nge Baskets Filled with Fruits._--Select seven oranges, not too
large, but all the same size. With a very sharp knife pare the fruit as
thin as possible--so thin that it still remains yellow, and only the
shining outer surface is removed (in fact, it may be lightly grated
off, but that is more trouble), to render them transparent; cut two
quarters out of the upper part of the orange, so as to leave a narrow
band half an inch wide, which will form the handle; pass the knife
carefully round inside the band, so as to remove the strip of pulp. With
the bowl of a teaspoon detach the remaining pulp from the inside without
in any way damaging the shape of the basket. As you prepare them, drop
them in a saucepan of cold water, and then put them into boiling water,
and simmer three minutes gently. This is only to soften the peel and
enable you to stamp out the edges with a perforating cutter, if you have
one, which will give them an openwork effect; if not, just scallop them
with scissors, and snip out a sort of trellis-work to increase the
basket effect. Put them into a preserving-kettle with weak syrup _a
lisse_, boil them gently till they look clear, then put them aside in
the syrup till next day; boil the syrup twice alone at intervals of
several hours, and throw it over the baskets. These baskets may be kept
ready prepared for months by putting them in wide jars and covering them
with syrup. When required for use, they must be taken out, drained
thoroughly, and then filled with a variety of small fruits, such as
cherries, strawberries, currants, etc., which have been mixed with a
little apple or orange jelly. In winter, ambrosia--a mixture of cut-up
banana, grated cocoa-nut, orange quarters, etc.--may be served in them,
or a mixture of preserved fruits that are firm, such as Chinese oranges,
limes, ginger, etc. In all cases serve them on a compote dish, and throw
over them syrup flavored with maraschino.

_Lemon Baskets_ are prepared precisely as the orange baskets, but they
require longer boiling, and the syrup they are served with should be
flavored with citronelle or the rasped peel of green limes.

_Orange Baskets Glace._--These are not much more trouble than the
baskets simply preserved, but if successfully done they can be very
effectively filled with candies or ice-cream. Prepare the baskets as in
last recipe, drain them on a napkin, very carefully remove all moisture
from the inside, and set them over a register, or