FLOATING ISLAND
Floating island is a nice dessert, easily made by any child, with reasonable care. For six persons, have her take three even cupfuls of milk and one-fourth teaspoonful salt, and put on to heat in a double kettle. Then beat up the yolks of three eggs, add one-half cupful sugar, one-half teaspoonful vanilla, and pour in them slowly the hot milk, stirring all the time. Return to the double boiler and continue to stir until it thickens and gets creamy, coating the spoon. Do not allow to boil, or it will curdle. Cover and set aside to cool.
Next the whites should be beaten up very stiff, and sweetened with two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. Have a pan filled with boiling hot water—but not bubbling—and into this drop the whites in heaping big spoonfuls. After standing a few moments they will puff up very light. While they are cooking, pour the custard in a glass dish, then lift the whites with a skimmer, allow to drain and dot them over the top. Made in this way, the meringue tastes much better than when served uncooked. A half-teaspoonful of currant jelly on top of each "island" makes the dessert even more inviting, and it looks particularly nice when served in individual glass dishes or sherbet cups.
Gelatin forms the basis for many delicious, inexpensive puddings. It is well for the housewife to examine the recipes coming with the different brands, for while some boxes will make only one quart of jelly, others at the same price will make two, and therefore cost only half as much.
LEMON JELLY
For plain lemon jelly, the mother will instruct the child to soak two rounded tablespoonfuls of granulated gelatin in one-third cupful of cold water for fifteen minutes. Then add two cupfuls of boiling water, one cupful sugar, and the strained juice of two lemons. Pour in a shallow mold to set and when ready to send to the table turn onto a small platter and garnish with whipped cream, or serve with the custard used for floating island.
FRUIT JELLY
For a fruit jelly in winter, line the bottom of the mold or individual cups with pieces of banana, orange, or preserved cherries, fill up with the liquid lemon jelly and set away to harden. In berry season, however, flavor the gelatin with half a cupful of the pure berry juice strained (instead of using lemon), and pour into cups half filled with fine, whole berries. This is best served with whipped cream, one large berry decorating the top of each cup.