316. Baked Pears

Wash them, put them in a deep pan, strew over plenty of white or brown sugar, and pour very little water in the bottom of the pan. Put them in a moderate oven and let them cook slowly till the fruit is soft. Serve them with cream.

317. Stewed Cherries

Stone some cherries, and to every pound of fruit add half a pound of sugar. When they are done set them away to get cold. Serve them with cream.

318. Baked Apples

Wash the apples, take out the cores, and put them in a deep pan; strew sugar over them, and bake them in a cool oven till they are soft. Serve them with cream.

A piece of lemon peel may be stuck in the centre of each apple before it is set in the oven.

319. Blackberry Mush

Put your fruit in a preserving kettle, mash it to a pulp, with sugar enough to make it quite sweet. Set it over the fire, and as it begins to simmer stir in very gradually two tea spoonsful of flour to a quart of fruit. It should be stirred all the time it is boiling. Serve it either warm or cold, with cream.

Raspberries may be cooked in the same way.

320. Rice Dumplings

Put your rice in a stew-pan, and pour on each cup of rice one gill of milk; stand it near the fire where it will keep hot but not boil. As soon as it has absorbed all the milk, pare your apples, take out the cores, and put the rice around them instead of paste. Boil them until the apple is soft.

They should be tied in dumpling cloths.

321. Glazed Currants

Select large ripe bunches of currants, wash them by dipping them in a bowl of cold water, and drain them dry; have ready the whites of two eggs, give them three or four beats, dip the bunches in the egg, place them on a sieve so as not to touch each other, sift powdered sugar over them and place them in a warm place to dry. The whites of the eggs should only be broken, but not beaten till dry, or they will not adhere to the fruit. 14*

322. Glazed Strawberries

Choose large ripe strawberries, pick them off the vines so as the stems may all adhere to the fruit. Dip them one at a time in a vessel of cold water and place them on a sieve to dry. Beat the whites of two or three eggs, according to the quantity of fruit. The egg should be beaten very little or it will not adhere to the fruit, dip the berries in the egg one at a time, place them on a sieve so as not to touch each other, and sift powdered white sugar over them. They are very ornamental to a dessert table. Bunches of grapes, oranges peeled and quartered, or any small fruit may be done in the same manner.

323. Stewed Ripe Peaches

Take ripe peaches, cut them in half, and to every pound of fruit allow half a pound of sugar, and half a wine-glass of water. Peel your peaches, sprinkle the sugar over them, and stew them till tender. Stand them away to cool and serve them with cream.