Chapter 8

1/2-lb. flour, 2 ozs. sugar, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 1 oz. butter or cocoanut cream butter,[Footnote: [see next footnote]] 1 egg, 1 orange.

Mix flour and sugar, rub in butter. Add yellow part of orange rind, grated, and juice, also the egg well beaten, to make stiff dough. Place a little apart on oven plate, with two forks, in rough pieces about the size of a walnut. Bake about 10 minutes in quick oven.

Dinner Rolls.

1/2 lb. flour, 1 oz. butter or nut butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 1 gill milk, pinch salt. Rub the butter into flour, &c. Beat up egg, lay aside some for brushing, and mix in lightly with barely a gill of milk. Turn on to floured board, and roll out. Divide into a dozen or more pieces. Roll round with the hands. Shape into twists, knots, "figure eights," &c. Put on floured oven plate. Brush over with egg, and bake about seven minutes in very hot oven.

Afternoon Tea Scones.

1/2 lb. flour, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 2 do. sugar, 1 do. butter or "Nutter." One egg. Mix dry things. Rub in butter, beat egg, and add with as much milk as make nice dough--about 1 gill. Roll out 1/4 in. thick. Stamp out with small cutter or lid. Brush over with egg. Bake 10 minutes.

Cocoanut Cream Scones

are made by adding 1 oz. cocoanut cream [Footnote: NOTE.--Cocoanut or almond cream butter may be used instead of ordinary butter in most recipes for cakes or sweets, and will give variety of flavour.], dissolved in a little of the milk, to the above. Let the "cream" be cool.

Artox Scones.

Two pounds Artox wholemeal, 1/2 lb. butter, 5 oz. sugar, 1/2 oz. cream of tartar, pinch carbonate of soda, 2 eggs, milk. Put the salt, soda, and cream of tartar, into the wholemeal, rub in the butter, stir in the eggs (well beaten), and enough milk to make a stiff paste. Divide the mixture into five, roll each piece out about the size of a cheese plate, divide twice across, place on a greased tin for 10 minutes, bake in a _hot_ oven.

Artox Tea Biscuits.

One and a quarter pounds Artox wholemeal, 3 oz. butter, half teaspoonful baking powder, milk, pinch of salt. Put the wholemeal into a bowl, rub in the butter, add salt and baking powder, and enough milk to make a stiff paste. Roll out, cut into rounds, and bake in a hot oven.

German Biscuits.

1/2 lb. flour, 1/4 lb. butter, 1/4 lb. sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoonful ground cinnamon.

Rub in butter among flour and sugar. Add cinnamon. Make into a paste with the egg beaten up. Knead till smooth. Roll out thin and stamp into biscuits. Bake about 10 minutes on greased oven plate in moderate oven. Stick two together with a little jam, and ice with 4 ozs. icing sugar mixed with a little water. Dust with pink sugar.

PUDDINGS AND SWEETS.

As a number of favourite puddings and sweets also are given in the last section, it will not be necessary to give here more than a few supplementary ones, mostly introducing specialties which are not so well known as they deserve to be. Besides, all sweet dishes are vegetarian already for the most part, so that there is but little to "reform" about them. Of course, those who wish to have them absolutely pure will substitute vegetable suet or butter, and vegetable gelatine for beef suet and clarified (?) glue.

Almond Custard.

Two eggs, 1/2 pint milk, 2 ozs. Mapleton's almond meal, 1-1/2 ozs. sugar.

Beat eggs with sugar, add almond meal. Almonds blanched and pounded will do, but the meal is ready for use and costs less. Add the milk and a few drops of flavouring. Bake in slow oven till set, or stir till it thickens in jug or double boiler. This is specially good with stewed fruit. It may be made into

Custard Whip Sauce

by putting in saucepan and whisking over the fire till light and frothy. It must not boil.

Banana Custard.

Five or six bananas. Jam. Custard. Peel the bananas, which must be sound and ripe; split lengthways. Spread each half with jam--apricot is very good; put halves together. Lay in glass dish and pour almond custard, or cocoanut cream custard, over.

Cocoanut Cream Custard.

This is made same as almond custard, but using cocoanut cream instead of the almond meal. This cocoanut cream, which is put up in tablets, is exceedingly useful for almost every variety of pudding, icing for cakes, &c. It has only to be chopped down or melted, and serves the double purpose of giving flavour and substance.

Canary Pudding.

Four ozs. flour, 4 ozs. butter or 3 ozs. Table Nut Butter, 2 eggs, 3 ozs. sugar, 1 teaspoonful baking powder.

Melt butter in saucepan. Add the sugar and eggs beaten up, the flour and baking powder; lastly, 2 tablespoonfuls milk. Mix thoroughly. Butter well a plain mould, and put into it some jam or marmalade. Pour in pudding, cover with buttered paper, and steam for 2 hours.

Artox Queen Pudding.

2 oz. Artox bread crumbs, 2 oz. sugar, 1/2 pint milk, rind of half a lemon, 2 eggs, and a little raspberry jam. Boil the milk, pour over crumbs, and add yolks of the eggs, sugar and lemon rind. Bake in a greased pie-dish 20 minutes in a moderate oven, then spread over about 2 tablespoonfuls of hot raspberry jam. Beat up the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and place over the jam, then put in oven for about three minutes to set.

Appel-Moes (Dutch Recipe).

Peel, core, and slice quantity of apples required. Stew or steam in covered jar with sugar and flavouring of cinnamon. Pulp through a sieve with whipped cream or as a sauce for steamed pudding.

Lemon Sponge.

Soak 1/8 oz. vegetable gelatine in a tumbler of water for an hour. Strain and put in saucepan with a tumbler fresh water and 5 ozs. loaf sugar. Stir till gelatine is dissolved. Add juice of 2 lemons, and strain through sieve. When cool add the whites of two eggs, and switch till quite light and spongy throughout--about three quarters of an hour. Put in mould, or when set pile up in rocky spoonfuls.

Lemon Cream Mould.

1 large lemon, 3 eggs, 6 ozs. sugar, 3/4 pint (3 teacupfuls) milk, 1/6 oz. vegetable gelatine.

Soak gelatine in cold water for at least an hour. Drain and put to come slowly to boil in the milk. Separate whites from yolks of eggs, and put the latter in large basin with the sugar and yellow part of lemon rind grated. Beat thoroughly and strain boiling milk over, stirring all the time. Return to saucepan, bring just to boil, and set aside to cool. Beat up whites of eggs very stiff and mix in lightly, adding the strained juice of lemon. Put in mould or glass dish, and set in cool place till quite firm.

Cobden Pudding.

Four ozs. grain granules, 2 ozs. sugar, 1 oz. cocoanut cream, 3 ozs. stoned raisins, 2 eggs, 3 gills milk.

Put grain granules, sugar, raisins, and cocoanut cream in large basin. Bring milk to boil and pour over. Cover and let stand till cool. Beat up yolks and add, and lastly the whites beaten stiff. Pour into buttered pudding-dish and bake in moderate oven for an hour.

JAMS AND JELLIES.

We have not space to go into these at any length. The following are one or two of my "very own," as the children say, which are voted a great success.

Apple Jam.

Take quantity required--say 7 lbs.--tart crisp apples. Wash well and dry. Pare and core, putting the trimmings in water to cover. Cut up the best of the apples into small pieces--not too thin--and set aside, also covered with cold water. Put on the trimmings to boil with some lemon rind and either a few sticks of cinnamon or some cloves. Simmer for an hour or longer, till all the goodness is drawn out, mashing freely with a wooden spoon. Turn into jelly-bag and allow to drain without pressure. Pour the water off the apples, measure that and the drained juice, and put into preserving pan. Measure the apple chips also, and add when the liquid boils. Allow 14 ozs. loaf sugar to each breakfast cupful, and boil till the apples are clear, but not broken down--about 20 minutes. Skim and pot as usual. If ginger flavouring is preferred, shave down about 6 ozs. preserved ginger, and add when the juice is put on to boil.

Marmalade Jelly.

Take 3 lbs. fruit--6 bitter oranges, 3 sweet ones and 3 lemons. Remove the rinds and grate them small, or put through a mincer. Cut up the oranges, removing the seeds, which put in a tumbler of water. Cover the oranges, &c., with 17 tumblers cold water, and let stand for at least 24 hours. Put all in jelly-pan, including the water drained from the seeds, and let boil gently, for about 2 hours, mashing frequently with a wooden spoon. Let drain without pressure. Measure the juice, and to each pint allow 14 ozs. sugar, which add after the liquid boils. Boil fast for a few minutes, try if it will set. Skim and pot. But the pulp must not be thrown out, for it makes an excellent, if rather homely,

Marmalade,

which comes in specially useful for steamed puddings, &c. Weigh the pulp, and allow equal weight of sugar. Boil gently, taking great care not to burn, till clear--20 to 30 minutes.

Green Gooseberry and Strawberry Jam.

This will be appreciated by those who find the ordinary strawberry jam rather sweet and heavy. Take equal quantities of gooseberries and strawberries--say 3 lbs. of each. Trim the gooseberries, which must be firm and freshly pulled, and wash well. Put on to boil with a teacupful water to each lb. of gooseberries, and boil for 10 minutes. Add the strawberries and the sugar lb. for lb., and boil for 20 minutes longer, or till it will "jell," as Meg would say.

Green Gooseberry Jam

is made with the gooseberries alone, prepared as above. A little grated lemon rind, &c., might be used for flavouring. Then if one is making

Green Gooseberry Jelly,

top and tail the fruit very carefully, removing every tough or discoloured one. Put on to boil, well covered with water. Add flavouring or not as preferred, and simmer gently for an hour or so. Drain without pressure. Allow 14 ozs. to pint of juice, and boil rapidly about 10 minutes. Allow 1 lb. sugar to each lb. of the pulp. Boil together for about 20 minutes, and this will give a very good, if rough and ready, jam.

Jelly without Boiling.

Everyone who can get good red or white currants should try making the jelly without boiling. I got the recipe from a friend many years ago, and can recommend it as a way in which the fresh flavour of the fruit is preserved to perfection. Wring the currants in usual way, and to each pint of juice allow 14 ozs. loaf sugar, which must be pure cane. I believe crystalised will do, but I have never tried it. Granulated or beet sugar will not do. Put juice and sugar in a strong basin and beat with the back of a wooden spoon till the sugar is quite dissolved, which will take about half-an-hour. Skim and pot. It should be quite firm by next day, and will keep for a year or longer--if it escapes consumption.

Bramble Jelly.

This is one of the finest preserves one can make--especially if we have gathered the fruit. The brambles should not be too ripe, but should have a good proportion of hard red ones. Wash well in cold water and put on with water to barely cover. Simmer gently for an hour or longer, bruising well with wooden spoon. Drain without pressure. Measure, and allow 14 ozs. sugar to pint, _i.e._, breakfast cupful. Allow the juice to boil up well. Add the sugar, boil fast for a few minutes, skim and pot.

NOTE.--Only pure cane sugar should be used for preserves. Add the sugar when the preserve is boiling--nearly ready indeed. It only requires to be thoroughly dissolved and boiled through. This method goes far to prevent burning and loss of flavour.

* * * * *

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_HORS CONCOURS_

Universal Cookery and Food Exhibition 1907.

MARMITE

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Cookery Schools and Teachers are invited to apply for Free Samples, Recipes, and full particulars to

THE MARMITE FOOD EXTRACT CO., Ltd., 59 Eastcheap, London, E.C.

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WILL YOU TRY A CUP OF TEA

that, instead of injuring your nerves and toughening your food, is Absolutely Safe and Delightful? 2/2, 2/10, and 3/6 per lb.

THE UNIVERSAL DIGESTIVE TEA

is ordinary tea treated with oxygen, which neutralises the injurious tannin. Every pound of ordinary tea contains about two ounces of tannin. Tannin is a powerful astringent substance to tan skins into leather. The tannin in ordinary tea tans, or hardens, the lining of the digestive organs, also the food eaten. This prevents the healthful nourishment of the body, and undoubtedly eventuates in nervous disorders. On receipt of a postcard, The Universal Digestive Tea Co., Ltd., Colonial Warehouse, Kendal, will send a Sample of this tea, and name of nearest Agent, also a Descriptive Pamphlet compiled by Albert Broadbent, Author of "Science in the Daily Meal," &c.

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* * * * *

BEVERAGES.

We have not space to go into the question of beverages at any length. A few good "drinks" are given under Invalid Dietary, and I would just say that the juice of a squeezed lemon, orange, or other fruit juice is much better than any effervescent or chemicalised beverage. There are, however, some excellent pure fruit-juices now on the market, among which one may mention

Pattinson's Fruit Syrups

and essences for various temperance drinks as being specially good. Many are proscribed on the score of health, &c., from the use of

Tea and Coffee,

but as these will remain first favourites for a long time to come, the first essential is to have them properly prepared, so that there is little if any ill effect. Where tea is most largely and constantly used, as in China and Japan, it is said to be quite innocuous. This may be partly owing to the more wholesome and rational way in which those people live, partly also to the finer quality of tea available, but very largely to the method of preparation. Various devices have been patented to save trouble in changing from one pot to another, but as most of these are rather complicated for daily use, we are glad to learn of a tea which can be prepared in the old comfortable handy way without any ill effects, and this boon seems to be furnished in the

Universal Digestive Tea,

prepared at the Colonial Warehouse, Kendal. By a process--which, by the way, is not kept secret--the tea is treated with oxygen in such a way that the hurtful tannin is neutralised, while none of the other properties are affected in any way. There is certainly no loss of flavour, and no difference that one can discern from the usual, but specially good tea--a fact which will appeal to ordinary tea-drinkers, of whom there are still a majority. For any further information regarding this tea, I would recommend readers to a little pamphlet compiled by Albert Broadbent, Esq., food specialist and lecturer, whose writings on the food question, &c., are well known. It is entitled "The cup that cheers." It explains the process of treatment, and gives medical and analytical testimony in its favour from various authorities of very high standing. The best proof is in the drinking, however, and one may have a sample pound or more carriage paid.

INVALID DIETARY.

The whole of the previous part of this book has been devoted to the contriving of the several meals usual in a work-a-day household and under ordinary circumstances. But exceptions will occur in the "best regulated families," and although much may be done to prevent illness by pure, nourishing, well-cooked food, one must be prepared for emergencies as they come.

Of course, most of our friends will be only too ready to pounce upon us when illness comes into the house, with their "I told you so" comments. In the first place it will be owing to their low diet and want of proper nourishment that father has got influenza, or Tommy mumps or measles--beef-fed persons _never_ have these affections--(which shows what an enormous proportion of vegetarians there must be)--and in the second place, now that there is illness, you _must_ fall back on beef-tea, port-wine, and other "generous diet," to get up and sustain the patient's strength. However callous or deaf you might be to the supplication for the flesh-pots from those in health, you cannot, must not shut your heart to the call of the weak or suffering.

And woe betide us if we are heretic, and the patient does not recover so quickly as we could wish (if he does, we shall be suspected of having surreptitiously called the orthodox nostrums to our aid, but that by the way), so that it behoves us to give the critical and censorious as little room for their strictures as possible.

Now, what are we to get for that erewhile _sine qua non_ of the sick room,

Beef Tea?

Well, before we come to the non-flesh substitutes, which are more similar in some ways to the ordinary beef-tea, we will consider what is given in the earlier stages when the stomach rejects nearly all nourishment.

Pure Fruit Juices

can usually be retained and assimilated by the most debilitated. The refreshing and restorative properties of orange, grape, and similar fruit juices are generally appreciated, though many people hold the extraordinary belief that these are best when almost all the nourishment has been fermented out of them as in ordinary wine; but not so many even of the more advanced among us, as yet, realise the wonderful healing and anti-toxic possibilities of fresh fruits, more especially grapes. Pure grape juice has been found to act with such destructive force upon disease germs of various kinds as would appear little short of miraculous.

To prepare, press out with squeezer and strain, dilute or not with hot or cold water according to the condition of the patient. The juice of an orange to a tumbler of water makes an excellent tonic drink where there is feverishness and debility of the digestive organs, and a teaspoonful or more of lemon juice may be used in the same way.

Rhubarb Juice

is very good when made from fresh, naturally-grown rhubarb. Wipe and cut small, put in covered jar in oven or steamer till the juice flows freely. This will not be ordered where there is rheumatism or the like. For such, an alkaline beverage is wanted instead of an acid.

Celery Milk

is exceedingly good, and I claim to have discovered it for myself. Wash and trim some sticks of celery. Cut small and simmer for an hour or longer in milk and water. Bruise well to get all the goodness out, and strain through jelly-bag. When fresh celery is not to be had, celery seeds may be used. Simmer in water, strain, and add milk.

Cocoanut Milk

is also very good, and will sometimes be retained when ordinary milk is rejected. Select a juicy cocoanut, pierce a hole and drain out the milk. Break and remove from shell, and pare off the brown skin very finely, so as not to lose any of the oil. Grate or run through mincer, add two cupfuls boiling water, and beat with a wooden spoon from ten to fifteen minutes; then squeeze through a cloth or potato masher. Put the cocoanut into a saucepan with more boiling water, mash over the fire for a few minutes, and squeeze again very thoroughly. If it has been squeezed in a masher the liquor may need to be strained again through a cloth or hair sieve.

For a bland soothing drink, invaluable in practically every form of internal irritation and debility, Barley Water reigns supreme, and in its preparation Robinson's Patent Barley will be found invaluable.

Smooth one or two spoonfuls to a cream with cold water. Pour on boiling water, stirring all the while, and boil gently for five to ten minutes. When cool it will be a firm jelly, and can be diluted as required with hot or cold water, milk, fruit-juice, "Extract," &c., &c.

To come now to what more closely resembles beef-tea, we can have a liquid practically undistinguishable made from

Brown or German Lentils.

Take a teacupful of these, look over and pick very carefully so that no stones or dirt may escape notice. Scald with boiling water, and put to simmer with plenty of boiling water in a saucepan or stewing jar. Add a shallot, a bit of celery, teaspoonful ground rice, tapioca, &c., and, unless prohibited, seasoning to taste. A blade of mace, a slice or two of carrot, beetroot, &c., might be added at discretion. Simmer gently, or better still, steam for an hour. Strain, without any pressure, and serve with fingers of crisp, dry toast. Equal quantities of German lentils and brown beans may be prepared exactly as above to make Savoury Tea, as also a mixture of brown and white beans. A delicious

Invalid Broth

is made thus:--Wash well a cupful of butter peas or haricot beans and one or two tablespoonfuls pot barley. Put in saucepan or double boiler with water, and cook for two to three hours. Season and strain. Celery, onion, parsnip, &c., may be added if desired. Some milk may also be added, and, if wished specially rich and strengthening, one or two eggs beaten up. Warm up only as much as is needed at one time, and serve with toast or triscuits. Variety of flavour, &c., may be contrived by mixing lentils, dried green peas, &c., with the haricots, or instead of these, tomatoes may be sliced and added ten minutes before straining.

I need not here give recipes for ordinary oatmeal gruel, but

Lentil Gruel

may be new to some. Take a dessert-spoonful lentil flour--the "Digestive" lentil flour is always to be depended on--smooth with a little cold milk or water in a saucepan. Add three teacupfuls boiling milk or barley-water and simmer for fifteen minutes. A little extract such as "Carnos" or "Marmite" may be added to this or any of the foregoing broths.

These extracts, "Carnos" and "Marmite," are exceedingly useful in the sick-room, as they can be so easily and quickly prepared. "Carnos" being a fluid extract, is especially handy. A teaspoonful of that, or a half teaspoonful "Marmite" to a cupful boiling water makes a delightful cup of savoury tea. Be careful not to make too strong. Such extracts may also enter with advantage into

Savoury Custard.

Beat up an egg, and add to it half a teacupful milk, and either a teaspoonful "Carnos" or rather less of "Marmite," the latter dissolved in a little boiling water. Add pinch salt. Turn into a buttered cup or tiny basin, cover with buttered paper, and steam gently for seven or eight minutes till just set.

The following is a very dainty and novel

Egg Flip.

Separate the white from the yolk of an egg and beat up the white quite stiff. Beat up the yolk and add to it the strained juice of an orange or some "Nektar." Mix all lightly together and serve in a pretty glass or china dish.

White of Egg

may be made more attractive for little folk if poached by spoonfuls for a minute or two in boiling milk, and served with a little pink sugar dusted over.

Orange Egg Jelly.

Rub 2 ozs. loaf sugar on the rinds of 2 oranges till it gets as much flavour as possible, then put in a basin with the strained juice and a teaspoonful lemon juice. Bring a very small quantity of vegetable gelatine--previously soaked for an hour in cold water--to boil in a breakfastcupful of water. One-eighth of an oz. of this gelatine is enough as it is so strong. Stir till quite dissolved and strain over the sugar, &c. When cool add the yolks of two eggs beaten up, and whisk till white and frothy. Beat the whites very stiff and add them. Beat all thoroughly, and when just about to set pour into a wet mould. Or allow to set and then pile up by rocky spoonfuls in a glass dish.

When an invalid is getting past the "sloppy" stage and is able for solid nutriment

Steamed Barley