ALMOND SHAMROCKS

(_Very good, and very pretty._)

Whisk the white of a very fresh egg to a froth sufficiently solid to remain standing in high points when dropped from the whisk; work into it from half to three-quarters of a pound of very fine dry sifted sugar, or more should it be needed, to bring the mixture to a consistency in which it can be worked with the fingers. Have ready some fine Jordan almonds which have been blanched, and thoroughly dried at the mouth of the oven; roll each of these in a small portion of the icing until it is equally covered, and of good form; then lay them on sheets of thick writing paper, placing three together in the form of the shamrock, or trefoil, with a small bit of sugar twisted from the centre almond to form the stalk. When all are ready, set them into a _very_ slow oven for twenty minutes or longer: they should become quite firm without taking any colour. They make an excellent and _very_ ornamental dish. To give them flavour and variety, use for them sugar which has been rasped on the rinds of some sound lemons, or Seville oranges, or upon citron, and dried before it is reduced to powder; or add to the mixture a drop of essence of roses, and a slight colouring of prepared cochineal. A little spinach-juice will give a beautiful green tint, but its flavour is not very agreeable. Filbert or pistachio nuts will answer as well as almonds, iced in this way.

SMALL SUGAR SOUFFLÉS.

These are made with the same preparation of egg and sugar as the almond-shamrocks, and may be flavoured and coloured in the same way. The icing must be sufficiently firm to roll into balls scarcely larger than a nut: a little sifted sugar should be dusted on the fingers in making them, but it must not remain on the surface of the _soufflés_. They are baked usually in very small round paper cases, plaited with the edge of a knife, and to give them brilliancy, the tops are slightly moistened before they are set into the oven, by passing the finger, or a paste-brush, just dipped in cold water, lightly over them. Look at them in about a quarter of an hour, and should they be quite firm to the touch in every part, draw them out; but if not let them remain longer. They may be baked on sheets of paper, but will not preserve their form so well.

For 1 white of egg, whisked to a _very_ firm froth, 8 to 10 oz. of sifted sugar, or more: _soufflés_, baked in extremely gentle oven, 16 to 30 minutes, or longer if needful.

_Obs._—We have confined our receipts here to the most simple preparations suited to desserts. All the confectionary of the preceding chapter being appropriate to them (with the exception of the toffie), as well as various _compôtes_, clear jellies, and _gateaux_ of fruit turned from the moulds; and we have already enumerated the many other dishes of which they may be composed.

Ice Pail and Freezer. ]

There is no _real_ difficulty in making ices for the table; but for want of the proper means of freezing them, and of preventing their being acted on by a too warm atmosphere afterwards, in many houses it cannot very easily be accomplished unless the weather be extremely cold.

A vessel called a freezing-pot, an ice-pail, a strong wooden mallet, and a copper spatula, or an ice-spoon, are all that is positively required for this branch of confectionary. Suitable moulds for iced puddings, and imitations of fruit, must be had in addition when needed.

When the composition which is to be frozen is ready, the rough ice must be beaten quite small with the mallet, and either mingled quickly with two or three handsful of powdered saltpetre, or used with a much larger quantity of salt. The freezing-pot must then be firmly placed in the centre of the ice, which must be pressed closely into the vacant space around it until it reaches the top. The cover of the ice-pot, or freezer, may then be removed, and the preparation to be iced poured into it. It should then be turned by means of the handle at the top, quickly backwards and forwards for eight or ten minutes; then the portion which will have frozen to the inside must be scraped well from it with the ice-spoon and mingled with the remainder: without this the mass would be full of lumps instead of being perfectly smooth as it ought to be. The same process must be continued until the whole of its contents are uniformly frozen.

The water-ices which are made in such perfection on the continent, are incomparably superior to the ice-creams, and other sweet compositions which are usually served in preference to them here. One or two receipts which we append will serve as guides for many others, which may easily be compounded with any variety of fresh summer fruit.[179]

Footnote 179:

The ices for desserts should be moulded in the form of fruit or other shapes adapted to the purpose; the natural flavour and colouring are then given to the former, but it is only experienced cooks or confectioners generally who understand this branch of ice-making, and it is better left to them. All the necessary moulds may be procured at any good ironmongers, where the manner of using them would be explained: we can give no more space to the subject.

_Red Currant Ice._—Strip from the stalks and take two pounds weight of fine ripe currants and half a pound of raspberries; rub them through a fine sieve, and mingle thoroughly with them sufficient cold syrup to render the mixture agreeably sweet, and,—unless the pure flavour of the fruit be altogether preferred,—add the strained juice of one large or of two small lemons, and proceed at once to freeze the mixture as above. Currants, 2 lbs.; raspberries, 1/2 lb.; sugar, 3/4 to 1 lb.; boiled for 6 or 8 minutes in 1/2 pint of water and left till quite cold. (Juice of lemon or lemons at pleasure.)

Strawberry and raspberry water-ices are made in precisely the same manner.

To convert any of these into English ice-creams, merely mingle the juice and pulp of the fruit with sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten them, or with the syrup as above, and then blend with them gradually from a pint and a half to a quart of fresh sweet cream, and the lemon-juice or not at choice. _The Queen’s Custard_, _the Currant_, and _the Quince_ or _Apple Custard_ of pages 481 and 482 may all be converted into good ices with a little addition of cream and sugar; and so likewise may _the Countess Cream_ of page 472, and _the Bavarian Cream_ of page 477, by omitting the isinglass from either of them.

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