Cream one half cupful of butter, then stir in one cupful of powdered sugar, a little at a time, and beat until very light. Then add one fourth cupful of cream or milk and one scant teaspoonful of vanilla flavoring. Just before serving set the bowl in a pan of hot water, and as soon as the sauce is smooth and creamy remove from fire. It should not be heated enough to melt the sugar.
GINGER SAUCE.
Chop finely one fourth cupful of preserved ginger; add one cupful of water and a quarter cupful of sugar, and boil for five minutes. Pour it over the well beaten whites of two eggs, add two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, and chill.
CURRANT JELLY SAUCE.
Put four tablespoonfuls currant jelly in a saucepan with one teaspoonful of butter; let it heat and melt slowly; pour over one half cupful of boiling water, moisten one teaspoonful of cornstarch with a little cold water; add to the other ingredients and cook five minutes; add the juice of one orange, grated peel of one half orange and one and one half tablespoonfuls blanched almonds finely chopped.
EGG SAUCE.
One cupful of sugar, a tablespoonful of butter, two eggs, a little salt, and a teaspoonful of vanilla, or any flavoring preferred. Mix the butter and sugar to a cream, add the yolks of the eggs, and beat until very light. Beat the whites to a stiff froth and stir in, add flavoring and beat well together. This is especially good for apple or berry dumplings. Lemon is nice to flavor it when used for apple puddings, but should not be used for other fruits. When a plainer sauce is desired, leave out the butter.
APPLE DESSERTS.
STEAMED APPLES.
Wash, pare, and remove cores of six tart apples; place in earthen dish and put in steamer, over boiling water. Steam until soft. Serve with steamed oatmeal or boiled rice, and cream and sugar.