[Modern cookery, in all its branches

Compote of damsons. — Four ounces of sugar and half a pint of water to be boiled for ten minutes ; one pound of damsons to be added, and simmered gently from ten to twelve minutes. Compote of the green magnum-bonum or Mogul plum. — The green Mogul plums are often brought abundantly into the market when the fruit is thinned from the trees, and they make admirable tarts or compotes , possessing the fine slight bitter flavour of the unripe apricot, to which they are quite equal. Measure a pint of the plums without their stalks, and wash them very clean ; then throw them into a syrup made with seven ounces of sugar in lumps, and half a pint of water, boiled together for eight or ten minutes. Give the plums one quick boil, and then let them stew quite softly for about five minutes, or until they are tender, which occasionally will be in less time even. Take off the scum, and serve the compote hot or cold. Compote of the magnum-bonum , or other large plums. — Boil six ounces of sugar with half a pint of water the usual time ; take the stalks from a pound of plums, and simmer them very softly for twenty minutes. Increase the proportion of sugar if needed, and regulate the time as may be necessary for the different varieties of fruit. Compote of bullaces. — The large, or shepherds’ bullace, is very good stewed, but will require a considerable portion of sugar to render it palatable, unless it be quite ripe. Make a syrup with half a pound of sugar, and three-quarters of a pint of water, and boil in it gently from fifteen to twenty minutes, a pint and a half of the bullaces freed from their stalks. Compote of Siberian crabs. — To three-quarters of a pint of water add six ounces of fine sugar, boil them for ten or twelve minutes, and skim them well. Add a pound and a half of Siberian crabs without their stalks, and keep them just at the point of boiling for twenty minutes; they will then become tender without bursting. A few chap, xxiii.] SWEET DISHES, OR ENTREMETS. 459 strips of lemon -rind and a little of the juice are sometimes added to this compote. Obs. — In a dry warm summer, when fruit ripens freely, and is rich in quality, the proportion of sugar directed for these competes would generally be found sufficient ; but in a cold or wet season it would certainly, in many instances, require to be increased. The present slight difference in the cost of sugars, renders it a poor economy to use the raw for dishes of this class, instead of that which is well refined. To make a clear syrup it should be broken into lumps, not crushed to powder. Almost every kind of fruit may be converted into a good compote. COMPOTE OF PEACHES. Pare half a dozen ripe peaches, and stew them very softly from eighteen to twenty minutes, keeping them often turned in a light syrup, made with five ounces of sugar, and half a pint of water boiled together for ten minutes. Dish the fruit ; reduce the syrup by quick boiling, pour it over the peaches, and serve them hot for a secondcourse dish, or cold for dessert. They should be quite ripe, and will be found delicious dressed thus. A little lemon-juice may be added to the syrup, and the blanched kernels of two or three peach or apricot stones. Sugar, 5 oz. ; water, £ pint* 10 minutes. Peaches, 6 : 18 to 20 minutes.