Archive for the ‘Dessert’ Category

GELATIN DESSERTS

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

GELATIN DESSERTS


Gelatin desserts are made and unmolded the same as gelatin salads, except that they are almost made with fruit and very frequently have whipped or plain cream folded into them or it is served over them. Rich cream mixtures that are thickened with just enough gelatin to permit them to be molded are known as Bavarian Cream, Charlotte Russe, etc. These desserts are particularly well adapted to summertime meals; they can be rich without being stodgy and are cool and refreshing to eat as well as to make. Attractively shaped metal, glass or pottery molds are interesting to have for making molded desserts, but with a little imagination these desserts can be molded beautiful in shallow pans, small mixing bowls, custard cups, etc. Once the gelatin has set, the molds should always be covered tightly to prevent the food from getting dry on the surface or pulling away from the sides of the mold.

APPLE DELIGHT

1 Tablespoon gelatin (1 envelope)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 lb. tart cooking apples
¼ cup cold water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/3 teaspoon grated lemon rind
½ cup water

Soften gelatin in cold water. Boil sugar and the ½ cup water slowly for 3 minutes, counting time after boiling starts. Add salt and peeled, sliced apples (should be 3 cups); cover, simmer until tender. Remove from heat, stir in gelatin, then lemon juice and rind; cool. Pour into mold or bowl; chill until firm. Unmold and serve with cold Custard Sauce, or cream. 4 servings

Variation: To save sugar, substitute 1 cup sweet cider for the ½ cup water, reduce sugar to ½ cup, and omit lemon juice and rind.

STEWED RHUBARB

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

STEWED RHUBARB

2 lb. rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water

Cut off leaves of rhubarb and discard. Wash stalks thoroughly. Do not peal unless the skin seems particularly tough, as the skin gives stewed rhubarb it attractive color. Cut stalks in 1-inch pieces, add the sugar and water. Covered saucepan and cook slowly until rhubarb is tender, about 5 minutes. Chill and serve plain or with cream. 5 or 6 servings.

VARIATION: A COMBINATION OF HALF RHUBARB AND HALF STRAWBERRIES STEWED TOGETHER IS DELICIOUS.

STEWED QUINCE

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010


STEWED QUINCE
(An unusually good dessert)

2 lb. quince
3 cups hot water
½ to ¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Peel quince. Cut in quarters and remove the core. Slice very thin, letting slices drop into the hot water. Cover closely and simmer until quince is tender, or from 30 to 45 minutes. More water may be needed. Add sugar to suit taste, and salt. Reheat to boiling. Cool before serving. 5 servings.

STEWED PRUNES

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

STEWED PRUNES

Wash dried prunes quickly but thoroughly in cold water. Place in saucepan and barely cover with lukewarm water. Allow to soak 1 to 2 hours; then cook in the same water over low heat until fruit is tender – the slower the cooking, the better the product. Since prunes are quite sweet, sugar need not be added when they are cooked plain . The addition of a small amount, however, does give a thicker and more attractive syrup. Chill before serving.

Variation 1: To ½ lb. dried prunes, allow 1 lemon. Wash and soak prunes as described above. Slice lemon very thin and add to prunes when they start to cook, with 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar. Serve lemon slices along with stewed prunes.

Variation 2: Instead of cooking the prunes, allow them to stand in the soaking water for a day or more until sufficiently softened. Keep closely covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Variation 3: Just before serving, add peeled and sliced or diced oranges to the prunes.

Variation 4: Serve the plain stewed prunes or prunes stewed with lemon slices with cream for dessert.

STEWED PEACHES

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

STEWED PEACHES

1 ½ lb. cling or freestone peaches
½ cup water
½ cup sugar more or less

Choose well-ripened, juicy but firm fruit. Peal and halve peaches and remove stones. Add water and sugar, cover and simmer slowly until peaches are soft (5 to 15 minutes, the time depending on size and the quality of peaches). Cool peaches, chill and serve plain or with cream. 5 servings.

(Any of these recipes I have been posting can have by covering the dehydrated or freeze dried products with hot water and let sit until rehydrating. Drain off excess liquid. Add sugar and any additional water necessary to make ½ cup liquid.)

Cooking with freeze dried products becomes very easy and your family will love the taste. It takes a little longer to rehydrate dried fruits. But the flavor is there and the extra time is worth the effort. After all the pealing and cutting is already completed for you.

STEWED FRESH PLUMS

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

STEWED FRESH PLUMS
2 lb. blue or Green Gage plums
1 cup sugar
½ cup water

Wash prunes and prick skins several times with a skewer. Put sugar and water into saucepan, cover, and heat to boiling. Drop in the plums, cover, and simmer over low heat until fruit is tender, or for 5 to 8 minutes. Cool, then chill thoroughly and serve plain or with cream. 5 servings.

STEWED DRIED FRUIT

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

STEWED DRIED FRUIT

Wash DRIED PEACHES, PEARS, FIGS OR RAISINS toughly but quickly in cold water. Barely cover with lukewarm water, cover and let stand for 1 to 3 hours. Then heat fruit and simmer, covered, until tender (I5 to 20 minutes) in same water in which it was soaked. Add sugar to suit taste, allowing from 2 tablespoons to 1/3 cup for each ½ pound of fruit. Amount will depend on tartness of fruit and on personal taste; many persons prefer to add no sugar at all.

For variation, a combination of dried fruits may be cooked together in the same manner.

STEWED DRIED APRICOTS

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

STEWED DRIED APRICOTS

½ lb. dried apricots
3 cups water
¼ to 1/3 cup sugar
Cream

Wash, the apricots quickly but thoroughly in cold water. Place in a saucepan, add the 3 cups of water, cover and allow to soak for 2 or 3 hours. Put the soaked apricots to cook in the same water, cover and simmer very gently for 15 minutes or until just tender. Just before removing from the heat, stir in the sugar. Serve warm or cold with cream, if desired. 5 servings.

STEWED CHERRIES

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

STEWED CHERRIES

1 quart sour red cherries
½ cup water
½ to ¾ cup sugar, according to tartness of cherries
Almond extract, optional
Cream

Wash, stem and pit cherries over a saucepan to catch juice; there will be about 2 ½ cups pitted fruit. Drop directly into saucepan, add water, cover, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and continue heating for a minute or two until sugar is entirely dissolved. Stir in a few drops of almond extract, if desired. Serve warm or cold with plain or whipped cream. 5 servings

Variation: Stewed cherries make a pleasing sauce for Cottage pudding and many people like them with pancakes or waffles. For this purpose, the juice should be thickened as follows: blend 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with a little of the cherry juice until smooth. Stir into rest of cherries and heat, stirring constantly until sauce is clear. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter and a few drops of almond extract, if desired.

COTTAGE PUDDING

1 ½ all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup milk

Sift and measure flour and resift 3 times with baking powder and salt. Cream shortening and sugar until light. Add egg, beat until smooth and fluffy stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour and beating well after each addition. Turn into greased rectangular baking pan (7 x 11 x 1 ½ inches) and bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for 25 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cut into wedges and serve warm with Lemon Sauce. 6 or 8 servings.

STEWED BLACKBERRIES

Friday, August 13th, 2010

STEWED BLACKBERRIES

1 quart blackberries
½ cup water
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar

Carefully wash berries, swishing them through cold water, and then lift them out of water on outstretched fingers into a saucepan. Remove any hulls. Add water, cover, and heat slowly; simmer berries for about 15 minutes. Shake pan or stir gently during cooking to prevent berries sticking to the bottom. Add salt and sugar and heat 2 or 3 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Serve warm or chilled, plain or with cream. If the fruit is very ripe, add 1 or 2 tablespoons lemon juice. 5 servings