Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Orange Snow-balls. — Throw Yz lb. of rice loose into a saucepan of boiling water, and boil it quickly for five minutes. Peel four sweet oranges, and carefully remove the thick, white skin without injuring the fruit. Drain the rice, and when it is cool spread it out in four equal parts on four small pudding-cloths. Place one of the pared oranges on each of these, gather the cloth carefully round it, and tie it securely. Plunge the dumplings into boiling water, and let them remain on the fire until done enough. Turn them out carefully, sprinkle powdered sugar over them, and send orange-sauce to table with them. Time to boil, one hour and a half. Orange Sponge. — The juice of six large oranges, one scant pint of cold water, four eggs, one cupful of sugar, and half a package of gelatine. Soak the gelatine in half a cupful of the cold water. Squeeze the oranges and strain the juice on the sugar. Add the remainder of the water to the beaten eggs, and cook these with the sugar and orange-juice in the double boiler until it begins to thicken. Add the gelatine, strain into a tin basin, which place in a pan of icewater. Stir this mixture occasionally, and, when cool, add the unbeaten whites of the eggs. Now beat the whole continuously until it begins to thicken, and when barely thick enough to pour turn it into moulds and set on the ice to harden. Serve with powdered sugar and cream. Oranges in Syrup. — Peel four or five large oranges, and remove all the white pith without injuring in the slightest degree the thin, transparent skin which covers the fruit. Boil Yz lb. of loaf sugar in a quarter of a pint of water to a clear syrup, add a wineglassful of maraschino or any other liqueur or spirit that may be preferred, and pour the hot liquid over the oranges. Let them remain for three or four hours, then turn them over ; boil the syrup up once more, and pour it again upon the oranges. Serve in a compote dish and garnish with sprigs of myrtle. The quantity of sugar used for the syrup must depend upon the season, and if it is early in the winter, and the oranges are sour, a larger proportion of sugar should be used, and besides this the oranges should be boiled in the syrup for a few minutes. Time, ten minutes to boil the syrup. Oranges, Moulded. — This dish, though very pretty, is rather difficult to prepare. Peel three or four large oranges, being careful not to break the thin inner skin. Oil a small, plain mould thoroughly. Boil Y\ lb. of loaf sugar in three tablespoonfuls of water to crackling height, dip the edges of the orange sections into this, arrange them in layers round the sides only of the mould, and fasten them together with the sugar. When they are firm, turn them on a dish, and fill the centre with whipped cream. Time, ten or twelve minutes to boil the sugar. Peaches, Baked. — Pare and halve a few good, firm peaches. Remove the stones, and place each half-peach on a round piece of buttered toast. Fill the cavity made by the stone with a generous piece of butter, and cover the peach with powdered sugar. Now sprinkle the sugar with lemon-juice and a little nutmeg, and put in the oven on an earthenware dish for twenty minutes. Serve hot with cream. Apples may be treated in the same manner. 1 68 Peaches, Compote of Peach Trifle