IN THE KITCHEN

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 92, 12 January 1929, Page 16

IN THE KITCHEN

Cherry Jam.—Allow three-quarters to a pound of sugar to each pound of cherries. either black or Kentish. It pays to buy the best cherries for jam making, as they are superior both in size ami flavour. (Stalk and stone the fruit overnight and put in the preserving pan covered with all the sugar. Next day bring to the boil and noil fairly fast until it will set on being tested. To give a real “nutty” flavour crack a third of the stones and extract the kernels. Blanch .in boiling water and add to the boiliug jam. But all the rest of the stones in a thin muslin bag and simmer fast in a little saucepan with a pint of water for about half an hour. Lift out the bag and add the water to the jam just after it comes to the boil. This can all be done while the jam is coming up to the boil. Cherry jam is another jam that can easily be too “watery.” Cherry Tart (French fashion). —Line a fluted and somewhat shallow tart tin with a good short crust, pressing it gently but thoroughly into the fluted •sides.' Stalk and stone sufficient largesized cherries to completely cover the bottom of the dish when arranged so as to overlap one another. Dust very generously with fine sugar and, if liked, add a sprinkle of cinnamon. Bake in a good pastry oven from 30 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and the fruit tender. Sprinkle again with sugar before sending to table. Serve with cream. Stewed cherries are very delicious and afford children much delight from the old custom of choosing husbands from the number of stones on each plate. Boys can vary the rhymes by changing husbands into careers, and a dish of cherries is always sure of a hearty welcome. Being a very juicy fruit they require very little water, about a gill to a pound of fruit being more than sufficient to produce a liberal amount of juice. If a specially delicious dish be desired, stew the fruit as usual and then turn into a wire sieve placed over a basin. Pour off the juice from the basin into a sauce pan, but still leave the cherries to drain. Add sufficient sugar, to the juice to make a strong syrup and squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Boil until really thick,and strong. At once turn the cherries into a pretty bowl and coat them with the syrup. Place on ice if possible and serve with sponge cakes and cream. Yet another way is to choose some large black cherries and to stalk and stone them, being careful not to spoil the shape of the fruit more than is necessary. A blanched almond or a piece of almond is placed in the'eavity whence the stone came and then the cherries are oiled in a pretty bowl on top of a thick layer of crushed macaroon biscuits. A very strong syrup is made with half a pound of sugar to each cup of water (cherry juice from stewed cherries can be used instead of water) and this is boiled until nice and thick, being flavoured with a little lemon juice and coloured a nice pink with cochineal. The colouring is not necessary if cherry juice is used. This is poured very gently and evenly over the fruit so as to coat it well, and the dish should then be put | in the ice chest for a time. Before serving grate a little nut over the fruit and serve with whipped cream or else decorate with whipped cream and grated nut. Only sufficient syrup should be used to coat the fruit well. Any extra juice will soak into the macaroons. Drained stewed cherries can also be served on macaroons and .coated with syrup. The moment the syrup is cold the dish should be sent to table decorated with whipped cream and nuts. If preferred the cream van be served separately.