A ROYAL DESSERT.

Cut a stale cake into slices an inch and a half in thickness; pour over them a little good sweet cream; then fry _lightly_ in fresh b.u.t.ter in a smooth frying pan; when done, place over each slice of cake a layer of preserves or you may make a rich sauce to be served with it.

Another dish equally as good, is to dip thin slices of bread into fresh milk; have ready two eggs well beaten; dip the slices in the egg and fry them in b.u.t.ter to a light brown; when fried, pour over them a syrup, any kind that you choose, and serve hot.

HUCKLEBERRIES WITH CRACKERS AND CREAM.

Pick over carefully one quart of blueberries and keep them on ice until wanted. Put into each bowl, for each guest, two soda crackers, broken in not too small pieces; add a few tablespoonfuls of berries, a teaspoonful of powdered sugar and fill the bowl with the richest of cold sweet cream. This is an old-fashioned New England breakfast dish.

It also answers for a dessert.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

SAUCES FOR PUDDINGS.

BRANDY SAUCE, COLD.

Two cupfuls of powdered sugar, half a cupful of b.u.t.ter, one wine-gla.s.sful of brandy, cinnamon and nutmeg, a teaspoonful of each.

Warm the b.u.t.ter slightly and work it to a light cream with the sugar, then add the brandy and spices; beat it hard and set aside until wanted. Should be put into a mold to look nicely and serve on a flat dish.

BRANDY OR WINE SAUCE. No. 1.

Stir a heaping teaspoonful of cornstarch in a little cold water to a smooth paste (or instead use a tablespoonful of sifted flour); add to it a cupful of boiling water, with one cupful of sugar, a piece of b.u.t.ter as large as an egg, boil all together ten minutes. Remove from the fire and when cool stir into it half of a cupful of brandy or wine. It should be about as thick as thin syrup.

BRANDY OR WINE SAUCE. No. 2.

Take one cupful of b.u.t.ter, two of powdered sugar, the whites of two eggs, five tablespoonfuls of sherry wine or brandy and a quarter of a cupful of boiling water. Beat b.u.t.ter and sugar to a cream, add the whites of the eggs, one at a time, unbeaten, and then the wine or brandy. Place the bowl in hot water and stir till smooth and frothy.

RICH WINE SAUCE.

One cupful of b.u.t.ter, two of powdered sugar, half a cupful of wine.

Beat the b.u.t.ter to a cream. Add the sugar gradually and when very light add the wine, which has been made hot, a little at a time, a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. Place the bowl in a basin of hot water and stir for two minutes. The sauce should be smooth and foamy.

SAUCE FOR PLUM PUDDING. (Superior.)

Cream together a cupful of sugar and half a cupful of b.u.t.ter; when light and creamy, add the well-beaten yolks of four eggs. Stir into this one wine-gla.s.s of wine or one of brandy, a pinch of salt and one large cupful of hot cream or rich milk. Beat this mixture well; place it in a saucepan over the fire, stir it until it cooks sufficiently to thicken like cream. Be sure and not let it boil. Delicious.

LIQUID BRANDY SAUCE.

Brown over the fire three tablespoonfuls of sugar; add a cupful of water, six whole cloves and a piece of stick cinnamon, the yellow rind of a lemon cut very thin; let the sauce boil, strain while hot, then pour it into a sauce bowl containing the juice of the lemon and a cup of brandy. Serve warm.

GRANDMOTHERS SAUCE.

Cream together a cupful of sifted sugar and half a cupful of b.u.t.ter, add a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon and an egg well beaten. Boil a teacupful of milk and turn it, boiling hot, over the mixture slowly, stirring all the time; this will cook the egg smoothly. It may be served cold or hot.

SUGAR SAUCE.

One coffeecupful of granulated sugar, half of a cupful of water, a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of a walnut. Boil all together until it becomes the consistency of syrup. Flavor with lemon or vanilla extract. A tablespoonful of lemon juice is an improvement. Nice with cottage pudding.

LEMON SAUCE.

One cupful of sugar, half a cupful of b.u.t.ter, one egg beaten light, one lemon, juice and grated rind, half a cupful of boiling water; put in a tin basin and thicken over steam.

LEMON CREAM SAUCE, HOT.

Put half a pint of new milk on the fire and when it boils stir into it one teaspoonful of wheat flour, four ounces of sugar and the well-beaten yolks of three eggs; remove it from the fire and add the grated rind and the juice of one lemon; stir it well and serve hot in a sauce tureen.

ORANGE CREAM SAUCE, HOT.

This is made as LEMON CREAM SAUCE, subst.i.tuting orange for lemon.

Creams for puddings, pies and fritters may be made in the same manner with any other flavoring; if flour is used in making them, it should boil in the milk three or four minutes.

COLD LEMON SAUCE.

Beat to a cream one teacupful of b.u.t.ter and two teacupfuls of fine white sugar; then stir in the juice and grated rind of one lemon; grate nutmeg upon the sauce and serve on a flat dish.

COLD ORANGE SAUCE.

Beat to a cream one teacupful of b.u.t.ter and two teacupfuls of fine white sugar; then stir in the grated rind of one orange and the juice of two; stir until all the orange juice is absorbed; grate nutmeg upon the sauce and serve on a flat dish.

COLD CREAM SAUCE.

Stir to a cream one cupful of sugar, half a cupful of b.u.t.ter, then add a cupful of sweet, thick cold cream, flavor to taste. Stir well and set it in a cool place.

CREAM SAUCE, WARM.

Heat a pint of cream slowly in a double boiler; when nearly boiling, set it off from the fire, put into it half a cupful of sugar, a little nutmeg or vanilla extract; stir it thoroughly and add, when cool, the whites of two well-beaten eggs. Set it on the fire in a dish containing hot water to keep it warm until needed, stirring once or more.

CARAMEL SAUCE.