Twenty-Five Cent Dinners for Families of Six Part 6

=Cup Custards.=--Boil a pint of milk, (cost four cents,) with two ounces of sugar and half the yellow rind of a lemon, (cost three cents;) meantime beat four eggs, (cost four cents,) and strain the milk into them; mix thoroughly, strain again, and pour into cups; set these in a baking pan containing hot water enough to reach half way up the sides of the cups, and either set the pan over the fire until the custards are firm, or bake them in the oven; they will set in twelve or fifteen minutes. The cost will be about twelve cents.

=Fruit Dumpling.=--Make a nice suet crust, as directed for SUET DUMPLINGS on page 53, roll it out about quarter of an inch thick, spread it with ten cents' worth of ripe fruit, quarter of a pound of sugar, (cost three cents,) and a teaspoonful of mixed spice; roll it up, tie it in a cloth wet with scalding water, and well floured next the dumpling, and boil it in a large kettle half full of boiling water for two hours, taking care that the pot does not stop boiling, or remain uncovered, or the dumpling will be heavy.

When it is done take it from the pot, unroll it from the cloth, and serve it with a few cents' worth of mola.s.ses; it will cost about twenty cents.

=Apple Dumplings.=--Pare and core five cents' worth of apples, keeping them whole; make a suet crust as directed for SUET DUMPLINGS on page 53, roll it out, and cut it in as many squares as you have apples; sprinkle a little spice on the apples, fold the corners of the pieces of paste up over them, pinch them together, tie each one in a floured cloth, and boil for one hour as directed in the previous receipt; then take them from the pudding cloths, and serve them with five cents' worth of b.u.t.ter and sugar; they can be made for about fifteen cents.

=Baked Apple Dumplings.=--Make a paste of half a pound of flour, (cost two cents,) quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter, (cost eight cents,) and enough cold water to wet it up, about half a pint; roll it out very thin and fold it four times; repeat this process twice; then put the paste in a cool place for five minutes, and roll and fold again; do this three times, and then cut the paste in squares, and lay on each an apple prepared as above; fold the paste over the apples, turn them bottom up on a baking sheet, brush them with a well beaten egg, (cost one cent,) sift over them an ounce of powdered sugar, (cost one cent,) and put them in a moderate oven to bake for three quarters of an hour. They will cost about eighteen cents, and be very nice.

=Lemon Dumplings.=--Sift eight ounces of dried bread crumbs, (cost three cents,) mix them with the same quant.i.ty of very finely chopped suet, (cost four cents,) pare off the thin yellow rind of a lemon, (cost two cents,) chop it very fine, and add it with the juice to the bread and suet; mix in half a pound of sugar, (cost six cents,) one egg, (cost one cent,) and enough milk to make a stiff paste, about half a pint, (cost two cents;) divide the paste into six equal b.a.l.l.s, tie them in a floured cloth as directed for BOILED APPLE DUMPLINGS, and boil them an hour.

Serve them with five cents' worth of b.u.t.ter and sugar, or syrup. They will cost about twenty-three cents, and are really delicious.

=Rice Croquettes.=--Boil half a pound of well washed rice, (cost five cents,) in one quart of cold water, with a level tablespoonful of salt, half a pint of milk, (cost two cents,) half the yellow rind of a lemon, or two inches of stick cinnamon, and two ounces of sugar, (cost two cents,) for half an hour, after it begins to boil, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning; take it from the fire, stir in one at a time, the yolks of three eggs, (cost three cents,) and return to the fire for ten minutes to set the egg; then spread the rice on an oiled platter, laying it about an inch thick, and let it get cool enough to handle. When it is cool enough turn it out of the platter upon some cracker dust spread on the table, cut it in strips one inch wide and three inches long, roll them into the shape of corks, dip them first in beaten egg, then in cracker-dust, and fry them golden brown in plenty of smoking hot fat; lay them on a napkin for a moment to free them from grease, put them on a dish, dust a little powdered sugar over them, and serve them. They will cost, including the last mentioned ingredients, about twenty cents.

=Fruit Tarts.=--Stew ten cents worth of fruit and four ounces of sugar together; make some pastry according to the directions in the receipt for BAKED APPLE DUMPLINGS; line deep pie-plates with the paste, building up a rim of paste around each; fill them with the stewed fruit, and bake them about three quarters of an hour in a moderate oven; two good sized tarts can be made for twenty-five cents; and the fruit can be varied to suit the season of the year, and the taste of the eaters.

=Rice Cakes.=--Sift together six ounces each of rice and wheat flour, (cost about seven cents,) rub into them four ounces of lard or meat drippings, (cost four cents,) four eggs, (cost four cents,) and sufficient milk to make a thick cake-batter; beat it thoroughly, pour it into a greased cake-pan, and bake it one hour. A good sized cake will cost about fifteen cents.

=Rock Cakes.=--Mix well together four ounces each of b.u.t.ter and sugar, (cost twelve cents,) add four ounces of well washed currants, (cost three cents,) one pound of flour, (cost four cents,) and three eggs, (cost three cents;) beat all these ingredients thoroughly, roll them into little b.a.l.l.s, or rocks, and bake them on a b.u.t.tered baking pan. A good supply will cost about twenty-two cents.

=Caraway Cake.=--Beat to a cream four ounces each of b.u.t.ter and sugar, (cost twelve cents,) stir in two eggs, (cost two cents,) one gill of milk, (cost one cent,) one pound of sifted flour, (cost four cents,) and five cents' worth of caraway seed; bake the cake for two hours in a deep earthen dish, testing it with a clean broom splint to be sure it is done before you take it from the oven. It will cost about twenty-four cents.

=Soft Gingerbread.=--Melt one ounce of b.u.t.ter, (cost two cents,) add it to half a pint of mola.s.ses, (cost five cents,) with one level teaspoonful each of ground cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, (cost one cent;) dissolve one level teaspoonful of soda in half a pint of boiling water, mix this with the mola.s.ses, and lightly stir in half a pound of sifted flour (cost two cents;) line a cake-pan with b.u.t.tered paper, pour in the batter, which will be very thin, and bake it about half an hour, or until you can run a broom-splint into it, and withdraw it clean. The cake, which will be a good size, will cost about ten cents.

=Sweet Biscuits.=--Rub four ounces of b.u.t.ter, (cost eight cents,) into one pound of flour, (cost four cents;) dissolve four ounces of sugar, (cost three cents,) in half a pint of warm milk, (cost two cents.) Pour this into the flour, mixing it smoothly; then dissolve half a level teaspoonful of cream of tartar in one gill of cold water, and stir it into the above ingredients. When they are thoroughly mixed, roll out the paste about quarter of an inch thick, cut it out in small round cakes, and bake them golden brown, at once, in a quick oven. A good supply will cost about seventeen cents.

CHAPTER X.

DESSERT DISHES.

The previous chapter was devoted to cheap and good sweet dishes of the kind usually called dessert in this country; the dessert proper, however, consists of fruit, creams, ices, small and delicate cakes, fancy crackers, and confectionery. We give here directions for making some of these enjoyable delicacies at a very moderate rate.

It must always be borne in mind that the prices quoted are those which prevail when the articles specified are in season, and consequently abundant and cheap. As apples are very plentiful, and generally cheap, we shall begin with dishes made from them.

=Apple Black Caps.=--Pare a quart of nice apples, core them without breaking, set them side by side in a baking dish that will just hold them, fill the centres with sugar, place two cloves in the top of each one, grate over them the yellow rind of a lemon or orange, and put them into a moderate oven only until they are tender; do not let them break apart. As soon as they are tender take them from the oven, heat a fire shovel red hot and hold it over them, near enough to blacken their tops.

Serve either hot or cold.

A porcelain-lined baking dish, or a _gratin_ pan, is the best dish for cooking the black-caps in, because either can be set upon a clean plate and sent to the table; if the apples have to be removed from the dish in which they were baked they may be broken, and then the appearance of the dish will be spoiled.

The flavor of the dish may be changed by varying the spice, and by occasionally using a little wine or brandy with the sugar. The cost of a dish large enough for half a dozen persons will be covered by ten cents, unless it is made when apples are scarce and dear.

=Apple Snow.=--Make this dish when eggs are cheap. Pare and core a quart of apples, (cost five cents,) stew them to a pulp with just water enough to moisten them, rub them through a seive, and sweeten them to taste.

Beat the whites of six eggs, (cost six cents,) with two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, to a stiff froth; beat the apple-pulp to a froth; mix the egg and apple together very lightly, turning the bowl of the spoon over and over instead of stirring it around; then beat them with an egg whisk until they look like snow. Pile the snow high in the centre of a dish, putting it in by the tablespoonful, and taking care not to break it down; in the top of the heap of snow put a fresh flower or a green sprig; and if you have any currant jelly, lay a few bits around the base. The effect of the dish is very pretty, and it can be made for about fifteen cents.

=Apple Cakes.=--Pare, core, and slice a quart of apples, (price five cents,) stew them with half their weight in sugar, (about one pound, cost about twelve cents,) the grated rind and juice of a lemon, (cost two cents,) one ounce of batter, (cost two cents,) and a very little grated nutmeg. When they are tender beat them with an egg whisk until they are light, drop them by the dessert-spoonful on b.u.t.tered paper laid on a baking sheet, and bake them in a cool oven until they are firm, which will be in about fifteen minutes. When they are cool put them in a tin box until wanted for use. The cost will be about twenty cents.

=Cherry Cheese.=--Put into a stone jar a pound of sound, ripe cherries, with the stones removed, (cost about ten cents;) cover the jar closely, set it in a saucepan half full of boiling water, and simmer it gently until the cherries are tender; then take up the fruit, weigh it, put it into a preserving kettle with half a pound of finely sifted sugar, (cost about eight cents), to every pound of fruit; add a dozen cherry kernels with the skins removed by scalding, and rubbing in a clean cloth, put the kettle over a slow fire, and boil, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is quite dry and clear. Meantime rinse out some shallow jars with brandy, and when the fruit is done put it into them, pressing it down tightly; pour a very little brandy over the top, lay a little paper on each, then fit on the covers of the jars closely, and keep in a dry, cool place. The above quant.i.ty will cost about twenty-five cents.

=Candied Cherries.=--Choose a pound of perfectly sound, ripe cherries, (cost ten cents,) with the stalks and an occasional leaf attached, wipe them with a clean, dry, soft cloth; dip the leaves and stems, but not the fruit, into boiling vinegar, and set them with the cherries upward, in a card-board perforated with holes to admit the stems, until the vinegar dries. Meantime boil a pound of loaf sugar, (cost about fifteen cents), with a teaspoonful of cold water, using a thick porcelain-lined saucepan or copper sugar boiler; skim until perfectly clear, and test in the following way: Dip the thumb and forefinger into cold water and then quickly into the boiling sugar, withdrawing it instantly; press the fingers together, and then draw them apart; if the sugar forms a little thread between them it is ready to use, if it does not, boil a few minutes longer and test again. When it is ready dip the leaves and branches into it, and dry them in the card board frame as directed above. Keep the sugar at the boiling point, and as soon as it forms a clear brittle thread between the fingers, when tested as above, dip the entire fruit into it, moving the cherries around so that the sugar completely covers them, and dry them, placed as above in the card board frame, in the mouth of a cool oven.

=Currant Salad.=--Remove the stems from half a pound each of red and white currants, (cost ten cents,) and pile them in regular layers high in the centre of a shallow gla.s.s dish, sifting a little powdered sugar between each layer; the sugar will cost two or three cents. A gill of cream, (cost five cents,) may be poured over the top, if desired. The dish should be tastefully ornamented with green leaves, and the salad kept very cool until wanted for use. The cost of a nice dishful will be about eighteen cents.

=Iced Currants.=--Beat the white of one egg, (cost one cent,) to a stiff froth, mix it with three dessertspoonfuls of cold water, dip into it carefully some perfect bunches of ripe red and white currants, which can be bought in season for ten cents a pound; drain each bunch a moment and then dust it well with powdered sugar, lay each bunch carefully upon a large sheet of white paper, so that there is plenty of room between the bunches, and set them in a cool, airy place for five hours. The sugar will partly crystalize upon the fruit, and the effect will be very pretty. The cost of a good sized dish will be about fifteen cents.

=Compote of Damsons.=--Wipe one quart of sound, ripe damsons, (cost ten cents,) with a clean, dry cloth, drop them, one by one into the following syrup: make a syrup by melting one pound of loaf sugar (cost fifteen cents,) with one pint of water, stir in the white of an egg, (cost one cent,) and boil the syrup fifteen minutes, skimming it clear.

Simmer the plums in this syrup until they are tender, about five minutes, but do not let them break; take the plums up carefully and arrange them in a heap on a shallow dish, letting the syrup boil about ten minutes, until it is quite thick; then remove it from the fire, cool it a little, and pour it over the plums. The dish will cost about twenty-five cents.

=Stuffed Dates.=--Remove the stones from a pound of fine dates, (cost ten cents,) by cutting them open at one side; remove the sh.e.l.ls and skins from half a pound of almonds, (cost ten cents;) the skins can easily be rubbed off by first pouring boiling water on the almond kernels; replace the date-stones with the almonds, and arrange the dates neatly on a shallow dish; dust a little powdered sugar over them, and keep them in a cool, dry place till ready to use. The dish will cost twenty-three cents.

=Stewed Figs.=--Dissolve four ounces of powdered sugar, (cost three cents,) in one pint of cold water, and flavor with a few drops of any essence preferred; put into it a pound of nice figs, (cost ten cents,) heat slowly, and stew gently for about two hours, or until the figs are tender. Eat hot with a dish of boiled rice, or serve cold. The cost will be less than fifteen cents.

=Compote of Gooseberries.=--Choose a quart of large, sound, ripe, green gooseberries, (cost ten cents,) remove the stems and tops, throw them into boiling water for two minutes; drain them, let them lay three minutes in cold water containing a tablespoonful of vinegar, to restore their color, and then drain them quite dry. Meantime make a thick syrup by boiling one pound of sugar, (cost twelve cents,) with one pint of water; as soon as the syrup has boiled about ten minutes, put in the gooseberries and boil them gently until just tender, about ten minutes.

Then pour both fruit and syrup into an earthen or gla.s.s dish; cool, and use. The dish will cost less than twenty-five cents.

=Gooseberry Cheese.=--Remove the tops and stalks from two quarts of ripe, red gooseberries, (cost twenty cents,) put them in a moderate oven till soft enough to rub through a seive; then add to them one-fourth their weight of sugar, set them over the fire to boil gently for half an hour, stirring them constantly, and skimming till clear; then put by the tablespoonful on plates, and dry in the mouth of a cool oven. Pack, when quite cool, in a tight box, between sheets of white wrapping paper. The above quant.i.ty will cost about twenty-five cents.

=Gooseberry Fool.=--Remove tops and stalks from two quarts of gooseberries, boil them with three quarters of their weight in sugar, and half a pint of cold water, until soft enough to pulp through a sieve; then mix the pulp with a pint of milk, or cream, if a more expensive dish is desired, and put into an earthen or gla.s.s dish to cool; serve cold. The above quant.i.ty will cost about twenty-five cents.

=Grape Jelly.=--Dissolve one ounce of gelatine, (cost eight cents,) in half a pint of cold water. Break one pound and a half of grapes, (cost ten cents,) in an earthen bowl with a wooden spoon; strain the juice without pressing the grapes, through clean muslin, three times; put the juice into a preserve kettle with half a pound of loaf sugar, (cost eight cents,) and the dissolved isingla.s.s, and boil it ten minutes; rub a jelly mold with pure salad oil; add two tablespoonfuls of brandy, (cost three cents,) to the jelly; pour it into the mould, and cool until the jelly sets firm. The above ingredients will make about a pint and a half of jelly, and will usually cost about twenty-five cents, for the above estimate is rather more than the average cost.

=Green Gage Compote.=--Remove the skin from a quart of very ripe green gages, (cost fifteen cents,) put them in a gla.s.s dish, sprinkle them over with a pound of powdered sugar, (cost ten cents,) and let them stand in a cool place four hours, until a nice syrup has been formed.

The dish is delicious, and costs about twenty-five cents.

=Pine Apple Julep.=--Pare and slice a very ripe pine apple, which in season will cost about ten cents; lay it in a gla.s.s dish; pour over it the juice of one orange, (cost two cents,) the juice of one lemon, (cost two cents,) a gill of any fruit syrup, (cost about five cents,) and two tablespoonfuls of rum, (cost three cents;) sprinkle it with a little powdered sugar, cool it on the ice, and serve it cold. It will cost about twenty-five cents.

=Lemon Snow.=--Soak one ounce of gelatine, (cost eight cents,) in one pint of cold water for half an hour; peel the yellow rind from three lemons, (cost six cents,) and squeeze and strain their juice; put the rind and juice of the lemons into a saucepan with eight ounces of loaf sugar, (cost eight cents,) and stir until the sugar and isingla.s.s are quite dissolved; pour it into a bowl, and let it cool, and begin to grow firm.

Then add the whites of three eggs, (cost three cents,) and beat to a stiff froth. Pile by the tablespoonful high in the centre of a gla.s.s dish. It is pretty and delicious, and costs only about twenty-five cents.

=Melon Compote.=--Make a syrup by boiling one pound of sugar, (cost ten cents,) with half a pint of water. Pare and slice a spicy musk melon, (cost five cents,) and put it into the syrup with a little wine, (cost five cents.) Boil gently for ten minutes, take up the melon in a gla.s.s dish, cool the syrup a little, and pour it over the melon. Serve the _compote_ cold; it is delicious, and costs only about twenty-five cents.

=Orange Salad.=--Peel six oranges, (cost twelve cents,) slice them, place them in rings in a gla.s.s dish, sprinkle them with three ounces of powdered sugar, (cost two cents,) pour over them a little wine and brandy, and let them stand over night in a cool place. A good dish full will cost about twenty cents.

=Orange and Apple Compote.=--Pare and slice very thin three oranges, (cost six cents,) and three apples, (cost three cents,) removing the seeds from both: lay the slices in rings in a gla.s.s dish, cover, with the following syrup, and cool. Boil the orange peel in half a pint of water, with four ounces of sugar, (cost four cents,) until the syrup is clear; add a tablespoonful of brandy to it, cool it a little, and pour it over the sliced fruit. The dish is very nice when iced, and costs about fifteen cents.

=Peach Salad.=--Pare and quarter a quart of ripe peaches, (cost ten cents,) lay them in a heap in a shallow gla.s.s dish; squeeze over them the juice of an orange, (cost two cents,) and sprinkle them with powdered sugar, (cost two cents.) Put them on the ice to get very cold.

A large dishful can be prepared for fifteen cents.

=Cold Compote of Pears.=--Peel and slice thin a quart of Bartlett pears, (cost fifteen cents,) lay them in a gla.s.s dish, pour over them a little wine, and sprinkle them plentifully with powdered sugar. Let them stand in a cool place for an hour before using them. A nice dish will cost less than twenty cents.

=Stewed Prunelles.=--Put a pound of prunelles, (cost fifteen cents,) in enough boiling water to cover them, and stew them gently for one hour.

Take them up with a skimmer, strain their juice, return it to the fire with four ounces of loaf sugar, (cost four cents,) the yellow rind and juice of one lemon, (cost two cents,) and a gla.s.s of wine; skim until clear, add the prunelles, and stew again for one hour. Take up the prunelles in a gla.s.s dish, cool the syrup a little, and strain it over them. Cool before using. The dish can be made for about twenty-five cents.

=Quince Cakes.=--Wash some quinces, boil them in enough water to cover them, until they are tender enough to rub through a seive; to each quart add a pound and a half of loaf sugar, place the mixture over the fire, and heat to the boiling point, stirring it constantly, but do not let it boil. Oil some plates, spread the quince upon them, and dry it in the mouth of a cool oven. Then cut it in cakes, pack it in a tin box, between layers of white wrapping paper, when it is thoroughly cold, and keep it in a cool, dry place. A good dishful can be made for twenty-five cents.

=Quince Snow.=--Boil some nice quinces until tender, peel them, rub them through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and add to each pound a pound of powdered sugar, (cost ten cents,) and the whites of three eggs, (cost three cents.) Beat with an egg whisk to a stiff froth and pile by the tablespoonful in the centre of a shallow gla.s.s dish. A nice dishful can be made for about twenty-five cents.