FRENCH CREAM
(
Sufficient to Serve Four
)
Heat the milk in a double boiler, reserving a sufficient amount to moisten the corn starch. Mix the corn starch with the sugar and salt, moisten with the cold milk, and add to the milk in the double boiler when it has heated. Stir until the mixture has thickened very slightly. Cook in the double boiler for 20 or 30 minutes. Beat the egg, add a small amount of the hot mixture to the beaten egg, and then pour this into the thickened milk, stirring rapidly to keep the egg from curding. Cook for a minute or two, remove from the fire, add the flavoring, cool, and serve.
28. FLOATING ISLAND.--The dessert known as Floating Island does not differ very much from soft custard. It is slightly thicker and contains whipped cream, which is used for the island. If whipped cream cannot be obtained, however, the white of egg may be substituted for it. In such an event, the white of the egg included in the recipe may be retained when the custard is made and used on top by sweetening it with sugar or perhaps by beating into it a small amount of pink jelly.
FLOATING ISLAND
(
Sufficient to Serve Four
)
Heat the milk in a double boiler, retaining enough to moisten the corn starch. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and salt, and moisten with the cold milk. Add this to the heated milk in the double boiler, stir until the mixture has thickened, and then cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Beat the egg, add to it a spoonful of the hot mixture, and then pour this into the double boiler, stirring to prevent the curding of the egg. Cook for a minute or two, or until the egg has had time to thicken, remove from the heat, and add the vanilla. When cold, serve in individual dishes or glasses with a spoonful of whipped cream on top of each portion.
29. CORN-STARCH CUSTARD.--A dessert that is a little heavier than either French cream or Floating Island but not heavy enough to be molded is the corn-starch custard given in the accompanying recipe. If desired, it may be served with sauce, plain cream, or whipped cream, or it may be eaten without any of these.
CORN-STARCH CUSTARD
(
Sufficient to Serve Four
)
Heat the milk in a double boiler, reserving enough to moisten the corn starch. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and salt, and moisten with the cold milk. Add this to the hot milk, and stir until the mixture has thickened. Cook for 20 or 30 minutes. Beat the egg, add a spoonful of the hot mixture to the egg, pour this into the double boiler, and cook for a minute or two, or until the egg has thickened. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, cool, and serve.
30. COCONUT-CORN-STARCH CUSTARD.--The flavor of coconut in custard is agreeable, but the toughness of this ingredient with a soft custard is not always acceptable. In the preparation of the custard given in the accompanying recipe, the idea is to obtain the flavor without the use of the coconut in the custard.
COCONUT-CORN-STARCH CUSTARD
(
Sufficient to Serve Four
)
Heat the milk in a double boiler, retaining enough of it to moisten the corn starch. Put the coconut into the milk while it is hot, and allow it to remain for 5 or 10 minutes after the milk has become heated. Then strain through a ricer or a strainer to remove all the liquid possible, and return the milk to the double boiler. Mix the sugar and salt with the corn starch and moisten with the cold milk. Add this to the hot milk and cook for 20 or 30 minutes after it has thickened. Beat the egg and add a little of the hot material to it; then pour it into the double boiler and cook for a minute or two, or until the egg has thickened. Flavor with a few drops of vanilla, remove from the fire, cool, and serve.
31. SNOW PUDDING.--An excellent custard dessert called snow pudding can be made by following the directions here given. This pudding is especially attractive when served with chocolate sauce, as the sauce makes an agreeable contrast in color as well as in flavor. Other sauces, however, may be used with this dessert if desired. The yolks of the eggs may be made into a custard sauce and served with it, or a fruit sauce may be used.
SNOW PUDDING
(
Sufficient to Serve Four
)
Heat the milk in a double boiler, reserving a sufficient amount to moisten the corn starch. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and salt and moisten with the cold milk. Add this to the hot milk and stir continuously until the corn starch thickens the milk. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes and remove from the fire. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them into this mixture. Add the vanilla, pour into a serving dish or individual dishes, cool, and serve with chocolate or any desired sauce.
32. PLAIN BLANC MANGE.--A blanc mange is usually a mixture thickened to such an extent with starchy material that it may be turned out of a mold or cut into cubes. The plain blanc mange given here requires a well-flavored sauce to relieve its bland taste.
PLAIN BLANC MANGE
(
Sufficient to Serve Four
)
Heat the milk in a double boiler, reserving enough to moisten the corn starch. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and salt and moisten with the cold milk. Pour into the hot milk and stir until the corn starch has thickened. Allow this to cook for 30 to 35 minutes, beat to keep smooth, and then remove from the fire and add the vanilla. Moisten cups or molds with cold water and fill with the blanc mange. Cool, turn out of the molds, and serve with any desired sauce.
[Illustration: FIG. 3]
[Illustration: FIG. 3]
[Illustration: FIG. 3]
33. CHOCOLATE BLANC MANGE.--Chocolate added to blanc mange gives it an excellent flavor. If a sauce is desired with this blanc mange, custard sauce is the best one to use. An attractive way in which to serve chocolate blanc mange is shown in Fig. 3. The entire recipe is made into one mold, which, when cold, is turned out on a dish, surrounded with slices of banana, and garnished with whipped cream.
CHOCOLATE BLANC MANGE
(
Sufficient to Serve Four
)
Mix the sugar, cocoa, and salt and moisten with some of the milk. Place over the fire in the inner pan of a double boiler and allow it to come to a boil. Moisten the corn starch with some of the milk and add the rest to the cocoa mixture in the double boiler. Heat together in the boiler and stir the corn starch into this. Continue stirring until the corn starch has thickened the mixture, and then cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, pour into a mold moistened with cold water, cool, and serve with sweetened cream, custard sauce, or as shown in Fig. 3.
34. RICE CUSTARD.--A very good way in which to use left-over rice is to make a rice custard of it. If no cooked rice is on hand and rice is to be cooked for some other dish, it is not a bad plan to increase the amount slightly and use what remains for rice custard. The best method of preparing rice for this dessert it to steam it, but boiled or Japanese rice may also be used.
RICE CUSTARD
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Beat the eggs and to them add the sugar, hot milk, salt, and nutmeg. Pour this mixture over the rice. Place in a buttered baking dish, set the dish in a pan of warm water, and bake in a moderate oven until the custard is set. This will probably require about 45 minutes. Cool and serve.
35. POOR MAN'S PUDDING.--If a very economical dessert is desired, poor man's pudding should be tried. However, this requires considerable fuel and some care in its preparation, for it needs long, slow cooking in order to make it a good pudding, but when it is properly made it is a very delicious dessert. If a coal stove is used, it is a good plan to make such a dessert as this on a day when the stove is heated for ironing or for some other purpose that requires the use of fuel covering a long period of time.
POOR MAN'S PUDDING
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Wash the rice in the usual way and place it in a baking dish. Add the sugar, salt, a grating of nutmeg, and a few thin slices of lemon rind. Pour in the milk, place in a slow oven, and bake for several hours. Stir frequently to prevent the top surface from browning, and if there is any possibility of this occurring, cover the baking dish with a cover. One hour before the pudding has finished baking, clean the raisins and add them. When done, remove from the oven, cool, and serve. When the pudding is served, the grains of rice should be whole and the liquid should be of a creamy consistency. If the pudding is too dry when cool, add a little more milk and return to the oven for a few minutes.
36. TAPIOCA CREAM.--In the dessert here given, as well as in several that follow, tapioca is used as the thickening material. TAPIOCA is practically a true starch and is taken from the roots of the cassava plant, which grows in tropical and subtropical regions. In the process of its manufacture, most of the starch cells are ruptured. It may be purchased in two forms: one that is large in size and calledpearl tapiocaand the other, very small and known asminute tapioca. Pearl tapioca does not require as long cooking if it is first soaked in cold water for a number of hours. Minute tapioca cooks in much less time than pearl tapioca.
Tapioca cream is a soft custard that should be thin enough to pour when it is cold. It may be served with whipped cream if desired or may merely be poured into dessert dishes or sherbet glasses and served plain. A spoonful of pink jelly on top of each serving makes a very attractive garnish.
TAPIOCA CREAM
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the tapioca in cold water for 4 or 5 hours before making the dessert, and then drain off all the water. Heat the milk in a double boiler, stir the tapioca into the hot milk, and cook until it is thick and transparent, being sure that none of the centers are uncooked. Add the sugar and salt. Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs. Beat the yolks, mix a small amount of the hot tapioca with them, and stir into the tapioca in the double boiler. Stir until the eggs have thickened and then remove from the fire. Beat the whites until they are stiff and fold, with the vanilla, into the tapioca. Cool and serve.
37. TAPIOCA CUSTARD.--If something different in the way of a tapioca dessert is desired, tapioca custard will no doubt be very acceptable. This dessert has the consistency of a baked custard containing tapioca, and in preparation and proportion that is really what it is.
TAPIOCA CUSTARD
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the tapioca for 4 or 5 hours and drain off the water. Cook the tapioca and the milk in a double boiler until it is transparent and remove from the fire. Beat the eggs and to them add the sugar, salt, and vanilla, and stir this into the tapioca. Turn into a buttered baking dish and bake until the custard mixture is set. Cool and serve.
38. MINUTE-TAPIOCA CUSTARD.--Minute tapioca does not require soaking nor as long cooking as pearl tapioca, for the pieces of tapioca being much smaller may be more quickly penetrated by both heat and moisture. Then, too, a smaller proportion of it is required to thicken the same amount of milk.
MINUTE-TAPIOCA CUSTARD
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Heat the milk in a double boiler, add the tapioca, and cook for 15 or 20 minutes. Beat the egg, add to it the sugar and salt, and pour the hot tapioca gradually into this. Flavor with vanilla, turn into a buttered baking dish, place in the oven in a pan of water, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool and serve.
39. APPLE TAPIOCA.--The combination of fruit and tapioca is agreeable to most persons. Peaches and apples, either fresh or canned, are used oftenest for this purpose. For the apple tapioca here given, the apples should be somewhat sour, as there will then be more character to the dessert. Canned or fresh peaches or canned pineapple may be used in exactly the same way as apples. If canned fruit is used, not so much sugar nor baking in the oven will be necessary.
APPLE TAPIOCA
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
If pearl tapioca is used, soak it for 4 or 5 hours and then drain off all the water. Minute tapioca will need no soaking. Add the tapioca to the boiling water and salt. Cook in a double boiler until the tapioca is entirely transparent. Pare and core the apples, place them in a buttered baking dish, fill each cavity with sugar and cinnamon, and place a piece of butter on top. Pour the hot tapioca over these, place in a hot oven, and bake until the apples are soft. Serve either hot or cold with sugar and cream.
40. CARAMEL TAPIOCA.--Persons who care for caramel as a flavoring will find caramel tapioca a delicious dessert. The caramel for it should be made according to the directions given in Art. 25.
CARAMEL TAPIOCA
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Put the tapioca to soak overnight in the water. When ready to prepare, place in a baking dish with the water used to soak the tapioca and set in a very slow oven. Caramelize half the sugar and add to it the 1/2 cupful of boiling water. Pour this with the remaining cup of sugar over the tapioca and continue to cook in the oven until the tapioca is perfectly clear and the liquid has evaporated sufficiently to make a dessert of the proper consistency to serve. Upon removing from the oven, squeeze the juice of the lemon over the tapioca and stir slowly so that this may penetrate throughout the dessert. Cool and serve with whipped cream.
41. FARINA CUSTARD.--A means of using left-over breakfast cereals is given in the accompanying recipe. Farina is the cereal used, but vitos, cream of wheat, etc. may be used in the same way. Cereal may be cooked especially for the purpose if there is none on hand and the dessert is desired. In this event, it should be cooked in the usual way and may be used either warm or cold.
FARINA CUSTARD
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Mix the farina with the milk. Beat the egg and to it add the sugar and salt. Add this to the farina and milk, stir in the flavoring, and pour in a buttered baking dish. Bake until the mixture is set. This will require about 45 minutes in a moderate oven.
42.GELATINE DESSERTS are those in which gelatine forms the basis. GELATINE is an odorless, tasteless substance extracted from the bones and various tissues of animals. It is used in a variety of forms, such as glue and isinglass, but is also purified and prepared commercially for use in desserts. When it is to be used as a thickening agent in dessert making, it is ground and sold in this form, or it is mixed with sugar, flavoring, and acid, when all that is necessary to make it an appetizing dessert is that it be dissolved in hot water. In both of these forms, it is sold under different trade names. The gelatine itself does not provide any appreciable food value, but it is a means of conveying various foods, such as eggs, milk, sugar, and many kinds of fruit and fruit juices, all of which are more or less valuable for their constituents. In addition, it produces desserts that are appetizing and that may be garnished and served in many attractive ways.
43.To be most satisfactory, gelatine desserts should usually be made just heavy enough with gelatine to retain the desired shape. The heavier they become, the more rubbery they are in consistency and the less dainty and agreeable. Their consistency can be regulated by the proportion of liquid to gelatine that is used.
The general method of preparation followed when plain gelatine is used in desserts consists in first soaking the gelatine in sufficient cold water to moisten it, then dissolving it in hot liquid as near the boiling point as possible, and finally cooling it in order to allow it to solidify. As cold is absolutely essential for the mixture to solidify, it is often difficult to prepare a gelatine dessert in the summer time. Therefore, when a dessert of this kind is desired in the warm weather, it should always be begun long enough before it is to be served to allow it to become thoroughly solid. As it is usually difficult to tell how much time this requires on a warm day, even with a refrigerator or other cold place, it is much safer to overestimate the time required than to underestimate it.
44.Boiling does not, as was formerly thought, destroy the power of coagulation in gelatine for at least some time. Therefore, when necessary, it may be boiled for 10 or 15 minutes without causing any change. One fruit that will prevent gelatine from solidifying, however, is raw pineapple. This is an important point to remember in connection with gelatine desserts. If it is desired to use fresh pineapple with gelatine, it will first be necessary to bring the pineapple to the boiling point in order to destroy the property that prevents the gelatine from solidifying.
45.The proportion of liquid to gelatine is another factor to be reckoned with in the successful making of gelatine desserts. This differs in the various kinds of gelatine, but the proper proportion is usually stated on the package in which the gelatine comes or on a folder inside the package. The amount mentioned is usually what is considered to be ideal for the preparation of gelatine dishes and may generally be relied on. In hot weather, however, it is advisable to use just a little less liquid than the directions require.
In using the different brands of unsweetened and unflavored gelatines, the proportion of liquid to gelatine is usually similar. 1/2 ounce of this granulated gelatine, which is 1/2 of the amount usually put up in a package, will solidify 1 quart of liquid. If this proportion is kept in mind, little difficulty will be experienced in using this form of gelatine. For convenience in measuring small amounts of the granulated gelatine, it will be well to remember that 1 ounce of this material equals 4-1/2 tablespoonfuls. Thus, if a recipe calls for 1/2 ounce of gelatine, it is simply necessary to measure 2-1/4 tablespoonfuls to get the required amount to solidify 1 quart of liquid.
[Illustration: FIG. 4]
46. PLAIN GELATINE.--A very good dessert can be made of fruit juice solidified by means of gelatine. Any canned fruit juice or any mixture of juices that will blend well and produce a jelly of agreeable flavor may be used for this purpose. These are usually brought to the boiling point before being added, but in case juices that may be injured by heating are used, they may be added cold and the gelatine dissolved in boiling water. When this is done, a little additional lemon will be necessary in order to increase the flavor.
Plain jelly made according to the accompanying recipe may be served in various attractive ways. One method of serving it is shown in Fig. 4. To prepare it in this manner, pour the gelatine mixture into stemmed glasses and allow it to solidify. When partly solid, decorate the top with wedge-shaped pieces of pineapple and place a cherry in the center, as illustrated. When entirely solid, place the glass on a small plate and serve. The fruit may be omitted if desired and whipped cream served on the gelatine.
Plain jelly is also attractive when poured into a large mold, allowed to solidify, and then turned out on a plate. If the mold is moistened with cold water before the gelatine is poured into it, no difficulty will be experienced in removing the jelly when it becomes solid. The center of the mold may be filled with whipped cream before it is put on the table or the jelly may be served plain and the whipped cream then added to each serving from another dish.
PLAIN GELATINE
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the gelatine in the cold water until it is well moistened. Strain the fruit juices, heat to boiling point, and pour over the gelatine. Add the lemon juice and a sufficient amount of sugar to sweeten. Allow to solidify and serve in any desired manner.
47. ORANGE JELLY.--An excellent dessert is the result when orange juice is used for flavoring and gelatine for thickening. This jelly may be poured into molds that have been moistened with cold water, or, as shown in Fig. 5, it may be poured into orange skins made to resemble baskets and then garnished with whipped cream.
[Illustration: FIG. 5]
ORANGE JELLY
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the gelatine in the cold water until it is well moistened, and dissolve with the boiling water. Add the sugar and the lemon and orange juice strained. Pour into a large mold or individual molds and set aside to solidify. Serve in any desired way.
48. COFFEE JELLY.--If fruit juices are difficult to obtain, coffee jelly, which will be found to be very pleasing, may be used occasionally. However, it is necessary that whipped cream be served with coffee jelly in order to make it a really delightful dessert.
COFFEE JELLY
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Prepare the coffee freshly and make it stronger than that which would ordinarily be used for the table. Be sure that it contains no grounds. Soak the gelatine in the cold water, and dissolve in the boiling water. Add the sugar and coffee. Pour into moistened molds and allow to cool. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.
49. FRUIT GELATINE.--Almost any combination of fruit juices, as well as any single fruit juice, may be used with gelatine in the making of fruit gelatine. The accompanying recipe contains fruits that may be used, but other fruits than those given may perhaps be found to be even more agreeable.
FRUIT GELATINE
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Moisten the gelatine in the cold water and dissolve in the boiling water. Add the sugar and the orange, pineapple, and lemon juice, and allow this to cool. Dice the pineapple. Prepare the oranges by peeling them, removing the pulp from the sections, and cutting it into small pieces. Slice or dice the banana and break each nut into six or eight pieces. Mix the fruits and nuts, place in a mold that has been moistened with cold water, and pour the cold jelly over them. Allow this to solidify, turn from the mold, and serve with whipped cream.
50. LEMON SNOW.--If a light, spongy dessert to serve with a heavy dinner is desired, lemon snow should be tried. It may be made with other sour-fruit juice and is particularly agreeable if the color of the fruit juice used is a pretty one. Fruit coloring may be used in the preparation of dishes of this sort if desired.
LEMON SNOW
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the gelatine in the cold water, dissolve it in the boiling water, and add the sugar. When cold, add the strained lemon juice. When the gelatine mixture is just beginning to solidify, add the egg whites, beating with a rotary beater until the mixture begins to hold its shape. If desired, a fruit of some kind may be placed in a mold that has been moistened with cold water and the mixture poured over it, or the plain mixture may be poured into the mold without the fruit. Whipped cream or custard sauce improves this dessert to a large extent.
51. SPANISH CREAM.--A gelatine dish containing eggs is usually a delightful dessert, and Spanish cream is no exception to this rule. If it is properly made, a part of the mold will have the consistency of a custard, above this will be a layer of jelly, and on top will be a layer of fluffy material. This dessert is more attractive if a little pink coloring is used in its preparation.
SPANISH CREAM
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the gelatine in the cold water. Heat the milk in a double boiler, add the gelatine, and cook until it is completely dissolved. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, and to them add the sugar and salt. Stir into the mixture in the double boiler, and cook until the eggs have thickened. Remove from the fire, beat the egg whites until they are stiff, and fold them into the mixture. Add the vanilla. Pour into a mold that has been moistened with cold water, cool, and serve. If coloring is added, it may be put in upon removing the dessert from the stove.
[Illustration: FIG. 6]
52. STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFF.--One of the most attractive desserts that can be made of gelatine is strawberry cream fluff. It is especially delicious in warm weather, but plenty of time must be allowed for it to solidify. Any desired way of serving it may be followed out, but a method that is always pleasing is illustrated in Fig. 6. The gelatine mixture is piled into stemmed glasses and then surrounded by thin pieces of sponge cake or ladyfingers, as here shown. A few fresh strawberries or strawberries that have been canned in thick sirup make an attractive garnish. If a deeper shade of pink is desired than the strawberry juice gives, pink coloring may be added before the whipped cream is beaten into the gelatine.
STRAWBERRY CREAM FLUFF
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the gelatine in the cold water. Heat the strawberry juice to the boiling point, and add it to the soaked gelatine. Add the lemon juice and sugar and place the gelatine where it will cool. When it has started to solidify, beat into it the whipped cream and continue beating until the mixture stands up well when dropped from a spoon. Place in a mold and cool. Serve in any desired way.
53. PINEAPPLE CREAM FLUFF.--If pineapple is preferred to strawberries, pineapple cream fluff may be made according to the accompanying directions. Canned pineapple may be utilized nicely in the preparation of this dessert. If it is in rings, it should be chopped into small pieces, but grated pineapple needs no further preparation. Fresh pineapple used for the purpose must be cooked before it can be used in this dessert.
PINEAPPLE CREAM FLUFF
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the gelatine in the cold water. Heat the pineapple juice to the boiling point and add it to the soaked gelatine. Add the sugar and set aside to cool. After the gelatine has started to solidify, beat the whipped cream and the grated pineapple into it. When solidified and ready to use, turn out on a plate and serve with whipped cream. If desired, the pineapple may be left out of the dessert and, instead, a spoonful placed on the top of each serving.
54. MARSHMALLOW WHIP.--Something rather unusual in the way of a gelatine dessert can be had by making marshmallow whip according to the accompanying recipe.
MARSHMALLOW WHIP
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)
Soak the gelatine in 1/2 cupful of water. Bring 1 cupful of water to the boiling point, dissolve the gelatine in it, and place in ice water to cool. Put the sugar to cook with 1/2 cupful of water, and cook until the sirup will spin a thread or until it will form a firm ball when tried in cold water. Beat the egg whites, pour the hot sirup gradually over them, and continue beating. Add the gelatine, which by this time should be commencing to solidify. Divide the mixture into three equal parts. To one add a little pink coloring and some strawberry flavoring and pour into a mold that has been wet with cold water. To one of the remaining parts, add the chocolate, which has been melted, mixed with a tablespoonful or two of sugar and 2 tablespoonfuls of water, and cooked to a smooth paste. Continue beating this until it is stiff, and then pour it in the mold on top of the strawberry flavored whip. To the remaining third, add the vanilla, beat until it is stiff, and pour on top of the chocolate whip. These colors may be arranged in any desirable way, others may be used, or the whip may be made up simply in one color or in two. After it has become set and hardened, turn from the mold, and serve, using whipped cream if desired.
55. NATURE OF FROZEN DESSERTS.--Frozen desserts were formerly confined almost entirely to warm weather, but they are now used during the entire year and served on almost any occasion. They are without doubt the daintiest dessert that can be served and are popular with almost every one. A very ordinary meal becomes much more attractive when a frozen dessert is served with it, and a dainty luncheon or an elaborate dinner seems incomplete without a dessert of this nature. In reality, it is quite impossible to serve, in either hot or cold weather, any dessert that is as pleasing as an ice or an ice cream of some kind.
56.In addition to being delicious and finding favor with most persons, frozen desserts occur in unlimited variety. They include ice creams of various kinds, frozen custards and punches, sherbets, ices, frappés, mousses, parfaits, and biscuits. Recipes for several varieties of each of these kinds are given in this Section, and it will therefore not be a difficult matter to select a frozen dessert that will be suitable for any meal in which it may be served. The preparation of frozen desserts, however, need not be confined to a certain limited number of recipes, as a recipe may be devised to suit almost any occasion or condition. For instance, if there are certain fruits or fruit juices in supply that should be used, an excellent way in which to utilize them is in a frozen dessert of some kind. After a little experience, the housewife will find that she can produce excellent results by merely combining the ingredients she has on hand or those corresponding with the meal in which the frozen dessert is to be served.
57.The food value of frozen desserts varies with the ingredients used in their preparation, it being extremely high in some and very low in others. Therefore, the particular one to select depends somewhat on the other dishes in the meal. On the whole, they contain very healthful ingredients, so that, if they are properly made, they may have a place in the diets of both children and grown ups, sick persons and well ones. Whether or not certain individuals should eat frozen desserts is sometimes a troublesome question. There may be conditions under which desserts of this kind should not be included in the diet, but these need not give the housewife any particular concern.
58.Frozen desserts may be purchased ready made, but those made in the home cost less, are usually more delicious, and can be prepared in greater variety. As they are not difficult to make and are not necessarily an expensive dessert, the housewife should often include them in her meals. Therefore, an ice-cream freezer of a size that will accommodate the requirements of the members of the family is a good thing to add to the cookery equipment. Ices and ice creams can be made in a pail that has a cover and a bail, such as a lard pail, but this is not a very convenient equipment and does not produce such satisfactory results as those obtained with a good freezer. Some desserts of this kind may be frozen without the use of a freezer, but, as a rule, they contain materials that make them rather expensive.
59. THEORY OF FREEZING.--So that the best results may be secured in the making of frozen desserts, it is well that the theory of freezing be thoroughly understood. The two things necessary for the freezing of such desserts are ice and salt. When these are brought together and the ice melts, a salt solution is formed, since salt has a tendency to combine with moisture whenever they come in contact with each other. In order to obtain this result in the freezing of desserts, it is necessary, of course, that the ice be melted. The warmth required to make this melting possible comes from the contents of the can inside the ice-cream freezer. When this warmth is absorbed by the ice, the cold temperature released by the melting of the ice passes into the ice-cream mixture. The result is that the ice tends to become liquid and the contents of the can solid by the exchange of temperatures. To make the mixture of uniform consistency, it is usually agitated by means of a dasher during the freezing process. This incorporates air into the mixture and consequently makes it light and increases its volume.
60. PROPORTION OF ICE TO SALT.--The ingredients used in the mixture have much to do with the texture of the ice cream when it is frozen. For instance, a mixture that is thin and composed largely of water will not have so smooth a consistency when frozen as a heavier mixture in which cream or eggs or both are present and a smaller proportion of water is used. Another important factor in the texture of the finished product is the proportion of ice to salt, for this has much to do with the length of time required for freezing the mixture. The smaller the proportion of salt, the slower will be the freezing process, for the melting of the ice takes place more slowly; but the result of this slow freezing is a finer, smoother texture. Granular, coarse-grained frozen desserts, such as some sherbets and frappés, are frozen with a large proportion of salt, which permits the freezing to take place more quickly.
61.On this rapidity in freezing also depends to a large extent the increase in quantity that takes place in the frozen mixture. Any one who has had experience in making ice cream knows that the can of the freezer cannot be filled before the freezing is begun or it will overflow during the freezing process. Even if it is only two-thirds or three-fourths full, it will be entirely full when the freezing is completed. This increase depends somewhat on the kind of mixture, as has been stated, as well as on the way in which the crank of the freezer is turned, but it is more largely determined by the proportion of ice and salt and consequently by the length of time required for the freezing. As can be readily understood, the more turning that is done, the greater will be the quantity of air incorporated into the mixture and naturally the more increase in volume.
62. TABLE SHOWING DETAILS OF FREEZING.--As an aid to the housewife in the making of frozen desserts, Table I is presented. In it are given the names of the various kinds of frozen desserts, together with the usual texture of each, the proportion of ice and salt required to freeze each, the way in which it freezes, and the increase in volume that can be expected in each. In trying out the recipes that follow, it will be well for the housewife to refer to this table for the particular dessert that she is making, for then she will be able to carry out the freezing more successfully and will understand what to expect in the finished product.