This section is from the book "Dainty Dishes Receipts", by Harriett St. Clair. Also available from Amazon: Dainty Dishes.
Pare and quarter some large pippins; lay them to soak in brandy with some fine sugar, cinnamon, and lemon-peel; turn them often, and, when near dinner-time, dry them in a cloth, roll them about in flour, and fry them tender in hot lard. Dish, and sift over them a quantity of fine sugar, and colour them with a salamander.
These should be made of a fleshy kind of peach, and each cut in two. Put them to soak in some Rhenish wine, with plenty of sugar, some cinnamon and lemon-peel. When ready to serve, dry them, and fry in hot lard, without any flour. Strain the wine into a stew-pan, and boil it to a syrup; add the kernels of the peaches blanched and split, and pour it over the fruit when dished. Any sort of large good fruit may be done in the same way, with the difference only that they should be dipped in a thin batter made with flour and small beer.
Make a batter thus: To two eggs, whites and yolks, well beat, put half a pint of cream thickened with fine flour, sugar, and a little cinnamon. Put the strawberries raw into this batter, and fry them in a pan of hot lard, a spoonful at a time. Dish them in a pyramid, and sift sugar between and over them. Raspberries and other fruit are good done in the same way.
Take four or five sweet oranges, and slice off the peel with a knife; cut them in quarters, and take out the pips; put them on the fire with a little sugar. Mix some white wine, a little flour, a spoonful of good oil, and a very little salt together; it should be of the consistency of thick cream. Dip the quarters of oranges in this batter, and fry them in hot lard of a good colour; sift sugar over them and salamander them.
Take apricots that are not too ripe; cut them in two, take out the stone, pare, and put them to soak in brandy for an hour with a little sugar and lemon-peel. A little before serving, drain and dip them into a pate a frire (which see); fry them in butter to a good colour, sift sugar over them, and glaze either in the oven or with a salamander.
Take small rennet apples; leave the stalks on; peel and cut them in two near the top; take out the heart with a round-topped knife; put them to steep in a little brandy with some lemon-peel and whole cinnamon; drain and fill them very full with apricot marmalade or creme patissiere (which see). Mix the yolk of an egg with a little flour, fix the tops of the apples well on with this, that they may look whole; dip them into pate a frire; fry, sugar, glaze, and serve.
Make a rich paste, and roll out very thin; brush it all over with egg, and lay the currants, preserved or fresh, down in little lumps on it. Prepare another sheet of paste, and lay over it, pressing well down at the edges, that they may not come out in frying. Make the lard pretty hot, fry of a good yellow colour, dish with fine sifted sugar over them, and glaze with a salamander.
 
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