FESTIVE-BUT STILL PRACTICAL

New Zealand Listener, Volume 10, Issue 238, 14 January 1944, Page 23

FESTIVE-BUT STILL PRACTICAL

gestions for desserts and cakes which are festive and not s0 everyday, without being too expensive dr difficult, here are some more ideas. F up last week’s sugSavoury Patties Roll out good puff-pastry, and cut out as many rounds as there are pattycases required. These are for the lids. Gather together the rest of the pastry, roll out again, somewhat thinner this time, and cut out bigger rounds for the bottom of the cases. Fit these into the patty-tins, brush over with egg and milk (or just milk), place the lids (also brushed over) lightly on top, and bake till cooked and a pale brown. When cool, remove the lids, press down the centre a iittle in order to make plenty of room for the filling, and after filling quite plentifully, replace the lids lightly on top. Filling (1) Crayfish legs and asparagus tips cut up in small pieces and combined with a very little white sauce, nicely seasoned. (2) Sweetbreads, brains or left-over fowl may also be combined with asparagus in the same manner. (3) Fish and cheese: pieces of left-over fish in good white sauce into which has been stirred grated cheese (to taste). (4) Tongue and green peas. Diced tongue and green peas in equal quantities in a good, strong, brown gravy. (5) Veal and ham. Diced veal and ham-two parts veal to one part ham-in brown gravy. (6) Kidney and ham. Diced kidney browned in butter (?) with quarter as much diced hem, then a well-beaten egg with a little top milk poured over, and stirred and scrambled. Add a little chopped parsley before filling into patty-cakes. This one is best served hot. Fillings may be varied almost endlessly, according to the ingenuity of the cook. Savoury Roulettes All these fillings may be served as "Roulettes,’" which make a very pleasant variation of the usual sandwich for lunches or picnics. Roulettes are really rolled pancakes. The mixture is spread on the hot pancake and rolled up. Any pancake mixture may be used, but here is an excellent one. Halve it if you like. Four eggs, 2 tablespoons flour, milk (or water) sufficient to make the thick, creamlike consistency required, salt, and one tablespoon olive oil (or melted butter),.Mix batter as usual, and let it stand at least an hour before using. Peach Ice Cream (without cream) Blend 2 teaspoons flour with a little cold milk taken from 1% pints. Heat up the rest of the milk, and thicken slightly with the flour paste, cook gently for about 10 minutes. Beat up 2 egg yolks with half-cup sugar, and add to this, cook a little, but do not boil. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, dissolve 2 teaspoons gelatine in quarter-cup hot water, and beat the 2 egg whites stiff with a pinch of salt added. Finally,

combine the cooled custard, the gelatine, beaten egg whites, and a large breakfast cup of crushed ripe peaches, with a dash of lemon juice, and half teaspoon almond essence. This should be frozen, but even if you have no refrigerator, is very nice left to set. May be coloured pink with a little red colouring. Strawberry Pie Soak 1 dessertspoon gelatine in quarter cup cold water. Bring to the boil 4 good dessertspoons sugar, pinch salt and three-quarters cup water, and simmer slowly for 10 minutes. Add half teaspoon peppermint flavouring, and pour the syrup over the gelatine. Stir until dissolved. While still hot, pour all over 14% to 2 cupfuls of fresh ripe strawberries, stir gently and leave until cool and beginning to set. Have ready a baked pie-shell, and pour in the strawberry mixture. Put in refrigerator or cold pantry to set. Garnish with fresh strawberries when serving, and whipped cream (?). Arabian Mould Dissolve 2 dessertspoons of gelatine in a quarter-cup of hot, black coffee (clear and strained). Make a custard with half-cup top milk, 14% cups black coffee, half-cup sugar, pinch of salt, and the slightly-beaten yolks of 3 eggs; cook very gently until the mixture just coats the spoon. Cool. Then add the gelatine mixture, and fold in the 3 stiffly-beaten egg whites. Pour into wetted mould and leave to set.