Part 7

Cream one half cupful of butter in a warm bowl adding slowly one cupful of sugar, whip the yolk of one egg and add to butter and sugar. Have ready two cupfuls of flour into which has been sifted two teaspoonfuls of baking powder; put flour and baking powder through sifter three times. Add flour and one cupful of milk slowly and alternately to butter mixture, adding last of all the whites of egg beaten stiff and one teaspoonful of flavoring. Bake in loaf in moderate oven for thirty minutes.

ORANGE CAKE.

Cream one third cupful of butter with one and one half cupfuls of sugar; add the well beaten yolks of three eggs and one teaspoonful of flavoring, beat well; add alternately, in small quantities, two heaping cupfuls of flour, into which two rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder has been sifted, and one cupful of milk; last of all add the whites of the three eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, folding them into the dough lightly. Bake in shallow pans for about twenty minutes, or until cake shrinks from the pan. Put together with orange icing.

IDA’S CAKE.

Beat the whites of four eggs very stiff and set in refrigerator to chill; cream the yolks; add one cupful of sugar and a teaspoonful of lemon extract; sift flour until very light, and sprinkle in one cupful slowly, stirring lightly; then fold in the whites of the eggs as delicately as possible. Bake in moderate oven.

ANGEL FOOD.

Sift one cupful of flour and one half teaspoonful of cream of tartar together, sifting at least six times; add one cupful of sugar, sift again; beat the whites of seven eggs stiff; chill; then whip in the flour and sugar; flavor with one teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Bake in moderate oven.

WATER SPONGE CAKE.

Beat the yolk of one egg, add one half cupful of sugar and beat again, add one half teaspoonful of lemon juice and three tablespoonfuls of cold water, then two thirds of a cupful of flour into which one half even teaspoonful of baking powder has been sifted, and lastly the whites of the egg beaten stiff. Bake in shallow pan or in small tins.

TEA CAKES.

Tea cakes that are much esteemed in southern households are made from the yolks of six eggs, half a pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of flour and one teaspoonful of baking powder mixed with the flour. They should be rolled thin and baked in a quick oven. Frost with a thin icing or sprinkle while hot with granulated sugar.

POOR MAN’S CAKE.

Take three good-sized apples, pare, chop them fine, put them into a saucepan with two cupfuls of molasses, and boil until the apples are soft--say for three minutes--remove, and add one cupful of sugar, one egg, and one half teaspoonful of ginger, cinnamon allspice, clove and nutmeg, one cupful of strong coffee in which one and one half teaspoonfuls of soda are dissolved; two and one half cupfuls of flour.

This cake will keep all winter. These proportions make three large cakes.

COFFEE CAKE.

One cupful of brown sugar, one cupful of molasses, one half a cupful of butter, one beaten egg, one half a cupful of strong coffee, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one teaspoonful of ground cloves, four cupfuls of seeded raisins, one cupful of thinly sliced citron, four cupfuls of flour into which has been sifted one teaspoonful of soda. Bake in moderate oven.

CREAM CAKE.

Dissolve one half teaspoonful of soda and mix with one scant cupful of sour cream, beat one egg and stir in, add a scant cupful of sugar and one and one half cupfuls of flour. This can be baked as a loaf, or in gem pans, or used for layer cake.

FRIED CAKES.

Two cupfuls of sugar, four eggs, one cupful of sour cream, and one cupful of buttermilk, one teaspoonful of soda, nutmeg to taste, flour enough to make a soft dough; roll until one half inch thick, cut in rounds, cutting out small ring in center; fry in hot cocoanut butter. The fat should be deep enough to float the cakes and hot enough to cook quickly; when nicely browned, drain, then powder with confectioner’s sugar.

SUGAR COOKIES.

Mix one half cupful of creamed butter with one cupful of sugar, beat to a smooth cream. Whip one egg light and add to sugar and butter; add one teaspoonful of flavoring and one fourth cupful of milk with flour enough to make sufficiently stiff to roll thin, having previously sifted through the flour one half teaspoonful of baking powder. Roll a little at a time, cut out and bake about ten minutes in hot oven.

JUMBLES.

Two eggs, six tablespoonfuls of butter, six tablespoonfuls of sugar, one teaspoonful of lemon extract, a pinch of soda sifted in flour enough to make a dough stiff enough to roll. Roll very thin, cut and bake in quick oven.

GINGER SNAPS.

To one cupful of molasses add one half a cupful of water, in which has been dissolved one teaspoonful of soda; one cupful of sugar, one teaspoonful of ginger, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one cupful of butter with flour enough to roll. Cut and bake in quick oven.

SOFT GINGERBREAD.

Dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in four tablespoonfuls of hot water, mix with three fourths of a cupful of molasses; add four tablespoonfuls of melted butter and one and three fourths cupfuls of flour with ginger enough to flavor; bake in gem tins.

MACAROONS.

One pound of sweet almonds blanched and beaten to a paste; mix with them one and a quarter pounds of powdered sugar, the grated rind of two lemons and the whites of six eggs. Drop on buttered paper and bake a light brown in a moderate oven.

LADY FINGERS, NO. 1.

Beat two eggs until light; add one teacupful of sugar, a little salt, and flavoring to taste. Use one teacupful of flour sifted with one teaspoonful of baking powder, making the dough of a consistency that can be rolled. Cut into strips the size of the finger and bake.

LADY FINGERS, No. 2.

One half pint whites of eggs, beaten very stiff; add gradually one half pound sugar, beating well all the time, add the yolks of the eggs and mix together lightly; then stir in very lightly one half pound of flour. Transfer the mixture into fingers on sheets of paper. Dust with powdered sugar, and put on pans and bake in hot oven. Watch them very carefully, as it only takes a few minutes to bake them. When cold they may be removed from the paper by placing them on the table face down, and washing the bottom of the paper with a wet sponge. Now turn back to their proper position and they can be easily removed. Join them in pairs and keep them covered until used.

ÊCLAIRS.

Put into an enameled saucepan one quarter pound of butter, one quarter pint of water, and a few drops of lemon juice; bring all to a boil; while boiling mix in smoothly one quarter pound of flour, draw back the saucepan from the fire and add to the mixture three well beaten eggs. Bake on greased tins in hot oven about twenty minutes. When done make a slit in side of each and quickly fill with either thick custard, or stiff whipped cream that has been sweetened and flavored; then as quickly as possible pour some chocolate frosting over the top. Serve when cold.

CREAM PUFFS.

Boil with a large cupful of hot water half a teacupful of butter, stirring in one teacupful of flour during the boiling; set aside to cool and when cold stir in four eggs, one at a time without beating; drop on tins quickly and bake in a fairly hot oven. When baked fill in with a cream made by beating together three tablespoonfuls of flour, one egg, and half a teacupful or more of sugar, according to taste; stirred into half a pint of milk while boiling, and flavored to liking.

FRUIT JUMBLES.

Beat to a cream one cupful of butter; add gradually one and one half cupfuls of sugar, the yolks of three eggs beaten, one teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, one half teaspoonful of ground cloves, one half a nutmeg, grated, the juice and rind of one lemon, three tablespoonfuls of sour milk, in which has been mixed three fourths teaspoonful of soda; one cupful of seeded and chopped raisins, the beaten whites of three eggs, and about three and one half cupfuls of flour; either roll and cut out, or drop by the spoonful on a buttered sheet.

CHOCOLATE STRIPS.

Cream three tablespoonfuls of butter, add gradually one cupful of sugar, add three tablespoonfuls of melted chocolate, one teaspoonful of vanilla and one cupful of flour, beat thoroughly, spread very thin on well buttered pans, bake in a quick oven, brush with the white of egg as soon as you take from the oven, cut into strips one inch wide while hot.

MISS FARMER’S SPONGE CAKE.

Beat the yolks of four eggs until thick, add gradually one cupful of sugar, and beat for two minutes; add three tablespoonfuls of cold water, mix and sift thoroughly one and one half tablespoonfuls of corn starch, one scant cupful of flour, one level teaspoonful of baking powder, one fourth teaspoonful of salt; add to the first mixture the whites of four eggs beaten stiff, and one teaspoonful extract of lemon. Bake in a buttered angel cake pan for forty-five minutes, or in a shallow cake-pan for thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

VELVET CAKE.

Cream one half cupful of butter, add gradually one and one half cupfuls of sugar, add three egg yolks well beaten and one half cupful of cold water, mix and sift thoroughly one and one half cupfuls of flour, one half cupful of corn starch, two level teaspoonfuls of baking powder; add with the beaten whites of four eggs; cover with opera caramel frosting.

ICINGS.

SOFT FROSTING.

Boil one cupful of sugar and one third cupful of water until it will string, pour slowly on the beaten white of one egg, beating constantly until cool; flavor to taste.

CREAM ICING.

Two tablespoonfuls of cream and one half teaspoonful of flavoring, add sufficient confectioners’ sugar to make stiff enough to spread. Any kind of fruit juice may be used instead of cream. Orange is very nice.

ORANGE ICING.

Yolk of one egg, grated rind and juice of one orange; confectioners’ sugar to make thick enough to spread.

OPERA CARAMEL FROSTING.

Cook one and one half cupfuls of brown sugar, three fourths cupful of thin cream and one half tablespoonful of butter until a ball is formed, when the mixture is tried in cold water. Beat until ready to spread.

DESSERTS.

PASTRY.

Sift one cupful of flour and one saltspoonful of baking powder together. Rub in two tablespoonfuls of shortening, mix quite stiff with ice water, using about one fourth cupful. Turn out on a floured board, pat, and roll till one fourth inch thick, then distribute one teaspoonful of butter over the surface. Sprinkle with flour and fold over and over, roll out again into a long strip, then roll like a jelly roll, and cut from end as needed, and roll out from end. The secret of good pastry is to thoroughly chill material.

For all fruit and custard pies brush bottom crust with white of egg before putting in filling. The crust will then remain dry and delicate.

A RICH PUFF PASTE.

One quart of flour and one pound of butter; sift the flour and work in the yolk of an egg well beaten; mix with ice water and roll out to the thickness of an inch or less. After the butter has been worked in cold water to extract the salt, place it on one half of the dough, folding the other half over it, set away for fifteen minutes in an ice chest, or other equally cold place, and then roll out into a long strip, which fold into three parts by turning over each end and rolling each fold; repeat this operation six or seven times. The colder the dough can be kept while being worked in this way, the better will be the results.

MINCE PIES.

To one cupful of water add one cupful of molasses, one cupful of sugar, one beaten egg, one cupful of vinegar, two and one half Boston crackers, rolled fine, one cupful of stoned raisins, butter the size of an egg, one quarter of a teaspoonful of cloves; two thirds of a teaspoonful of cinnamon; two thirds of a teaspoonful of allspice.

This will make three pies. The pies should bake slowly, taking about three quarters of an hour. A grating of nutmeg should be added to each pie before putting on upper crust. The egg, cracker, and slow baking thickens this apparently thin mixture.

FRUIT PIE.

Carefully wash two thirds of a cupful of dried currants, add equal quantity of seeded raisins; with one cupful of sugar and one cupful of water; place in saucepan and boil gently for one half hour; remove from the fire and add two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg to taste; two chopped apples, one tablespoonful of rolled crackers, half a cupful of chopped, sweet pickled peaches, or any preserved or spiced fruit; bake with two crusts. This will make two pies.

CREAM PIE.

Make a boiled custard, with one pint of milk, yolks of two eggs well beaten, and three tablespoonfuls of sugar, place in double boiler and thicken with one tablespoonful of flour that has been blended with melted butter, add one half teaspoonful of vanilla, let cook until flour is thoroughly done (if too thick a little more milk can be added). Have ready a baked pastry, fill with the mixture; then whip the whites of the two eggs to a very stiff froth and add one half cupful sugar and a few drops of flavoring, spread over the pie; set in oven just long enough to set the frosting and touch it with delicate brown. Serve cold. A chocolate pie can be made after the same method by omitting the yolks of the eggs and beating into hot milk one-fourth cake of chocolate.

CUSTARD PIE.

Beat three eggs until light, add three tablespoonfuls of sugar and beat again. Then grate sufficient nutmeg to flavor, and add three cupfuls of scalded milk. Bake slowly in single crust; as soon as the custard puffs and a knife blade can be dipped in and comes out clean, it is done.

LEMON PIE.

Beat the yolks of three eggs until thick, add one cupful of sugar and the grated yellow rind of one large lemon (be very careful not to grate any of the white of the lemon skin or it will make pie bitter), also the juice; beat until thick and light colored, then add one tablespoonful of corn starch, dissolved in a little water. Pour into a pie shell and bake slowly until it puffs. Beat the whites of the eggs until light, then gradually add three tablespoonfuls of sugar and beat until stiff. When the pie is slightly cooled, cover with this frosting, return to oven, and let it get a very delicate brown. Serve cold.

SQUASH PIE.

To one and one half cupfuls of prepared squash, add one cupful of scalded milk, one half cupful of sugar, one saltspoonful of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg and cloves, and one egg well beaten, pour in egged crust, and bake thirty minutes, or until it puffs up all over. Sweet potato may be used in place of squash. To prepare squash or sweet potato, steam and mash.

RIPE CURRANT PIE.

To one cupful of the fruit, washed and removed from stems, add one cupful of sugar; one cupful of cream, and one tablespoonful of flour; bake with only an under crust.

NEUFCHATEL CHEESE PIE.

One Neufchatel cheese, one teacupful of sugar, grate the rind of one lemon and use with it one half of the juice, half a teacupful each of rolled cracker crumbs, and currants, four eggs, one tablespoonful melted butter, half a teacupful of cream, or rich milk, half a nutmeg grated and one saltspoonful of salt. Crumble the cheese and cracker crumbs well together, beat the eggs with the sugar and add to cracker mixture, following with the butter and cream. If the cream is very rich the butter may be omitted. Lastly, add lemon, nutmeg and currants. The currants should previously be washed, dried and dusted with flour. Mix all well together and put into well buttered patty-pans that have been lined with puff-paste. Bake fifteen or twenty minutes in a quick oven. They will puff up, but must not be permitted to get too brown.

PINE-APPLE TART.

Line a pie plate with pastry, and fill with mixture made of one ounce of butter, and one half cupful of sugar beaten to a cream; the well beaten yolks of five eggs, a grated pineapple, one teacupful of cream and add last of all the whites of the eggs beaten stiff and folded in lightly, with a little more sugar.

ALMOND PEACH PIE.

Line a pie dish with puff or good plain paste, lay halves of canned peaches, with the stone side up all over the bottom of the crust; fill the cavity where the pit was with a spoonful of chopped almonds; sprinkle with sugar and pour over a very little of the peach juice; cover with a crust, and bake till a nice brown; serve with, or without cream.

PUDDINGS.

IRISH MOSS JELLY.

Pick over and wash carefully one half cupful of Irish Moss. Put it into one pint of boiling water, add the thin yellow rind cut from one lemon, and one cupful of sugar; simmer until the moss is dissolved, add the juice of lemon and a grating of nutmeg, and strain into a cold, wet, mould. Set away to harden; serve plain, or with cream. Orange may be used in place of lemon, though a dessert spoonful of lemon juice used with the orange improves the flavor. This Irish Moss may be substituted in place of gelatine in all delicate puddings calling for that animal product; it is to be had at any druggist’s.

SAGO MILK.

Soak a cupful of sago in a quart of cold milk; put in a double boiler with one cupful of sugar; cook until the sago is dissolved; pour it into a dish, and stir in ten drops of the essence of lemon or vanilla. Serve it hot or cold.

SAGO JELLY.

Soak a cupful of sago in a quart of cold water over night; boil in double boiler for an hour; then uncover it for the water to boil away. Add two cupfuls of sugar and the strained juice of a lemon; pour it into a dish in which it may be served. Serve it cold, with smooth fresh cream, sweetened and flavored.

ORANGE FOAM (FOR TWELVE PERSONS).

To the juice of twelve oranges (the small, tart ones are best) add the juice of one lemon, the grated yellow rind of two oranges, and three cupfuls of sugar. Whip till very light the yolks of twelve eggs; then whip in the prepared juice. Whip the whites of eggs as stiff as possible (keep them well chilled while whipping) and beat in lightly, yet thoroughly, the prepared mixture. Serve in punch glasses with lady fingers. Place half of a lady finger in bottom of each glass. The amount of sugar used may vary according to the flavor of the oranges. If the foam is not stiff, then add more whites of eggs. It is difficult to give exact quantities because the flavor and juiciness of the fruit varies so. This should be prepared just before serving.

NEAPOLITAN PUDDING.

Dissolve a cupful of currant jelly in a cupful of hot water; thicken with dissolved corn starch (be careful not to use too much corn starch, only just enough to make it stiff when chilled). Have ready a chilled mold, pour in the mixture as soon as the starch is thoroughly cooked, and the white of one egg, whipped till very stiff, is added to the mixture. Then make an equal quantity of strong sweet lemonade, bringing this to a scald, thicken the same way, adding egg in same manner; pour this as second layer in mold. Then take two cupfuls of milk, bring to a scald, sweeten, and thicken as before, then add the yolks of two eggs, well beaten, whipping in one half teaspoonful of vanilla flavoring, add to previous layers in mould (the layers can be placed in order to suit fancy), set away to chill thoroughly, and serve with whipped or plain cream. Other fruit flavors can be used in same way--pineapple or apricot syrups are very nice.

FRUIT MANGE.

To one pint of boiling water, add the juice of two nice, though any sauce may be used--brought to a scald, add one tablespoonful dissolved corn starch with sugar to taste; let boil until starch is well cooked, remove from stove and add the whites of two eggs, beaten stiff; pour into wet mould, and chill. Serve with cream and sugar.

LEMON SNOW.

To one pint of boiling water, add the juice of two lemons, and two tablespoonfuls of corn starch, well mixed with one and one fourth cupfuls of sugar; strain, and cook until thick. When partly cooled, beat vigorously with a wire egg beater or spoon, add the whites of three eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, whip in thoroughly, and pour into a chilled, wet mould; when firm and cold, turn out and serve with cold boiled custard and jelly, or cream and sugar.

ORANGE SOUFFLÉ.

Make a boiled custard with the yolks of five eggs, a quart of milk, and sugar to taste. When cool pour it over four sliced oranges, from which all seeds and tough fibre have been removed, and to which has been added one cupful of sugar, and grated rind of one orange. Place this in baking dish, cover with a meringue made of the whites of four eggs; then place the dish in a shallow pan of cold water and put in oven until the meringue is a golden brown. Serve cold.

ORANGE CUSTARDS.

Beat the yolks of six eggs with one and one half cupfuls granulated sugar till light; add to this two cupfuls of orange juice, the juice of one lemon, and the grated peel of one orange; fill in small cupfuls and place in steamer, when solid set away to chill; serve on boiled rice, over which pour a pint of rich cream, sweetened and flavored with a little grated peel of orange.

CHESTNUT CREAM.

Roast the chestnuts, then grate to powdered flakes, heaping lightly in middle of pudding dish, surround with apricot jam, and serve with whipped cream.

PEACH CAKE.

Have sponge or plain cake baked in two layers; cut or slice canned peaches; cover a layer of the cake with the cut peaches; put on another layer of cake and more peaches and turn over all well sweetened and flavored whipped cream.

STEAMED CABINET PUDDING.

Use one tablespoonful of butter to grease a three pint pudding mould. Take one cupful of fruit; raisins, candied cherries, or preserved fruits, as you prefer; sprinkle one half the fruit in the buttered mould, then break in stale cake or bread crumbs, mixing with it the rest of the fruit, filling the mould lightly. Then whip up three eggs, add to them three tablespoonfuls of sugar and three cupfuls of milk, pour over the cake and fruit mixture. Let stand one hour, then steam for one and one fourth hours. Serve hot with creamy sauce.

COLD CABINET PUDDING.

Make a custard of one pint hot milk, yolks of three eggs, three tablespoonfuls of sugar; thicken with corn starch. Flavor with teaspoonful of vanilla. Decorate a mould with candied fruit; cover fruit with custard; cool, add a layer of lady fingers or stale cake, then a layer of fruit and more custard, and chill; continue until the mould is full. Serve with whipped cream and candied cherries.

PRUNE WHIP.

Wash thoroughly one half pound of prunes and soak three hours in enough water to cover; cook in same water until the consistency of marmalade. Rub through a sieve, sweeten. Whip the whites of four eggs, and add the prunes (which should be thoroughly chilled); beat until well mixed; pile lightly on a buttered platter, and bake until a delicate brown. Serve with whipped cream or soft custard.

WASHINGTON PIE, CHOCOLATE FILLING.

Make a plain cup cake, and bake in two layers. For the filling, beat the yolks of two eggs till light, and add one half cupful of sugar; stir this into one half cupful of milk; melt two ounces of chocolate and stir into the milk; put on stove, and cook till it thickens; beat till cool, flavor with vanilla and spread on the cake between layers and sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top. Plain Washington pie has simply a dressing of whipped cream, sweetened, and flavored with vanilla, between the layers.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE.

Make cake the same as for any good layer cake. For the filling take one cupful of thick sweet cream, whip until stiff, add four tablespoonfuls of fine grained granulated sugar and one pint of strawberries, crushed slightly, and sweetened. When cake is perfectly cold spread between layers. This should not stand long before serving.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE PIE.