Fill a pudding dish half full with tart apples, pared, quartered, and sprinkled thickly with sugar, and a grating of nutmeg. Wash thoroughly half a cupful of rice and sprinkle over apples in pudding dish. Steam until rice is tender. Serve with cream and sugar.
APPLE CREAM.
Place in an enamelled pan with a wineglassful of water, one pound and a half of minced apple, half a pound of pulverized sugar, the finely minced rind of half a lemon, and a quarter of an ounce of ginger powder; simmer gently till soft enough to pass through a sieve. When cold, beat in thoroughly one pint of cold fresh cream, or new milk which has previously been brought to a boil, and sweetened.
APPLE FLUMMERY.
To two pounds of peeled and cored apples add one pound of sugar, and the minced rind of a fresh lemon; place in an enamelled pan, cover with water and steam till quite soft, strain and beat the fruit to a pulp. Boil in the strained liquor one ounce of Irish moss for fifteen minutes, strain the liquor again, and add the crushed fruit, simmer for three minutes, turn into a chilled and wet mould. Let stand until solid and well chilled. Serve with cream.
SHORT CAKES.
Take one quart of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, one pint of rich sour cream; dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in a little boiling water and stir into the cream; dissolve one tablespoonful of butter and add to cream; then stir in flour, roll out as you would for biscuit; bake in round pan in two layers, spreading butter between the layers; when baked, take apart and spread with any prepared fruits.
If preferred, sweet milk and baking powder may be used in place of the sour cream and soda. And the following is an excellent receipt:
RACHEL’S SHORT-CAKE.
Two cupfuls of flour, one third cupful of butter, two well rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one cupful of milk, one half teaspoonful of salt. Roll in two layers one half inch thick, butter well between layers and on the top and bake.