THE ice pot is made of pewter, with a close lid, somewhat in shape of a confectioner’s show glass for holding comfits; they may be had ready made at any pewterer’s, and of any size. The spoon is in shape of a small spade, made of copper, tinned, and a wooden handle, or top. The ice pail is for holding the ice, in which the pot is placed, and should be strong with a small hole near the bottom, and a spiggot to let off the water as it collects. The ice is broken in a mortar and mixed with a few handfuls of salt; the bottom of the pail is covered with the prepared ice and salt, some inches thick, the ice pot is then placed, the pail filled up with ice and salt and pressed hard down all round till it be above the cream in the ice pot. The cream, or liquor to be frozen, is then poured in, the lid put close on, and, by means of the handle on the top of the lid, turned quickly round and round. When it begins to adhere to the sides of the pot, work it down with the ice spoon, and still keep turning and stirring it; it will soon grow white and thick as snow.
Note. – The more labour you bestow in working the cream while in the ice pot it will be the better; by means of the spattula, or spoon, keep it from adhering to the edge as much as possible.
Have all your moulds ready and proceed to fill them; those which shut with hinges fill on each side and clap them together; wrap each of the moulds in paper, or wet bladders. Have a quantity of ice and salt prepared, and proceed to pack them as they are filled in a tub with plenty of the prepared ice, cover them over and set the tub in a cool place; after two hours they are ready to use and may be taken out. Take them one by one, dip them in water, and immediately the ice will slip clean out; lay them on dishes. They should not be turned out of the shapes until the dinner is removing, or as short time as possible before you send them to table.
Water Ices, or Fruits,
Are made in the same manner, and when turned out they are painted to imitate nature, then placed in an ice pot and kept till served to table.
Ice Cream.
When the ingredients are mixed it should be put through a hair sieve before it is put into the ice-pot.
Plain Ice Cream.
Take a pint (mutchkin) of thick fresh cream, sweetened with sugar, and whisk it a little; put it into the ice-pot and proceed as already directed. Put it in shapes, and pack it into the ice-tub; it will be ready to turn out fifteen minutes after.
Venetian Cream.
Take a pint (mutchkin) cream, a little pounded cinnamon, orange flower water, the yolks of two eggs beat up a little; stir all over the fire till near boiling then freeze it.
Raspberry Cream.
Raspberries have a rich flavour and are most generally used. Take a pint (mutchkin) of cream, and mix as much rasp jam, jelly, or preserved rasps, as suits your taste, then work it through a hair sieve with the back of a wooden spoon, and add some lemon juice; it may be coloured with the cochineal composition, then freeze it.
Strawberry Cream,
Strawberry cream is made in the same manner as raspberry. Jelly of strawberries, or rasps, is preferable to the jams, and should be made in the proper season and kept for this purpose.
Cherry and Plumb Creams.
These are done in the same manner; a few whole ones may, for variety, be put into the moulds, or shapes, observing to take out the stones first.
Apricot Cream.
This makes a very rich flavoured cream, and is made from apricot jam and a few bitter almonds pounded with rose water and a little lemon juice, then put through a sieve and freezed.
Pine Apple Cream.
Take some pine apple jam, according to the quantity you want, beat it in a marble mortar and mix it with the cream; strain it through a hair sieve, whisk it well and then freeze it.
Lemon Cream.
This kind is also much liked. Take a pint (mutchkin) of cream, the thin paring of fresh lemons and juice to your taste; first rub the sugar upon the lemons, that it may imbibe as much of the essence as possible; make it very rich, mix and bruise it with a wooden spoon, then strain and freeze it.
Orange Cream.
Proceed as directed in lemon cream, only take sweet oranges; work the parings of the oranges with the cream and sugar well together with a spoon, strain and freeze it.
Cream D’Arcy.
Take four ounces orange marmalade to one pint (mutchkin) rich cream, mix it well together, put it through a hair sieve with the help of a spoon; add a little grate, if in season, of a bitter orange, and the squeeze of a lemon, to renew the flavour, freeze and fill melon moulds with it.
Pistachio Cream.
Blanch and beat the kernels of pistachio nuts with some lime juice, mix it with water and bring it to boil, then put in the cream with two whites of eggs, stir it well together, put it on the fire, and when near the boil strain and freeze it.
Pistachio Nut Cream.
Take three ounces pistachio nut kernels, blanch and beat them with limes, or green citrons, mix with a pint (mutchkin) of cream, four whites of eggs, a little orange flower water; colour it green with spinage juice, make it very hot and freeze it.
Brown Bread Cream.
Slice some brown, or coarse bread, dry it well in an oven, beat and sift it well; put three spoonfuls of this to a pint (mutchkin) of cream, season it with nutmeg, &c. and sugar, then freeze it.
Ratafia Cream.
Take three ounces ratafia biscuits, beat and sift them, mix them with a pint (mutchkin) of cream, four eggs, and a little lemon peel; put it on the fire till very hot, but not to boil, stirring it well all the time, strain and freeze it.
Cream Royal.
Beat up the yolks of six and the whites of two eggs, add the grate of a lemon, four ounces sugar, a pint (mutchkin) cream, a little orange flower water, and spiceries to your taste; mix all together, set them on the fire, keep stirring it all the time, when it grows thick take it off, strain and freeze it; then, before you put it into the moulds, have a little lemon and orange peel cut, a few pistachio nuts blanched and cut, mix them with the cream.
Fresh Rasp and Strawberry Cream.
Take a pint (mutchkin) ripe strawberries, or rasps, pick them clean, put them through a hair sieve, bruising them with the back of a wooden spoon after mashing them with four or six ounces sugar and a pint (mutchkin) cream, then freeze it. Fresh currants are done in the same way.
Fruits, or Water Ices.
The fruits to be imitated in ice must be made to have, as near as possible, the taste and colour of the natural fruit.
To Prepare the Colours.
Cochineal. – This colour is most used. Take an ounce cochineal, an ounce alum, and an ounce cream tartar, pound them small and boil them in four gills of water until one half is evaporated, pour it into a phial. With this the ice fruits are painted, such as pears, peaches, &c.
For Yellow use an infuson of safron.
Green, spinage juice.
For Blue, azure blue in a fine muslin rag, – Prussian blue dissolved, – or syrup of violets.
General Observations. – Iced fruits are made in every respect as already ordered for ice creams, in respect to the freezing, and require to be well stirred about and wrought in the pot; then, with the ice-spade, put into the moulds, which are made of pewter, in two pieces, or quarters, and made with hinges to shut close, and a clasp to keep them together. When ice creams are served in jelly glasses it should be kept in the ice-pot amongst the ice, and a little taken out when wanted.
Peaches.
Take eight peaches, pare off the skins, take out the stones, and slice them into four gills water; let them infuse near a slow fire for an hour, then bruise the pulp through a hair sieve and sweeten it to your taste with fine sugar, add a few drops of their essence to heighten the flavour, then freeze it, fill the moulds, and pack them in a tub of ice. At the end of two hours they are ready to be turned out, dip the moulds in water and turn them out on plates; then, with a pencil dipped in the cochineal composition, colour the side of the peach to imitate nature, then place them into an ice-pot to harden, where they are kept till used.
Pears
And other fruits are made after the same manner, taking a proportion of fruits according to the number of moulds to be filled. The pears must be scalded.
Pine Apple Fruits
Are made with pine apple jam mixed with a pint of water in place of cream, the juice of two lemons, and sweetened with syrup; put it through a sieve, freeze it, then fill the moulds.
Cedrat Fruit.
Take essence of cedraties and clarified sugar mixed to your taste and freeze it.
Barberry Water Ice.
Take a large spoonful barberry jam, add the juice of a lemon, a pint (mutchkin) of water, and as much of the cochineal extract as will colour it properly; strain and freeze it.
Raspberry Water Ice.
Raspberry is made the same way. Observe, if it does not freeze thick and smooth like butter, to add a little more syrup.
Strawberry Water Ice
Is made in like manner.
Apricot Water Ice.
Proceed as above directed, and add two ounces bitter almonds blanched and pounded with a little syrup; mix and strain, then freeze it.
Lemon, or Orange Water Ice.
Take the grate of one and the juice of three oranges or lemons, two gills syrup, one gill of water, mix well, put it through a sieve and freeze it. The orange ice requires the squeeze of a lemon in addition.
After the same manner you may make every sort of water ices, viz. currant, damson, bergamot, chocolate, &c. &c.
2 thoughts on “Chap. XII. – Ice Creams, pp.119-126.”