one teaspoon vanilla extract and pour while hot over the top of the cake, com- pletely covering it. Tutti Frutti Idn^. — ^Boil a pint granulated sugar witl^ a half <sup water until it ^^threads.'' Pour this into the well-frothed whites of two eggs and beat till cool ; Mix together a half pound blanched and chopped sweet almonds, and a quarter pound sultana or seed- less raisms, swelled in hot water, and the same of finely chopped citron, and stir into the icing. Very nice for sponge and fruit cake. Union Icin^. — Cover cake with a coating of Cape May Icing or any chocolate icing ; let harden a very little, then spread with the French Icing. This is also known as the Duplex Icing. 878 JAMS AND JELLIES. JAMS AND JELLIES. It is as important when making jams as whvn canning that only perfect fruit be used, as if fruit has passed tne ripe stage axA begun to ferment in the slightest degree the jam will not keep well. The fruit should be carefully cleaned and thoroughly bruised, as mashing it before cooking prevents it from becoming hard. Cook in a* porcelain-lined or granite iron -ware preserving kettle. Never put fruit or fruit juice in tin, either to let stand or to cook. Boil the fruit fifteen or twenty minutes and skim before adding the sugar, as the flavor is thus better preserved, Hsually al- lowing three-quarters of a pound sugar, granulated is best, to a pound of fruit — ^by measure a scant pint sugar to quart whole fruit, or pint when pnMrriAf Kettto. magj^^j . ^nd thcu boil half an hour longer^ skimming if necessary. Have a plate at hand for the skimmings, which should be added to vinegar barrel, as directed in Economical Vinegar. Use same utensils in making jams as in Canning Fruit, and it is also convenient to have a plate upon which to put spoon, dipper, etc., when not in use. If loaf sugar is used it should be dried and broken into small pieces before mixed with fruit. If left in large lumps it will be a long time in dissolving, and if crushed to powder it will make the jam look thick instead of clear and bright. Do not remove lid from range, as this will oe likely to make the jam bum. To prevent scorching while cooking, jams require almost constant stirring, and every hoasc-keeper should be provided with r. smaU paddle with handle at right angles with the blade (similar to an apple-butter ^'stirrer," only smaller), to be used in making jams and I"?-^* JAM9 AND JELLIES. 379