Choose large fine pippins of equal size; pare them, and take out the cores, leaving the apples entire; cook them about three parts done in sirup; drain and bake them a few moments in a quick oven. When they are done and still hot, fill the interior with peach marmalade. Now roll each apple in jelly produced by boiling down the sirup used to boil the apples; this will give the apples a beautiful gloss. Dish them in pyramidal form; put cream, or whipped cream, or a little maraschino, around the base. Or, form them into a dome, and pour over them a méringue of beaten whites of eggs and sugar, sticking regularly over the top sweet almonds cut into four lengths (same size); put it into the oven to brown. This looks like the apple hedgehog. Or, pour among the apples, before pouring over the méringue, a marmalade of apples or boiled rice.
PICKLES AND CATCHUPS.
Pickles, for Country Use (Mrs. Shaw).
Make a brine strong enough to bear the weight of an egg. Into this put cucumbers fresh from the garden. They will keep in this brine indefinitely. Whenever fresh pickles are wanted, take out as many as are desired from the brine, and let them soak in fresh water two days, changing the water once. Now put two quarts of the best cider vinegar (to fifty cucumbers) on the fire in a porcelain kettle, with one ounce of whole pepper, half an ounce of mustard-seed, one ounce of ginger sliced, half an ounce of mace, a small stalk of horse-radish, a piece of alum the size of a large pea, and half a cup of sugar. Tie up the spices in three muslin bags. Boil all together ten minutes; then pour all over the pickles. It is not necessary to scald the cucumbers, yet many do so, putting them into the kettle, with the vinegar and spices when cold, and covering the bottom, sides, and top closely with cabbage leaves, which improve the color. If they are not green enough at the first scalding, scald them a second time, with fresh leaves around.
This receipt is especially desirable for people living in the country, because, having many vines, the cucumbers of any size preferred can be picked each day, washed, and put into the brine.
Indian Pickle.
Ingredients: To every gallon of vinegar put four ounces of curry powder, four ounces of mustard powder, three ounces of bruised ginger, two drams of Cayenne pepper, two ounces of turmeric, two ounces of garlic, half a pound of onions (skinned), and a quarter of a pound of salt.
Put all into a stone jar. Cover it with a bladder wet with the pickle, and keep it warm by the fire for three days, shaking it well three times a day. Any thing may be put into this preparation, excepting red cabbage and walnuts. Gather every thing fresh, such as small cucumbers, green grapes, green tomatoes, cauliflowers, small onions, nasturtiums, string-beans, etc., etc. Wipe them, cut them when too large, and throw them fresh into the vinegar.