f gelatine to the quart of liquid
is the right proportion, and that if even a tablespoonful of flavoring,
fruit juice, or what not, is added, exactly the same quantity of other
liquid must be omitted, there will not be much danger of formless jelly.
Many forget this when not working from an exact recipe, and remembering
only that a quart of cream or water or wine requires two ounces of
gelatine to set it, they do not deduct for the glass of wine or juice of
lemon, etc., they may add for flavoring. Although wine jelly is rather a
simple form of sweet, suggestive of innocent country teas, a very little
more time than the average housekeeper bestows upon it will convert it
into a very elegant dish. In the season for fruits there is no more
beautiful ornament for jelly than these, carefully gathered, with two or
three leaves attached.

_Jelly with Fresh Fruits._--Select cherries of two or three colors if
possible, in sprays of two or three, and on each a leaf or two; wash
them carefully by dipping them in and out of a bowl of water. Lay them
between soft cloths to remove all moisture. Make a quart of punch jelly
in the following way: Put together a pint of water, a quarter of a pint
of the finest Santa Cruz or Jamaica rum, a quarter of a pint of sherry,
a gill and a half of lemon juice, the rinds of two lemons, and the juice
of one orange, or, if oranges are not to be obtained in cherry season,
half a gill more of water, two ounces of gelatine, half an inch of
cinnamon, the whites of two eggs well beaten and the shells crushed. Let
this come to a boil over the fire, being well whisked the while; as soon
as it boils draw it to a cool spot on the range, let it stand five
minutes, and strain through scalded flannel over a bowl; let it drip,
but do not use the least pressure. This jelly must be brilliantly clear.
If there is any milky appearance it proves that the jelly did not really
boil, and so the eggs had not completely coagulated; in that event boil
once more for an instant, and strain again through fresh flannel. Oil a
mould that has no design of fruit or vegetable at the bottom, and set it
in cracked ice; pour in an inch or two of the jelly when nearly cold.
Have the cherries ice cold, and arrange the sprays gracefully with due
regard to color, remembering that the best effect must be not upward
towards you, but towards the bottom of the mould; thus the underside of
the leaves must be upward, etc. Do not put in more frui