The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-12
LIGHT DESSERTS
FOR THE SPRING
DINNER TABLE

rhubarb has a delicious fruity flavor
which disappears later on. The wise
home caterer will not fail to utilize
this at the right time, which cannot
be mistaken, for while 1t is at its best
the root end has a pinkish hue and
the skin is barely thick enough to be
removed. A dish clear to the eye
and delightful to the palate may be
made by combining gelatine with the
rhubarb. This is called glace rhubarb.
Peel a dozen stalks of young but
not thin rhubarb, and cut into good
sized pieces. which. while not large
enough to be clumsy, will retain their
shape while cooking. They should fill
a quart measure. Lay them in a
crock or saucepan large enough for
them to cook in a single layer. This
is important in cooking all summer
fruits. and such broad bottomed
saucepan should always be kept in
stock.
Cover the rhubarb with a pint of
cold water, stew gently and when it
begins to soften, sprinkle a cup of
sugar over all. Stew again gently.
Try the fruit with a fork, and when
tender remove from the syrup singly,
taking care to keep each piece whole,
and lay in broad. shallow glass dish.
Put a tablespoonful of granulated
gelatine, in a bowl and mix with just
enough cold water to soften it. Then
gradually stir in the boiling rhubarb
juice. Allow IL to cool a little, and
then pour over the fruit and place in
the refrigerator for a few hours. At
the end of that time the tender pieces
of rhubarb will be found incased in
jelly of just the right consistency,
which is slightly more firm than the
white of an egg. If a more solidified
form is desired, heap the spoon with
gclatine.
GranulaIted gelatine is the same
price as the coarser sort, but as 1t
needs no previous soaking. 1t will be
found convenient, especially for fruit
desserts.
Baked Pears.-The demand for
fruity desserts before berries are on
the market forces the housewife to
concoct palatable dishes from the bet
ter grades of dried and evaporated
fruits. This season grocers are offer
ing for Is cents a pound, a brand of
eUaporated pears that show each half
section in perfect condition. A pound
is equal to about a dozen pears and
for a family of FIVE or six, half this
quantity will be sufficient. If a gas
range is used, only one burner should
be lighted, and this turned as low as
possible.
Soak the pears over night and
spread in small baking dish, sweet
ened to taste with nolasses or sugar.
Half cup of water and a little whole
Glove and cinnamon should be added,
the whole covered with a close-fitting
plate or lid, and baked in the slow
oven for forty minutes. Serve with
hot gingerbread made after this re-
ceipt:
Turn into a mixing bowl 1 teacupful
of New Orleans molasses, u cupful of
shortening. boiling hot and composed
of half butter and half lard; ! tea
spoonful of ground ginger, the grated
yellow rind of half a lemon, and 1
large tablespoonful of milk. Blend
together. but do not beat, IL you de-
sire the cake to remain dark. Now
mix in smoothly without beating Q
even teaspoonfuls of -four, sifted, with
a teasponoful of soda--not baking
powder Bake in a shallow pan, or
in patty pans, about twenty minutes.
The crust will be crisp IL the receipt
is closely followed.
Utilizing Dried Fruits.-Few cooks
appreciate the possibilities of dried
apricots as the basis of delicious des-
serts. Added to mince meat or COM
bined with other dried fruit, they give
better results than when cooked sep
arately. Used with mince meat, they
seem to bring out the rich flavor of all
the other ingredients, Prunes and APP
ricots combined as follows afford a
dainty dessert:
Soak equal quantities of prunes and
apricots over night. Wash we'll in
tepid water. and just cover with wa
ter and cook until tender. Press the
fruit through the collander or potato
ricer, and sweeten to taste, cooking
just a trifie longer to blend the sugar.
For each pint of fruit allow a table,
spoonful of the graduated gelatine,
moistened. in cold water and dissolved
in about 2 tablespoonfuls of boiling
water. Stir this thoroughly into the
fruit. press the mixture into a mold,
and set aside in close place. The
Juice of one or more lemons brings
out the flavor of the other fruits.
Quick Frozen Fruit Dessert-This
dainty connection compares favorably
with expensive ice creams, and yet
costs a mere trifle. Allow a ripe
banana of good size and a small cup
of milk for every person, with sugar to
taste. Press the bananas through the
potato ricer or collander, and. If lemon
fiavoring is liked, add the juice of
one lemon for five or six persons.
Mix thoroughly and turn the freezer
enough to make sure that all rs
smooth and well blended. Then set
aside. packed and covered, to "ripen"
for an hour or two.
The can of the freezer makes
good mold If the dasher is removed,
and II is much easier to serve the des-
sert by slipping it out on plate than
by dipping with a spoon. Wrap a
cloth, wrung out of hot water, around
the can, and the cream will slip easily
to the waiting. platter.
Quick Coffee Jelly.-Allow. one
third of a box of gelatine and the |