<Emph Rend= Bold >CHAPTER X.</Emph>

<emph rend="bold">CHAPTER X.</emph>

<emph rend="bold">DESSERT</emph> (<emph rend="italic">dessert</emph>).

THE dessert proper consists of small cold sweets, frozen puddings either in moulds or paper cases, nuts, confectionery, black coffee, and candied fruits. Preserves, candied fruits, and jellies are included in this chapter, because they so often enter into the composition of dessert dishes. Many of the frozen puddings can be prepared at home, and the ices and creams also, if there is the proper freezing apparatus. The forms illustrated are French, but any American substitute will serve. The directions for making ices and creams were first published about two years ago, in one of the author's household series then appearing. They are good enough to give permanency to here, for by following them any careful person can produce at home some of the most elaborate of the confectioner's sweets: the forms only will differ, because confectioners have many very pretty individual moulds that are not found in ordinary households. The preparation of these novelties at home should always be undertaken in ample time, so that at dinner-time there shall be no difficulties to overcome at the last moments.

<emph rend="italic">CREAM MÉRINGUES.</emph>

Have ready a large, thick board, which will go into the oven, covered with glazed letter-paper; beat the whites of six eggs to a stiff froth, and gently mix with them half a

pound of pulverized sugar, taking care not to break down the eggs; work very quickly and lightly, and as soon as the sugar is incorporated with the egg, heap the <emph rend="italic">méringue</emph> so made upon the paper, either in two large mounds or in an even number of small ones, and push the board containing them into a very slow oven, where the <emph rend="italic">méringues</emph> will dry out rather than bake; if the oven is too hot, leave the door open, and change the board frequently, so that the heat will strike its contents evenly. When the <emph rend="italic">méreingues</emph> are light brown, cool them a little, take them off the paper, turn them over on the hand, and, without breaking them, take out the soft centre, and press the rest back upon the outside with the bowl of a spoon to form a hollow shell; dust the inside with powdered sugar; lay the shells, bottom upward, on clean paper on the board, and place them in a cool oven to dry out. Meantime, either prepare whipped cream to fill them, or make an Italian cream as follows:--

<emph rend="italic">ITALIAN CREAM.</emph>

Dissolve an ounce and a half of isinglass over the fire in a gill of hot water, and keep it hot enough to remain liquid; prepare a pint of whipped cream according to the directions given in the proper recipe; put in a thick saucepan over the fire a pint of cream, the yolks of eight raw eggs, a quarter of a pound of macaroons, half a pound of powdered sugar, and a wineglassful of <emph rend="italic">curaçoa;</emph> stir these ingredients constantly until they begin to thicken; then take them off the fire, and beat in the dissolved isinglass; while the cream is still liquid enough to run through a wire sieve, strain it; after straining it, very gently mix in the pint of whipped cream; reserve enough of the Italian cream to fill the <emph rend="italic">méringues</emph> with, and pour the rest into a mould to be cooled and iced; serve the cold Italian cream with a border of whipped cream.

<emph rend="italic">CANNELONS WITH CREAM.</emph>

Cut puff-paste in strips about an inch wide, and roll it around a floured stick, as shown in the first picture of the <emph rend="italic">cannelons;</emph> several are so formed, and then baked upon the sticks; after the <emph rend="italic">cannelons</emph> are a little cool, the sticks can be slipped out, and the centres filled with whipped cream, for which a recipe is given elsewhere; or any preserve or jelly can be used to fill them. They are served upon a folded napkin, as shown in the second cut.

{Illustration: Puff-pastry wrapped around a wooden stick}

<emph rend="italic">Uncooked Cannelons.</emph>

{Illustration: Finished cannalons stacked on top of a folded napkin on a platter}

<emph rend="italic">Cannelons with Jelly.</emph>

<emph rend="italic">BAVARIAN CREAM.</emph>

This cream is served cold in a form, or sometimes replaces whipped cream in a charlotte-russe. To make it, put a quarter of an ounce of gelatine over the fire with a gill

of hot water, and stir the gelatine until it is dissolved, when it may be set near enough to the fire to keep it liquid; whip the white of one egg to a stiff froth, and gradually pour the liquid gelatine into it, whipping it until it begins to set; then cool it for five minutes; whip it again, and stir it into four ounces of pulverized sugar, five drops of lemon and ten of vanilla essence, and a tablespoonful of brandy; meantime, prepare a pint of whipped cream as directed in the proper recipe; when the whipped cream is ready, beat the yolk of one raw egg for one minute, and then beat it into the prepared gelatine; last of all, add the pint of whipped cream, stirring it in very gently and thoroughly, and use the cream to fill a charlotte-mould lined with sponge-cake or lady-fingers. The Bavarian cream is sometimes cooled in a mould, and turned out on a base of whipped cream.

<emph rend="italic">CALF'S-FOOT JELLY.</emph>

As the following recipe is very explicit, and has been repeatedly tested, the fact that it has been published several times does not make it seem necessary to change it in any way.

Thoroughly wash four calf's-feet in plenty of cold water, trimming off all defective portions, and carefully removing all the hairs; put them over the fire in a thick saucepan with two gallons of cold water, one heaping teaspoonful of salt, a dozen whole cloves, an inch of stick-cinnamon, and the yellow rind of one lemon cut very thin; place the saucepan where its contents will boil very slowly; remove all scum as it rises, and continue the boiling until there are only about two quarts of the broth remaining in the saucepan; by this time the calf's-feet will have become almost gelatinous from the prolonged boiling, and the broth will be in good condition to make the jelly; strain the broth, and cool it, in order to remove the fat. After the broth from the

calf's-feet is quite cold, it will present the appearance of a cloudy, whitish, opaque jelly; it must then be clarified and flavored as follows: For two quarts of the unclarified jelly, put into a thick saucepan the whites and shells of four eggs, two tablespoonfuls of cold water, and the yellow rinds of two lemons cut very thin; mix these ingredients for a moment, breaking the egg-shells; then add one pound of white sugar, and the cold jellied broth; place the saucepan over the fire, and occasionally stir its contents until they begin to boil; then place it where the jelly will boil gently until it looks as clear as wine under the scum of egg which rises to the surface; put in a large bowl a quart of good sherry and the strained juice of four lemons; set a colander over the bowl, wet a clean towel in hot water, fold it double, and lay it in the colander; pour the boiling jelly into the towel, and let it strain through without stirring the egg or disturbing the folded towel in any way; do not squeeze the towel, or try to hasten the straining, because that might allow some of the particles of egg to escape into the jelly, thus clouding it; a flannel jelly-bag may be used for the straining if one is at hand; after the jelly is strained, it can be cooled in cups, moulds, or glass jars, and kept in a cool place until wanted for use.

<emph rend="italic">MADEIRA JELLY.</emph>

Make some good calf's-foot jelly very thick; after clarifying it, as directed in the recipe for clarifying stock and jelly, dissolve in a quart of the jelly, while it is warm, half an ounce of isinglass; add to it half a pint of good madeira, a glass of brandy, and enough sugar to sweeten the jelly acceptably; then cool it in moulds, and serve it cold.

<emph rend="italic">NOYEAU JELLY.</emph>

Put an ounce of the best isinglass into half a pint of lukewarm water, and stir it over the fire until it is dissolved;

meantime put over the fire a pound of loaf-sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and half a pint of cold water, and boil them without stirring until they form a thick sirup; mix with the dissolved isinglass the sirup and a wineglass of <emph rend="italic">noyeau</emph> cordial or <emph rend="italic">liqueur;</emph> and then strain the jelly into a mould wet in cold water, and allow the jelly to harden before turning it out of the mould.

<emph rend="italic">ORANGES WITH JELLY.</emph>

Cut from sound oranges a small circular piece from the stem end, as shown in the accompanying engraving, and scoop out the pulp of the fruit; or cut the rind in the form of a basket; wash the peels in cold water, put them over the fire in boiling water with a little sugar, and boil them for five minutes; then cool them, and fill them with Florida-orange jelly, or with any jelly, slightly softened by heat; after the orange-rinds are filled with jelly, it must be allowed to harden; the entire rind containing the jelly can then be cut in quarters, as shown in the engraving, or served whole. The effect is very pretty.

{Illustration of engraved orange and oranges filled with jelly located in center of above paragraph}

<emph rend="italic">CHARTREUSE OF CANDIED ORANGES.</emph>

Peel and quarter oranges enough to line the bottom and sides of a round tin jelly-mould; lay the quarters upon a sieve, and place them on the shelf over the stove, or on the oven-

door, where the white membrane which encloses the pulp will become quite dry; this membrane must be entirely unbroken, so that no juice can escape. While the oranges are drying, put over the fire in a sugar-boiler half a pound of loaf-sugar, a gill of water, and a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, and boil the sugar until it cracks off sharp when cooled in ice-water; after large bubbles begin to show on the top of the boiling sugar, it must be tested frequently to see if it is boiled crisp enough. When the sugar is done, pour some sweet salad-oil in a round tin mould, run it all over the inside of the mould, and then pour it out; dip the quarters of orange in the hot sugar, one by one, and then entirely line the bottom and sides of the oiled mould with them, overlapping the quarters a little; the sugar will hold them together, and the oil will prevent adhesion to the mould; after the orange-quarters have cooled in the mould, they will turn out and retain its shape; this forms a <emph rend="italic">chartreuse,</emph> which may be filled, just before serving, with any fresh berries, or small fresh fruits, or even with iced creams or jellies.

<emph rend="italic">SPINNING SUGAR.</emph>

Spun sugar is used to ornament large candied pieces of fruit and nuts, or <emph

rend="italic">nougat;</emph> for instance, the preceding piece, the <emph rend="italic">chartreuse</emph> of oranges, might be covered with spun sugar after it is taken from the mould; or a pyramid formed of macaroons, cemented with white of egg; or any large ornamental combination piece built up of candied nuts, fruit, and macaroons; or such a stand of candy as is shown upon the table in the background of the accompanying engraving. The sirup is boiled to the degree called "the crack," and then a very little of it is poured from a spoon moved back and forth over an oiled knife held as shown in the engraving. The motion must be quick and steady; the spun sugar may be made in the long sections shown in the picture, or in

{Illustration of a baker making spun sugar}

shorter lengths; or it may be spun directly over the piece to be ornamented.

<emph rend="italic">DEGREES OF BOILING SUGAR.</emph>

The degrees of boiling sugar for confectioners' purposes are seven: <emph rend="italic">la

lisse,</emph> or thread, small and large; <emph rend="italic">la perle,</emph> or pearl, small and large; <emph rend="italic">le soufflé,</emph> or blow; <emph rend="italic">la plume,</emph> or feather; <emph rend="italic">le boulet,</emph> or ball, small and large; <emph rend="italic">la casse,</emph> or crack; and <emph rend="italic">le caramel,</emph> or the point of burning.

The hand is used in testing, first dipping the fingers in cold water, and then quickly into the boiling sugar: sugar is also boiled by degrees marked on the saccharometer, an instrument which registers the density of sirup; the hand-test is given here.

<emph rend="italic">THE THREAD.</emph>

After the sugar has been boiling a few moments, wet the forefinger, dip it into the sirup, and quickly withdraw it, press it upon the thumb, and then pull it away; the small thread is when the sugar breaks after the thumb and finger have been separated to a short distance; the large thread, when they can be stretched farther apart without breaking the sugar.

<emph rend="italic">THE PEARL.</emph>

The pearl is when the sugar reaches without breaking if the fingers are extended nearly as far as possible; the large pearl, when the thread of sugar remains intact after the fingers are stretched to their widest extent.

At this degree of boiling, small bubbles may be formed by dipping a skimmer in the sugar, and then blowing through the holes; the bubbles fly apart, and sparkle on the reverse of the skimmer.

<emph rend="italic">THE FEATHER.</emph>

When this point is reached, the bubbles formed by blowing the sugar through the skimmer are larger; and if the skimmer is shaken, fine threads of sugar like floss fly off from it.

At "the ball," a little of the sugar can be rolled to a very soft ball between the wet fingers. The next degree is the larger and harder ball of sugar, which can be bitten without sticking to the teeth.

The sugar should now be tested constantly.

<emph rend="italic">THE CRACK.</emph>

As this degree of boiling approaches, large purling bubbles form upon the surface of the boiling sugar, and it is very near the point for making spun sugar and candied nuts and fruit. Wet the hand, and dip it into the boiling sugar, and then again into the cold water; if the sugar hardens at once, and breaks with a crackling noise between the fingers or the teeth, the proper point has been reached, and the sugar must at once be taken from the fire, because there is great danger that it will pass beyond the point of <emph rend="italic">caramel.</emph

<emph rend="italic">CARAMEL.</emph>

<p<emph rend="italic">Caramel</emph> is the point at which sugar begins to burn. It becomes tinged with yellow, and then quickly browns, and begins to smoke; to check the boiling, set the sugar-boiler into a pan of cold water for a moment, and then use the sugar.

<emph rend="italic">TO PREVENT GRANULATION IN BOILING SUGAR.</emph>

As the sugar boils, repeatedly wipe the sides of the boiler, where the sugar bubbles against it, with a cloth wet in cold water; and add five or six drops of lemon-juice or vinegar,

or dissolved citric acid or cream of tartarI, or salad-oil, or a very small bit of butter, or a teaspoonful of honey; in short, any acid or fat, in very small quantity, to keep the sugar smooth; <emph rend="italic">and do not stir it while it is boiling.</emph

&lt;Emph Rend= Bold &gt;CHAPTER X.&lt;/Emph&gt;

<Emph Rend= Bold >CHAPTER X.</Emph>