Chapter 106
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 19]
CARAMEL MOUSSE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
3/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. water 1 c. evaporated milk 2 tsp. gelatine 1/4 c. water 1 egg white 2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt
Make 1/2 cupful of the sugar and the 1/2 cupful of water into caramel.
Place the can of evaporated milk into a pan of warm water, allow it to come to a boil over the flame, and then cool the can in the refrigerator. Soften the gelatine with the 1/4 cupful of water and then dissolve in the caramel while it is boiling hot. Pour the cold milk into a bowl, add the egg white, and beat together vigorously. When the gelatine and caramel have become cool and have started to set, gradually add the mixture to the milk and egg white, beating constantly. If it is desired to hasten the thickening process, set the bowl in which the mixture is being made into a pan of ice. Add the rest of the sugar, the vanilla, and the salt, and continue beating until the whole begins to thicken. Place in a mold and freeze in a pan of ice and salt. When frozen, turn from the mold onto a platter and garnish with canned peaches in the manner shown. Over each serving, pour some of the peach juice, which has been boiled down into a thick sirup.
101. CHOCOLATE MOUSSE.--If persons to be served are fond of chocolate desserts, chocolate mousse should be prepared. This may be packed in a mold of any desired kind.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 sq. unsweetened chocolate 1-1/4 c. sugar 1 c. water 2 tsp. granulated gelatine 3 c. thin cream 1 tsp. vanilla 1 c. whipping cream
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the sugar and half of the water. Cook over the flame until the mixture is thick and smooth. Soften the gelatine in 1/4 cupful of water, bring the remaining 1/4 cupful of water to the boiling point, and dissolve the gelatine in it. Add this to the cooked chocolate and sugar, heat the thin cream in a double boiler, and mix the two. Add the vanilla, strain, and cool in a pan of ice water. When the mixture begins to thicken, whip the heavy cream and fold it in. Mold, pack in ice and salt, and freeze.
102. BANANA-AND-APRICOT MOUSSE.--Mousses are sometimes made of fruits, but when this is done, the proper combination should be secured. Bananas and apricots combine very well. An excellent dessert will therefore result if the directions given in the accompanying recipe are carefully followed.
BANANA-AND-APRICOT MOUSSE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. banana puree 1 c. apricot puree Juice of 1 lemon 1 c. water 1 c. sugar 2 tsp. gelatine 1 pt. heavy cream
Force ripe bananas through a sieve to make the banana puree. Soak and stew dried apricots and force these through a sieve to make apricot puree. Mix the two and add the lemon juice. Add 1/2 cupful of the water to the sugar and cook until a thick sirup is formed. Add this to the fruit puree. Soften the gelatine in 1/4 cupful of cold water, heat the remaining 1/4 cupful to the boiling point, and dissolve the gelatine.
Add the gelatine to the fruit mixture and place in a pan of ice water to cool. Whip the cream until it is stiff and fold this into the fruit mixture when it begins to thicken. Mold, pack in ice, and freeze.
103. MAPLE PARFAIT.--Maple sirup may be combined with eggs and whipped cream to make maple parfait. As may be judged from the ingredients used, this is a very rich dessert; therefore, it should not be used in a meal in which the other dishes are hearty. Maple parfait makes an excellent dish to serve with cake that is not very rich as refreshments for a party.
MAPLE PARFAIT (Sufficient to Serve Six)
4 eggs 1 c. maple sirup 1 pt. heavy cream
Beat the eggs. Cook the maple sirup for a few minutes only and pour this slowly over them. Stir constantly to prevent the curding of the eggs.
Place in a double boiler and cook until the mixture thickens. Cool in a pan of ice water. Whip
104. CAFe PARFAIT.--Coffee used to flavor parfait makes a dessert that appeals to many. When hot coffee is not included in the meal on a warm day, this beverage need not be omitted altogether, for it may be used to flavor the dessert.
CAFe PARFAIT (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1/4 c. ground coffee 1 c. milk 1 c. sugar 3 c. thin cream 3 eggs 1 c. heavy cream
Scald the coffee and milk together for about 20 minutes, strain, and add the sugar and thin cream. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Beat the eggs and add them to the warm mixture. Cook together until the eggs have thickened and then cool. Whip the heavy cream, fold this into the custard, and freeze. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.
105. STRAWBERRY ANGEL PARFAIT.--As the name implies, strawberry angel parfait is a very dainty dessert. Nothing more delightful can be made during the season when fresh strawberries can be obtained. It is suitable for serving at the conclusion of a meal, but it is especially satisfactory for a party or other social affair.
STRAWBERRY ANGEL PARFAIT (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. sugar 1 c. boiling water Whites of 2 eggs 1 pt. whipping cream 1 c. crushed strawberries 2 tsp. vanilla
Boil the sugar and water until the sirup threads. Beat the egg whites and pour the hot sirup over them, beating rapidly. Cool. Whip the cream and fold it in, add the crushed strawberries and vanilla, and freeze in a mold.
106. CANTON PARFAIT.--Preserved Canton ginger is used for the flavoring of Canton parfait. The sirup that comes with the ginger is also used in the preparation of this dessert. Canton parfait is somewhat of a departure from the ordinary dessert, but is favored by many persons.
CANTON PARFAIT (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. sugar 1/2 c. water 4 eggs 2 c. thin cream 1/2 c. preserved Canton ginger 1/4 c. sirup from ginger 1 tsp. vanilla 2 Tb. lemon juice 1 c. whipping cream
Cook the sugar and water together until they form a thin sirup. Beat the eggs, pour the hot sirup over them, and add the thin cream. Cook in a double boiler until the eggs have thickened. Cool, add the ginger chopped into small pieces, the ginger sirup, vanilla, and lemon juice.
Fold into this the heavy cream whipped until it is stiff. Freeze in a mold.
107. BISCUIT TORTONI.--Something entirely different in the nature of a frozen dessert can be had by preparing biscuit tortoni. This is frozen in a mold as are parfaits and mousses, but instead of the entire mold being served, it is packed in paper cases, and one of these served to each person. Macaroons are used to flavor this dessert, and a layer of the crumbs is sprinkled over the top of each serving.
BISCUIT TORTONI (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. sugar 1/2 c. boiling water 3 eggs 1 pt. thin cream 1 c. heavy cream 1 c. macaroon crumbs 1 tsp. vanilla
Cook the sugar and water until it threads. Beat the eggs and add the sirup to the beaten eggs. Then add the thin cream, return to the fire, and cook until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. Beat the heavy cream until it is stiff, and fold this into the custard. Make macaroon crumbs by drying macaroons and beating them until they are quite fine.
Add 1 cupful of these crumbs and the vanilla to the parfait mixture, place in a mold and freeze. When frozen, remove from the mold, pack in paper cases, cover with a layer of macaroon crumbs, and serve.
MOLDING FROZEN DESSERTS
108. After desserts have been frozen in the various ways that have been explained, they are often molded and then allowed to stand in ice and salt until they are well set. In this way, many attractive desserts can be made and numerous color schemes carried out. Some of the molds that are used for this purpose are shown in Fig. 20. The one in the center is known as a _melon mold_, and it is the one used in the preparation of the caramel mousse shown in Fig. 19. It may also be used for the molding of desserts that are already frozen. The mold to the left is known as a _brick mold_, and is much used for Neapolitan ice cream, while the small one to the right is an individual mold used for individual serving. Both the top and the bottom of the brick mold are in the form of covers that are removable. Directions for the molding of several desserts of this kind are here given and other frozen mixtures may be molded in a similar way.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 20]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21]
109. NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM.--A combination of an ice and two kinds of ice cream, usually of different colors, makes what is known as Neapolitan ice cream. Various ways of combining these are in practice; for instance, chocolate ice cream and strawberry ice cream may be combined with lemon ice, or strawberry and vanilla ice cream and orange ice may be used together. The ice creams and ices must, of course, be thoroughly frozen before they are packed in the mold.
Prepare the mold by placing a piece of oiled paper over the bottom cover and setting the mold in this. Then put a layer of ice cream of one color into the mold, as shown in Fig. 21, pack on top of this the second color of ice cream, and put the ice on top, or pack the ice between the two kinds of ice cream. Pack each layer tight and push the frozen mixtures well into the corners so that there will be no holes. Cover the top well with another piece of oiled paper, as shown in Fig. 22, place the cover on, and pack the mold into ice and salt, using a proportion of 2 to 1.
Allow this to stand until it is well set. To serve, remove from the mold, cut slices from the brick, and place on plates, preferably those covered with paper doilies.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 22]
110. BOMBE GLACe.--A combination of an ice and a mousse or parfait mixture makes a delightful dessert known as Bombe glace. Contrasting colors should be used if possible in order to make a beautiful dessert.
This is usually made in a melon-shaped mold, but it may be made in a round mold, such as a tin can, if the can is perfectly water-tight.
Line the mold with an ice and fill the center with a mousse or a parfait. Place in a mixture of ice and salt and freeze. When it has become solid, turn out the entire mold on a suitable dish and serve it at the table.
SERVING FROZEN DESSERTS
111. Frozen desserts offer an opportunity for variety in serving, because they occur in so many different forms. The method of serving depends, of course, on the nature of the frozen dessert, but any one of them that may be served from a large plate or dish is always attractive.
This may be done, as has been explained, if the frozen mixtures are molded either as a single kind or as a combination of two or more kinds.
112. To remove a molded dessert from the mold before serving, first clean the mold thoroughly of ice and salt and wipe it dry with a cloth.
Then remove the cover and allow it to stand for a few minutes in a warm place. This treatment will cause the outside of the frozen mixture to melt slightly and permit it to slip easily from the mold. A warm cloth or warm water is sometimes used to melt the surface, and it accomplishes the work more quickly; but when the mold is so treated it is likely not to look so well. As soon as the surface is a trifle soft, turn the mold out on a dish and serve it immediately.