The Queen Cook Book: A Careful Compilation of Recipes and Practical ...

double boiler. Dissolve the gelatine in half cup of cold water. When the cream comes to a scald, stir in slowly all the ingredients; just let it come to a boil, stirring constantly. Put it in molds. Stand on ice over night. Serve with cream. A plainer but nice blanc mange can be made with milk and almond extract or vanilla. Put it upon the ice and when about to thicken, stir it until it is very smooth; then stir in lightly a pint of cream, whipped, and put into a mold. I prefer putting it in a glass dish ready for the table, as the cream is on top; it is more relishable and looks better. THE ORANGE. How true it is with fruits, as well as metals, that the laws which govern supply and demand are quickly adjusted. No sooner was it realized that fresh fruits and vegetables were as necessary for health as animal food, then our most enterprising growers set themselves not only to increase the quantity, but to improve the varieties and preserve them for the longest time possible in their natural state. In the month of January, before home grown fruits have become scarce and high priced, Florida oranges are at our door, cheap enough that all may indulge in some of these well tested recipes on the delicious fruit. Orange Shortcake. 1 pint flour 2 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons baking-powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1 egg beaten Sift the flour, salt and baking-powder twice; rub the butter into the flour, mix soft as you can handle, roll out in two 174 The Queen Cook Book cakes long for a long square tin; just butter the under one and lay one on top of the other; mark the top one with a fork. Stand in a cold place or in ice-box fifteen minutes, then bake in hot oven about thirty minutes; then take out of oven, let stand three minutes, then separate the two layers, butter the two insides, as for eating. Before making the cake, peel five or six sweet oranges and cut in small pieces around the core, taking out the seeds, let stand till cake is in the oven, then drain off the juice and sprinkle a cup or more of sugar on them; spread between the layers and set in oven three to four minutes. Do all this quickly and serve immediately. Lemon or Orange Sauce. If one wishes a sauce for it (I do not), cream a cup of sugar and half a cup of butter, or that proportion, add the grated rind of one lemon or orange, one beaten egg; beat it well; set the bowl over hot tea kettle, where it will become hot, but not boil, beating constantly. Before serving add the juice that came from the oranges, or the juice of a lemon. Strawberry Shortcake. This is made the same way as the orange shortcake. Wash the strawberries, pick them over (all berries need washing quickly); put the sugar on them just as the cake is done, and half chop them a little with the spoon. Some like a layer of strawberries on top of cake also. We prefer a dish of berries and sugar for each one. Mrs. B, Orange Jelly. Put one pint of cold water on one-half box of Cox's gelatine; soak until dissolved; add two cups of sugar, The Queen Cook Book 175 the juice of one lemon and one orange, strained, one pint of boiling water; let come to a boil, set away to cool; when it begins to thicken pour it over eight oranges sliced by cutting around the core and taking out the seeds, and sprinkle well with sugar in dish for table; put it in ice-box to harden. Mrs. B, Orange Jelly No. 2.