ETS.

Under this head I intend to give a few sweets that seem to me unusually
good, although they may not always be novel, except in manner of
serving. A compote of fruit has nothing new about it, yet by the way in
which it is served it may simply be "stewed fruit," or it may be a dish
fit to find a place even in choice cookery.

In making compotes great care must be taken to preserve the shape and
color of the fruits. In order to do this they must be quickly peeled and
dipped into strong lemon juice and water, and dropped into syrup in
which also a little lemon juice has been squeezed. Pass the blade of the
knife over its own marks to obliterate the appearance of peeling.
Peaches and apricots may be boiled up without peeling, and (unless they
are allowed to get too soft) the skins will be removed easily. It will
be observed that hard fruits such as apples are simmered in thin syrup
to get tender, while rich soft fruits are dropped into syrup boiled to
candy height.

_Apple Compote_ No. 1.--Cut up and boil half a dozen apples in a pint of
water. When they are quite soft strain the juice from them without
squeezing; put to it half a pound of granulated sugar and the zest of a
lemon (the zest is the peel so thin that the knife blade can be seen,
through it while paring), together with the juice. Let this syrup boil
for a minute; skim it. Then pare half a dozen fine cooking apples; core
them; let them boil gently in the syrup until quite tender, but not in
danger of breaking. Take them up on a perforated skimmer. When cold, put
the apples into a compote dish. Boil the juice to a jelly; pour part of
it over the apples; dip a plate in cold water, drain it, and then pour
out the rest of the jelly into it: it should only cover it about the
thickness of thick paper. When stiff, warm the under-side of the plate
_very slightly_, pass a broad thin knife under, and lay the sheet of
jelly over the apples in the compote dish.

_Apple Compote_ No. 2.--Prepare the apples as in last recipe, but before
the last sheet of jelly is laid over them ornament with rings and leaves
of angelica, and any red jelly or preserve cut in thin slices and
stamped out with tiny tin cutters in leaves, stars, or fancy shapes
(stiff red currant jelly of red quince may be used); decorate thus each
apple; then lay the thin sheet of apple jelly over all.

_Compote of Stuffed Apples._--Prepare the apples as in the foregoing
recipes, taking care to core th