DESSERTS MADE WITH GELATINE.
Gelatine is an article largely employed in making delicate and dainty dishes. It is economical and convenient, because the dessert can be prepared several hours before needed; but it must be stated that it has in itself little or no food value, and there is great liability of its being unwholesome. A writer in the Anti-Adulteration Journal, a short time since, speaking of the use of gelatine, says:—
"The nutritive value of pure gelatine has been shown to be very low in the scale of foods. The beef gelatine of the markets that is used by bakers, is far from being pure gelatine. It frequently has a very disagreeable, fetid odor, and has evidently begun to decompose during the process of manufacture. After a thorough drying, putrefaction does not take place as long as it remains dry. But suppose that gelatine which has thus begun to decompose during the drying process, containing, perhaps, putrefactive germs in the dried state, be dissolved in water, and in hot weather, kept in this condition for a few hours previous to being used; the result would be rapid putrefaction. The putrefaction would be checked by freezing; but the bacteria causing it are not killed by the low temperature. As soon as the dessert is melted or eaten, they resume their activity in the body, and may cause sickness. It is a well-known fact that gelatine is an excellent medium in which to cultivate various kinds of micro-organisms; and if the conclusions here mentioned be correct, it seems that gelatine should be used with great care in connection with food preparations. When used carelessly, it may do a great deal of harm. I wish to impress those who use it with the importance of guarding against its dangers. Gelatine should not be allowed to remain in solution for many hours before using, especially in hot weather.
"When used at all, the best varieties should be employed, and such as are free from putrefactive odor."
A "box" of gelatine is used to signify a two-ounce package. If half a box is called for, divide it by cutting the box and its contents in halves rather than by emptying the box and then attempting to make a division.
To prepare gelatine for desserts, first soak it till soft in a small quantity of cold water (a cupful to one box of gelatine is sufficient); fifteen minutes will suffice if it is stirred frequently; then dissolve in boiling liquid. Do not cook the gelatine, and after it is dissolved, always strain through a cloth strainer before using.
In winter, a two-ounce package will solidify two quarts of liquid, including the water in which the gelatine is soaked. In summer, a little less liquid should be used. Gelatine desserts must be left on ice or in a cool place until hardened, but they should not be served at the table so cold as to interfere with the digestion of other foods.
RECIPES.
Apples in Jelly.—Pare and core without cutting open, a half dozen medium-sized tart apples of the same degree of hardness. Fill the centers with a little grated lemon rind and sugar. Steam until tender but not broken. Have ready half a package of gelatine which has been soaked for an hour in just enough water to cover. Prepare a syrup with one cup of sugar and a pint of water. When boiling, turn the syrup over the gelatine, stirring well to dissolve it, and add the juice of half a lemon. Strain, place the apples in a deep dish with a little space between each; turn the mixture over them, and set in the ice box to cool. Serve with or without a little whipped cream.
Apple Shape.—Steam some nice tart apples. When tender, rub through a colander. Have two thirds of a box of gelatine soaked in just enough water to cover; pour over it a cup and a half of boiling water; when well dissolved, strain and add a pint of the sifted apples sweetened to taste, and one half cup of grated fresh or canned pineapple, or if preferred, one half cup of the juice of canned pineapple. Turn into cups previously wet in cold water, and mold. Serve with a little cream. Canned peaches, apricots, and other fruit may be used the same as apples, if preferred. Rub the fruit with but little juice through a colander, and proceed as above.
Banana Dessert.—Dissolve half a box of gelatine in a half cup of warm water. Heat three cups of rich milk to boiling, and add to it one cup of sugar and turn over the well-dissolved gelatine and strain. Let it partly cool, and mix in three or four bananas, sliced thin or chopped fine. Turn all into a mold previously wet with cold water, and leave till hardened, which may require several hours unless the mold be placed on ice. When well molded, turn into a glass dish, serve with whipped cream flavored with vanilla or lemon.
Clear Dessert—Soak a box of gelatine in a large bowl with half a cup of cold water. When soft, pour over it three pints of boiling water, add the juice of three large lemons and two cups of sugar. Stir well, strain, and pour into molds previously wet with cold water. Put into the refrigerator until hardened. Serve with whipped cream. Quince, apricot, orange, or pineapple juice may be substituted for lemon, and thus a variety of desserts may be made.
Fruit Foam Dessert.—Soak half a package of gelatine in half a cup of cold water until soft. Heat to boiling two and one half cups of red raspberry, currant, strawberry, or grape juice, sweetened to taste, and pour over the soaked gelatine. Stir until perfectly dissolved, then strain, and set the dish in ice water to cool. When it is cold and beginning to thicken, beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth and stir into the thickening gelatine. Beat thoroughly for fifteen minutes with an egg beater, or whip till the whole is of a solid foam stiff enough to retain its shape. Turn into molds previously wet with cold water, or pile roughly in large spoonfuls in a glass dish. Set away in the refrigerator until needed. Serve with a little whipped cream piled lightly around it.
Fruit Shape.—Take a quart of nicely canned red raspberries, sweetened to taste; turn into a colander and drain off the juice, taking care to keep the fruit as perfect as possible. Put two thirds of a box of gelatine to soak in just enough of the juice to cover. When the gelatine is ready, heat the remainder of the juice to boiling and pour over it. When well dissolved, add the fruit, turn into cups, and mold. Serve with cream. Peaches, strawberries, apricots, and other canned fruit may be used in place of the raspberries, if preferred.
Gelatine Custard.—Soak a quarter of a box of gelatine in one fourth of a cup of cold water till soft; then pour over it three fourths of a cup of boiling water, and stir until dissolved. Beat the yolks of two eggs and three tablespoonfuls of sugar to a cream; pour over it slowly, stirring continuously, a pint of boiling milk, and cook in a double boiler until it thickens. Then add the gelatine mixture, which should first be strained, the whites of the two eggs beaten stiff, and a little vanilla for flavoring. Beat all well together, turn into molds previously wet in cold water, and place on ice to harden. Serve with fruit sauce.
Layer Pudding.—Divide a package of gelatine into three portions, and put each to soak in one third of a cup of cold water. Heat one and one fourths cups of water to boiling, add the juice of one lemon and two thirds of a cup of sugar. Turn this slowly, stirring well meanwhile, over the well-beaten yolks of two eggs. Cook in a double boiler five minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Pour the hot custard over one portion of the soaked gelatine, and stir it until dissolved. Strain, add a little grated lemon rind for flavoring, and turn into a broad, shallow dish to mold. A square granite-ware baking tin is admirable for this purpose.
Take one and one half cups of raspberry, strawberry, grape, or currant juice, sweetened to taste; heat to boiling and pour over the second portion of the soaked gelatine. Stir till well dissolved, strain, and turn into a shallow mold like that containing the first portion.
Heat one and one half cups of rich milk to boiling, add one half cup of sugar, and pour over the third portion of soaked gelatine. Strain and cool a little, flavor with vanilla or a few chopped bananas; or, if preferred, flavor the milk with cocoanut before using, as directed on [page 298]. Pour into a third mold like the others to cool. When all are cold, arrange in layers, the yellow at the bottom and the white at the top. The whites of the eggs may be used for meringue, or for making a whipped cream sauce to serve with the pudding.
Lemon Jelly.—Soak one half box of gelatine in a scant cup of cold water until soft. Then pour over it one pint of boiling water and stir until well dissolved. Add one cup of sugar, the yellow rind of one lemon, and one half cup of lemon juice. Strain, put into molds previously wet in cold water, and place in the ice chest to harden. If preferred, the above may be cooled in a shallow dish and cut into irregular shapes to be served with a custard sauce. Use only the yolks of eggs in making the custard, that it may have a rich color, using two yolks in place of one whole egg.
Jelly with Fruit.—Soak a package of gelatine in a cup of cold water until soft; then pour over it one quart and a cup of boiling water. Strain, add the juice of four lemons and twelve tablespoonfuls of sugar. Cool a little of the gelatine in a mold, and as soon as set, scatter in some nice currants or seedless raisins; add another layer of gelatine, and when set, scatter in more fruit; continue until the mold is full, having gelatine at the top. Fresh fruit, currants, grapes, cherries, plums, peaches, etc., may be used in place of raisins, if preferred.
Orange Dessert.—Soak one third of a cup of gelatine in one third of a cup of cold water until soft; then pour over it one third of a cup of boiling water. Add a scant cup of sugar, the juice of one lemon, and a cupful of orange juice and pulp. Set the dish containing the mixture in a pan of ice water until it begins to harden. Have ready the whites of three eggs well whipped, add to the jelly, and beat all together until light and stiff enough to drop. Pour into molds wet in cold water, and lined with sections of oranges, from which seeds and white fiber have been removed.
Oranges in Jelly.—Pare divide, and take out the seeds from four or five sweet oranges, being careful to remove all the white rind and shreds. Place in a deep dish and pour over them a syrup prepared as for Apples in Jelly, using the juice of a whole lemon. Set in the ice box over night. A very little orange peel may be grated into the syrup if liked; and if the oranges are very sweet, less sugar will be required. If one can afford to use orange juice in place of the water in making the syrup, the dessert will be greatly improved.
Orange Jelly.—Soak one quarter of a box of gelatine until soft in just enough cold water to cover. Then pour over it one half cup of boiling water. Stir until well dissolved, add the juice of one small lemon, one cupful of orange juice, and one half cup of sugar. Strain, turn into molds previously wet in cold water, and set on ice to harden. Strawberry, raspberry, and other fruit juices may be used in a similar manner.
Snow Pudding.—Soak one fourth of a box of gelatine until soft in an equal measure of cold water. Then pour over it one cup of boiling water, and add one fourth of a cup of strained lemon juice and one cup of sugar; stir till the sugar is all dissolved. Strain into a large china dish, and set in ice water to cool. Let it stand until cold and beginning to thicken. Have ready the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth, and add to the gelatine as it begins to thicken; beat all together for fifteen or twenty minutes, until it is of a solid foam and stiff enough to hold its shape. Turn into molds and keep in a cool place till needed. A half dozen finely sliced or chopped bananas stirred in toward the last, makes a nice variation. Serve with custard sauce made with the yolks of the eggs and flavored with rose or vanilla. Orange, quince, or pineapple juice may be substituted for lemon, for a change.
This dessert is best if made several hours before it is needed and set in the refrigerator to keep cold.