SOME FRUIT DESSERTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 101, 22 January 1908, Page 3

SOME FRUIT DESSERTS.

Fruits aro, as a rule, more digestible raw, and when served fresh and cool'aro tho best of desserts, particularly in 'the summer-timo when they aro in season. ' - The sweet and sub-acid fruits are - 1 best quite cold. The sour fruits are spoiled by chilling—they should be cool, but not cold, ■ lu the oarly spring, when fruits aro expensive, a smaller quantity may-.be made to do full duty when mixed with light- dOughs and such istarchy materials as tapioca, 1 or with-whipped cream and gelatine as,-in tho Bavarian creams. Sugar cooked with fruits is apt to change into new forms, which combine to make the fruit much sweeter'. than raw fruit with sugar sprinkled ovor.it. ' " . In most of the desserts I-havo given : fresh, fruit, should he used when possible.''• Bo;not cook fruit.unless you aro obliged to do.so.'' . Small fruits may be served with cream, but not milk. All fruits are, however, i.ioro wholesome when eaten without either su'jtsu or cream. , Oatmeal Boiiehces.—Pour left-over breakfast porridge in small breakfast'cups'; stand them aside to cool. At serving-time turn them out, scoop out tho centre of each, leaving a wall and a. bottom half an inch thick ; fill this; with ferries -or'sliced peaches, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with cream, milk,.or a carefully-made. soft custard. This dessert may be served either, at luncheon or dinner, and also-for supper when dinner is eaten in the middle of the day. Pan Pudding.—Add sufficient milk to a pint of flour, to make a stiff dough; knead and pound it for at least • fifteen minutes. Cut it in quarters, roll each piece in a thin sheet not thicker than letter-paper' and the size and shape of an ordinary roasting-pan. Brush tho bottom of the pan with melted suet, put in a sheet of the paste, brush it lightly with melted suet.' Haye rea'dy a quarter o£ a pound of Jordan' almonds, blanched, chopped line, and mixed, with a cupful of chopped raisins, half a pound of chopped apples, and a cupful of brown sugar. Put a layer of this mixture on tho • paste, cover with another sheet, brush with suet, and so continue until all the sheets of paste aro used. Brush the top sheet with melted suet-, dust with sugar, and 1 bako in a quick oven for thrcc-auarters of.an hour. Ilcmovo' very carefully from the pail to a flat dish and.send at aneo to the-table. If properl.v made this is one of the most delicate of all puddings.

Prune Souffle.—Remove tho stones, from half a pound of stewed prunes; press the prunes through a sieve, add to , them . the yolks of three eggs slightly beaten, with four tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. Fold in the well-beaten whites of six eggs; turn ■at once in a baking-dish, dust the top with powdered sugar, bako in-a quick oven for five 1 or six minutes, then send immediately to the table in the dish in which it was baked. Cream Apple Pudding.—Pare, core. and quarter six tart apples. Dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in two tablespoonfuls, of warm water; add it to one pint of thick,, sour milk and sour cream mixed, stir in two cupfills and a half of pastry flour, beat for a moment; pour in a greased baking-pan,-,tho bottom of which has been covered with the apple; sprinkle half a cupful of granulated sugar and a teaspoonful of cinnamon over the top. Bake in a moderately quick oven for one hour, and serve hot with a carefullymade hard sauce, or cream or milk. 1 Apple Dowdy.—Lino a baking-dish with thin slices of. brown bread, buttered; fill ill the spaces with apples that have been pared, cored and chopped; mix a teaspoonful of cinnamon with half a cupful of brown sugar; sprinkle this over tho apples; add half a cupful .of water, and cov.er with another layer of brown bread, buttered—with the buttered side up. Bake slowly for one hour, and serve with sauce. Fruit Gelatine.—This attractive and dainty dessert has been burdened with a number of very'inappropriate names, 1 such as "Heavenly Hash," "Angels' Hash," etc. Stone ami chop a quarter of a pound of dates; mix with an equal amount of figs, chopped fine; add chopped candied cherries or pineapple, or the pulp of an orange, or a sliced banana. Tho mixture must be sufficient to fill a quart and a pint mould. Cover a box of gelatine with half a pint of cold water and let it soak for half an hour. Add to it a cupful, of sugar and a quart of boiling water; stir until tho sugar is dissolved; add the juice of two lemons and one orange, and two toaspoonfuls of caramel. Strain in the mould over the 'fruit and stand it aside to harden. When cold and quite firm turn it. oift upon a glass dish and send to the table with or without whipped cream. The. fruit must be put loosely in tho mould or the jelly will not penetrate. My Favourite Dessert.—Mix orange pulp, white grapes cut in halves, candied cherries chopped fine and a grated pineapple with half a cupful of powdered sugar; stand aside to cool. At serving-time fill dessert-glasses witli two tablespoonfuls of this mixture; put a tablespoonful of lemon water-ice in the centre of each glass; cover it over with four j tablespoonfuls of whipped cream, ami send at once to the table.

A journal devoted to educational nihUeis declares that while all are endowed with the same conversational abilities, the reason vhy some people are dull and others can talk amusingly is that the conversational f-iffc of the former is not cultivated iu '•h'ldlwd like their other faculties.' It is suggested that conversation should be taught like arithmetic and geography. Boys and girls should bo trained to discuss all and sundry topics. They should be encouraged to hurriedlv survey and dissect a subject, to treat it lightly or seriously as occasion might demands

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL. Wellington has. eagerly looked.forward to. the visit of Madamo Clara Butt, and last night tho audience went quite mad with enthusiasm. A most curious effect was produced by tho mingling with tho applauso of. cries of encore from all over tho hall, cries which wore almost drowned by the handclapping. A girl across tho aisle let her hands fall at last, and looked at us with a glanco that meant sho was too exhausted to clap any longer. " That's because sho hasn't learnt to curl her hands when she claps," said a neighbour wisely. ■" It does not nurt if you do that. Oh, yes, it does though," sho added, hastily, as tlio enthusiasm |jrow, and her hands also perforce became silent. The little child-song that followed tho hymn was perfectly charming, and not tlio least part of the charm lay in tho fact that at the back of tho hall ono could hear every word. Madame Clara Butt, who really does manage her swooping skirts as gracefully as the Australian papers assured us sho did, woro a handsome gown of cream chiffon velvet, mado princess style, tho corsage edged with narrow bands of crmino. With this sho woro coral and diamond ornaments, and at her waist a cluster of deep red roses was fastened. As for tho audience, everybody seemed to be present, and it- would be easier to say who woro away tlian who were there. ' , A grand garden futo is being arranged for in aid of tho Home of' Compassion at Island Bay. It will be held at the Home at tlio ond of February, and it is understood that their Excellencies the Governor ami Lady Plunket will perform the opening ceremony. 1 Among tho various .competitions arranged for aro competitions for pin-cushions, cakes, handkerchiefs* sweets, blouses, and, of crmrsc, limericks, besides half a dozen others, 'fhero is also to be a baby, show, and two ladies, Mesdames C. 11. izard and A. A. Corrigan, will take charge of this very diflioult branch of the fete. Miss O'Connor and J Mr. Fred Crombio are the joint secretaries for the whole fete. Professor and Mrs. Shand, who have.come up for tho'meeting of tho University Senate, aro staying: with their daughter, Mrs. Munro, Mrs. Bristead, who has been spending some weeks in Wellington, has returned to Christchurch.