Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Lemon Cream. — Squeeze the juice from four lemons and soak the skins all night in a pint of cold water. Next day add to the water the juice of the lemons, I lb. of sugar, and nine eggs, beaten together. Beat the whole together and strain it. Simmer over a slow fire until thick, stirring all the time. When cool, put in custard-cups, and serve very cold, with sponge cake or some delicate crackers to eat with it. Another way : — One quart of milk, four eggs, one cupful of sugar, i oz. of gelatine soaked in a small cupful of cold water, one large lemon or two small ones. Soak the gelatine one hour. Heat the milk to boiling, and pour it on the sugar and beaten yolks. Put back on the fire and stir in the gelatine. Cook five minutes, take from the stove, flavor with the juice of the lemon and half the grated rind, and when it is cold and begins to stiffen stir in the whites of the eggs, whipped stiff. Pour into a mould wet with cold water, and serve when firm. Little Creams for Luncheon. — Two table-spoonfuls of apricot jam (peaches will do as well) ; mix with a wineglassful of sherry; rub through a wire sieve ; then whisk the pounded jam with a gill of cream and a tablespoonful of castor sugar. Whisk also the whites of two eggs ; incorporate them lightly with the cream ; pour the mixture into custard-glasses. Decorate the top of the creams with pink sugar and chopped pistachios. Serve with sponge cake or ladyfingers. the mixture. Beat the whole with an egg-whip over a slow fire until it boils, take the cream from the fire, add I ozs. of dissolved gelatine, set the vessel on ice or in another filled with cold water, and stir until the mass thickens. Add one pint of cream, whipped until very stiff, line a mould with lady fingers, fill with the mixture, and set it on the ice to harden. Nut Cream. — Take a pint of hazel or hickory nut kernels, rub the skins off with a coarse towel, and pound to a paste with a little white of an egg. Make a custard of half a pint of sweet milk, the yolks of two eggs, and half a teacupful of sugar. Set over the fire until boiling ; take off ; when cool, add a teaspoonful of gelatine disolved in warm water. Stir in the nut paste, mix well, whip half a pint of thick cream, add to the mixture, turn into a mould, and set on ice. Orange Cream. — Rub two cupfuls of cut sugar on the outside peel of six large oranges, and add enough water to make a pint and a half. Boil this until clear, and strain through a muslin bag. When cold, beat it up thoroughly with half a pint of thick cream ; then stir in i oz. of gelatine soaked in half a pint of cold water. The juice of the oranges is not used. To be put into moulds and hardened on ice. Orange - flower Cream. — Sweeten one pint of cream to taste; add four well-beaten eggs, two teaspoonfuls of wine, and one teaspoonful of orangeflower water ; grate in one nutmeg, and stir all together over the fire until thick. Besides making a very dainty cream, this recipe is nice for tarts or cream cakes.