FROZEN .DESSERTS To the country housewife who has access to plenty of ice, milk, cream, and fruit, raw or preserved, frozen desserts are not a luxury; besides, they require no more time to make than a pie. In hot weather at least they are very much to be preferred to pastry desserts, both hygienically and from a palatable standpoint. Cream is by no means a necessity in the making of frozen dishes—fruit can be frozen, delicious sherbets may be made from milk or fruit-flavored water, and are as inexpensive as they are good. In a home where there are children, the little ones will gladly come to aid during the freezing proc ess when ice cream is in prospect, as every mother knows.
First, there is the necessity of a good freezer. Never economize by purchasing a cheap one; the best is the truest economy in the end. Alsq provide a strong burlap bag and a mallet for smashing ice, as well as a dipper to measure salt and ice, for half the rapidity of the freezing process depends on the proper pro portions being used. In winter, snow can be utilized instead of ice; if the salt does not act rapidly upon it, add a cupful cold water. Before pouring the stuff to be frozen into the can, adjust every part and give the crank a few twirls to insure the freezer being in first-class order. Then fill the can, adjust it again, and put in the crushed ice and salt in proper quantities. If there is only a small quantity to be frozen, the salt and ice need come no higher than the mixture inside. Never fill the can to the top; it will make a cream coarse-grained or it will spill out. At first, turn the crank stead ily but rather slowly. When frozen to a mush, turn more rapidly, add ing more salt and ice if necessary. Never draw off the brine till the freezing process is accomplished, then remove the top and dasher, and pack solidly with a spoon, put a cork dipped in lard into the hole at the top so there will not be the slightest danger of brine working in, and re pack the freezer with 4 measures ice to one salt. Cover with newspapers
or a piece of carpet and leave it, if possible, for two hours to mellow and ripen. If nuts, fruit, or liquors are to be added to frozen stuff, do not put them in till the mixture is a mush. When serving time comes, remove the can, wipe it off carefully before open ing. to make sure not a drop of brine can get inside, take off the lid, run a palette knife around the edge of the cream, invert the can on a platter, and the contents will slip out. If it should prove refractory, wring a cloth from hot water, wrap it about the can, and there will be no further trouble.
Keep your freezer in perfect or der. After using, wash it thoroughly and set the pieces in a moderate oven or over the stove to get per fectly dry. Occasionally a drop of oil is needed to make it work well. There is 6, small hole in the cap cov ering the gear; look into this end aril turn the crank till you discover an other hole in the top gear of the frame. Let a few drops of machine oil drop into it.
Frozen dishes may be classified thus: Water Ice.—Sweetened fruit juice, diluted with water, requires 3 level measures ice to I salt.
Sherbet.—A water ice, to which has been added a small quantity of dis solved gelatin or beaten whites of eggs.
Frappe.—Water ice frozen to the consistency of mush. Frappe re quires equal quantities of ice and salt to give it a granular consistency.
Punch.—A water ice, to which has been added spirits or spices tor stronger flavoring.
Frozen Fruits.—Fruit pulp frozen where one or several kinds of fruits have been used.
Philadelphia Ice Cream.—A cus tard foundation thin cream, and fla voring.
Mousse (Parfait or Fruit Pud ding).—Heavy cream, whipped stiff, sweetened, flavored, poured in _a mold, packed in ice and salt (2 parts ice to 1 salt), and allowed to stand three or four hours. Mousse is also made from the whip off thin creatn folded into a mixture containing a small quantity of gelatin.