Part 6

3 eggs, 1 pint milk, bay leaf or vanilla.

Beat up the eggs, taking out the treads (little white lumps). Pour the milk over the eggs, sweeten and flavour to taste, place in a greased pie-dish, and bake about 1 hour. If liked, a penny sponge cake cut in halves may be placed in the bottom of the pie-dish.

Derby Pudding. Time—2½ hours.

2 eggs, their weight in flour, weight of one egg in castor sugar, 3 oz. butter, 1 tablespoonful jam, small ½-teaspoonful carbonate of soda, 1 oz. glacé cherries or candied peel.

Butter a pudding-mould and ornament it with the cherries or candied peel. Cream the butter and sugar together, add the well-beaten eggs, mix the carbonate of soda and flour together and stir into the other ingredients; lastly add the jam and mix all together. Pour into the prepared mould and cover with a sheet of greased paper. Steam for 2 hours and serve hot with a sweet sauce over it.

Macaroni Pudding. Time—1 hour.

¼ lb. Naples macaroni, 2 oz. brown sugar, flavouring to taste, 1 pint milk, 1 egg, salt.

Break up the macaroni into small pieces, throw them into boiling water with plenty of salt. Boil about ½ hour, strain off the water, and put the macaroni into a greased pie-dish. Beat up the egg, add the sugar, flavouring and milk. Pour this on to the macaroni, mix all together, and bake about 25 minutes.

New Year Tartlets. Time—1 hour.

Enough rough puff pastry to line twelve patty-pans, 3 tablespoonfuls jam, 2 eggs, weight of 1 egg in butter, sugar and flour, ½ teaspoonful baking-powder, few drops flavouring.

_Icing._—½ lb. loaf sugar, 1 gill water, few drops rose-water.

Line the patty-pans with pastry, put into each a little jam without stones; cream the butter and sugar together, add the eggs, then the flour, baking-powder and flavouring, beat for 10 minutes. Place a layer of this mixture over the jam, bake in a hot oven from 15 to 20 minutes. Boil the loaf sugar with the water for 10 minutes, add the rose-water, turn into a basin, and when cool stir the syrup round and round until it looks milky white. Spread it over the top of the tartlets, smooth it flat with a knife dipped in hot water, then put the tartlets in a cool oven for a few minutes for the icing to harden.

Pancakes.

See page 48, but use milk instead of water.

Queen of Puddings. Time—2½ hours.

3 oz. bread-crumbs, 4 oz. castor sugar, 1 oz. butter, ½ pint milk, 1 lemon, jam, 2 yolks, 3 whites of egg.

Beat the yolks of the eggs well, and add to them the bread-crumbs, 2 oz. sugar, the butter melted, milk and grated lemon-peel. Fill a pie-dish three-parts full with these ingredients and bake 1 hour. When nearly cold, spread a layer of jam on the top; beat the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, add 2 oz. sugar and the lemon-juice, pour over the top of the jam, and slightly brown it in a cool oven. Serve hot or cold.

Rice Pudding. Time—2¼ hours.

1½ oz. rice, 1 pint milk, 1 tablespoonful brown sugar, 1 oz. butter, grated nutmeg or cinnamon to taste.

Grease a pie-dish, wash the rice and put it into the dish with the sugar. Pour 3 gills of milk over it, sprinkle the top with the nutmeg or cinnamon and small pieces of butter, and bake in a moderate oven about 2 hours. Add the remaining gill of milk by degrees, as the rice swells.

_Tapioca and Sago Puddings_ are made in the same way, but the grain should be soaked in cold water first.

Sweet Omelet. Time—10 minutes.

2 yolks of eggs, 2 or 3 whites of eggs, 1 dessertspoonful castor sugar, flavouring, ½ oz. butter.

Cream the yolks with the sugar, then add the whites beaten to a stiff froth, melt the butter in a small frying-pan. Add the flavouring (vanilla, lemon, etc.) to the eggs, mix well, pour into the frying-pan, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, double it and shake it off on to a hot plate. While the omelet is cooking, pass a knife round the edges of it and shake the pan to keep it from sticking.

Cheap Trifle. Time—½ hour.

3 sponge cakes, jam, juice of 1 lemon, ½ pint of milk, 1 egg, 1 dessertspoonful cornflour, 1 oz. loaf sugar.

Cut the sponge cakes in halves, spread them with jam, place them on a dish and sprinkle the lemon juice over them (sherry may be used if preferred). Put the milk and sugar on to boil, beat the egg and cornflour up together, and pour the boiling milk on to them; then stir the mixture over the fire till it thickens, but do not let it boil. When the custard is thick enough, pour it over the sponge cakes, and set the dish aside to cool. Decorate if liked with preserved fruit.

Yorkshire Pudding.

This can be made with milk instead of water, as on page 51, and eaten with sugar or treacle. The same applies to _Batter Pudding_.

BREAKFAST DISHES.

Cauliflower au Gratin. Time—¾ hour.

1 cauliflower, 1 oz. butter, 1 oz. flour, 1 gill water, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls cream or ½ pint milk, 2 oz. grated cheese; pepper, salt, and a little cayenne to taste.

Boil the cauliflower, remove all the green leaves, put it in a pudding-basin which has been greased and sprinkled with raspings, with the flower upwards, and press it into shape. Melt the butter, mix the flour in smoothly, add the water and stir well over the fire for 5 minutes, then add the cream or milk, the seasoning and half the grated cheese, and heat the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Brown it in a quick oven.

Chocolate. Time—½ hour.

4 oz. chocolate, 2 gills water, 1 pint milk.

Grate the chocolate, put it in the saucepan with the water, set it on the fire and stir with a wooden spoon till the mixture becomes rather thick, then work it very quickly for a few minutes with the spoon. Stir in the boiling milk gradually and serve.

Cocoa. Time—10 minutes.

2 teaspoonfuls cocoa, 1 teaspoonful cold water or milk, 1 teacupful boiling water or milk.

Mix the cocoa to a smooth paste with the cold water, pour the boiling water gradually over it, and boil it for 3 minutes.

Cocoa Nibs. Time—6 hours.

½ lb. cocoa nibs, 2 quarts water.

Crush the nibs with a rolling pin, then place them in a saucepan with the cold water, and bring to the boil. Draw to the side of the fire, and simmer gently about 5 hours, occasionally skimming off the oil which rises to the top. Strain, add about an equal quantity of milk, re-heat and serve.

Coffee in a Jug.

1 pint boiling water, 2 heaped tablespoonfuls ground coffee.

Scald a jug, which has a lid, with hot water, then put in the coffee, and pour the boiling water on to it. Put on the lid, and let the coffee draw 5 minutes close to the fire. Clear it, by pouring a little into a cup and pouring it back 3 times, or by adding a small teacupful of cold water. Then let the jug stand 10 minutes in a hot place, where it will almost simmer. Serve with boiling milk, and sugar to taste.

Coffee in a Coffee-Pot.

Scald the coffee-pot with hot water. Put the coffee in above the strainer, pour the boiling water over it very gradually, and while it is running through, place the pot where it will keep very hot. As soon as all the water has run through, serve with boiling milk, and sugar to taste. Use 1 heaped teaspoonful for each person and 1 extra.

Coddled Eggs. Time—5 minutes.

Eggs should not be _boiled_, because this process hardens the outside quickly, before cooking the yolk thoroughly. Carefully put the egg into boiling water with a spoon, place the saucepan near the fire, where the water cannot boil, but is near to boiling point. Take it out after 5 minutes.

_Hard-boiled Eggs_: Place the eggs in a saucepan in cold water, bring to the boil and let them cook 12 minutes; then put them immediately into a basin of cold water to keep them a good colour.

Fried Eggs. Time—10 minutes.

2 eggs, 1 oz. butter; pepper and salt to taste.

Make the butter hot in a frying-pan, break the eggs into a cup and slip them carefully in without breaking the yolks, and fry 3 or 4 minutes. Take them out with a slice and serve hot.

Poached Eggs. Time—10 minutes.

1 egg, buttered toast, salt, ½ pint water, 1 teaspoonful vinegar.

Put the water with salt and vinegar into a shallow saucepan where the water cannot boil, but is near to boiling point. Break the egg into a cup, and slip it gently into the water. Let it remain till the white is set. Take it out carefully with a small slice, trim the edges, and place it on a piece of buttered toast, with pepper and salt to taste.

Savoury Eggs. Time—½ hour.

4 eggs, 1 oz. butter, ½ teaspoonful anchovy sauce, a little cayenne pepper.

Boil the eggs hard, when cold shell them, halve them, take out the yolks. Beat the yolks up smooth with the butter, anchovy sauce and pinch of cayenne. Fill the white halves with this paste, cut off the ends, stand each half on a round of bread-and-butter, and ornament with cress or parsley.

_Another Way._—4 hard-boiled eggs, 1 oz. butter, 1 teaspoonful chopped tarragon, beetroot cut into fancy shapes, mustard and cress.

Halve the eggs, take out the yolks, mix these smoothly with the butter and tarragon. Fill the whites with the mixture, ornament with beetroot, and arrange on a dish with the cress round.

Stewed Peas and Eggs. Time—¾ hour.

¼ peck peas, 1 dessertspoonful oil, 1 small onion, 1 teacupful boiling water, 2 lumps sugar, a little fresh mint, 3 eggs; salt and pepper to taste.

Fry the onion in the oil, with some salt and pepper. Pick the peas over carefully, wash and drain them, put them in the saucepan with the oil and onion, add the water, sugar and mint. Cook till the peas are tender (about ½ hour), then break the eggs into a cup, and slip them carefully on to the peas. Cook till they are set, and dish up.

Stirred or Buttered Eggs. Time—10 minutes.

2 eggs, 1 oz. butter, salt and pepper to taste, 2 slices hot buttered toast.

Break the eggs into a small stew-pan, add the salt, pepper and butter. Put the stew-pan over a moderate fire, and stir with a wooden spoon, keeping every particle in motion, until the whole has become a smooth and delicate thickish paste. Pour the eggs on to the toast, and serve at once.

Hominy. Time—3¼ hours.

The day before it is required, place half a teacupful of hominy in a basin with 1 pint of water and a good pinch of salt. Put it in a moderate oven to soak for 3 hours, adding more water if required. Next morning warm it up with about ½ pint of milk, and add sugar to taste.

Macaroni Cheese—¾ hour.

¼ lb. macaroni, ½ pint milk, 3 oz. grated cheese, 1 oz. butter, ½ oz. flour; salt and a little cayenne pepper to taste.

Put the macaroni with one teaspoonful salt into boiling water and boil till tender, about 20 minutes; take it out, cut it up into lengths of about 2 inches, and throw the water away; melt the butter, stir in the flour, add the milk and seasoning. Boil well, put in the macaroni, let it cool a little, then add half the cheese. Place in a pie-dish, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake 10 minutes.

Mushrooms. Time—¾ hour.

½ lb. mushrooms, ½ pint milk, 1 oz. butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 tablespoonful mushroom ketchup, pepper and salt to taste.

Wash and peel the mushrooms and cut them into pieces. Stew them about ½ hour in the milk, add the flour, the butter melted, ketchup, pepper and salt, and serve on toast.

_Another Way._—Peel the mushrooms, put them in a pie-dish with 1 oz. butter, pepper and salt, and bake about 20 minutes.

Risotto.

1½ pint water, ¼ lb. Carolina rice, 1 gill tomato purée, 2 oz. grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste, 1 oz. butter.

Bring the water to the boil in a large stew-pan, shower the rice in, replace the lid without stirring the rice and put it where it will keep boiling for ½ hour. Then mix the tomato purée and butter into it and 1 oz. of the cheese, season with pepper and salt, and serve very hot with cheese sprinkled over the top.

Porridge. Time—45 minutes.

2 oz. coarse oatmeal, ¼ teaspoonful salt, 1 pint water, milk and sugar.

When the water boils fast, add the salt, then sprinkle in the oatmeal. Boil gently 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then let it simmer 30 minutes more, stirring often. Turn into hot soup-plates, and serve with milk and sugar, or with golden syrup.

Salmagundy. Time—½ hour.

1 Dutch herring, 1 onion, ½ pint vinegar, a little allspice, ginger, and pepper.

Wash the herring, remove the flesh from the bones, lay it in a dish, and put a few slices of onion on it. Boil the vinegar with the spice, and when cold, pour it over the herring.

Savoury Omelet. Time—10 minutes.

2 eggs, 1 oz. butter, a pinch of salt and of pepper, ½ teaspoonful chopped parsley, ½ teaspoonful chopped herbs.

Melt the butter in a small frying-pan, beat up the eggs in a basin with the parsley, herbs, pepper and salt. Pour the mixture into the pan, allow it to cook for 2 or 3 minutes; double it and shake it off on to a hot plate. While the omelet is cooking, pass a knife round the edges of it, and shake the pan to keep it from sticking.

Tea.

Scald the tea-pot. Allow 1 teaspoonful of tea to each person, and one extra. When the water boils, pour off the water with which the pot was scalded, put in the tea, and pour boiling water over it. Let it draw 3 minutes. Tea should never be allowed to remain on the leaves. If not drunk as soon as it is drawn, it should be poured off into another hot tea-pot, or into a hot jug, which should stand in hot water.

Toast.

Cut a slice of stale bread about ⅓ inch thick. Dry each side ½ minute before the fire, then toast quickly before a clear fire. Put small pieces of butter all over the slice of toast, and when these are melted, smooth them over it. This will leave the toast deliciously crisp, as none of the surface will have been scraped off.

Fried Tomatoes. Time—15 minutes.

1 lb. tomatoes, 2 oz. butter.

Cut the tomatoes in halves. Heat the butter in the frying-pan, and fry the tomatoes till tender. Place them on a hot dish, and pour the liquor over them.

Welsh Rarebit. Time—10 minutes.

1 oz. grated cheese, 1 oz. butter, 1 teaspoonful made mustard, 2 slices buttered toast.

Melt the cheese, butter, and mustard together in a stew-pan, stirring well with a wooden spoon; pour over the hot buttered toast. Serve very hot.

BREAD AND BISCUITS.

African Shoots or Shrewsbury Biscuits. Time—½ hour.

¼ lb. butter, ¼ lb. castor sugar, ½ lb. flour, 1 egg, a few drops flavouring (essence of lemon, vanilla, &c.).

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, add to them the flavouring and the egg, well beaten, mix all well together, then stir the flour in smoothly. Pass the paste through a biscuit-forcer on to a greased tin, or turn it on to a floured board, roll it out as thin as possible, and cut it into rounds with a cutter or tumbler. Place the biscuits on a greased tin, and bake 20 minutes.

Bola. Time—2½ hours.

_Crust_: 1 lb. dough, ½ lb. butter, 1 oz. brown sugar. _Inside_: 4 oz. ground almonds, ½ oz. ground cinnamon, ½ lb. brown sugar, ½ lb. candied peel, 1 egg.

Shred the peel, and mix in the sugar, spice, almonds, and egg. Rub the butter well into the dough, sweeten it, roll it out thin, cut off a strip, and line the inside of a greased tin with it. Spread the inside mixture smoothly over the remainder of the dough with a knife, roll up like a roly-poly pudding; cut it into four pieces, and fill the tin, placing the cut ends upwards. Bake about ¼ hour in a hot oven, then 1¼ hour in a cooler part of the oven. When nearly baked, make holes, and pour in clarified sugar.

Bread. Time—4 hours.

3½ lbs. flour, 1 oz. yeast, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful castor sugar, 1½ pint tepid water.

Put the yeast and sugar into a basin, and cream them together with a wooden spoon till liquid, then add the tepid water. Pass the flour through a sieve, put it in a large basin, make a well in the centre, pour in the yeast and water, work in a little flour from the sides, cover with paper, and set it in a warm place (on the fender) to rise 20 minutes. Then work in the remainder of the flour with the hand, till the dough is smooth, and set to rise 2 hours. Then turn on to a floured board, and knead for a ¼ hour. Divide the dough into two pieces. For tin loaves, flour the tins, put in the dough, prick the top, and set to rise once more ¼ hour. For cottage loaves, cut each piece again into two, one piece twice as large as the other, form into balls with the hand, put the small one on the top of the large one, and make a hole in the top with the finger. Bake in the hottest part of the oven ¼ hour, then remove to a cooler part for 1½ hour. If the loaf sound hollow when tapped, it is done.

Unfermented Bread. Time—20 minutes.

½ lb. flour, good teaspoonful of baking-powder, a good pinch of salt.

Mix the powder with the flour, then add sufficient water to make a dough, knead for 5 minutes, and bake 15 minutes in a quick oven.

Buns. Time—3¼ hours.

1 pint milk, 1 oz. yeast, ½ lb. flour, 1 teaspoonful castor sugar.

Rub the flour through a sieve, cream the yeast and sugar together and add lukewarm milk. Strain this mixture into the flour, and beat well. Cover the basin with paper and set in a warm place (on the fender) to rise for 1 hour.

_In another basin put_: 1¼ lb. flour, ¼ lb. butter, 2 oz. candied peel, 2 eggs, ¼ lb. sultanas or currants, ¼ lb. sugar.

When the sponge in the first basin has risen, beat in all the dry ingredients from the second basin with 2 eggs. Thoroughly mix and beat them for about 5 minutes. Set this sponge to rise again for about 1½ hour. Then shape the mixture into buns and bake on a greased tin for ½ hour. When cooked and while still hot, brush them over with a little milk and sugar to glaze them.

Butter Cakes. Time—½ hour.

¾ lb. flour, ½ lb. butter, ½ lb. brown sugar; cinnamon to taste; 2 eggs.

Rub the butter into the flour, add the sugar and cinnamon; beat up the eggs, and form the whole into a paste; roll out rather thin, cut into rounds with a cutter or a tumbler, and bake till crisp on a greased tin.

Candied Peel Drops. Time—¾ hour.

½ lb. flour, 3 oz. butter, 3 oz. brown sugar, 3 oz. candied peel, 1 egg, ½ teaspoonful baking-powder, ½ gill milk.

Pass the flour through a sieve, rub in the butter, add the sugar, the peel cut up fine, and the baking-powder. Beat up the egg with the milk, and mix with the flour to a stiff paste. With two forks drop small pieces on to a greased tin, and bake about ¼ hour.

Light Chocolate Cake. Time—1¼ hour.

2 oz. grated chocolate, 3 or 4 oz. fine flour, 6 eggs, 6 oz. sifted sugar, a few drops vanilla; raspings.

Beat the yolks of the eggs with the vanilla, whisk the whites to a stiff froth, drop the yolks slowly into the whites, beating all the time; then add gradually the sugar, chocolate, and lastly the flour, and _only_ beat till they are well-mixed. Grease a cake-tin, sprinkle it with raspings (see page x.), turn the mixture into it, and bake at once in a well-heated oven for 1 hour; turn the cake on to a sieve, and stand on its side to cool.

Cocoanut Drops. Time—20 minutes.

1 tablespoonful sifted sugar, white of 1 egg, 1 grated cocoanut, a few drops of rose-water.

Beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth, then add the sugar, rose-water, and sufficient cocoanut to form a thick paste. Shape into little sugar-loaves, and bake a few minutes till crisp outside. The cocoanut may be replaced by grated _chocolate_.

Cornflour Cake. Time—1 hour.

2 oz. flour, ¼ lb. cornflour, ¼ lb. castor sugar, 2 oz. butter, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful baking-powder.

Beat the butter to a cream, add the sugar, and mix well; add the eggs, and beat all well together; stir in lightly the flour, cornflour, and baking-powder and beat all well for 5 minutes. Half-fill a greased cake-tin with the mixture, and place it at once in a hot oven to bake for ½ hour. Turn the cake on to a sieve, and stand on its side to cool.

Dough Cake. Time—1¼ hour.

1 lb. dough, ¼ lb. sugar, ¼ lb. currants or sultanas, 2 oz. butter, 1 oz. candied peel, 1 egg.

Wash and dry the currants, chop the peel, then mix these well into the dough; beat the egg, add the butter to it, and beat all the ingredients well together. Grease a tin, turn the mixture into it, and bake about 40 minutes.

Hanucah Cakes. Time—½ hour.

¼ lb. butter, ¼ lb. brown sugar, ½ lb. flour, 2 eggs, ¼ lb. loaf sugar, crushed.

Pass the flour through a sieve, rub in the butter, then add the brown sugar and 1 whole egg, well beaten. Roll out ¼ inch thick, cut rings, brush over with egg, toss in the crushed sugar, and bake on a greased tin about ¼ hour in a quick oven.

Lemon Cheese-cake Mixture. Time—¼ hour.

3 eggs, 2 oz. butter, 6 oz. castor sugar, rind of one and juice of 2 lemons.

Beat up the eggs, add to them the sugar, lemon-juice and rind; melt the butter in a saucepan, add the other ingredients to it, and simmer gently till the mixture thickens, stirring all the time. This mixture can be used like jam, and will keep some time.

Oatmeal Biscuits. Time—¾ hour.

5 oz. flour, 7 oz. oatmeal, 1 oz. castor sugar, 3 oz. butter, ¼ teaspoonful baking-powder, 1 egg.

Melt the butter, mix the flour, sugar, oatmeal, and baking-powder, together; stir in the melted butter. Break the egg into a teacup, beat it up with a little water, and stir it into the other ingredients to form a paste. Turn the paste on to a board, and roll it out very thin, cut it into rounds with a cutter or tumbler, place the biscuits on a greased tin and bake 20 minutes.

Orange Cake. Time—1 hour.

The weight of 2 eggs in butter, sugar and flour; part of the juice and all the rind of 1 orange and a little baking-powder.

Cream the butter and sugar together about 5 minutes, add the orange-peel and 1 egg, and part of the flour. Use part of the juice for the cake, and the rest for the icing. Stir in the juice and baking-powder, add the rest of the ingredients, grease and sugar the tin, fill it ⅓ and bake ½ hour.

_Icing_, 1 tablespoonful water to ¼ lb. best icing sugar and orange juice. Stand this in a cup of warm water, and when liquid pour over the cake.

Plum Loaf. Time—¾ hour.

½ lb. flour, 1 tablespoonful of baking-powder, salt, 2 oz. currants, milk.

Wash and dry the currants, mix the dry ingredients well together, add sufficient milk to make a stiff paste, then knead well on a floured board. Form into shapes, brush over with milk, flour a tin, and bake in a hot oven ½ hour. If the rolls sound hollow when tapped, they are done.

Scones. Time—¾ hour.

1 lb. flour, ½ pint milk, 3 oz. butter, 3 teaspoonfuls baking-powder, 1 oz. sugar.

Rub the butter into the flour, add the baking-powder and sugar, and form into a smooth paste with lukewarm milk. Roll the paste out 1½ inch thick, cut it into triangles, and bake on a greased tin ½ hour. When half done, brush over with milk.

Spanish Biscuits. Time—½ hour.

1 lb. flour, 3 oz. sifted sugar, 1 tablespoonful baking-powder, 3 dessertspoonfuls salad oil, 1 dessertspoonful orange-flower water. Enough cold water to make it into a stiff paste.

Mix the ingredients, break off small pieces, shape them into rings, notching out all round with a sharp knife, place them on a hot tin and bake them in a hot oven.

Spice Cakes. Time—½ hour.

6 oz. flour, 4 oz. castor sugar, 1 oz. butter, 1 teaspoonful baking-powder, 1 teaspoonful nutmeg or cinnamon, ½ gill water, 1 egg.

Whisk the egg and sugar to a stiff batter, and add the water. Mix the flour, baking-powder and spice together, and stir lightly into the batter, then add the butter melted. Half fill small greased patty-pans, and bake in a sharp oven.

Vinegar Cake. Time—2 hours.

½ lb. flour, 2 oz. butter, ¼ lb. brown sugar, ¼ lb. currants, ¼ teaspoonful carbonate of soda, 1 dessertspoonful vinegar, 1 gill milk, ½ teaspoonful baking-powder, 1 teaspoonful cinnamon.