Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Lemon Custard (without cream or milk). — Put the thin rind of two lemons into three-quarters of a pint of cold water, and soak until the flavor is extracted. Boil the liquid, and pour it gradually over the yolks of eight eggs which have been beaten briskly for several minutes. Strain the juice of the lemons over % lb. of sugar, add a quarter of a pint of water, and boil until the sugar is dissolved. Put all together into a jug, place this in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir one way until the custard thickens. A table-spoonful of brandy and two table-spoonfuls of Madeira may be added, if liked ; many think them a great improvement. Time, half an hour to make. Lemon Floating Island. — Take half a dozen fresh eggs, separate the whites and the yolks ; beat the whites to a solid froth, sweeten them, and flavor with two or three drops of the essence of lemon. Beat the yolks, mix them with a pint and a half of milk, flavor with lemon, and stir the custard over a gentle fire until it thickens, but it must not boil. When nearly cool, add very gradually a table-spoonful of lemon juice. Pour it into a glass dish and pile the whites upon it. Garnish according to taste. A small piece of red-currant jelly placed here and there is an improvement, or half of the froth may be thickly colored with cochineal. Time, a few minutes to thicken the custard. Lemon Meringue Custard, Baked. — One quart of milk, five eggs, one table-spoonful of butter, one cupful of sugar, one teaspoonful of corn-starch, two lemons. Beat the yolks of the eggs light, and stir into them the butter creamed with the sugar, and the juice and grated rind of the lemons. Dissolve the corn-starch in the milk, and add this to the other ingredients. Bake in a buttered pudding - dish until the custard is set, then cover it with a meringue made of the whites of the eggs whipped stiff with a quarter of a cupful of sugar, and brown very lightly. Eat cold. Maple Cream Custards. — Heat a pint of milk to scalding. Stir two table-spoonfuls of granulated sugar into the unbeaten whites of three eggs — stirring, not beating — and pour the hot milk upon it. Wet the inside of custard-cups with cold water, fill them with the mixture, set the cups in a pan of hot water, cover them closely, and bake in a moderate oven until the custards are firm. When cold, turn out on a flat dish, cover with whipped cream, and strew all thickly with grated maple sugar. Maraschino Flummery. — Add 6 ozs. of sugar to one quart of milk ; bring it to a boil ; stir in 4 ozs. of either potato or wheat flour which has previously been mixed smooth with a little cold milk, and continue stirring until it thickens into a smooth, tolerably thick mass. Remove from the fire and set it to cool for a time ; then add the whites of six eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, and a wineglassful of maraschino ; pour into a wet mould — the Mock Gooseberry-fool CUSTARDS Peaches in Custard