Table Talk's illustrated cook book

MAKE A LEMON OR PINEAPPLE JELLY AND POUR OVER SLICED BANANAS IN LAYERS IN A FANCY TIN BOX. SERVE WITH A BORDER OF WHIPPED CREAM AND SLICED BANANAS DIPPED IN LEMON JUICE AND SUGAR TO PREVENT DISCOLORATION. RHUBARB JELLY. Rhubarb can be quickly converted into a delightful dessert. Wash and cut in inch pieces without skinning. To each quart add a pint of water and boil gently until it is a mush. Strain without pressure through two thicknesses of cheesecloth. Reheat and make very sweet. Measure, and for a pint and a half soak a generous half package of granulated gelatine in a half cupful of cold water. When softened add the hot rhubarb, stir until dissolved and pour into wetted molds. Serve this with cream. TEA JELLY. Soak one-half of a box of gelatine in one-half of a cupful of cold water. Prepare a pint of moderately strong tea, pour it from the pot over the soaked gelatine. Add one cupful of sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Strain into a mold, set aside until firm, and serve with whipped cream. MINCE PIE WITH APPLE WHIP. MINCEMEAT. Four pounds of suet, freed from membranes, and put through a chopper; one good sized fresh beef tongue boiled until tender, cooled and chopped; six pounds of apples, pared, cored and coarsely chopped; three pounds of seedless raisins, six pounds of seeded raisins, one-half of them to be slightly chopped; three pounds of cleaned currants, three pounds of citron put through the chopping machine, but using a coarse cutter, one pound each of figs, stoned prunes, candied orange and candied lemon peel, each chopped the same as the citron; one pound of finely chopped almonds, three pounds of brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls each of ground cinnamon, allspice and mace, one tablespoonful of ground cloves, one cupful of salt, four grated nutmegs, the grated rind and juice of half a dozen lemons, and one dozen oranges, one pint of preserved quinces cut fine, four glasses of crab apple jelly, one pint of molasses, one pint of sherry, three pints of brandy, two quarts of cider, half of it to be boiled. Mix all the ingredients very thoroughly, cover and let stand in a cold place for twenty-four hours, then put up in preserve jars. PASTRY [illustration: PUFF PASTE DEMONSTRATION] PUFF PASTE. Select for this a fine pastry flour, bread flour will give a tough paste. Pastry flour is much whiter than bread flour and when rubbed through the fingers has the peculiar softness and fineness noticed in corn starch. Weigh and sift onehalf of a pound ; add to it a pinch of salt and sift a second time, then set in a cool place. Scald a bowl, fill with ice or very cold water ; wash the hands in warm soapy water, rinse in cold water and work and squeeze one-half of a pound of butter until it is waxy ; divide it in four pieces and pat each out in a thin cake, press out the water m a towel and place on ice until very firm. Have everything, utensils as well as materials, thoroughly chilled. Put aside a few spoonfuls of the flour to use in dusting the board; turn the remainder on a platter, make a hole in the centre ; drop in it one-half of the unbeaten white of an egg and one of the pats of butter, add gradually a little ice water, and with