Book of Household Management — 083 - Recipes. Chapter 35. Part 3.

[Illustration: CAKE-MOULD.

] _Mode_.

--Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs whisk the former to a stiff froth; add the orange-flower water, the sugar, grated lemon-rind, and mix these ingredients well together.

Then beat the yolks of the eggs, and add them, with the lemon-juice, to the whites, &c. ;

dredge in the flour gradually; keep beating the mixture well; put it into a buttered mould, and bake the cake about an hour, or rather longer.

The addition of a little butter, beaten to a cream, we think, would improve this cake.

_Time_.

--About 1 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

4d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

LUNCHEON CAKE.

1765. INGREDIENTS.

--1/2 lb.

of butter, 1 lb.

of flour, 1/2 oz.

of caraway seeds, 1/4 lb.

of currants, 6 oz.

of moist sugar, 1 oz.

of candied peel, 3 eggs, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.

--Rub the butter into the flour until it is quite fine; add the caraway seeds, currants (which should be nicely washed, picked, and dried), sugar, and candied peel cut into thin slices; mix these well together, and moisten with the eggs, which should be well whisked.

Boil the milk, and add to it, whilst boiling, the carbonate of soda, which must be well stirred into it, and, with the milk, mix the other ingredients.

Butter a tin, pour the cake into it, and bake it in a moderate oven from 3/4 to 1 hour.

_Time_.

--1 to 14 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

8d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

CARBONATE OF SODA--Soda was called the mineral alkali, because it was originally dug up out of the ground in Africa and other countries: this state of carbonate of soda is called _natron.

_ But carbonate of soda is likewise procured from the combustion of marine plants, or such as grow on the sea-shore.

Pure carbonate of soda is employed for making effervescing draughts, with lemon-juice, citric acid, or tartaric acid.

The chief constituent of soda, the alkali, has been used in France from time immemorial in the manufacture of soap and glass, two chemical productions which employ and keep in circulation an immense amount of capital.

A small pinch of carbonate of soda will give an extraordinary lightness to puff pastes; and, introduced into the teapot, will extract the full strength of the tea.

But its qualities have a powerful effect upon delicate constitutions, and it is not to be used incautiously in any preparation.

A NICE PLAIN CAKE.

1766. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of flour, 1 teaspoonful of Borwick's baking-powder, 1/4 lb.

of good dripping, 1 teacupful of moist sugar, 3 eggs, 1 breakfast-cupful of milk, 1 oz.

of caraway seeds, 1/2 lb.

of currants.

_Mode_.

--Put the flour and baking-powder into a basin; stir those together; then rub in the dripping, add the sugar, caraway seeds, and currants; whisk the eggs with the milk, and beat all together very thoroughly until the ingredients are well mixed.

Butter a tin, put in the cake, and bake it from 11/2 to 2 hours.

Let the dripping be quite clean before using: to insure this, it is a good plan to clarify it.

Beef dripping is better than any other for cakes, &c. , as mutton dripping frequently has a very unpleasant flavour, which would be imparted to the preparation.

_Time_.

--1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A NICE PLAIN CAKE FOR CHILDREN.

1767. INGREDIENTS.

--1 quartern of dough, 1/4 lb.

of moist sugar, 1/4 lb.

of butter or good beef dripping, 1/4 pint of warm milk, 1/2 grated nutmeg or 1/2 oz.

of caraway seeds.

_Mode_.

--If you are not in the habit of making bread at home, procure the dough from the baker's, and, as soon as it comes in, put it into a basin near the fire; cover the basin with a thick cloth, and let the dough remain a little while to rise.

In the mean time, beat the butter to a cream, and make the milk warm; and when the dough has risen, mix with it thoroughly all the above ingredients, and knead the cake well for a few minutes.

Butter some cake-tins, half fill them, and stand them in a warm place, to allow the dough to rise again.

When the tins are three parts full, put the cakes into a good oven, and bake them from 13/4 to 2 hours.

A few currants might be substituted for the caraway seeds when the flavour of the latter is disliked.

_Time_.

--1-3/4 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, _1s.

2d.

_ _Seasonable_ at any time.

COMMON PLUM CAKE.

1768. INGREDIENTS.

--3 lbs.

of flour, 6 oz.

of butter or good dripping, 6 oz.

of moist sugar, 6 oz.

of currants, 4 oz.

of pounded allspice, 2 tablespoonfuls of fresh yeast, 1 pint of new milk.

_Mode_.

--Rub the butter into the flour; add the sugar, currants, and allspice; warm the milk, stir to it the yeast, and mix the whole into a dough; knead it well, and put it into 6 buttered tins; place them near the fire for nearly an hour for the dough to rise, then bake the cakes in a good oven from 1 to 11/4 hour.

To ascertain when they are done, plunge a clean knife into the middle, and if on withdrawal it comes out clean, the cakes are done.

_Time_.

--1 to 1-1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

8d.

_Sufficient_ to make 6 small cakes.

A NICE PLUM CAKE.

1769. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of flour, 1/4 lb.

of butter, 1/2 lb.

of sugar, 1/2 lb.

of currants, 2 oz.

of candied lemon-peel, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of ammonia or carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.

--Put the flour into a basin with the sugar, currants, and sliced candied peel; beat the butter to a cream, and mix all these ingredients together with the milk.

Stir the ammonia into 2 tablespoonfuls of milk and add it to the dough, and beat the whole well, until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Put the dough into a buttered tin, and bake the cake from 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Time_.

--1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 1s.

3d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

POUND CAKE.

[Illustration: POUND CAKE.

] 1770. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of butter, 1-1/4 lb.

of flour, 1 lb.

of pounded loaf sugar, 1 lb.

of currants, 9 eggs, 2 oz.

of candied peel, 1/2 oz.

of citron, 1/2 oz.

of sweet almonds; when liked, a little pounded mace.

_Mode_.

--Work the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, currants, candied peel, which should be cut into neat slices, and the almonds, which should be blanched and chopped, and mix all these well together; whisk the eggs, and let them be thoroughly blended with the dry ingredients.

Beat the cake well for 20 minutes, and put it into a round tin, lined at the bottom and sides with a strip of white buttered paper.

Bake it from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, and let the oven be well heated when the cake is first put in, as, if this is not the case, the currants will all sink to the bottom of it.

To make this preparation light, the yolks and whites of the eggs should be beaten separately, and added separately to the other ingredients.

A glass of wine is sometimes added to the mixture; but this is scarcely necessary, as the cake will be found quite rich enough without it.

_Time_.

--1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 3s.

6d.

_Sufficient.

_--The above quantity divided in two will make two nice-sized cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A PAVINI CAKE.

1771. INGREDIENTS.

--1/2 lb.

of flour, 1/2 lb.

of ground rice, 1/2 lb.

of raisins stoned and cut into small pieces, 1/4 lb.

of currants, 1/4 lb.

of butter, 2 oz.

of sweet almonds, 1/4 lb.

of sifted loaf sugar, 1/2 nutmeg grated, 1 pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.

--Stone and cut the raisins into small pieces; wash, pick, and dry the currants; melt the butter to a cream, but without oiling it;

blanch and chop the almonds, and grate the nutmeg.

When all these ingredients are thus prepared, mix them well together; make the milk warm, stir in the soda, and with this liquid make the whole into a paste.

Butter a mould, rather more than half fill it with the dough, and bake the cake in a moderate oven from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or less time should it be made into 2 cakes.

_Time_.

--1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 1s.

8d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Illustration: CAKE-MOULD.

] RICE CAKE.

1772. INGREDIENTS.

--1/2 lb.

of ground rice, 1/2 lb.

of flour, 1/2 lb.

of loaf sugar, 9 eggs, 20 drops of essence of lemon, or the rind of 1 lemon, 1/4 lb.

of butter.

_Mode_.

--Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs; whisk them both well, and add to the latter the butter beaten to a cream.

Stir in the flour, rice, and lemon (if the rind is used, it must be very finely minced), and beat the mixture well; then add the whites of the eggs, beat the cake again for some time, put it into a buttered mould or tin, and bake it for nearly 1-1/2 hour.

It may be flavoured with essence of almonds, when this is preferred.

_Time_.

--Nearly 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

QUEEN-CAKES.

1773. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of flour, 1/2 lb.

of butter, 1/2 lb.

of pounded loaf sugar, 3 eggs, 1 teacupful of cream, 1/2 lb.

of currants, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, essence of lemon, or almonds to taste.

_Mode_.

--Work the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour, add the sugar and currants, and mix the ingredients well together.

Whisk the eggs, mix them with the cream and flavouring, and stir these to the flour; add the carbonate of soda, beat the paste well for 10 minutes, put it into small buttered pans, and bake the cake from 1/4 to 1/2 hour.

Grated lemon-rind may be substituted for the lemon and almond flavouring, which will make the cakes equally nice.

_Time_.

1/4 to 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

9d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SAUCER-CAKE FOR TEA.

1774. INGREDIENTS.

--1/4 lb.

of flour, 1/4 lb.

of _tous-les-mois_, 1/4 lb.

of pounded white sugar, 1/4 lb.

of butter, 2 eggs, 1 oz.

of candied orange or lemon-peel.

_Mode_.

--Mix the flour and _tous-les-mois_ together; add the sugar, the candied peel cut into thin slices, the butter beaten to a cream, and the eggs well whisked.

Beat the mixture for 10 minutes, put it into a buttered cake-tin or mould, or, if this is not obtainable, a soup-plate answers the purpose, lined with a piece of buttered paper.

Bake the cake in a moderate oven from 1 to 1-1/4 hour, and when cold, put it away in a covered canister.

It will remain good some weeks, even if it be cut into slices.

_Time_.

--1 to 1-1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

COMMON SEED-CAKE.

1775. INGREDIENTS.

--1/2 quartern of dough, 1/4 lb.

of good dripping, 6 oz.

of moist sugar, 1/2 oz.

of caraway seeds, 1 egg.

_Mode_.

--If the dough is sent in from the baker's, put it in a basin covered with a cloth, and set it in a warm place to rise.

Then with a wooden spoon beat the dripping to a liquid; add it, with the other ingredients, to the dough, and beat it until everything is very thoroughly mixed.

Put it into a buttered tin, and bake the cake for rather more than 2 hours.

_Time_.

--Rather more than 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 8d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A VERY GOOD SEED-CAKE.

1776. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of butter, 6 eggs, 3/4 lb.

of sifted sugar, pounded mace and grated nutmeg to taste, 1 lb.

of flour, 3/4 oz.

of caraway seeds, 1 wineglassful of brandy.

_Mode_.

--Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, mace, nutmeg, and caraway seeds, and mix these ingredients well together.

Whisk the eggs, stir to them the brandy, and beat the cake again for 10 minutes.

Put it into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it from 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

This cake would be equally nice made with currants, and omitting the caraway seeds.

_Time_.

--1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 2s.

6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

BREAD-MAKING IN SPAIN.

--The bread in the south of Spain is delicious: it is white as snow, close as cake, and yet very light; the flavour is most admirable, for the wheat is good and pure, and the bread well kneaded.

The way they make this bread is as follows:--From large round panniers filled with wheat they take out a handful at a time, sorting it most carefully and expeditiously, and throwing every defective grain into another basket.

This done, the wheat is ground between two circular stones, as it was ground in Egypt 2,000 years ago (see No. 117), the requisite rotary motion being given by a blindfolded mule, which paces round and round with untiring patience, a bell being attached to his neck, which, as long as he is in movement, tinkles on; and when it stops, he is urged to his duty by the shout of "_Arre, mula_," from some one within hearing.

When ground, the wheat is sifted through three sieves, the last of these being so fine that only the pure flour can pass through it: this is of a pale apricot-colour.

The bread is made in the evening.

It is mixed with only sufficient water, with a little salt in it, to make it into dough: a very small quantity of leaven, or fermenting mixture is added.

The Scripture says, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump;" but in England, to avoid the trouble of kneading, many put as much leaven or yeast in one batch of household bread as in Spain would last them a week for the six or eight donkey-loads of bread they send every night from their oven.

The dough made, it is put into sacks, and carried on the donkeys' backs to the oven in the centre of the village, so as to bake it immediately it is kneaded.

On arriving there, the dough is divided into portions weighing 3 lbs.

each.

Two long narrow wooden tables on trestles are then placed down the room; and now a curious sight may be seen.

About twenty men (bakers) come in and range themselves on one side of the tables.

A lump of dough is handed to the nearest, which he commences kneading and knocking about with all his might for about 3 or 4 minutes, and then passes it on to his neighbour, who does the same; and so on successively until all have kneaded it, when it becomes as soft as new putty, and ready for the oven.

Of course, as soon as the first baker has handed the first lump to his neighbour, another is given to him, and so on till the whole quantity of dough is successively kneaded by them all.

The bakers' wives and daughters shape the loaves for the oven, and some of them are very small, and they are baked immediately.

The ovens are very large, and not heated by fires _under_ them; but a quantity of twigs of the herbs of sweet marjoram and thyme, which cover the hills in great profusion, are put in the oven and ignited.

They heat the oven to any extent required; and, as the bread gets baked, the oven gets gradually colder; so the bread is never burned.

They knead the bread in Spain with such force, that the palm of the hand and the second joints of the fingers of the bakers are covered with corns; and it so affects the chest, that they cannot work more than two hours at a time.

SNOW-CAKE.

1777. INGREDIENTS.

--1/2 lb.

of _tous-les-mois_, 1/4 lb.

of white pounded sugar, 1/4 lb.

of fresh or washed salt butter, 1 egg, the juice of 1 lemon.

_Mode_.

--Beat the butter to a cream; then add the egg, previously well beaten, and then the other ingredients; if the mixture is not light, add another egg, and beat for 1/4 hour, until it turns white and light.

Line a flat tin, with raised edges, with a sheet of buttered paper; pour in the cake, and put it into the oven.

It must be rather slow, and the cake not allowed to brown at all.

If the oven is properly heated, 1 to 1-1/4 hour will be found long enough to bake it.

Let it cool a few minutes, then with a clean sharp knife cut it into small square pieces, which should be gently removed to a large flat dish to cool before putting away.

This will keep for several weeks.

_Time_.

--1 to 1-1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

3d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SNOW-CAKE.

(_A genuine Scotch Recipe_.

) 1778. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of arrowroot, 1/2 lb.

of pounded white sugar, 1/2 lb.

of butter, the whites of 6 eggs; flavouring to taste, of essence of almonds, or vanilla, or lemon.

_Mode_.

--Beat the butter to a cream; stir in the sugar and arrowroot gradually, at the same time beating the mixture.

Whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add them to the other ingredients, and beat well for 20 minutes.

Put in whichever of the above flavourings may be preferred; pour the cake into a buttered mould or tin and bake it in a moderate oven from 1 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Time_.

--1 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, with the best Bermuda arrowroot, 4s.

6d.

; with St. Vincent ditto, 2s.

9d.

_Sufficient_ to make a moderate-sized cake.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SCRAP-CAKES.

1779. INGREDIENTS.

--2 lbs.

of leaf, or the inside fat of a pig; 1-1/2 lb.

of flour, 1/4 lb.

of moist sugar, 1/2 lb.

of currants, 1 oz.

of candied lemon-peel, ground allspice to taste.

_Mode_.

--Cut the leaf, or flead, as it is sometimes called, into small pieces; put it into a large dish, which place in a quick oven; be careful that it does not burn, and in a short time it will be reduced to oil, with the small pieces of leaf floating on the surface; and it is of these that the cakes should be made.

Gather all the scraps together, put them into a basin with the flour, and rub them well together.

Add the currants, sugar, candied peel, cut into thin slices, and the ground allspice.

When all these ingredients are well mixed, moisten with sufficient cold water to make the whole into a nice paste; roll it out thin, cut it into shapes, and bake the cakes in a quick oven from 15 to 20 minutes.

These are very economical and wholesome cakes for children, and the lard, melted at home, produced from the flead, is generally better than that you purchase.

To prevent the lard from burning, and to insure its being a good colour, it is better to melt it in a jar placed in a saucepan of boiling water; by doing it in this manner, there will be no chance of its discolouring.

_Time_.

--15 to 20 minutes.

_Sufficient_ to make 3 or 4 dozen cakes.