Virginia Cookery-book

We do not recommend essence of lemon to be used at all in flavoring ice-cream, for it is not delicate enough to take the place of the fresh fruit. Add the whites of a few eggs, as usual during the process of freezing ; taste your cream after mixing it, and, if more lemon is needed, strain in a little more juice ; more sugar may also be needed, but the above measures will be found correct under ordinary conditions. Stbawbebbt Icb-cbeam. When strawberries are in season there are three distinct ways of making them into ice-cream, any one of them good. We give the three, that you may follow the one you fancy, or alternate at pleasure. The prettiest way is that adopted by confectioners. Squeeze wild strawberries, if you can get them, capped or uncapped, and to one pint of the expressed juice put two quarts of cream and one pound of pulverized sugar. No one can complain of this cream ; but at the first of the season, when strawberries, being scarce and high, are all the more craved, persons cannot afford to be so lavish of them, and one quart of capped berries, simply mashed up and made into ice-cream, gives three times as many persons enjoyment of the variety as could be afforded in any other way. As nearly as we can come at the proportions of strawberry cream made in this fashion, they are : one quart of strawberries, two quarts of cream, one pound of sugar. The third way is resorted to when berries are ripe and plentiful. Take two quarts of large, red strawberries, after they have been capped, put them in a china bowl, and sprinkle through and over them one pound and threequarters of sugar. In two hours much sirup will have been formed, which must be added directly to three quarts of cream. Then put them in the freezer, and when beginning to get firm stir in the whole berries left in the bowl. This is a very delicious cream : two quarts of strawberries, three quarts of cream, one pound and threequarters of sugar. Bernarks, — Strawberry juice, like lemon, imparts richness, so that where cream is scarce you can use, in part, milk, and even a little buttermilk, and still have your cream amply rich. No matter how exact may be the recipe you follow, always taste ice-cream before you set it to freeze, the better to guard against disappointment. When sweetened exactly to the taste, it is always safe to add a light cupful of sugar more " for the freezer." Strawberry Ice-cream in Winter. When strawberries are out of season a pint bottle of strawberry acid {vide Strawberry Acid, page 278) is sufficient to flavor three pints of cream without farther addition of sugar, but a little poke-berry jelly mixed first, with the point of a knife, in a spoonful of the cream taken out and then stirred in the whole till the right color is attained, will materially improve the resemblance to cream made of the fresh fruit. Canned strawberries of the Wayne County brand also make an excellent cream, retaining the flavor of the fresh fruit to a surprising degree, nor need any sugar be added. The aid of a little coloring matter may be called in here, too, to advantage. Strain in the juice only, or use fruit and sirup, as you prefer — either is very nice. Raspberry Ice-cream. The juice only must be used in making raspberry cream, about one pint of juice to one quart of cream, and a light pound of sugar. The red Antwerp raspberry, when blended with the cream, produces a lovely color, and has exquisite fragrance as well as delicate flavor, but even the juice of the common wild raspberry makes a very nice variety in the matter of creams.