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The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) written by Mrs. F.L. Gillette

M >> Mrs. F.L. Gillette >> The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887)





STRAWBERRY ICE-CREAM.

Mix a cupful of sugar with a quart of ripe strawberries, let them
stand half a day, then mash and strain them through a coarse towel,
then add to the juice a full cupful of sugar and when dissolved, beat
in a quart of fresh thick cream. Raspberries, pineapple and other
fruits made the same.


FRUIT CREAM.

Make a rich, boiled custard; flavor with wine and vanilla; pour it
into a freezer. When half frozen, add pounded almonds, chopped citron
and brandy, peaches or chopped raisins. Have the freezer half full of
custard and fill up with the fruit. Mix well and freeze again. Almost
any kind of fruits that are preferred may be substituted for the
above.


TUTTI FRUTTI ICE-CREAM.

Take two quarts of the richest cream and add to it one pound of
pulverized sugar and four whole eggs; mix well together; place on the
fire, stirring constantly, and just bring to boiling point; now remove
immediately and continue to stir until nearly cold; flavor with a
tablespoonful of extract of vanilla; place in freezer and, when half
frozen, mix thoroughly into it one pound of preserved fruits, in equal
parts of peaches, apricots, gages, cherries, pineapples, etc.; all of
these fruits are to be cut up into small pieces and mixed well with
frozen cream. If you desire to _mold_ this ice sprinkle it with a
little carmine, dissolved in a teaspoonful of water, with two drops of
spirits of ammonia; mix in this color, so that it will be streaky or
in veins like marble.


ICE-CREAM WITHOUT A FREEZER.

Beat the yolks of eight eggs very light, and add thereto four cupfuls
of sugar, and stir well. Add to this, little by little, one quart of
rich milk that has been heated almost to boiling, beating all the
while; then put in the whites of eight eggs beaten to a stiff froth.
Then boil the mixture in a pail set inside another containing hot
water. Boil about fifteen minutes or until it is as thick as a boiled
custard, stirring steadily meanwhile. Pour into a bowl to cool. When
quite cold, beat into it three pints of rich sweet cream and five
teaspoonfuls of vanilla, or such other flavoring as you prefer. Put it
into a pail having a close-fitting cover and pack in pounded ice and
salt,--_rock salt_, not the common kind,--about three-fourths ice and
one-forth salt. When packed, before putting the ice on top of the
cover, beat the custard as you would batter, for five minutes steady;
then put on the cover and put the ice and salt over it, and cover the
whole with a thick mat, blanket or carpet and let it stand for an
hour. Then carefully uncover and scrape from the bottom and sides of
the pail the thick coating of frozen custard, making every particle
clear, and beat again very hard, until the custard is a smooth,
half-congealed paste. Do this thoroughly. Put on the cover, ice, salt
and blanket, and leave it for five or six hours, replenishing the ice
and salt if necessary.

_Common Sense in the Household._


FROZEN PEACHES.

One can or twelve large peaches, two coffeecupfuls of sugar, one pint
of water and the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth; break
the peaches rather fine and stir all the ingredients together; freeze
the whole into form.

Frozen fruit of any kind can be made the same way; the fruit should be
mashed to a smooth pulp, but not thinned too much. In freezing, care
should be taken to prevent its getting lumpy.


FROZEN FRUITS.

The above recipe, increasing the quantity of peaches, raspberries or
whatever fruit you may use, and adding a small amount of rich cream,
make fine frozen fruits. In freezing, you must be especially careful
to prevent its getting lumpy.


LEMON ICE.

The juice of six lemons and the grated rind of three, a large sweet
orange, juice and rind; squeeze out all the juice and steep it in the
rind of orange and lemons a couple of hours; then squeeze and strain
through a towel, add a pint of water and two cupfuls of sugar. Stir
until dissolved, turn into a freezer, then proceed as for ice-cream,
letting it stand longer, two or three hours.

When fruit jellies are used, gently heat the water sufficiently to
melt them; then cool and freeze. Other flavors may be made in this
manner, varying the flavoring to taste.


PINEAPPLE SHERBET.

Grate two pineapples and mix with two quarts of water and a pint of
sugar; add the juice of two lemons and the beaten whites of four eggs.
Place in a freezer and freeze.


RASPBERRY SHERBET.

Two quarts of raspberries, one cupful of sugar, one pint and a half of
water, the juice of a large lemon, one tablespoonful of gelatine. Mash
the berries and sugar together and let them stand two hours. Soak the
gelatine in cold water to cover. Add one pint of the water to the
berries and strain. Dissolve the gelatine in half a pint of boiling
water, add this to the strained mixture and freeze.


ORANGE-WATER ICE.

Add a tablespoonful of gelatine to one gill of water; let it stand
twenty minutes and add half a pint of boiling water; stir until
dissolved and add four ounces of powdered sugar, the strained juice of
six oranges and cold water enough to make a full quart in all. Stir
until the sugar is dissolved; pour into the freezing can and freeze.
(See LEMON ICE.)


ALMOND ICE.

Two pints of milk, eight ounces of cream, two ounces of orange-flower
water, eight ounces of sweet almonds, four ounces of bitter almonds;
pound all in a marble mortar, pouring in from time to time a few drops
of water; when thoroughly pounded add the orange-flower water and half
of the milk; pass this, tightly squeezed, through a cloth; boil the
rest of the milk with the cream and keep stirring it with a wooden
spoon; as soon as it is thick enough, pour in the almond milk; give it
one boiling, take it off and let it cool in a bowl or pitcher before
pouring it into the mold for freezing.


CURRANT ICE.

A refreshing ice is made of currants or raspberries, or equal portions
of each. Squeeze enough fruit in a jelly-bag to make a pint of juice;
add a pint each of the water and sugar; pour the whole, boiling hot,
onto whites of three eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, and whip the
mixture thoroughly. When cool, freeze in the usual manner. Part red
raspberry juice is a much finer flavor.

Any juicy fruit may be prepared in this manner.




DUMPLINGS AND PUDDINGS


It depends as much upon the judgment of the cook as on the materials
used to make a good pudding. Everything should be the best in the way
of materials, and a proper attention to the rules, with some practice,
will ensure success.

Puddings are either boiled, baked or steamed; if boiled, the materials
should be well worked together, put into a thick cloth bag, previously
dipped in hot water, wringing it slightly and dredging the inside
_thickly_ with flour; tie it firmly, allowing room for it to swell;
drop it into a kettle of _boiling_ water, with a small plate or saucer
in the bottom to keep it from sticking to the kettle. It should not
cease boiling one moment from the time it is put in until taken out,
and the pot must be tightly covered, and the cover not removed except
when necessary to add water from the _boiling_ tea-kettle when the
water is getting low. When done, dip immediately in cold water and
turn out. This should be done just before placing on the table.

Or butter a tin pudding-mold or an earthen bowl; close it tight so
that water cannot penetrate; drop it into boiling water and boil
steadily the required time. If a bowl is used it should be well
buttered and not quite filled with the pudding, allowing room for it
to swell; then a cloth wet in hot water, slightly wringing it, then
floured on the inner side, and tied over the bowl, meeting under the
bottom.

To steam a pudding, put it into a tin pan or earthen dish; tie a cloth
over the top, first dredging it in flour, and set it in a steamer.
Cover the steamer closely; allow a little longer time than you do for
boiling.

Molds or basins for baking, steaming or boiling should be well
buttered before the mixture is put into them. Allow a little longer
time for steaming than for boiling.

Dumplings boiled the same way, put into little separate cloths.

Batter puddings should be smoothly mixed and free from lumps. To
ensure this, first mix the flour with a very small portion of milk,
the yolks of the eggs and the sugar thoroughly beaten together, and
added to this; then add the remainder of the milk by degrees, then the
seasoning, then the beaten whites of eggs last. Much success in making
this kind of pudding depends upon a strict observance of this rule;
for, although the materials may be good, if the eggs are put into the
milk before they are mixed with the flour, there will be a custard at
the top and a soft dough at the bottom of your dish.

All sweet puddings require a _little_ salt to prevent insipidity and
to draw out the flavor of the several ingredients, but a grain too
much will spoil any pudding.

In puddings where wine, brandy, cider, lemon juice or any acid is
used, it should be stirred in last and gradually, or it is apt to
curdle the milk or eggs.

In making _custard puddings_ (puddings made with eggs and milk), the
yolks of the eggs and sugar should be thoroughly beaten together
before any of the milk or seasoning is added, and the beaten whites of
eggs last.

In making puddings of bread, rice, sago, tapioca, etc., the eggs
should be beaten very light, and mixed with a portion of the milk,
before adding them to the other ingredients. If the eggs are mixed
with the milk, without having been thus beaten, the milk will be
absorbed by the bread, rice, sago, tapioca, etc., without rendering
them light.

The freshness of all pudding ingredients is of much importance, as one
bad article will taint the whole mixture.

When the _freshness_ of eggs is _doubtful_, break each one separately
in a cup before mixing them all together. Should there be a bad one
amongst them, it can be thrown away; whereas, if mixed with the good
ones, the entire quantity would be spoiled. The yolks and whites
beaten separately make the articles they are put into much lighter.

Raisins and dried fruit for puddings should be carefully picked and,
in many cases, stoned. Currants should be well washed, pressed in a
cloth and placed on a dish before the fire to get thoroughly dry; they
should be then picked carefully over, and _every piece of grit or
stone_ removed from amongst them. To plump them, some cooks pour
boiling water over them and then dry them before the fire.

[Illustration: STATE DINING ROOM.]

[Illustration: THE BLUE ROOM.]

Many baked pudding recipes are quite as good boiled. As a safe rule
boil the pudding _twice as long_ as you would bake it; and remember
that a boiling pudding should never be touched after it is once put on
the stove; a jar of the kettle destroys the lightness of the pudding.
If the water boils down and more must be added, it must be done so
carefully that the mold will not hit the side of the kettle, and it
must not be allowed to stop boiling for an instant.

Batter should never-stick to the knife when it is sent to the table;
it will do this both when less than sufficient number of eggs is mixed
with it and when it is not cooked enough; about four eggs to the half
pound of flour will make it firm enough to cut smoothly.

When baked or boiled puddings are sufficiently solid, turn them out of
the dish they were baked in, bottom uppermost and strew over them
finely sifted sugar.

When pastry or baked puddings are not done through, and yet the
outside is sufficiently brown, cover them over with a piece of white
paper until thoroughly cooked; this prevents them from getting burnt.


TO CLEAN CURRANTS.

Put them in a sieve or colander and sprinkle them thickly with flour;
rub them well until they are separated, and the flour, grit and fine
stems have passed through the strainer. Place the strainer and
currants in a pan of water and wash thoroughly; then lift the strainer
and currants together, and change the water until it is clear. Dry the
currants between clean towels. It hardens them to dry in an oven.


TO CHOP SUET.

Break or cut in small pieces, sprinkle with sifted flour, and chop in
a cold place to keep it from becoming sticky and soft.


TO STONE RAISINS.

Put them in a dish and pour _boiling_ water over them; cover and let
them remain in it ten minutes; it will soften so that by rubbing each
raisin between the thumb and finger, the seeds will come out clean;
then they are ready for cutting or chopping if required.


APPLE DUMPLINGS.

Make a rich biscuit dough, the same as soda or baking-powder biscuit,
only adding a little more shortening. Take a piece of dough out on the
molding-board, roll out almost as thin as pie crust; then cut into
square pieces large enough to cover an apple. Put into the middle of
each piece two apple halves that have been pared and cored; sprinkle
on a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of ground cinnamon, turn the ends
of the dough over the apple and lap them tight. Lay the dumplings in a
dripping-pan buttered, the smooth side upward. When the pans are
filled, put a small piece of butter on top of each, sprinkle over a
large handful of sugar, turn in a cupful of boiling water, then place
in a moderate oven for three-quarters of an hour. Baste with the
liquor once while baking. Serve with pudding-sauce or cream and sugar.


BOILED APPLE DUMPLINGS.

The same recipe as the above, with the exception that they are put
into a small coarse cloth well floured after being dipped in hot
water. Each cloth to be tied securely, but leaving room enough for the
dumpling to swell. Put them in a pot of boiling water and boil
three-quarters of an hour. Serve with sweet sauce. Peaches and other
fruits used in the same manner.


BOILED RICE DUMPLINGS, CUSTARD SAUCE.

Boil half a pound of rice, drain and mash it moderately fine. Add to
it two ounces of butter, three ounces of sugar, half a saltspoonful of
mixed ground spice, salt and the yolks of two eggs. Moisten a trifle
with a tablespoonful or two of cream. With floured hands shape the
mixture into balls, and tie them in floured pudding cloths. Steam or
boil forty minutes and send to table with a custard sauce made as
follows:--

Mix together four ounces of sugar and two ounces of butter (slightly
warmed). Beat together the yolks of two eggs and a gill of cream; mix
and pour the sauce in a double saucepan; set this in a pan of hot
water and whisk thoroughly three minutes. Set the saucepan in cold
water and whisk until the sauce is cooled.


SUET DUMPLINGS. No. 1.

One pint bowl of fine bread crumbs, one-half cupful of beef suet
chopped fine, the whites and yolks of four eggs beaten separately and
very light, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar sifted into half a
cupful of flour, half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little
water, and a teaspoonful of salt. Wet it all together with milk enough
to make a stiff paste. Flour your hands and make into balls. Tie up in
separate cloths that have been wrung out in hot water and floured
inside; leave room, when tying, for them to swell. Drop them into
_boiling_ water and boil about three-quarters of an hour. Serve _hot_,
with wine sauce, or syrup and butter.


SUET DUMPLINGS. No. 2.

One cupful of suet chopped fine, one cupful of grated English muffins
or bread, one cupful of flour, half a teaspoonful of baking powder,
half a cupful of sugar, two eggs, one pint of milk, a large pinch of
salt. Sift together powder and flour, add the beaten eggs, grated
muffins, sugar, suet and milk; form into smooth batter, which drop by
tablespoonfuls into a pint of boiling milk, three or four at a time;
when done, dish and pour over the milk they were boiled in. A Danish
dish; very good.


PRESERVE DUMPLINGS.

Preserved peaches, plums, quinces, cherries or any other sweetmeat;
make a light crust, and roll a small piece of moderate thickness and
fill with the fruit in quantity to make the size of a peach dumpling;
tie each one in a dumpling cloth, well floured inside, drop them into
hot water and boil half an hour; when done, remove the cloth, send to
table hot and eat with cream.


OXFORD DUMPLINGS.

Beat until quite light one tablespoonful of sugar and the yolks of
three eggs, add half a cupful of finely chopped suet, half a cupful of
English currants, one cupful of sifted flour, in which there has been
sifted a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, a little nutmeg, one
teaspoonful of salt and, lastly, the beaten whites of the eggs; flour
your hands and make it into balls the size of an egg; boil in separate
cloth one hour or more. Serve with wine sauce.


LEMON DUMPLINGS.

Mix together a pint of grated bread crumbs, half a cupful of chopped
suet, half a cupful of moist sugar, a little salt and a small
tablespoonful of flour, adding the grated rind of a lemon. Moisten it
all with the whites and yolks of two eggs _well_ beaten and the juice
of the lemon, strained. Stir it all well together and put the mixture
into small cups well buttered; tie them down with a cloth dipped in
flour and boil three-quarters of an hour. Turn them out on a dish,
strew sifted sugar over them and serve with wine sauce.


BOILED APPLE PUFFETS.

Three eggs, one pint of milk, a little salt, sufficient flour to
thicken as waffle batter, one and one-half teaspoonfuls of baking
powder. Fill teacups alternately with a layer of batter and then of
apples chopped fine. Steam one hour. Serve hot with flavored cream and
sugar. You can substitute any fresh fruit or jams your taste prefers.


COMMON BATTER.

For boiled puddings, fritters, etc., is made with one cupful of milk,
a pinch of salt, two eggs, one tablespoonful of melted butter, one
cupful of flour and a small teaspoonful of baking powder. Sift the
flour, powder and salt together, add the melted butter, the eggs well
beaten and the milk; mix into a very smooth batter, a little thicker
than for griddle-cakes.


ALMOND PUDDING.

Turn boiling water on to three-fourths of a pound of sweet almonds,
let it remain until the skin comes off easily; rub with a dry cloth;
when dry, pound fine with one large spoonful of rose-water; beat six
eggs to a stiff froth with three spoonfuls of fine white sugar; mix
with one quart of milk, three spoonfuls of pounded crackers, four
ounces of melted butter, and the same of citron cut into bits; add
almonds, stir altogether and bake in a small pudding-dish with a
lining and rim of pastry. This pudding is best when cold. It will bake
in half an hour in a quick oven.


APPLE PUDDING, BAKED.

Stir two tablespoonfuls of butter and half a cupful of sugar to a
cream; stir into this the yolks of four eggs, well beaten, the juice
and grated rind of one lemon and half a dozen sound, green tart
grated. Now stir in the four beaten whites of the eggs, season with
cinnamon or nutmeg; bake. To be served cold with cream.


BOILED APPLE PUDDING.

Take three eggs, three apples, a quarter of a pound of bread crumbs,
one lemon, three ounces of sugar, three ounces of currants, half a
wine-glassful of wine, nutmeg, butter and sugar for sauce. Pare, core
and mince the apples and mix with the bread crumbs, nutmeg, grated
sugar, currants; the juice of the lemon and half the rind grated. Beat
the eggs well, moisten the mixture with these and beat all together,
adding the wine last; put the pudding in a buttered mold, tie it down
with a cloth; boil one hour and a half and serve with sweet sauce.


BIRDS' NEST PUDDING.

Core and peel eight apples, put in a dish, fill the places from which
the cores have been taken with sugar and a little grated nutmeg; cover
and bake. Beat the yolks of four eggs light, add two teacupfuls of
flour, with three even teaspoonfuls of baking powder sifted with it,
one pint of milk with a teaspoonful of salt; then add the whites of
the eggs well beaten, pour over the apples and bake one hour in a
moderate oven. Serve with sauce.


BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING. No. 1.

Butter the sides and bottom of a deep pudding-dish, then butter thin
slices of bread, sprinkle thickly with sugar, a little cinnamon,
chopped apple, or any fruit you prefer between each slice, until your
dish is full. Beat up two eggs, add a tablespoonful of sifted flour;
stir with the three cupfuls of milk and a little salt; pour over this
the bread, let it stand one hour and then bake slowly, with a cover
on, three-quarters of an hour; then take the cover off and brown.
Serve with wine and lemon sauce.

Pie-plant, cut up in small pieces with plenty of sugar, is fine made
in this manner.


BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING. No. 2.

Place a layer of stale bread, rolled fine, in the bottom of a
pudding-dish, then a layer of any kind of fruit; sprinkle on a little
sugar, then another layer of bread crumbs and of fruit; and so on
until the dish is full, the top layer being crumbs. Make a custard as
for pies, add a pint of milk and mix. Pour it over the top of the
pudding and bake until the fruit is cooked.

Stale cake, crumbed fine, in place of bread, is an improvement.


COLD BERRY PUDDING.

Take rather stale bread--baker's bread or light home-made--cut in thin
slices and spread with butter. Add a very little water and a little
sugar to one quart or more of huckleberries and blackberries, or the
former alone. Stew a few minutes until juicy; put a layer of buttered
bread in your buttered pudding-dish, then a layer of stewed berries
while hot and so on until full; lastly, a covering of stewed berries.
It may be improved with a rather soft frosting over the top. To be
eaten cold with thick cream and sugar.


APPLE TAPIOCA PUDDING.

Put one teacupful of tapioca and one teaspoonful of salt into one pint
and a half of water, and let it stand several hours where it will be
quite warm, but not cook; peel six tart apples, take out the cores,
fill them with sugar, in which is grated a little nutmeg and lemon
peel, and put them in a pudding-dish; over these pour the tapioca,
first mixing with it one teaspoonful of melted butter and a cupful of
cold milk, and half a cupful of sugar; bake one hour; eat with sauce.

When fresh fruits are in season, this pudding is exceedingly nice,
with damsons, plums, red currants, gooseberries or apples; when made
with these, the pudding must be thickly sprinkled over with sifted
sugar.

Canned or fresh peaches may be used in place of apples in the same
manner, moistening the tapioca with the juice of the canned peaches in
place of the cold milk. Very nice when quite cool to serve with sugar
and cream.


APPLE AND BROWN-BREAD PUDDING.

Take a pint of brown bread crumbs, a pint bowl of chopped apples, mix;
add two-thirds of a cupful of finely-chopped suet, a cupful of
raisins, one egg, a tablespoonful of flour, half a teaspoonful of
salt. Mix with half a pint of milk, and boil in buttered molds about
two hours. Serve with sauce flavored with lemon.


APPLE-PUFF PUDDING.

Put half a pound of flour into a basin, sprinkle in a little salt,
stir in gradually a pint of milk; when quite smooth add three eggs;
butter a pie-dish, pour in the batter; take three-quarters of a pound
of apples, seed and cut in slices, and put in the batter; place bits
of butter over the top; bake three-quarters of an hour; when done,
sprinkle sugar over the top and serve hot.


PLAIN BREAD PUDDING, BAKED.

Break up about a pint of stale bread after cutting off the crust, pour
over it a quart of boiling milk; add to this a piece of butter the
size of a small egg; cover the dish tight and let it stand until cool;
then with a spoon mash it until fine, adding a teaspoonful of cinnamon
and one of nutmeg grated, half a cupful of sugar and one-quarter of a
teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little hot water. Beat up four eggs
very light and add last. Turn all into a well-buttered pudding-dish
and bake three-quarters of an hour. Serve it warm with hard sauce.

This recipe may be steamed or boiled; very nice either way.


SUPERIOR BREAD PUDDINGS.

One and one-half cupfuls of white sugar, two cupfuls of fine, dry
bread crumbs, five eggs, one tablespoonful of butter, vanilla,
rose-water or lemon flavoring, one quart of fresh rich milk and half a
cupful of jelly or jam. Rub the butter into a cupful of sugar; beat
the yolks very light, and stir these together to a cream. The bread
crumbs soaked in milk come next, then the flavoring. Bake in a
buttered pudding-dish--a large one and but two-thirds full--until the
custard is "set." Draw to the mouth of the oven, spread over with jam
or other nice fruit conserve. Cover this with a meringue made of the
whipped whites and half a cupful of sugar. Shut the oven and bake
until the meringue begins to color. Eat cold with cream. In strawberry
season, substitute a pint of fresh fruit for preserves. It is then
delicious. Serve with any warm sauce.


BOILED BREAD PUDDING.

To one quart of bread crumbs soaked soft in a cup of hot milk, add one
cupful of molasses, one cupful of fruit or chopped raisins, one
teaspoonful each of spices, one tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful
of salt, one teaspoonful of soda, about a cupful of flour sifted;
boil or steam three hours. Serve with sweet sauce.