Cookery for every household

Choose firm halves of apricots, and drain them well from their syrup on the top of a sieve. Then take some rice that has been well cooked in milk and is adhesive, and form it into small balls with a little rice flour. Put two half apricots together, with a hall of rice between, and roll again in rice flour to dry the outside. Then brush over with beaten egg, toss in bread or cake crumbs, and fry in boiling fat until a pretty brown colour. Sprinkle with sugar, and serve either hot or cold. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Probable cost, 9 d. 1873. Apricot Fritters with Cream (Beignets d’ Abricots & la Crdme) 1 doz. ripe apricots. [ 1 cupful custard cream. Sugar. ! Frying batter. A little liqueur. j Choose fresh ripe apricots, wipe them, cut them in halves and take out the stones. Lay the pieces on a dish, sprinkle them well with sugar and a little kirsch or other liqueur, and let them remain at least 4 hour. Then drain the apricots and place them on a dish or board with the cut side uppermost. Take some thick and cold custard sauce, flavour it with vanilla or the same liqueur, and sweeten to taste. Put some of this into half the number of apricot pieces, place the remaining halves on the top, and press them lightly together. A short time before the sweet is required, dip the stuffed apricots into Frying Batter Nos. 1 or 4 (pp. 418-19), and fry them in boiling fat until nicely browned. Drain well and sprinkle with plain or vanilla sugar. Serve on a hot dish with a laceedged paper under them. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Probable cost, Is. 1874. Banana Croquettes (Croquettes de Bananes ) 4 to 6 bananas. 2 oranges. 2 oz. sugar. 1 egg. Biscuit-crumbs. 1 tea-sp. cornflour or arrowroot. Peel the bananas and cut them in two or four according to size. Put them into a basin, and sprinkle them with the sugar and the grated rind of one orange. Strain over the juice from the two oranges, cover the basin and allow the bananas to soak 1 hour. Then lift out the pieces, and drain them on a sieve for a minute or two. Now brush them over with beaten egg, toss in biscuit or cake crumbs, and fry in boiling fat until a golden brown colour. Drain and dredge with fine sugar. Serve the following sauce separately. Sauce. — Strain the juice in which the bananas were soaked into a saucepan, add the cornflour or arrowroot mixed with a little water, and stir over the fire until boiling. Allow the sauce to cook 2 or 3 minutes before serving. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Probable cost, 8d. or 9 d. 1875. Banana Fritters (Beignets aux Bananes) 3 or 4 bananas. I Frying batter. Castor sugar. I Wine or lemon juice. Peel the bananas, cut them in two lengthwise and then once across, making four pieces in all. Lay these pieces on a plate, sweeten and flavour, and let them lie for a few minutes. Finish off in the same way as Apple Fritters (Recipe 1867). Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Probable cost, 6 d. to 8 d. 1876. Beignets Souffles 5 oz. flour. 2 oz. butter. 1 oz. castor sugar. 3 eggs. £ pt. water. Flavouring. A pinch of salt. Make the mixture in the same way as directed for Choux Pastry (Recipe 1450), and turn it on to plate to cool. It will be all the better if this can rest for an hour before being used. To fry the