THE HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15730, 3 October 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE HOME.

— O' SOME DAINTY DESSERTS. The matter of introducing variety into desserts is one that is very apt to be overlooked by the busy cook. She knows a certain limited number of dishes find favour with her family, and rarely risks venturing into the unknown where their tastes are concerned. But the fact that the family likes certain dishes is no excuse for those selfsame dishes being served five nights out of six. A change is good for everyone, and in the culinary world is occasionally very welcome. Some delicious dessert recipes are given below:— . Venetian Creme.—Make a custard with two yolks of egg, a pint of milk, and half an ounce of good gelatine. Sweeten it to taste. Choose a pretty china mould, v.et it, and decorate the bottom and sides with preserved cherries. (ramble in sis penny sponge cakes and two ounces 01 ratafias, and the same quantity of macaroons. Soak this in a little wine. Pour the custard -on hot, and leave in a, cool place to set. To turn out: It is annoying to take trouble over a sweet of this description, and then to break it in the turning out. To prevent this hold the bottom of the mould in warm water for a moment, then turn out carefully on to a pretty dish. Whip up, and flavour srme cream, place it round the dish, also pipe a, little on the top of the mould between the preserved fruits, using a fancy pipe.

Prune Isetr.d.— pound of prunes, 2oz sugar, 1£ pint of water, finely sliced rind of lemon. Put all in a pan on the fir», and simmer gently till the prunes are soft. Rub them through a sieve, taking out the lemon rind and tins stones, and measure the liquid that remains. There should be about one pint, or more. For this pint you niuet use Joz gelatine, If it is a little less or a little more, you must decrease or increase the gelatino accordingly. Put the gelatine into the liquid with a little moi£ sugar, if the mixture 13 not sweet enough. Stir the whole thing over the fire till the gelatine is melted. Then pour the mixture inta a wet china mould (never in a dry one, otherwise _ the ingredients may stick), straining it first, and set it aside until the next day. Turn it out carefully on to a glass dish, and decorate, if liked, with whipped cream.

Lemon Sponge.— a pint packet of lemon jelly and allow to cool. As the jelly begins to set add'the whites of three eggs and whisk until the mixture is frothy. Pile in a glass- dish and allow to set._ Sprinkle the top with chopped pistachio nuts, or decorate with strips of angelica and cherries.

Cocoa Cornstarch Pudding.—Two cups milk, two tablespoons cocoa, two tablespoons cornstarch, one half-cup sugar, one quarter teaspoon salt. Put the milk in top of double boiler, and, when boiling, add the cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, which have been mixed with a- little cold milk. Boil five minutes. Pour into ice cream glasses or sherbet cups and set aside to coo).

Dainty dhocolate Custards Four tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate, 4 cupfula of milk, 4 eggs, 1 cupful of sugar, 2 teaspoonfnls of vanilla extract. Put the chocolate and one cupful of the milk into a double boiler and cook until smooth, then add the rest of the milk, and, when hot, pour it- over the sugar, which has been mixed with the yolks of the eggs. Return to the fire and stir until it begins to thicken: it must not boil. Add the vanilla extract, and, when cool, pour into small glasses. Beat up the whites of the eggs until stiff, then beat into them two tablespoonfuls of sugar. Divide this meringue on the top of the custards.

A Nice Cold Sweet.—Chop half a pound of good cooking figs rather finely. Into three teacupfuls of boiling -water sprinkle three tablespoons of seed tapioca. Stir and boil gently until quite clear, then add a. level teacupful (4oz\ of sugar, a piece of butter the size of a large walnut, and the figs. Cook and stir for about ten minutes, adding if necessarv a little hot water gradually, until it" is sufficiently liquid just to pour into the deep dish in which it will be served. A teaspoorifnl of lemon juice or a little vanilla will improve the flavour. When cold pour ori top a deep layer of cool boiled custard: or pile whipped cream on top just before serving.

HOUSEHOLD HINTS. Kettles may be thoroughly cleansed by boiling a few potato peeling's in them. When cooking apnles put a pinch of salt with them. They will always be most beautifully tender. To clear beetles out of cupboards and larders sprinkle a little benzine over the boards, and it will kill the eggs as well as the insects. To remove iron rust from linen or cotton goods, .boil a small quantity of rhubarb' and din in that portion of" the material which is spotted. Wash your lamp-burners occasionally if you want the lamps to give a good light. Scrub well in a good lather, then well rinso and dry by standing on the stove rack. Put them into a paper bag before placing in the rack, as this protects them from dust. It is a good plan to apply a coat of clear varnish to bedroom matting before it is used. This makes it last much longer than it otherwise would do. and it always looks fresh and nice. White varnish should be used for white matting.

Dustbins should be kept covered and far from the vicinity of the dwellings, not only on account" of the unpleasant and fusty smells, but the mixing of rain with the vegetables and other refuse causes fermentation., which is most dangerous. All dustbins should be emptied at least once a week.

The care of the piano is not understood Jas a rule, and s-o a valuable instrument often suffers. Always close down the •piano at night and in damp weather; open it on bright days, -and, if possible, let the sun shine on the keys, for the light prevent:, the ivory from turning yellow.