Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11
DELICIOUS DESSERTS
Dishes for the Spring Dinner
Table.
GLACE OF RHUBARB
BAKED PEARS SERVED WITH HOT
GINGERBREAD.
Apricots Mingled With Other Evap-
%oI b. 641o
E OF RHUBARB
Apricots Mingled With Other Evap-
Grated Fruits - Ge1atine
Coffee Jelly.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
For the first few weeks Of spring rhu-
barb has delicious fruity flavor which
disappears later on. The wise home
terer will not fail to utilize this at the right
time, which cannot be mistaken, for while
it is at its best the root end has 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 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 cook
ing. They should fill quart measure. Lay
them in crock or saucepan large enough
for them to cook in a single layer. This
is important in cooking all summer fruits
and such a 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 cup of sugar over all.
Stew again gently, shaking little until
the sugar melts. Try the fruit with a fork.
and when tender remove from the syrup
singly. taking care to keep each piece
whole, and lay in a broad, shallow glass
dish.
Put tablespoonful of graduated geIa-
tine in bowl and mix with just enough
cold water to soften it. Then gradually
stir in the boiling rhubarb juice. Allow it
to cool 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 in-
cased in jelly of just the right consistency,
which is slightly more firm than the white
Of { "a
sired, heap the spoon with gelatine
Granulated gelatine is the same price as
the coarser sort, but as it needs no previ-
Gus soaking it will be found convenient
especially for fruit desserts.
Baked Pears.-The demand for fruity des
serts before berries are the market
forces the housewife to concoct palatable
dishes from the better grades of dried and
evaporated fruits. This season grocers are
Offering for 16 cents a pound brand of
evaporated pears that show each half sec
ton 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 a
small baking dish, sweetened to taste with
molasses or sugar. Half q cup of water
and a little whole Glove and cinnamon
should be added, the whole covered with
fitting plate or lid and baked in the
slow oven for forty minutes. Serve with
hot gingerbread made after this recipe
Turn into a mixing bowl one teacupful of
New Orleans molasses, one-quarter cupful
of shortening, boiling hot and composed of
half butter and half lard; one teaspoonful
of ground ginger, the grated yellow rind
of half lemon and one large tablespoon
full of milk. Blend together, but do not
beat If you desire the cake to remain dark.
Now mix in smoothly without beating two
even teaspoonfuls of flour, sifted, with
teaspoonful of soda-not baking powder.
Bake in a shallow pan, or in patty pans,
about twenty minutes. The crust will be
crisp If the recipe is closely followed.
Utilizing Dried Fruits.-Few cooks appre
Ctate the possibilities of dried apricots as
the basis of delicious desserts. Added to
mincemeat or combined with other dried
fruit they give better results than when
cooked separately. Used with mincemeat
they seem to bring out the rich flavor of all
the other ingredients. Prunes and apricots
combined follows afford dainty des-
sert:
Soak equal quantities of prunes and april
cots over night. Wash well in tepid water,
and just cover with water and cook until
tender. Press the fruit through colander
or potato ricer, and sweeten to taste, cook
ing just trif1e longer to blend the sugar.
For each pint of fruit allow tablespoonful
of the graduated gelatfne, moistened in
cold water and dissolved in about two
tablespoonfuls of boiling water. Stir this
into a mold and set aside in a close place.
The juice of one or more lemons brings
Sut the flavor of the other fruits.
Quick Frozen Fruit Dessert.-This dainty
concoction compares favorably with ex-
pensive ice creams, and yet costs a mere
trf1e. Allow a ripe banana of good size
and a small cup of milk for each person.
with sugar to taste. Press the bananas
through the potato ricer or colander, and,
if lemon fiavoring is liked, add the juice of
one lemon for five or six persons. Mix thor
oughly and turn the freezer enough to
make sure that all is smooth and well
blended. Then set aside, packed and COW
cred, to "ripen" for an hour or two.
The can Of the freezer makes "a good
mold if the dasher is removed and it is
much easier to serve the dessert by slipping
1t out on a plate than by dipping with a
spoon. Wrap cloth, wrung out of hot
water around the can, and the cream will
slip easily to the waiting platter.
Quick Coffee Jelly.-A1low one-third of a
box of gelatine and the same quantity of
sugar. Soak for five minutes in half cup
of cold coffee and then stir in two break
strength When thoroughly chilled this
makes consistent yet wobbly jelly. A
little sherry wine may be added.
prunes, and when tender press through a
colander To the beaten whites of four
eggs add six tablespoanfuls of powdered
sugar and the prunes and beat well. Put
into the mixture one tablespoonful of sfted
flour. one-quarter teaspoonful cream tartar
and one teaspoonful of lemon extract. Bake
twenty minutes in a slow oven.
Serve cold with sauce made as follows
One pint of sweet milk three-quarters of a
cup of sugar. the yolks of four eggs and
one teaspoonful of lemon made into soft
custard. The sauce should also be cold
when served