The Book of Household Management Part 183

_Sufficient_ to make 7 or 8 fritters.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

RICE s...o...b..a.l.l.s. (_A pretty dish for Juvenile Suppers_.)

1479. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of rice, 1 quart of milk, flavouring of essence of almonds, sugar to taste, 1 pint of custard made by recipe No.

1423.

_Mode_.--Boil the rice in the milk, with sugar and a flavouring of essence of almonds, until the former is tender, adding, if necessary, a little more milk, should it dry away too much. When the rice is quite soft, put it into teacups, or _small_ round jars, and let it remain until cold; then turn the rice out on a deep gla.s.s dish, pour over a custard made by recipe No. 1423, and, on the top of each ball place a small piece of bright-coloured preserve or jelly. Lemon-peel or vanilla may be boiled with the rice instead of the essence of almonds, when either of these is preferred; but the flavouring of the custard must correspond with that of the rice.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour to swell the rice in the milk.

_Average cost_, with the custard, 1s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 children.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

RICE SOUFFLE.

1480. INGREDIENTS.--3 tablespoonfuls of ground rice, 1 pint of milk, 5 eggs, pounded sugar to taste, flavouring of lemon-rind, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, or anything that may be preferred, a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of a walnut.

_Mode_.--Mix the ground rice with 6 tablespoonfuls of the milk quite smoothly, and put it into a saucepan with the remainder of the milk and b.u.t.ter, and keep stirring it over the fire for about 1/4 hour, or until the mixture thickens. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs, beat the former in a basin, and stir to them the rice and sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the souffle; but add this latter ingredient as sparingly as possible, as, the less sugar there is used, the lighter will be the souffle. Now whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth or snow; mix them with the other preparation, and pour the whole into a souffle-dish, and put it instantly into the oven; bake it about 1/2 hour in a moderate oven; take it out, hold a salamander or hot shovel over the top, sprinkle sifted sugar over it, and send the souffle to table in the dish it was baked in, either with a napkin pinned round, or inclosed in a more ornamental dish. The excellence of this fas.h.i.+onable dish entirely depends on the proper whisking of the whites of the eggs, the manner of baking, and the expedition with which it is sent to table.

Souffles should be served _instantly_ from the oven, or they will sink, and be nothing more than an ordinary pudding.

_Time_.--About 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

TO MAKE A SOUFFLE.

1481. INGREDIENTS.--3 heaped tablespoonfuls of potato-flour, rice-flour, arrowroot, or tapioca, 1 pint of milk, 5 eggs, a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of a walnut, sifted sugar to taste, 1/4 saltspoonful of salt flavouring.

_Mode_.--Mix the potato-flour, or whichever one of the above ingredients is used, with a little of the milk; put it into a saucepan, with the remainder of the milk, the b.u.t.ter, salt, and sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. Stir these ingredients over the fire until the mixture thickens; then take it off the fire, and let it cool a little.

Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs, beat the latter, and stir them into the souffle batter. Now whisk the whites of the eggs to the firmest possible froth, for on this depends the excellence of the dish; stir them to the other ingredients, and add a few drops of essence of any flavouring that may be preferred; such as vanilla, lemon, orange, ginger, &c. &c. Pour the batter into a souffle-dish, put it immediately into the oven, and bake for about 1/2 hour; then take it out, put the dish into another more ornamental one, such as is made for the purpose; hold a salamander or hot shovel over the souffle, strew it with sifted sugar, and send it instantly to table. The secret of making a souffle well, is to have the eggs well whisked, but particularly the whites, the oven not too hot, and to send it to table the moment it comes from the oven. If the souffle be ever so well made, and it is allowed to stand before being sent to table, its appearance and goodness will be entirely spoiled. Souffles may be flavoured in various ways, but must be named accordingly. Vanilla is one of the most delicate and recherche flavourings that can be used for this very fas.h.i.+onable dish.

_Time_.--About 1/2 hour in the oven; 2 or 3 minutes to hold the salamander over.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SNOW EGGS, or OEUFS A LA NEIGE.

(_A very pretty Supper Dish_.)

1482. INGREDIENTS.--4 eggs, 3/4 pint of milk, pounded sugar to taste, flavouring of vanilla, lemon-rind, or orange-flower water.

_Mode_.--Put the milk into a saucepan with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely, and the rind of 1/2 lemon. Let this steep by the side of the fire for 1/2 hour, when take out the peel; separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs, and whisk the former to a perfectly stiff froth, or until there is no liquid remaining; bring the milk to the boiling-point, and drop in the snow a tablespoonful at a time, and keep turning the eggs until sufficiently cooked. Then place them on a gla.s.s dish, beat up the yolks of the eggs, stir to them the milk, add a little more sugar, and strain this mixture into a jug; place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir it one way until the mixture thickens, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. Pour this custard over the eggs, when they should rise to the surface. They make an exceedingly pretty addition to a supper, and should be put in a cold place after being made. When they are flavoured with vanilla or orange-flower water, it is not necessary to steep the milk. A few drops of the essence of either may be poured in the milk just before the whites are poached. In making the custard, a little more flavouring and sugar should always be added.

_Time_.--About 2 minutes to poach the whites; 8 minutes to stir the custard.

_Average cost_, 8d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

STONE CREAM OF TOUS LES MOIS.

1483. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of preserve, 1 pint of milk, 2 oz. of lump sugar, 1 heaped tablespoonful of tous les mois, 3 drops of essence of cloves, 3 drops of almond-flavouring.

_Mode_.--Place the preserve at the bottom of a gla.s.s dish; put the milk into a lined saucepan, with the sugar, and make it boil. Mix to a smooth batter the tous les mois, with a very little cold milk; stir it briskly into the boiling milk, add the flavouring, and simmer for 2 minutes.

When rather cool, but before turning solid, pour the cream over the jam, and ornament it with strips of red-currant jelly or preserved fruit.

_Time_.--2 minutes. _Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

STRAWBERRY JELLY.

1484. INGREDIENTS.--Strawberries, pounded sugar; to every pint of juice allow 1-1/4 oz. of isingla.s.s.

_Mode_.--Pick the strawberries, put them into a pan, squeeze them well with a wooden spoon, add sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten them nicely, and let them remain for 1 hour, that the juice may be extracted; then add 1/2 pint of water to every pint of juice. Strain the strawberry-juice and water through a bag; measure it, and to every pint allow 1-1/4 oz. of isingla.s.s, melted and clarified in 1/4 pint of water.

Mix this with the juice; put the jelly into a mould, and set the mould in ice. A little lemon-juice added to the strawberry-juice improves the flavour of the jelly, if the fruit is very ripe; but it must be well strained before it is put to the other ingredients, or it will make the jelly muddy.

_Time_.--1 hour to draw the juice.

_Average cost_, with the best isingla.s.s, 3s.

_Sufficient_.--Allow 1-1/2 pint of jelly for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ in June, July, and August.

SWISS CREAM.

1485. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of macaroons or 6 small sponge-cakes, sherry, 1 pint of cream, 5 oz. of lump sugar, 2 large tablespoonfuls of arrowroot, the rind of 1 lemon, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 3 tablespoonfuls of milk.