Dip the molds into warm water a moment, before taking out the jelly. If allowed to remain a moment too long, the jelly might dissolve a little, injuring the form.
Many kinds of wines and liquors may be used. The above receipt is well proportioned for sherry, Madeira, or port; a smaller proportion of brandy, maraschino, noyau, or of punch would make sufficient flavoring; a larger portion of Champagne might be used, as it is not so strong.
Orange Jelly (molded with Quarters of Oranges).
Ingredients: Eight oranges, two lemons, three-quarters of a box of gelatine soaked in half a pint of cold water, three-quarters of a pound of loaf-sugar, one pint of boiling water, beaten whites and shells of two eggs.
Rub the loaf-sugar on the peels of two oranges and one lemon; squeeze the juice from six or seven oranges and two lemons, and strain it. Take off the peel carefully from two oranges, leaving only the transparent skin surrounding the quarters, and separate all the sections without breaking them. Soak the gelatine half an hour in half a pint of water; boil the other pint of water and the sugar together, skimming all the time until no more scum rises; then put in the sections of oranges, and when they have boiled about a minute take them out, and put them one side. Pour this sirup over the soaked gelatine, adding the orange and lemon juice, the beaten whites and the shells of two eggs. Put it on the fire, and let it boil about a quarter of a minute without stirring; then, placing it at the side of the fire, skim off carefully all the scum at the top, and pass it through the jelly-bag. When half of the jelly is in the mold, put it on the ice, and let it set hard enough to hold the orange sections, which place in a circular row around the edge of the mold; then add enough more jelly to cover the sections; when this has hardened, pour over the remainder of the jelly, which should have been kept in a warm place to prevent it from hardening. All the sections of orange may be put in with the first half of the jelly, as they will rise to the top, although they will not hold their places evenly. Or, if time is valuable, mold the jelly without the sections, and save them to garnish the jelly on the dish.
Lemon Jelly.
Ingredients: Half a box of gelatine soaked in half a pint of water, juice of five large lemons, two cupfuls of loaf-sugar, or sugar to taste, beaten white and shell of an egg, one and a half pints of boiling water.
Soak the gelatine in the half-pint of water half an hour. Rub several of the pieces of the sugar on the peel of the lemon, to soak the oil on the surface. Pour a pint and a half of boiling water on the soaked gelatine, and add lemon-juice, sugar, and egg; let it come to a boil, then set it at the side of the range a few moments; skim carefully, and pass through the jelly-bag into molds.
Macedoine of Fruits.
This is made with any kind of jelly; however, jelly made with Champagne or sherry is preferable. Any of the delicate fruits of the season, such as grapes, cherries, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, mulberries, currants (on their stems), plums, and orange sections, or preserved fruits, such as brandied cherries, peaches, etc., are tastefully imbedded in the jelly, so as to show their forms and colors to best advantage. A fine bunch of Hamburg or of Malaga grapes is exceedingly pretty, incorporated whole into a clear Champagne jelly; it should be suspended with a small thread in the centre of the jelly-mold, and the jelly poured in when quite cold, although not set. The bunches of grapes are in this way much more easily imbedded than other fruits. In the latter case, the mold is placed on ice; a little jelly is poured in, and, when set, some fruits are arranged in a circle, or according to taste; more jelly poured in, and left to harden again; more fruit added, and thus continued until the mold is full.