CREAMS.

The careful housekeeper of modern times has been accustomed to cla.s.s creams among the luxuries which can only be given on special occasions, both because they take so much time and trouble to make, and because the materials are expensive. It is, nevertheless, possible to have excellent creams made on a simple plan and at a moderate cost. Cream of a superior kind is now everywhere to be had in jars, condensed milk answers well, and by the use of Nelson's Gelatine, and any flavouring or syrup, excellent creams can be made. Our readers will find that the method of the following recipes is simple, the cost moderate, and the result satisfactory. A hint which, if acted on, will save time and trouble, may be given to inexperienced persons intending to make creams similar to Lemon Cream, which is light and frothy. Do not add the lemon-juice until the mixture of cream and lemon-juice is nearly cold, and do not commence whipping until it is on the point of setting.

Delicious and inexpensive creams can be made by dissolving any of Nelson's Tablet Jellies in half the quant.i.ty of water given in the directions for making the jelly, and adding cream, either plain or whipped, in the same way as directed for Orange Cream and Cherry Cream.

LEMON CREAM.

Soak an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine in half-a-pint of milk, dissolve it in a pint of boiling milk with a quarter of a pound of lump sugar. When nearly cold, add a gill of lemon-juice and whisk the cream until it is light and sponge-like. Then stir in a gill of whipped cream, put into a mould, and let it stand for two or three hours.

Or, dissolve a pint tablet of Nelson's Lemon Tablet Jelly in half-a-pint of hot water. When cool, add to it half-a-pint of cream, and whisk together until on the point of setting, when mould it.

STRAWBERRY CREAM.

Dissolve an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine, previously soaked in a gill of cold water, in a pint of hot milk. When it is so nearly cold as to be on the point of setting, add half-a-pint of strawberry syrup, and sufficient rose colouring to make it a delicate pink; whisk the cream until it is light and frothy, stir in lightly a gill of whipped cream, then mould it.

A good syrup can be made for this cream by putting half-a-pound of strawberry and half-a-pound of raspberry jam into half-a-pint of boiling water, and, after having well stirred it, rubbing it through a fine sieve. The syrup should not be too sweet, and the addition of the juice of one or two lemons, or a little citric acid, will be an advantage.

Creams, which have cochineal colouring in them, should not be put into tin moulds, as this metal turns them of a mauve shade. Breton's Rose Colouring is recommended, because it is prepared from vegetables, and is free from acid.

ORANGE CREAM.

Dissolve a pint tablet of Nelson's Orange Tablet Jelly in half-a-pint of hot water. When cool, mix with it half-a-pint of cream or milk, and whip together until the cream is on the point of setting.

IMITATION LEMON CREAM.

This will be found useful when cream is not to be had. Put the thin peel of two lemons into half-a-pint of boiling water, and when it has stood a little, dissolve half-a-pound of loaf sugar in it. When nearly cold, add three eggs, the yolks and whites well beaten together, and the juice of the lemons. Strain this into a stewpan, and stir until it is well thickened. After taking from the fire, stir occasionally until cold, then mix into it a quarter of an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine soaked and dissolved in half a gill of water, also nearly cold.

APRICOT CREAM.

Drain the juice from a tin of preserved apricots, add to it an equal quant.i.ty of water; make a syrup by boiling with this half-a-pound of lump sugar until it begins to thicken; then put in the apricots and simmer them gently for ten minutes. Drain away the syrup, and put both it and the fruit aside separately for use as directed.

Dissolve an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine, previously soaked, in a quart of boiling milk lightly sweetened, and, when at the point of setting, put a teacupful of it gently into a mould, then a layer of the apricots; wait a minute or two before putting in another cup of cream, then fill up the mould with alternate layers of fruit and cream. Let the cream stand some hours before turning out, and when it is on its dish pour round it the syrup of apricots.

PINEAPPLE CREAM.

Drain the syrup from a tin of pineapple, boil it down to half. Cut the best part of the pineapple into neat little squares, pound the remainder, which press through a strainer. Make a custard with half-a-pint of milk and three yolks of eggs. Measure the quant.i.ty of syrup and fruit juice, and dissolve Nelson's Gelatine in the proportion of half-an-ounce to a pint of it and custard together. Mix the gelatine with the custard, then put in the pieces of pineapple, and when it is cold the syrup, the juice, and two tablespoonfuls of whipped cream. Have ready a little of Nelson's Bottled Cherry or Port Wine Jelly melted in a fancy mould, which turn round so that it adheres to the sides, and when the first quant.i.ty is set, put in a little more. As the cream is on the point of setting, put it into the mould and allow it to stand until firm. When turned out, ornament the cream with the remainder of the bottled jelly lightly chopped.

PALACE CREAM.

Make a custard of three eggs and a pint-and-a-half of milk sweetened, when it is ready dissolve in it an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of milk. When made, the quant.i.ty of custard should be fully a pint-and-a-half, otherwise the cream may be too stiff. When the cream is cool, put a little into a mould, previously ornamented with glace cherries and little pieces of angelica to represent leaves. The fruit is all the better if soaked in a little brandy, as are the cakes, but milk can be used for these last. Put a portion of two ounces of sponge-cakes and one ounce of ratafias on the first layer of cream, keeping it well in the centre, and then fill up the mould with alternate layers of cakes and cream. When turned out, a little liqueur or any kind of syrup can be poured round the cream.

FRUIT CREAM.

Strain the juice from a bottle of raspberries and currants on to three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, boil up, then simmer for half-an-hour. Mix the fruit and a large tablespoonful of raspberry jam with the syrup, and rub it through a hair sieve. Dissolve Nelson's Gelatine, in the proportion of half-an-ounce to a pint of the fruit, in a little water, stir well together. When cold put it into a border mould, and as soon as it is firm turn out and fill the centre with a cream, which make with half-an-ounce of Nelson's Gelatine and three gills of milk, sweetened and flavoured with Nelson's Essence of Vanilla.

Whisk until cool, when stir in a gill of whipped cream.

MANDARIN CREAM.

Dissolve half-an-ounce of Nelson's Gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, in half-a-pint of sweetened boiling milk or cream. Dissolve a pint bottle of Cherry Jelly as directed. When the last is on the point of setting put a layer into a mould, then a layer of the cream, each of these about an inch deep, and fill up the mould in this way. This quant.i.ty of material will make two handsome moulds, suitable for a supper party.

BLANC-MANGE.

To an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine add half-a-pint of new milk, let it soak for twenty minutes, boil two or three laurel leaves in a pint of cream and half-a-pint of milk; when boiling pour over the soaked gelatine, stir it till it dissolves, add four or five ounces of lump sugar and a little brandy if approved; strain it through muslin, stir occasionally till it thickens, and then put it into moulds.

SOLID SYLLABUB.

Soak an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine twenty minutes in three-quarters of a pint of water, add the juice and peel of two large lemons, a quarter of a pint of sherry, five or six ounces of lump sugar; boil the above two minutes, then pour upon it a pint of warm cream, stir it quickly till it boils, then strain and stir till it thickens, and pour it into moulds.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE.

Line a plain mould at the bottom and sides with sponge finger-biscuits, fill it with strawberry cream, or cream made as directed in the several recipes. If the weather is warm it will be necessary to place the Charlotte on ice for an hour or two, but in the winter it will turn out without this. The biscuits for a Charlotte Russe should be made quite straight, and in arranging them in the mould they should lap slightly one over the other.

BADEN-BADEN PUDDING.

Dissolve an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, in a pint-and-a-half of boiling milk; when it is nearly cold stir into it an ounce of rice, well boiled or baked; flavour the pudding to taste, and when on the point of setting put it into a mould and let it stand for two or three hours; serve plain or with stewed fruit.

CHERRY CREAM.

Dissolve a pint tablet of Nelson's Cherry Tablet Jelly in half-a-pint of hot water. When cool, mix with it half-a-pint of cream or milk, and whip together until the cream is on the point of setting.

VELVET CREAM.

Soak three-quarters of an ounce of Nelson's Patent Gelatine in half-a-pint of sherry or raisin wine, then dissolve it over the fire, stirring all the time; rub the rinds of two lemons with six ounces of lump sugar, add this, with the juice, to the hot solution, which is then to be poured gently into a pint of cream; stir the whole until quite cold, and then put into moulds.

This can be made with a pint of boiling milk, in which an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, has been dissolved, and flavoured and sweetened.

ITALIAN CREAM.

Take three-quarters of an ounce of Nelson's Patent Gelatine and steep it in half-a-pint of cold water; boil the rind of a lemon, pared thinly, in a pint of cream; add the juice of the lemon and three tablespoonfuls of raspberry or strawberry syrup to the soaked Gelatine; then pour the hot cream upon the above ingredients, gently stirring the while. Sweeten to taste, and add a drop or two of prepared cochineal. Whisk till the mixture is thick, then pour into moulds.