Dried Fruits

Dried fruits having parted with their natural juices in the drying process need to have this moisture restored before they are cooked. The most effectual way to do this is to let them soak in cold water, first, of course, picking them over carefully and washing them in lukewarm water to dislodge dirt and other foreign substances. The time for soaking will depend upon the dryness of the fruit, but sufficient water should be absorbed to fill out the skins to the natural outlines.

Such fruits should be cooked very slowly, and should be watched carefully and removed as soon as tender. The time will vary with the ripeness of the fruit before drying, and with its natural texture, and no positive rule can be given. Fruits that are very ripe before they are dried, or that have naturally a very soft texture, are much more difficult to keep in shape than those with a firm flesh, and sometimes need little or no cooking.

Baked Apples

Wipe, put in a granite pan, and bake in moderate heat until tender. The time will vary with different varieties of apples. Or core and pare, fill the center with sugar, and put a little water in the dish. Dip up the sirup and pour over the apples while baking.

Stuffed Apples

Pare and push out the core of six fine apples, put them in a baking pan, cover, and cook in the oven till tender, yet in perfect form; place each apple on a hot buttered slice of toast or shredded wheat biscuit, fill cavity of apples with good mincemeat, cover the top with meringue made from one egg white and one tablespoon of powdered sugar; brown lightly in the oven and serve.

Apples Baked with Butter

Cover the bottom of a granite pie plate with butter, and melt it. Lay in apples (which have been quartered, pared, and cored), enough to fill the dish. Sprinkle one-half cup of sugar over them and cook slowly in the oven till tender. Or make a sirup with two ounces of butter, one cup of sugar, and one-half cup of water, and baste whole apples with it as they are baking.

Jellied Apples

Pare and scoop out the center of fine apples, set in a baking pan, put three seeded raisins or candied cherries in each cavity with one teaspoon of sugar. Bake covered till tender without losing shape, cool, place each apple carefully in a custard cup, fill the cup with liquid lemon or orange jelly; when quite firm turn out and surround with whipped cream.

Apple Sauce

Pare and core apples, and put in a granite kettle with a little water. Cover closely and cook rapidly till soft, about ten minutes. Rub through a strainer and sweeten. If the apples are free from bruised or knurly places they need only mashing and will have a finer flavor than when sifted.