Chapter 6

Place upon the stove one cup milk and two tablespoonfuls butter. Beat four eggs light with two cups sugar, stir in two cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, then add hot milk and butter and flavoring. Beat thoroughly and bake in a loaf in a moderate oven.

SPRINGERS.

Four eggs well beaten, one pound powdered sugar, one pound flour, a pinch of salt, one-eighth teaspoonful soda, flavor with anise.

SUNSHINE CAKE.

Whites of seven eggs, yolks of five eggs, one and one-fourth cup granulated sugar, one cup flour, one-fourth teaspoonful cream of tartar, one teaspoonful lemon and orange extract. Beat whites of eggs very stiff, adding cream of tartar while beating. Beat yolks until lemon color. Sift sugar and flour several times before measuring. For mixing add beaten yolks to beaten whites and fold in the sugar and flour alternately; do not beat, only stir enough to mix thoroughly, and add extract last. Bake in Van Duzen pan forty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

TOLEDO CUP CAKE.

One-fourth cup butter, one-half cup sugar, one-fourth cup milk, one egg, one small cup flour, one teaspoonful baking powder, one-half teaspoonful vanilla. Rub the butter and sugar to a cream, beat the egg light without separating and put it in next, then the milk, a little at a time. Add the baking powder and flour, and then the vanilla. Bake in little tins.

VELVET SPONGE CAKE.

Two cups sugar, six eggs, leaving out the whites of three, one cup boiling water, two and one-half cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder in the flour; beat the yolks a little, add the sugar and beat fifteen minutes; add the three beaten whites and the cup of boiling water just before the flour; flavor with a teaspoonful lemon extract and bake in three layers, putting between them icing made by adding to the three whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth six dessert-spoonfuls pulverized sugar to each egg, and lemon to flavor.

WHITE ICING.

Four cups sugar, one-half teaspoonful cream of tartar, one-half teaspoonful baking powder, one cup hot water, whites of four eggs, juice of one-half lemon. Mix sugar, cream of tartar and baking powder. Add water and let boil. Do not stir. Beat whites of eggs, standing in a pan of hot water. Add boiling syrup, a spoonful at a time, slowly, until half has been added. Put in lemon juice and beat hard, letting the rest of the syrup boil until it looks thick. Then pour it into mixture, beating hard. Set in pan over hot water until it will stand alone when dropped from spoon. If not thick enough, beat and steam again; if too thick, add boiling water and steam more.

WHITE MOUNTAIN CAKE.

Two cups pulverized sugar, one-half cup butter beaten to a cream; add one-half cup sweet milk, two and one-half cups flour, two and one-half teaspoonfuls baking powder in the flour, whites of eight eggs; bake in jelly tins and put together with icing made by boiling one-half teacup water and three teacups sugar till thick; pour it slowly over the well-beaten whites of three eggs and beat all together till cool. Beat before putting on each layer. Sprinkle each layer thickly with grated cocoanut, and a handsome cocoanut cake will result.

WHITE PERFECTION CAKE.

Three cups sugar, one cup butter, one cup milk, three cups flour, one cup cornstarch, three teaspoonfuls baking powder, whites of twelve eggs beaten to a stiff froth, cream, sugar and butter; dissolve cornstarch in milk and add to the sugar and butter; mix flour and baking powder and add to mixture. Lastly the whites of eggs, well beaten. Bake in a moderate oven.

FRUITS

Fruit of all kinds She gathers, tribute large, and on the board Heaps with unsparing hand.--Milton.

APPLES.

While most people prefer apples cooked in some form, they are very good and wholesome when eaten raw. There are so many varieties of this fruit that one finds flavors of almost all other fruits if one tastes a number of different kinds of apples.

BANANAS.

This is a fruit which is delicious eaten in almost any form. It is especially good frozen.

CANTALOUPES.

Cantaloupes should be kept on ice and served in halves, each half filled with chopped ice or peaches, as a breakfast dish. To clean cantaloupes, scrape out seeds and wash out each half under the cold-water faucet. The half may be filled with ice cream and served as a dessert.

GRAPES.

Put bunches in a colander and pour cold water over them. Drain and chill, and arrange prettily on dish. Always be sure to remove the imperfect grapes.

GRAPE FRUIT.

(Shaddock.)

This fruit was named for Captain Shaddock, who first brought it from the East Indies. It is delicious, and supposed to have medicinal value. It is refreshing served for breakfast, but may be used as first course for any meal. It should be prepared several hours before needed. Cut in half, remove center pulp with scissors or sharp, small knife; cut each section away from pulp, put two tablespoonfuls powdered sugar and a Maraschino cherry in center of each half. Place in cool place till ready to serve.

ORANGES.

Oranges are the most delightful eaten raw, but there are many other ways of serving them, the Seville orange being the most preferable for cooking, and is a little bitter. A simple way of preparing them for a dessert is to peel the oranges so as to remove outer layer of pulp, then remove each section from pulp. Put alternately into dessert dish a layer of oranges sprinkled with powdered sugar and a layer of shredded cocoanut. Place in cool place and serve.

PEACHES AND PEARS.

These fruits have the high esteem of many people in warm and temperate climates. The peach is called the Persian apple, and is, like the pear, delicious served either cooked or raw.

STRAWBERRIES.

These are best served raw, and may be hulled, or if cream is not desired, serve with the hulls left on and put a mound of powdered sugar in the center of the fruit dishes.

PICKLES AND PRESERVES

"Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms."--Shakespeare.

CATSUP.

To one bushel tomatoes use one small measure onions; boil and sift; one handful salt, one tablespoonful mustard, one tablespoonful cayenne pepper, two tablespoonfuls black pepper, one-half pound sugar. Add spice just before it is finished boiling.

CHILI SAUCE.

Twelve large, ripe tomatoes, two onions, two green peppers, two tablespoonfuls salt, one cup sugar, one cup vinegar, one teaspoonful each cinnamon, allspice, cloves; chop fine, boil about two hours.

CHILI SAUCE.

One peck ripe tomatoes, twelve large onions, four cups vinegar, six tablespoonfuls salt, twelve large tablespoonfuls sugar, four red mango peppers, ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg to taste; chop onions and peppers fine; cut tomatoes in small pieces and drain. Boil all things half an hour. Put in sealed jars.

CUCUMBER PICKLE.

Place the cucumber in a stone jar. Make a strong brine, strong enough to bear up an egg; pour it over them boiling hot, let them stand over night, in the morning pour off the brine and wipe the cucumbers dry, put them in a preserving kettle and pour over them enough cider-vinegar to cover them; put in also the following spices for four hundred pickles: Two ounces whole cloves, two tablespoonfuls white mustard seed, several strips horseradish, four or five sticks cinnamon, coffee-cupful brown sugar, two ounces allspice, four small red peppers cut in small pieces and the seed taken out, three onions sliced. Let all come to a boil, boil for five minutes, and put boiling hot over cucumbers.

CUCUMBER SWEET PICKLES.

Put small cucumbers in a dish with one-half cup salt to two quarts cucumbers; cover with boiling water and let stand all night. Remove from brine, place in granite kettle, cover with vinegar containing whole mustard seed, cloves and cinnamon and one cup of sugar. Let come to boiling point, but not boil. Can, or bottle while hot.

FRENCH PICKLE.

One peck green tomatoes sliced, six large onions sliced; mix these and throw over them one teacupful of salt, let them stand over night; next day drain thoroughly, boil in one quart of vinegar mixed with two quarts of water for fifteen minutes, then drain; take four quarts vinegar, two pounds brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls cinnamon, mace, cloves; tie spices in little bags, put all together and boil ten or fifteen minutes.

GERMAN PICKLED PLUMS OR PEACHES.

One pint vinegar, seven pounds plums or peaches, three pounds sugar, one ounce cinnamon (whole), one ounce cloves (whole), a layer of plums, layer of spice, layer of sugar. Have your vinegar scalded and pour over the plums, going through this process for three successive days. Put all in a kettle and let them come to a boil, and they are ready for use.

GREEN TOMATO PICKLE.

Twelve green tomatoes, three large onions. Boil in salt and water and drain, or sprinkle with salt and allow it to stand all night, then drain. Scald in vinegar to which has been added one cup of brown sugar, one stick of cinnamon bark, a few cloves, red pepper to taste.

SPICED GRAPES.

Seven pounds grapes, one pint vinegar, three and one-half pounds sugar (or more if you like), one-half ounce ground cloves, one-half ounce ground cinnamon. Slip the pulp out of the skins, scald it, then pass through a sieve to seed. Then put the juice and skins and all the seasoning together and boil fifteen minutes.

SWEET PICKLE BEETS.

Boil the beets till they can be pierced with a fork; put into cold water, slip off the skins and slice. Boil one quart of vinegar, two cups brown sugar, add sliced beets, a little salt and pepper, boil five or ten minutes, place in cans and close tightly.

UNCOOKED SWEET PICKLES (300).

As pickles are often put up in very warm weather, this recipe will be found especially simple and easy to carry out.

One gallon cider vinegar, one cup granulated sugar, one-third cup salt, one cup freshly grated horseradish (or two five-cent glasses), one-half cup ground mustard, one-third ounce saccharine, two tablespoonfuls mixed spices in each quart jar. Be sure to get in a few red peppers and cloves. Put pickles in jars and fill with above mixture, cold.

Preserves and Jellies

BLACKBERRY JAM.

Press the berries through a colander, add one pound brown sugar to a pint of juice. Let it boil slowly more than half a day.

CHERRY PRESERVES.

Wash the cherries, pick and stone them, then weigh, taking the same amount of sugar as cherries. Let them stand one hour, put on fire and let them boil through thoroughly. Pour on a flat platter and let them stand in the sun until they thicken.

CRAB-APPLE JELLY.

Wash apples, remove blossom and stem ends, put them whole into a porcelain-lined preserving kettle, add cold water to nearly cover apples, cover and cook slowly until soft. Mash and drain through cheese-cloth or coarse sieve. It makes the jelly cloudy to squeeze the apples. Now allow juice to drip through a jelly bag or through two thicknesses of cheese-cloth, boil twenty minutes and add equal quantity of sugar, boil five minutes, skim and turn in glasses. Let the glasses stand in a sunny window twenty-four hours. A sprig of rose geranium dropped in syrup while it is boiling the last time will give the jelly a delicious and unusual flavor.

CURRANT AND RASPBERRY PRESERVES.

Pick over six pounds of currants, wash and drain, put into a preserving kettle a few at a time and mash, cook an hour and strain through double thickness of cheese-cloth. Then return to kettle, add six pounds of sugar, bring to boiling point and cook slowly twenty minutes. Bring syrup to boil again, add one quart of raspberries, skim out raspberries, put in jar, and repeat until raspberries are used. Fill jars with syrup, and screw on tops.

GRAPE JELLY.

Wild grapes make the best jelly, though the other kind are more frequently used. Pick them over, wash and remove stems, put into kettle, heat to boiling point, mash and boil thirty minutes, strain through coarse strainer, then allow juice to drip through a double thickness of cheese-cloth. Measure and boil for five minutes, add equal quantity of heated sugar, boil three minutes, skim and pour into glasses. Stand in sunny window twenty-four hours, cover and keep in cool, dry place.

MARMALADE.

One grapefruit, one orange, one lemon; shave these fine, add five times as much water, let stand over night, then boil ten minutes; let stand until next morning. Add the same quantity of sugar as fruit. Cook until it jellies, and put in glasses.

PLUM COMPOTE.

For this delicious sweet, take six pounds pitted plums (Damson), six pounds granulated sugar, one pound seeded raisins, four large oranges chopped, one pound shelled English walnuts or pecans. Boil to consistency of jelly: Nuts are added just before taking off fire. Roll oranges before removing the rind. Put oranges and juice, also sugar, on the plums and let stand over night. Stir often.

RED RASPBERRY JAM.

One-third red currants, two-thirds raspberries, three-fourths pound sugar to a pound of fruit. Boil until done.

CANDIES

"Yet to my raised imagination, divested of its homelier qualities, it appeared a glorified candy."--Lamb.

BUTTER SCOTCH.

Two cups sugar, two tablespoonfuls water, butter size of egg. Boil without stirring until it hardens on a spoon; pour out on buttered plates to cool.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE.

Two cups sugar, one-fourth cake Baker's bitter chocolate, one cup milk, butter size of an egg, vanilla to flavor. Scrape chocolate, add sugar, milk and butter. Boil until a ball can be formed with fingers in a little cold water. Beat in vanilla, beat until quite stiff. Put in buttered platter. A cup of chopped nuts may be added, if desired.

COCOANUT FUDGE.

Two cups sugar, one cup milk, one box desiccated cocoanut, small lump butter. Cook sugar, milk and butter fifteen minutes, take off the fire, and beat with a spoon. When partly creamed, add cocoanut and one teaspoonful vanilla. Stir well, pour into buttered pan and cut in squares.

CREAM FUDGE.

Two cups sugar, one cup milk, small lump butter. Cook fifteen minutes, set pan in a cool place, and when about half cooled beat with a spoon. Pour when creamy into buttered pan and cut when still warm into squares. Vanilla or any other flavoring improves this fudge.

FONDANT.

Two cups sugar, nine tablespoonfuls water; when it begins to boil, put in one-fourth teaspoonful cream of tartar; do not stir after it begins to boil: In four minutes try by dropping in water; if it balls, take off the stove and let it cool until it wrinkles on top when moved; then stir until you can mold it with the hand. Put in flavor and coloring after you mold it. This will make any kind of candy by using nuts and flavors of different kinds. Lay on greased paper.

FUDGE.

One and one-half pound granulated sugar (equal to three cups), one cup cream, one-half teaspoonful salt; put in saucepan and boil. Nuts, three squares bitter chocolate (Baker's). One heaping tablespoonful butter, one teaspoonful flavoring; cut up cup marshmallows in little squares.

ICE CREAM CANDY.

One pound granulated sugar, one pound pulverized sugar, one cup water, two tablespoonfuls white vinegar, one teaspoonful glycerine. Put all in saucepan; when it begins to boil, quit stirring, put in flavoring, then one-half teaspoonful cream of tartar. After it stops boiling, cool off a little, then pull, lay out on marble slab, cut in squares.

MAPLE CREAM FUDGE.

One and three-fourths cup sugar, three-fourths cup milk, one-third cup maple syrup, butter size of an egg. Mix all ingredients together in an enameled saucepan, boil about ten minutes, beat until almost stiff and pour into buttered platter, mark into squares while warm. Cocoanut or chopped nuts, added while beating, makes a variety.

MEXICAN CANDY.

Two cups brown sugar, one cup granulated sugar, three-fourths teaspoonful cream of tartar, one tablespoonful butter, one teaspoonful vanilla, one-half pound pecans cut in coarse pieces. Boil to a soft state, add butter and vanilla.

MOLASSES CANDY.

One cup molasses, one cup sugar, one tablespoonful vinegar, small lump butter; cook until it hardens in water; pour out, and when cool pull until a light yellow.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE.

Two heaping tablespoonfuls of peanut butter, scant teaspoonful of salt, two cups sugar, one cup milk. Put sugar and milk in saucepan, stir them, add the peanut butter and salt. Stir occasionally while cooking. Should be cooked slowly until a soft ball can be formed if dropped into cup of cold water. Beat vigorously until it begins to stiffen, then pour in butter platter. This makes a delicious, creamy candy, if beaten enough.

PEANUT CANDY.

Two cups brown sugar, one tablespoonful molasses, one teaspoonful vinegar, lump butter. Cook until it hardens in water, and pour over peanuts placed in buttered pans.

PEANUT TAFFY.

Two cups granulated sugar put into a hot spider over a good fire and stirred constantly until entirely dissolved. Use no water. First the sugar will become lumpy, and it will not seem possible that it will become liquid, but patience and constant stirring will produce the desired result. When melted about like molasses, add one cup chopped peanuts and pour quickly into a greased platter. It requires experience to gain best results.

PRALINE.

Three cups brown sugar, one cup water, one cup cream, one cup nuts cut fine, one teaspoonful vanilla. Boil sugar and water until it forms a soft ball, add cream and boil until it forms a soft ball, stirring constantly after adding cream. When cooked enough, beat in the nuts and drop on a greased pan.

SEA FOAM.

Two cups brown sugar, one-half cup water. Boil until it forms a soft ball; add one-half cup nuts cut fine and a little vanilla. Beat until it creams up; drop on greased pan or paper.

TAFFY.

Two cups granulated sugar, one cup water, one tablespoonful water, one tablespoonful vinegar, butter size of a walnut, and a pinch of salt. Boil without stirring till it forms a ball when dropped into cold water. Flavor with vanilla when almost pulled.

WHITE PULLED CANDY.

Two cups sugar, one cup water, one tablespoonful vinegar, one teaspoonful butter. Cook until it hardens in water, pour out, and when cool pull until white.

MISCELLANEOUS

BAKED CHEESE.

Three eggs, one cup bread crumbs, one pint milk (or little over), one-half cup grated cheese, lump of butter size of walnut, pepper and salt to taste. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk fifteen or twenty minutes. Then stir with that the beaten eggs, butter, etc. Put into a buttered baking dish and bake about thirty minutes.

BAKING POWDER.

One pound cream of tartar, one-half pound bicarbonate of soda, one-half pound flour. Sift the soda and flour together several times, then mix in cream of tartar and sift again. Put in glass jar and keep dry.

BANANA FRITTERS.

Prepare batter as for plain fritters. Into this dip the quartered bananas and fry as you would doughnuts. Serve warm with the following sauce: Boil three-fourths pint sweet milk, beat the yolk of one egg and a level teaspoonful flour with sugar enough to make the sauce very sweet. When the milk boils, stir this into it and let it cool. Flavor to taste.

CHEESE STRAWS.

One-half pound of cheese grated, two tablespoonfuls flour and the yolk of two eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and roll in a thin sheet. Cut into tiny rings and strips. Bake, being careful not to burn, as they bake quickly. When ready to serve place three sticks in two rings.

CHESTNUTS.

Cover one quart chestnuts with stock. Add two tablespoonfuls sugar and a pinch of salt, cook until tender. Don't stir. Chestnuts should be quartered.

GELATINE.

One-half box of Cox's gelatine, enough cold water to cover it, let stand a moment, then add a pint or little more of boiling water, two cups sugar, flavoring to taste, turn in mold. Make custard of a pint of milk, three yolks, three tablespoonfuls sugar. When cool, add vanilla and stir in lightly, stiffly beaten whites of eggs.

JELLY.

One package gelatine, one pint cold water, let stand two hours, then pour over it one quart boiling water, one and one-half pound sugar, one pint wine, juice of three lemons; strain it twice through a canton flannel bag. Instead of wine use juice of four lemons, gratings of two.

MINCE MEAT.

Mix together one cup sugar, one cup chopped apple, one-half cup raisins seeded and chopped, one-half cup currants, one-fourth cup butter, one tablespoonful molasses, one tablespoonful boiled cider, one teaspoonful cinnamon, one-half teaspoonful cloves, one-half grated nutmeg, one saltspoonful mace and one teaspoonful salt. Add enough stock, in which meat has been cooked, to moisten; heat slowly to boiling point and let simmer an hour; then add one cup of chopped meat and two tablespoonfuls Barberry jelly. Cook fifteen minutes. If Barberry jelly is not to be obtained, use some other kind.

OATMEAL GRUEL FOR BABIES.

Boil for three hours or more two tablespoonfuls of oatmeal in one quart of water. Reduce liquid to one pint and strain. The long boiling is necessary to break down the cell walls and to make the gruel easy of digestion by the delicate stomach.

TOMATO SAUCE.

Put a tablespoonful butter and one of flour in a saucepan; mix until smooth, add one-half pint strained tomatoes, a bay leaf, one-fourth teaspoonful celery seed. Stir constantly until boiling; add one-half teaspoonful salt, one-quarter teaspoonful paprika. Strain and use.

WELSH RAREBIT.

One-fourth pound grated cheese, one-fourth cup cream or milk, one-half teaspoonful mustard, one-half teaspoonful salt, a little cayenne pepper, one egg, one teaspoonful butter, dry toast. Put cheese and milk or cream in double boiler, mix mustard, salt and cayenne; add egg and beat well. When cheese is melted, stir in mixture of dry ingredients and the egg, then the butter, and cook until it thickens. Stir constantly. Pour it over toast. Moderate heat and constant stirring, two important points.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING.

Beat the yolks of three eggs until light colored and thick; add one-half teaspoonful salt and one pint of milk. Add the mixture slowly to two-thirds cup flour, stir until smooth, then cut and fold in the white of eggs which have been beaten until stiff and dry. Bake in hot, well-greased gem pans forty-five minutes. Baste with drippings.

HELPFUL HINTS

Dredge your cake tins with flour and your cake will not stick to the pan.

Wooden spoons are the best to use when making cakes.

A little butter added to cake frosting greatly improves it.

Moisten grease spots with cold water and soda before scrubbing, as it lightens the task.

To polish hardwood floors, use equal parts of vinegar, turpentine and olive oil, thoroughly mixed: Rub in and polish with soft cloth.

To remove mildew stains, cover spots with lemon juice and salt and let dry in the sun.

Place a piece of wax paper over a knife when cutting butter.

If raisins and currants are rolled in flour before putting in a cake, they will not sink to the bottom.

When cutting fresh bread, have the knife very hot.

Put a pinch of salt in the whites of eggs to make them whip better.

Stains on knives, however obstinate, will disappear if rubbed with a piece of raw potato.

Put a slice of potato in the deep fat when frying doughnuts.

If potatoes are pared and laid in cold water just before boiling, they will be much whiter.

Rice will absorb three times its measure of water and a large quantity of milk or stock.

One ounce of butter equals two level tablespoonfuls.

One ounce of flour equals four tablespoonfuls.

Allow two level teaspoonfuls of baking powder to each cup of flour when no eggs are used.

A USEFUL TABLE.

Three teaspoonfuls equal one tablespoonful.

Four tablespoonfuls equal a quarter cup.

One cup of butter or sugar equals one-half pound.

Two cups of flour equals one-half pound.

One rounded tablespoonful of butter, one ounce.

One quart sifted pastry flour equals one pound.

One pint of granulated sugar equals one pound.

One pint of butter equals one pound.