JELLY WATER.—
Stir a table-spoonful of currant jelly into a half pint tumbler of ice water, if the patient is feverish. The jelly may be of other fruit, and if not sweet enough add some loaf sugar. The juice of any ripe fruit, made sweet and mixed with cold water, is a good substitute when sweetmeats are not at hand. Warm drinks are now seldom used, but to promote perspiration and carry off a cold. Tamarinds are in themselves very cooling and pleasant, and make an agreeable drink infused in water, either warm or cold.
CARRAGEEN BLANCMANGE.—
Carrageen is a species of sea moss which becomes glutinous when boiled, and is considered remarkably nutritious and strengthening. It can also be rendered very palatable. It is found abundantly on some parts of our sea-coast, and may be obtained of the best druggists, very nicely cleaned and pressed. To a small loose handful of carrageen allow a small quart of rich unskimmed milk, half a pound of powdered white sugar, a stick of the best cinnamon broken-up, six or seven blades of mace, and half a nutmeg, powdered. Having washed the carrageen through two or three cold waters, and shaken it out to remove the drops that hang about it, put it to a pint and a half of the cold milk. Boil it half an hour in a covered porcelain kettle. Then take it out, for if it boils too long the carrageen will taste too strongly. In another vessel boil the remaining half pint of milk with the spices, till very highly flavored. Then strain it into the carrageen milk, and stir in, gradually, the half pound of powdered loaf sugar. Set the porcelain kettle again over the fire, and let it boil fast for five minutes longer. Then strain it into moulds or bowls previously wet with cold water; and when it has well congealed, turn it out, and serve it up with sweetened cream, flavored with rose-water or peach-water. If for an invalid, who is not allowed spices, flavor it with rose-water only, stirred in after the blancmange has been taken from the fire.
FARINA BLANCMANGE.—
From a quart of rich milk take out half a pint. Put the half pint into a small sauce-pan, and add (if permitted) sufficient mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon to flavor it well; the spices being tied up in a very thin muslin bag. Then add the flavored milk to the remainder, having stirred in two heaped table-spoonfuls of powdered loaf sugar. Set it over the fire in a porcelain kettle, and when it has come to a boil sprinkle in, gradually, four large heaping table-spoonfuls of farina, stirring it well. Keep it boiling a quarter of an hour after all the farina is in. When done, strain it into blancmange moulds, and set it on ice to congeal. If for an invalid not allowed spice, boil it plain, and when taken from the fire stir in a wine-glass of rose-water. If rose-water is boiled with it from the beginning, the strength and flavor will evaporate.
Farina Flummery.—Mix with a small pint of water a large pint of the juice of ripe currants, or strawberries, or of stewed cranberries in winter, made very sweet with white sugar. Boil the water and juice together, and stir in gradually a quarter pound of farina, and then boil it fifteen minutes longer. Afterwards transfer it to moulds, and set it on ice till congealed.