Housekeeper.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 429, 11 August 1904, Page 7

Housekeeper.

DELICACIES. :■•: 3ggQlg£i2ro hostesses will tell you that *key have tho soups, entrees, and known catering expert, bat that they expect their cook to manage the sweets. Others frankly own they never attempt anything elaborate—nothing beyond a few 'shapes' (that vaguest of terms I), and a dimple trifla. By shapes you are to understand stony blancmanges with microscopic heaps of jam &s decoration, or 'packet jellies* so s'.iff that one feels compelled to employ thorough mastication bafore venturing to swallow the chilly, glutinous morsels. The trifb is probably- a virtuously unalcoholic affair, only half-soaked with thin, poorly-flavoured costard. Yet, why should this popular course be so often a failure, so frequently monotonous P Sweet dishes are so fascinating to prepare, and so repay one for any trouble and time spent, that it is really to ba regretted.

. A CHESTNUT CEEAM, Esquired: One pound of chestnuts, half a pi at of thick cream, half a pound of loaf-BUgar, three tabkspoonfuls of brandy, one lemon, vanilla, cochineal, and wifers. Cat a slit aoroES the top of each nail. Pat them in enough boiling water to cover them, and boil foz five minutes. Than peel them, '-; Pat one pi at of hot water, the EUgar, and thialy-pared lesaond-xind on to bod. When it does so, add the nuts and branny. Boil gently till nats are soft; Lift them out of the syrup, pound them in a mortar (or in an enamel basin with the end of ths ffo]ling-pia, if you hfcve no mortar), rob thorn through a hair or fiaa wire sieve. Whip the cream till stiff, add itJighlly to the chestnut puree. Sweeten the mixture, and fuvoui it with vanilla. Mix all thoroughly. Improve the coloir with a drop er two of cochineal. Heap it ap roughly in a pretty d.'sx, Hand with it rolled piak and white ice wafers.

APBICOT BASKETS. -..'-. Required: Hilf tin of apricots, half aj-C pint of the Bjrup, lulf a glaaa of sherry or hj brandy, obo teaspoonfal of chopped pistachios. For the pastry : Half a pound of flour, four ounces of butter, two yolks of eggs, a little water, one tablespoonful of castor sugar. Choose vcxy Bmall fancy tartlet tine. 8.-us i them inside with butter; then make the pastry. Mix together with flour, baking powder, and salt. Bub the butter in lightly with your fingara Beat up the yolks with two teaepoonfuls of water. Add enough of this to the flour to make it into a stiff paste. 801 lit out about the thickness of two half-crowns. Stamp it out in rou&ds to fit the little cases. Line the tin] with the pastry, and fill the ceutre with crusts of bread or rioe to prevent the pastry puffing up in the middle. Bake them carefully till a delioate bisonit colour. Pat the apricot syrup to boil in a clean pan. Beduoe it to half the quantity by boiling. Add to it the wiae aiad aprioots cut in dice, Boil thes9 for five minutes. When the psety eases are cooked, remove the crusts j pat a few pieoee of apricot in each case. Let the syrup cool, and then strain a little into each case. Sprinkle the top of each with chopped pistashio nuts. SPANISH JIBLLY. Required: Two or more pints of wine jelly, strawberry cream, any uncolourea cream, pistachio nats. Binse out a .mould with cold water, Fill it about three-quarters full ef clear When making c reams one oftea has a little left over. Haat it then, pour it oa to a plate, and let it cool. When cold, stamp it oat is to rounds er any pretty . shapes with a outter. The greater variety of colour the better. When the j ally is beginning to set, scatter in tha shapes of cream; also some shelled pistachio auts. . -- Leave till the jelly is set, then dip tha monid ia tepid water and turn its eontents on to a pretty dish... Serve with whipped or earn round, colour one half of it a pale pink. ' -~ v - ■■" •■•-.'■