8. Stuffed Quinces

Pare and core the fruit; place in deep dish with half a pint each of water and sugar; fill cavities with chopped almonds or English walnuts and raisins; cover and bake tender; set away in a cool place to chill thoroughly, and serve.

Peaches are best served raw. Send to the table whole, arranged prettily. Peel and cut up just before using, as they are apt to turn dark. Serve as a dessert, plain, or with sugar and cream, but do not put the sugar over the fruit before it goes to the table, as it extracts the juices and detracts from the flavor.

9. Stewed Dried Peaches Or Apricots

Wash carefully, stew in enough water to cover until tender, or about an hour.

10. Pineapple

To prepare pineapples for the table, peel with a very sharp knife and remove the "eyes" with an apple corer. Slice and cut up with a silver knife and sprinkle with sugar before serving.

11. Oranges

Oranges, cut up with sliced bananas, make a nice desert. Or serve cut in halves, to be eaten with a spoon as a first course.

12. Berries

Berries should not be washed. If it is absolutely necessary, wash quickly just before serving and drain in a colander a few moments. Above all, do not sprinkle sugar over berries before serving, which will induce fermentation as well as destroy the flavor of the fruit.

13. Stewed Rhubarb

Wash and cut up into pieces without peeling, and stew in enough water to prevent burning - say a cupful of water to two bunches of pie plant - fifteen minutes. This is a very wholesome dish, particularly in the spring, when it is first seen in our markets.

14. Baked Bananas (No. 1)

Peel and cut in slices lengthwise four bananas, sprinkle over them one-quarter cup sugar, two tablespoonfuls lemon juice, one tablespoonful melted butter, and bake one-half hour.

15. Baked Bananas (No. 2)

In preparing baked bananas strip the skin from one side of each and loosen the remainder all round the fruit. Arrange on a baking dish, sprinkle each with a teaspoonful of sugar and a few drops of lemon juice and bake in a quick oven until tender. When properly prepared the skin surrounding the banana will be filled with a rich syrup which will jelly as it cools. Another way is to make a syrup of three-quarters of a cupful of water, one-quarter of a cupful of lemon juice and one-half of a cupful of sugar for half a dozen bananas. Strip off the skins, cut into quarters, place in a deep baking dish, pour over the hot syrup and bake until tender, basting several times with the syrup.

16. Cherry Salad

Pit the cherries, stuff with nuts and pour over orange and lemon juice and sugar.

17. Fruit Salad

Use pealed and sliced oranges, pitted cherries, sliced bananas, strawberries or raspberries, and mix in a salad bowl. Pour over a dressing of the juice of two oranges, one lemon and sugar. Set on ice and serve very cold.

18. Stewed Prunes

See page 222.

19. Stuffed Prunes

Take one pound of fine large prunes, wash carefully and soak over night. Make an opening on one side of each prune, remove the stone and press in English walnuts or almonds.

20. Stuffed Dates

Remove the stones and fill with almonds, peanuts or walnuts. Then close and roll in powdered sugar.

21. Dates With Cream

This fruit is a very appetizing accompaniment to cereals and will be appreciated on warm days. It may be served for breakfast and also with a good luncheon dish. Pit the fruit carefully so as not to destroy the shape and place about a dish of whipped cream heaped in the center.

21a. Figs And Rhubarb

Wash half a pound pulled figs and cook in boiling water to cover until the water is nearly absorbed. Skin and cut a pound of rhubarb in inch pieces. Put a layer in a baking dish, sprinkle with sugar, add a layer of figs, repeat until all is used; put in one-fourth cup of hot water and bake in a slow oven until the rhubarb is soft. Dates or raisins may be used in the same manner.