Miss Parloa's New Cook Book

by Maria Parloa

One quart of milk, one-third of a box of gelatine, four table-spoonfuls of sugar, three eggs, vanilla flavor. Put the gelatine in the milk, and let it stand for half an hour. Beat the yolks well with sugar, and stir into the milk. Set the kettle in a pan of hot water and stir until the mixture begins to thicken like soft custard. Have ready the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth; and the moment the kettle is taken from the fire, stir them in, quickly, and turn into the moulds. Set away in a cold place to harden.

When you cannot get cream, to make charlotte russe, this is a good filling, if you omit the whites of eggs, and fill the moulds when the cream is perfectly cold, but not hardened.

Lemon Sponge.

The juice of four lemons, four eggs, one cupful of sugar, half a package of gelatine, one generous pint of cold water. Soak the gelatine two hours in half a cupful of the water. Squeeze the lemons, and strain the juice on the sugar. Beat the yolks of the eggs and mix them with the remainder of the water. Add the sugar and lemon to this, and cook in the double boiler until it begins to thicken; then add the gelatine. Strain this mixture into a tin basin, which place in a pan of ice water. Beat with the whisk occasionally, until it has cooled, but not hardened. Now add the unbeaten whites of the eggs, and beat all the time until the mixture begins to thicken. Let it thicken almost to the point where it cannot be poured, and then turn into a mould and set away to harden. Remember that the whites of the eggs must be added as soon as the mixture cools, which should be in about six or eight minutes, and that the mixture must be beaten until it begins to harden. The hardening is rapid after it once begins, so that it will be necessary to have the moulds all ready. The sponge will not be smooth and delicate if not poured into the moulds. If for any reason you should get the mixture too hard before pouring, place the basin in another of hot water, and let the sponge melt a little; then beat it up again. Serve with powdered sugar and cream.

Orange Sponge.

Make orange sponge the same as lemon, using a small pint of water and the juice of six large oranges.

Peach Sponge.

One pint of canned peaches, half a package of gelatine, the whites of five eggs, one scant cupful of sugar, one and a half cupfuls of water. Soak the gelatine for two hours in half a cupful of the water. Boil the cupful of water, and the sugar fifteen minutes. Hash the peaches fine, rub through a sieve, and put in the syrup. Cook five minutes, stirring all the time. Place the sauce-pan in another of boiling water and add the gelatine. Stir for five or eight minutes, to dissolve the gelatine; then place the sauce-pan in a dish of ice water and beat the syrup until it begins to cool. Add the whites of the eggs, and beat until the mixture begins to harden. When it will just pour, turn it into the mould, and set away to harden. Serve with sugar and cream. Apricot and pear sponges can be made in the same manner.

Strawberry Sponge.

One quart of strawberries, half a package of gelatine, one cupful and a half of water, one cupful of sugar, the juice of a lemon, the whites of four eggs. Soak the gelatine two hours in half a cupful of the water. Mash the strawberries, and add half the sugar to them. Boil the remainder of the sugar and the cupful of water gently twenty minutes. Rub the strawberries through a sieve. Add the gelatine to the boiling syrup and take from the fire immediately; then add the strawberries. Place in a pan of ice water and beat five minutes. Add the whites of eggs and beat until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour into the moulds and set away to harden. Serve with sugar and cream. Raspberry and blackberry sponges are made in the same way.