Should your apricots be very ripe there would be no necessity to boil them, but merely rub them through a sieve, mix the lemon-juice, sugar, and isinglass, and finish as above.
Creams of peaches or of any of the before-mentioned fruits are made in the same manner: but until you have confidence in yourself, it would be better to taste for the sweetness, and try the stiffness by placing a little upon ice, previously to finishing it.
No. 247. French Custard Cream. Have ready ten custard glasses, or small coffee cups, measure one of them ten times full of milk, which place in a stewpan, and set upon the fire until boiling, when add a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and the rind of two lemons, free from pith, place the lid upon the stewpan, take from the fire and let infuse ten minutes, then in a basin have ready the yolks of eight eggs, with which stir in the milk by degrees, pass through a tammie and fill the cups; have ready upon the fire a large flat stewpan, containing water sufficient to cover the bottom two inches in depth, and just simmering, stand in the cups, and let remain still simmering until the custards are quite firm, when take them out, let remain until cold, when wash the cups outside, dress them upon a napkin and serve; any kind of flavour may be introduced into the above; but for
No. 248, Coffee Custard Cream, proceed as follows: make half a pint of strong coffee according to the usual method, add half a pint of thin cream or milk previously boiled, sweeten to palate, mix with the yolks of eggs, pass through a tammie, and proceed precisely as directed in the last.
No. 249. Coffee Custard Cream, White. Put a quarter of a pound of green Mocha coffee into a small stewpan, which place over a slow fire, tossing the coffee over frequently until becoming lightly browned, but not black, in another stewpan have boiling a pint of milk, take from the fire, let infuse ten minutes, placing the lid upon the stewpan, then mix with eight yolks of eggs, pass through a tammie, and finish as before.
No. 250. Chocolate Custard Cream. Scrape half a cake of good chocolate, which put into a stewpan, and moisten by degrees with a pint of warm milk and cream, when well dissolved mix with the yolks of eggs, and finish as before.
Any of the above custards may be put into common tart dishes, and set in a potato steamer, or slowly baked in the oven, should the above process be too tedious or inconvenient.
Any description of English boiled custard may be made in the same manner, but instead of pouring it first into the cups, when the infusion is made, mix it with the yolks of eggs, and stir over the fire until thickening (but must not boil, or it would curdle), pass through a tammie, fill your cups or glasses, grate a little nutmeg over each, and serve when quite cold.
No. 251. Almond Custard Cream. The flavour of almonds, which appears to be so generally liked in England, and which were I to omit in custard I should consider it to be a piece of neglect, is generally obtained by the use of an essence which I cannot at all approve of, but consider the following method to obtain that delicious flavour to be much more commendable: blanch and skin two ounces of sweet with a few bitter almonds, pound them well, with sufficient sugar to sweeten a pint of milk, which you have in a stewpan, when boiling throw in the almonds and sugar, cover the stewpan, let infuse ten minutes in another stewpan, have the yolks of eight eggs, upon which pour the infusion, stirring it well and mixing by degrees, stir over the fire until thickening, when pass it through a tammie into a bowl, which place upon ice, or in cold water, keeping it stirred until quite cold, when mix a gill of cream whipped very stiff, fill your cups, sprinkle crushed ratafias over, and they are ready to serve.
By adding a little dissolved isinglass to the above when cooling, any description of spirits or liqueurs may be introduced.