SALADS OF VARIOUS FRUITS.

You will perceive, my dear Eloise, that there is no end to the variation of dishing fruits for desserts; the following being more simple than any, and within the reach of almost every individual.

852. _Salad of Oranges._--Select four good oranges, the thinnest rind ones are preferable; cut them crosswise into slices double the thickness of a crown-piece, dress them round upon your dish, one piece resting half-way upon the other; shake one ounce of sifted sugar over, pour over a good tablespoonful of brandy, and it is ready; to serve it out, put two pieces upon the plate of each guest, with a spoonful of the syrup.

Slices of red Malta oranges, dressed alternately with the other, has a pleasing effect. Any kind of liquor may be used, as also might whiskey, rum, or that white cream or blue devil commonly called g----; dear me, I quite forget the name.

853. _Salad of Strawberries._--Pick the stalks from a pottle of very fine strawberries, which put into a basin with half a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, two gla.s.ses of brandy, and an ounce of sifted sugar, toss them lightly over, and dress them in pyramid upon your dish, pouring the syrup over; these should only be dressed a few minutes before serving; the brandy might be omitted. If handy, a gla.s.s of maraschino, subst.i.tuted for brandy, makes them delicious.

854. _Salad of Peaches._--Procure four ripe peaches, which peel and cut into quarters; put them into a basin with two ounces of sugar and a gla.s.s of sherry, toss them lightly over, dress upon your dish and serve.

Apricots, greengages, and other plums are dressed in salads in the same manner, leaving their skins on.

855. _Salad of Currants and Raspberries._--Put an equal quant.i.ty of each, making rather more than a pint, into a basin, with two ounces of powdered sugar-candy, and a little powdered cinnamon, toss them over lightly, and they are ready to serve.

856. _Pine Apples._--I have tried several experiments with the West Indian pine-apples, many of which being rather stale when they arrive here, would make an unsightly appearance whole upon the table, but made into a compote or salad, they are really excellent, having also the advantage of being very cheap.

For a _compote_, peel one rather thickly, to leave no black spots upon it, make a syrup with half a pound of sugar, as directed (No. 831), cut your pine-apple into round slices a quarter of an inch in thickness, which put into the syrup, boiling them ten minutes; take them out with a colander-spoon, reduce the syrup until thickish, and pour it over the pine-apple; when cold it is ready to serve.

For a _salad_, peel and cut a pine-apple into small square dice, which put into a basin with two ounces of sugar-candy (powdered) and a gla.s.s of noyeau, toss all well together and serve.

For _marmalade_, pair and cut into small pieces several small pine-apples, and to every quart thus cut up add one pound of fine sugar, boil for half an hour, and put in a pot.

857. _Cake of Savoy in mould._--Have ready a large high mould lightly b.u.t.tered (with a soft brush, and clarified b.u.t.ter), turn the mould up to drain, and when the b.u.t.ter is quite set throw some finely sifted sugar into it; move the mould round until the sugar has adhered to every part, after which turn out the superfluous sugar, tie a band of b.u.t.tered paper round at the top, and place it in a cool place until the mixture is ready. Place the yolks of fourteen eggs in a basin, with one pound of sugar (upon which you have rubbed the rind of two lemons previous to pounding), beat well together with a wooden spoon until nearly white, then whip the whites of the eggs very stiff, add them to the yolks and sugar, with six ounces of flour and six ounces of potato-flour, mix the whole lightly but well together, and fill the mould rather more than three parts full, place it in a very moderate oven one hour, keeping the oven-door shut; then try when done as directed in the last, if done take off the paper and turn it out upon a sieve until quite cold. The above mixture being more delicate than the last, would not do so well for removes, but may be used for that purpose by being made three or four days before it is required.

858. _Savoy Cakes, or Ladies' Fingers._--Have the weight of nine eggs of sugar in a bowl, which put into a bain-marie of hot water, weigh the same weight of flour, which sift through a wire sieve upon paper, break the eggs into a bowl, and proceed as directed for sponge-cake; then with a paper funnel or bag, with a thin pipe made for that purpose, lay it out upon papers into biscuits three inches in length and the thickness of your little finger, sift sugar over, shaking off all that does not adhere to them; place them upon baking-sheets, and bake in rather a warm oven of a brownish-yellow color, when done and cold, detach them from the paper by wetting it at the back, place them a short time to dry, and they are ready for use for charlotte russe, or wherever directed.

859. _Sponge Cake._--Put one pound of powdered sugar in a good-sized bowl, which stand in a bain-marie of hot water; sift one pound of flour upon a sheet of paper, then break twelve eggs into the bowl with the sugar, which whisk rather quickly until they become a little warm and rather thickish, then take the bowl from the bain-marie, and continue whisking until nearly or quite cold; then add the chopped rind of a lemon and the flour, which mix lightly with a wooden spoon; have ready your mould or baking-dish lightly b.u.t.tered, into which you have put a little flour, knocking out all that does not adhere to the b.u.t.ter, pour in the mixture and place it one hour in a moderate oven, it may require longer or not so long, but that will depend entirely upon the compa.s.s you have it in; if done it will feel firm to the touch, but the surest method is to run a thin wooden skewer into the centre, if it comes out clean the cake is done, but if not some of the mixture would adhere to it; care should be taken not to disturb it until quite set, or it would sink in the centre, and never properly bake; when done turn it out upon a sieve to cool. Serve where indicated.

860. _Small Sponge Cakes._--Put six whole eggs into an earthen pan with half a pound of sugar, upon which you have previously rubbed the rind of a lemon, stand the pan in very hot water, keeping its contents well mixed until becoming rather warm, when take it from the water, continuing to whisk until quite cold and thickish, when stir in gently half a pound of sifted flour; have ready b.u.t.tered, and dusted with sugar, about a dozen small sponge-cake tins, put a tablespoonful of the mixture into each, shake sugar over, and bake them in a moderate oven.

861. _Pound Cakes._--Put one pound of b.u.t.ter into an earthen pan with a pound of powdered sugar, and a little grated nutmeg, beat them well together with the hand until forming a smooth lightish cream, when add by degrees eight eggs, beating it ten minutes after, when add a pound and a quarter of sifted flour, stir it in lightly, and put the mixture into hoops to bake.

862. _Queen's Cakes._--Weigh of b.u.t.ter the weight of six eggs, and nine of powdered sugar, which put together in an earthen pan, heat well with the hand until forming a smooth cream, when add by degrees nine eggs, and when well beat, stir in the weight of nine eggs of flour and half a pound of currants; have ready b.u.t.tered about a dozen little round cake pans, fill each one rather better than three parts full with the mixture, shake sugar over, and bake them in a moderate oven. If no cake pans, drop the mixture upon paper in pieces half the size of a walnut, and an inch and a half apart, shake sugar over, bake in a warm oven, and, when done, remove them from the papers.

863. _Almond Cakes._--Procure one pound of ground almonds, to which add two pounds of powdered sugar, mixing the whole with the whites of nine eggs, beating the mixture well with a wooden spoon for about ten minutes, lay them out upon wafer paper of an oval shape with a tablespoon, put three or four strips of almonds upon the top of each, and bake them in a slow oven; when done, break away all the wafer paper but that which adheres to the bottom of the paper, and, when cold, they are ready for use.

864. _Cocoa-Nut Biscuits._--Sc.r.a.pe four cocoa nuts, to which add the same weight of powdered sugar, mix with whites of eggs, beating with a wooden spoon until forming a softish but thick paste; lay the mixture out upon wafer-paper in small drops, baking them as directed in the last.

865. _Moss Biscuits._--Weigh half a pound of flour, to which add an ounce and a half of b.u.t.ter and five ounces of sugar, rub them well together and mix with one whole and one white of egg and a teaspoonful of milk; then add two ounces of ground almonds, which rub well into the paste; afterwards rub the whole through a gauze wire sieve, taking it off in small pieces, which lay upon a lightly-b.u.t.tered baking-sheet, and bake them in a moderate oven.

866. _Rout Cakes._--Procure one pound of ground almonds, to which add one pound of powdered sugar, mixing them together with yolks of eggs until forming a stiffish but flexible paste, when form it into small biscuits of the shapes of coronets, bunches of filberts, birds' nests, or any other shapes your fancy may dictate; let them remain five or six hours, or all night, upon the baking-sheet, and bake them in a warm oven.

867. _Rout Biscuits._--Boil a pound and a quarter of lump sugar, upon which you have rubbed the rind of a lemon, in half a pint of milk; when cold, rub half a pound of b.u.t.ter with two pounds of flour, make a hole in the centre, pour in the milk with as much carbonate of soda as would lie upon a sixpence, and a couple of eggs, mix the whole into a smooth paste, lay it out upon your baking-sheet in whatever flat shapes you please, and bake them in a very warm oven.

The proper way to shape these biscuits is by wooden blocks having leaves, pine-apples, and other devices carved upon them.

868. _Cream Biscuits._--Rub one pound of fresh b.u.t.ter into one pound of flour, make a hole in the centre, into which put half a pound of powdered sugar upon which the rind of a lemon was rubbed previously to pounding, and three whole eggs, mix the eggs well with the sugar, and then mix all together, forming a flexible paste; cut it into round pieces each nearly as large as a walnut, stamp them flat with a b.u.t.ter-stamp of the size of a crown-piece, and bake them in a slack oven.

869. _Shrewsbury Cakes._--Weigh one pound of flour, into which rub half a pound of b.u.t.ter and six ounces of flour, make a hole in the centre, into which break a couple of eggs, and add sufficient milk to form a flexible paste, which roll out to the thickness of a penny-piece, and cut it into small cakes with a round cutter; bake them in a moderate oven.

_Ginger Cakes_ are made precisely as the above, but adding half an ounce of ground ginger before mixing; and _Cinnamon Cakes_, by rubbing in an ounce and a half of ground cinnamon after the paste is mixed.

870. _Macaroons._--Blanch and skin half a pound of sweet almonds, dry them well in your screen, then put them into a mortar with a pound and a half of lump sugar, pound well together, and pa.s.s the whole through a wire sieve; put it again into a mortar, with the whites of two eggs, mix well together with the pestle, then add the white of another egg, proceeding thus until you have used the whites of about eight eggs and made a softish paste, when lay them out at equal distances, apart upon wafer-paper, in pieces nearly the size of walnuts, place some strips of almonds upon the top, sift sugar over, and bake in a slow oven of a yellowish brown color; they are done when set quite firm through.

871. _Ratafias._--Ratafias are made similar to the above, but deducting two ounces of sweet, and adding two ounces of bitter almonds; they are laid out in much smaller cakes upon common paper, and baked in a much warmer oven; when cold, they may be taken off the paper with the greatest ease.

These cakes are very serviceable in making a great many second-course dishes.

872. _Italian Drops._--Have a mixture similar to the above, merely a liqueur gla.s.sful of best noyeau, lay it in round drops upon paper, and bake in a hot oven without sifting any sugar over; when taken from the papers, dry them a little in the screen, and they are ready to serve.

The bottoms may be spread over with apricot marmalade, and two stuck together just previous to being served, if approved of.

873. _St. James's Cake._--Put one pound of very fresh b.u.t.ter in a good-sized kitchen basin, and with the right hand work it up well till it forms quite a white cream; then add one pound powdered sugar, mix well, add ten eggs by degrees; put to dry a pound and a quarter of flour, which mix as lightly as possible with it; blanch and cut in slices two ounces of pistachios, two ditto of green preserved angelica, add two liqueur gla.s.ses of noyeau, two drops of essence of vanilla; whip a gill and a half of cream till very thick, mix lightly with a wooden spoon.

LETTER No. XVII

THE DINNER-TABLE.

MY DEAR ELOISE,--I thank you for your kind compliment, but I have always been of opinion that the arrangements and serving of a dinner-table, have as much to do with the happiness and pleasure of a party as the viands which are placed upon it; this I had a practical proof of last week. Mr. B. and myself were invited to dine with Mr. D., a city friend, at Balham Hill; I had before met Mrs. D. at an evening party, at his partner's, at Hackney, and knew little of her.

Dinner was served pretty punctually, only half an hour after time.

On my entrance in the room, my first glance at the table showed me that there was a want of _savoir-faire_ in its management: the plate, very abundant and splendid, was of so yellow a cast that it looked as if it were plated, and the cut gla.s.s was exceedingly dim.