RECIPES FOR COOKING. 995 



Ornaments with Sugar Paste. The paste is a sugar dough, made with powdered 

 sugar and mucilage of gum tragacanth. To make the mucilage, take an ounce of the 

 whitest gum tragacanth, and pour over it a pint of boiling water. Let this stand in a warm 

 place, occasionally stirring, for a day. Tragacanth does not dissolve, it only swells to a paste ; 

 if not thin enough, add more boiling water and stir. The lumps must be strained out by 

 squeezing through a coarse fabric. Use this strained mucilage and powdered sugar, mix and 

 beat together a mortar would be convenient, but it may be done on a moulding board, with 

 a plenty of powdered sugar to keep it from sticking as much sugar as a given quantity of 

 the mucilage will take up and form a stiff dough that can be rolled out thin. From this 

 dough or paste, by means of cutters, formed of strips of tin bent to the desired shape, leaves, 

 parts of flowers, or other ornamental forms may be cut; this maybe formed and moulded into 

 any desired shape, and the raw material from which the most elaborate ornaments are 

 fashioned. These ornaments may be attached to the surface of the cake with little of the 

 mucilage, or where there is a flat surface, by merely wetting them ; parts of the paste ornaments 

 may be joined to one another in a similar manner. 



Do not roll out any more of the sugar-paste than can be used at once, for as soon as dry 

 it is as brittle as glass, and very hard. Keep the mass covered with a damp cloth. Have a 

 definite idea of what is to be made, so that the paste ornaments can be put into shape quickly, 

 before it dries. The surface of leaves, etc., may be figured at will by drawing veins, etc., 

 upon it with some hard blunt point. Those who understand making wax or other artificial 

 flowers, can fashion this paste into a great variety of forms. &quot;We have not provided for any 

 colored or gilded ornaments sometimes used on cakes, as pure white throughout is much more 

 pleasing to persons of taste.&quot; 



Ice Cream. Ice cream can be made in various ways with or without cooking the milk 

 and eggs, also with sweet cream or without. Of course the richest is where the pure cream 

 is used. That which is made into a soft custard before freezing is much the finest grained, 

 and nicest. The following is an excellent recipe: Two quarts of rich sweet milk (part cream 

 preferred), beat six eggs to a froth, the same as for custard, and add a cup of granulated 

 sugar, mix it with the milk, and set the vessel containing it in a larger one containing water; 

 stir constantly until it begins to thicken, but not to separate the whey. Take off and when 

 cold add two teaspoonfuls of lemon or vanilla; then freeze, stirring rapidly to have it freeze 

 evenly and make the grain fine. 



Yelvet Cream. Two-thirds of a box of gelatine soaked in cold milk until it is soft- 

 Scald a pint and a half of rich milk (part cream is better) in a double boiler, and turn the 

 gelatine and milk into it, stirring rapidly. After the gelatine is all dissolved, stir in half a 

 cup of sugar. Take from the fire and beat it very light; as the cream cools add a teaspoonful 

 of vanilla or lemon extract. Beat the whites of three eggs to a froth, the same as for frost 

 ing, and when nearly cold beat in with the cream till it is all of an even froth. Then turn 

 into wet moulds and put in a cool place to harden. 



Soft Custard. One quart of milk, one scant half teacupful of sugar, half a teaspoonful 

 of salt, five eggs, one teaspoonful of lemon or vanilla extract. Beat the sugar and eggs 

 together and add the milk and salt. Put it in a vessel and set it in another of hot water (or 

 use a double boiler). Stir rapidly until it begins to thicken. Do not let it separate into curd 

 and whey, but take it off just before it comes to this point. When cold add the flavor. 

 Serve in custard glasses. 



Jellies. An ounce and a -half package of Coxe s Gelatine makes three pints of water, 

 fruit juice, or any other jelly. A package of gelatine measures a gill and a half, or about six 

 round tablespoonfuls. When sea moss is used, a full tablespoonful will make a quart of jelly. 

 One cupful of sago or tapioca will make a quart of jelly. Three tablespoonfuls of arrow-root 

 or corn-starch will make a quart of jelly. Allowance should be made for wine, lemon juice, 

 etc.. used, and be deducted from the quantity of water used. 



Lemon Jelly. Soak a package of gelatine in a pint of cold water until it is softened 

 to a jelly consistency, which will take from half an hour to an hour. Grate the rind and 

 squeeze the juice of three good sized (four of small) lemons, add a scant teacupful of granu 

 lated sugar to the lemon juice and grated peel. Pour a pint and a half of boiling water to 

 the lemon and sugar, and quickly add the softened gelatine. Stir until the gelatine is all 

 dissolved, then strain it through a cloth strainer into moulds or a bowl to cool. Set on ice 

 or in a cold place to harden. 



VOL. II. 55 



