Part 9

Beat the yelks and whites of the eggs separately. The yelks must be as thick as batter, and the whites perfectly dry.

Add to the yelks half the milk and half the flour, stir it well until the batter is smooth, then add the remainder of the flour and milk.

Warm the butter and stir in and beat the batter thus made till it is light and full of bubbles.

Stir in the salæratus, and lastly the whites--but do not beat it after the whites have been added, as that will make it tough.

Butter tea cups, or an earthen mould, pour in the batter, and bake it in a moderate oven.

Serve with butter and sugar, or any kind of sauce which may be preferred.

They require from half an hour to three-quarters to bake.

SNOW CUSTARD.

314. One quart of milk, Eight eggs, One vanilla bean, or a little grated lemon peel.

Beat the eggs, leaving out the whites of four, add them to the milk. Pound the vanilla bean in a mortar, and mix it with the milk. Pour the whole in your pudding dish, place it in a pan of boiling water, and when the custard is thick set it away to cool.

About fifteen minutes before it is to be served, beat the whites to a dry froth, sweeten with fine white sugar, pile it on the top and send it to the table. If suffered to stand the white of egg will fall.

BOILED CUSTARD.

315. Eight eggs, One quart of milk, Sugar to the taste.

Add the sugar to the milk with any thing to flavor it you choose. Set it over the fire, and as soon as it begins to boil stir in the beaten eggs very gradually--stir all the time one way; as soon as it is thick take it off the fire, or it will curdle. Fill your cups and stand it away to cool. Grate nutmeg over before they are sent to table.

BAKED PEARS.

316. Wash them, put them in a deep pan, strew over plenty of white or brown sugar, and pour very little water in the bottom of the pan. Put them in a moderate oven and let them cook slowly till the fruit is soft. Serve them with cream.

STEWED CHERRIES.

317. Stone some cherries, and to every pound of fruit add half a pound of sugar. When they are done set them away to get cold. Serve them with cream.

BAKED APPLES.

318. Wash the apples, take out the cores, and put them in a deep pan; strew sugar over them, and bake them in a cool oven till they are soft. Serve them with cream.

A piece of lemon peel may be stuck in the centre of each apple before it is set in the oven.

BLACKBERRY MUSH.

319. Put your fruit in a preserving kettle, mash it to a pulp, with sugar enough to make it quite sweet. Set it over the fire, and as it begins to simmer stir in very gradually two tea spoonsful of flour to a quart of fruit. It should be stirred all the time it is boiling. Serve it either warm or cold, with cream.

Raspberries may be cooked in the same way.

RICE DUMPLINGS.

320. Put your rice in a stew-pan, and pour on each cup of rice one gill of milk; stand it near the fire where it will keep hot but not boil. As soon as it has absorbed all the milk, pare your apples, take out the cores, and put the rice around them instead of paste. Boil them until the apple is soft.

They should be tied in dumpling cloths.

GLAZED CURRANTS.

321. Select large ripe bunches of currants, wash them by dipping them in a bowl of cold water, and drain them dry; have ready the whites of two eggs, give them three or four beats, dip the bunches in the egg, place them on a sieve so as not to touch each other, sift powdered sugar over them and place them in a warm place to dry. The whites of the eggs should only be broken, but not beaten till dry, or they will not adhere to the fruit.

GLAZED STRAWBERRIES.

322. Choose large ripe strawberries, pick them off the vines so as the stems may all adhere to the fruit. Dip them one at a time in a vessel of cold water and place them on a sieve to dry. Beat the whites of two or three eggs, according to the quantity of fruit. The egg should be beaten very little or it will not adhere to the fruit, dip the berries in the egg one at a time, place them on a sieve so as not to touch each other, and sift powdered white sugar over them. They are very ornamental to a dessert table. Bunches of grapes, oranges peeled and quartered, or any small fruit may be done in the same manner.

STEWED RIPE PEACHES.

323. Take ripe peaches, cut them in half, and to every pound of fruit allow half a pound of sugar, and half a wine-glass of water. Peel your peaches, sprinkle the sugar over them, and stew them till tender. Stand them away to cool and serve them with cream.

COLD CUSTARD.

324. Sweeten to your taste, one quart of milk with white sugar; stir into it a table spoonful of wine in which a rennet has been soaked; if this does not flavor the milk sufficiently add some more wine without the rennet; or, if the use of wine is an objection, the rennet may be soaked in water. In warm weather one hour before it is to be served will be the proper time to make it, as it is not good if the curd is hard. As soon as the rennet is put into the milk stir it and pour it in cups to coagulate. Or you may serve it in a glass bowl. It is to be eaten with cream.

It may be made as above directed, without the sugar, and served with sweetened cream and grated nutmeg.

APPLE CREAM.

325. Stew half a dozen tender apples, mash them to a pulp; whisk the whites of six eggs till they are very light, and as soon as the apples are cold add them to the eggs with five ounces of pulverized loaf sugar. Whisk the whole till it will stand up when placed on a dish.

Serve it with sweetened cream flavored with lemon, vanilla, or wine.

TEA CAKE.

SHORT CAKES.

326. Half a pound of butter, A pound of flour; cold water to form a dough.

Cut up the butter in the flour, and rub it until they are thoroughly mixed. Roll the dough out in sheets, and cut the cakes with a cutter or tumbler. Serve them hot, split them open, and eat them with butter.

MUFFINS.

327. Four eggs, One quart of milk, Two ounces of butter, One gill of yeast, Salt just to taste, Enough flour to make a batter.

Warm the milk and butter, beat the eggs and stir in the milk, then add flour enough to make a thick batter, add the yeast and set it to rise.

Butter your bake-iron and the inside of your muffin-rings, place the rings on the iron and fill them three parts full of the batter. The iron should not be too hot or they will not be done through. Split or tear them open, butter them, and send them to the table hot.

HARD BISCUITS.

328. Four pounds of flour, Three ounces of butter, Four eggs, Salt to taste, Milk enough to form a dough.

Take out a tea cupful of the flour and set it aside. To the remainder add the butter cut up small, the eggs well beaten, a little salt, and milk enough to form a dough. Knead the dough well, then roll it out, sprinkle over it a portion of the reserved flour, roll it out again and sprinkle on more flour till all the flour is used. Roll it out thin, cut out your cakes, and bake in a moderate oven.

YORKSHIRE BISCUITS.

329. Three pounds of flour, One gill of yeast, A quarter of a pound of butter, Three eggs, Milk enough to form a dough.

Rub the butter and flour together. Beat the eggs and add them, then the yeast and milk to form a dough. Stand it away to rise, when light make it out in biscuits, butter your tins, place the biscuits on them, let them rise again and bake them.

POTATO ROLLS.

330. Four large potatoes boiled, One table spoonful of butter, Salt to the taste, Half a pint of milk, Half a tea cupful of yeast, Flour sufficient to form a dough.

Boil the potatoes, peel and mash them, and while they are hot add the butter and salt, then pour in the milk. When the mixture is lukewarm add the yeast and flour. Knead the dough, set it away to rise, when it is light mould out your rolls, place them on buttered tins, let them rise and bake them.

BRENTFORD ROLLS.

331. Two pounds of flour, Two ounces of powdered sugar, A quarter of a pound of butter, Two eggs, One gill of yeast, Milk enough to form a dough, Salt to taste.

Rub the flour, butter and sugar together; beat the eggs and add with the other ingredients. When light, mould the dough out in rolls, let them rise again, and bake them on tins.

FRENCH ROLLS.

332. One ounce of butter, One pound of flour, One gill of home-made yeast, One egg, Milk enough to make a dough.

Rub the butter through the flour, beat the egg and stir in, then add the yeast, milk, and a little salt. Knead the dough, when it is light mould it out into large biscuits, and bake them on tins.

PARSNIP CAKE.

333. Boil your parsnips till perfectly soft; pass them through a colander. To one tea cupful of mashed parsnip add one quart of warm milk, with a quarter of a pound of butter dissolved in it, a little salt, and one gill of yeast, with flour enough to make a thick batter. Set it away to rise, which will require several hours. When light stir in as much flour as will make a dough, knead it well and let it rise again. Make it out in cakes about a quarter or half an inch thick, butter your tins or pans, put them on and set them to rise. As soon as they are light bake them in a very hot oven. When done wash over the tops with a little water, and send them to the table hot.

These biscuits do not taste of the parsnips.

MARYLAND BISCUITS.

334. One pound of flour, One ounce of butter, As much luke-warm milk as will wet the flour, Salt just to taste.

Rub the butter and flour together thoroughly, add the salt, and lastly just enough milk to form a _very stiff_ dough; knead the dough, then pound it with a rolling-pin. Break the dough in pieces, pound and knead it again, and so on for two or three hours. It will be very smooth and light when kneaded sufficiently.

Make it out in small biscuits and bake in a moderate oven.

WAFFLES.

335. Two eggs, One pint of milk, Half an ounce of butter, Half a gill of yeast, Salt just to taste, As much flour as will form a thick batter.

Warm the milk and butter together; beat the eggs and add them by turns with the flour; stir in the yeast and salt. When they are light, heat your waffle-irons and butter them, pour in some of the batter and brown them on both sides. Butter them and serve them with or without sugar and cinnamon.

WAFFLES WITHOUT YEAST.

336. Three eggs, One pint of milk, One tea spoonful of butter, As much flour as will make a batter.

Beat the yelks and whites separately. Melt the butter, and while lukewarm stir it into the milk. Whisk the yelks very light, add to them the milk and flour alternately, beat it well, lastly stir in the whites, which must be whisked very dry. The batter should not be beaten after the whites are in.

Grease your waffle-irons after having heated them, fill them nearly full of the batter, close them and place them over the fire--turn the irons so as to bake the waffle on both sides--when done take it out and butter it.

These must be baked the moment they are mixed.

BUCKWHEAT CAKES.

337. One pint of buckwheat meal, One quart of water, Salt just to taste, One gill of home-made yeast.

Mix the water (which should be lukewarm if the weather is cold,) with the meal, add the salt and yeast, beat it well; when light bake them on a griddle. Grease the griddle, pour on a little of the batter, spread it so as to form a cake about the size of a breakfast plate. The cakes should be very smooth at the edges. When they are done on one side turn them, when brown on both sides, put some butter on the plate, place the cake on it, butter the top, bake another and put on it, butter it and send them to the table.

Buckwheat cakes are much better if they are sent to the table with only one or two on a plate.

RYE BATTER CAKES

338. One pint of rye meal; to this add enough lukewarm milk to make a thin batter, a little salt just to taste. Beat it well--add a gill of home-made yeast.

When they are light, bake them on a griddle as buckwheat cakes.

GUERNSEY BUNS.

339. One pound of flour, A quarter of a pound of butter, One gill of yeast.

Cut up the butter in the flour and rub it well together. Then add the yeast and as much milk as will form a dough. Let it rise, then make it out in cakes, grease tins or pans, and lay the buns on them; as soon as they rise again bake them in a quick oven.

TOTTENHAM MUFFINS.

340. One quart of flour, Three eggs, One gill of yeast, A table spoonful of butter, Salt to taste, Milk sufficient to form a batter.

Place the butter near the fire where it may dissolve but not get hot.

Beat the eggs till they are thick, add them to the flour, with as much milk as will make a thick batter; stir in the melted butter and salt. Lastly a gill of yeast. Bake in muffin hoops.

CRUMPETS OR FLANNEL CAKES.

341. One pint of milk, One egg, A tea spoonful of butter, Salt to taste, Half a gill of yeast, As much wheat flour as will form a batter.

Warm the milk and butter together; it should be lukewarm but not hot. Beat up the egg and add to it with the salt, then flour enough to form a batter; lastly the yeast. Set it to rise, and when light grease your bake-iron and bake them like buckwheat cakes--butter them and serve them hot.

SCOTCH CRUMPETS.

342. Two eggs, One pint of milk, A tea spoonful of butter, Half a gill of yeast, Salt to taste, As much oatmeal or unbolted flour as will make a batter.

Warm the butter in the milk--it must be merely lukewarm when the eggs are put in. Beat the eggs very light, stir them into the milk, and add as much oatmeal or unbolted flour (the latter is preferable,) as will form a batter, add the salt and yeast, beat it well, and stand it away to rise.

Bake them like buckwheat cakes, butter them and serve hot.

INDIAN FRITTERS.

343. Two tea cupsful of Indian meal, Half a tea-cup of wheat flour, Salt just to taste, Three eggs, Milk enough to form a thick batter.

Mix the Indian meal and salt, stir into this as much milk as will make a thick batter. Whisk the yelks very thick and light and stir into the Indian; then beat the whites to a stiff dry froth, and stir them into the mixture alternately with the flour. Do not beat it after the white is in as that will make it tough.

Have a pan with some hot lard, drop a spoonful of the batter into it, and bake a light brown on both sides. They should be baked as soon as they are mixed, as if suffered to stand they will be heavy.

With a sweet sauce these may be eaten as dessert.

INDIAN SLAPPERS.

344. One pint of Indian meal, One gill of boiling milk, One tea spoonful of butter, Salt just to taste, One gill of wheat flour, Two eggs, One gill of yeast, Milk sufficient to make a batter.

Cut up the butter in the Indian meal, and add the salt, then stir into it the gill of boiling milk. Beat the eggs, and when the meal is cool add them and the wheat flour to it, with as much milk as will form a batter. Then add the yeast. When the batter is light grease your griddle, and bake them as buckwheat cakes.

INDIAN PONE.

345. Put on one quart of water in a pot, as soon as it boils stir in as much Indian meal as will make a _very thin_ batter. Beat it frequently whilst it is boiling, which will require ten minutes. Then take it off, pour it in a pan, and add one ounce of butter, and salt to the taste.

When the batter is lukewarm stir in as much Indian meal as will make it quite thick.

Set it away to rise in the evening; in the morning make it out in small cakes, butter your tins and bake in a moderate oven. Or the more common way is to butter pans, fill them three parts full, and bake them.

This cake requires no yeast.

JOHNNY OR JOURNEY CAKE.

346. One quart of Indian meal, add to this salt to taste, and pour over it as much boiling water as will form a dough.

Take the dough, roll it into balls, press it on a board to form the cake--it should be about the eighth of an inch in thickness. Place the board in front of the fire so as the heat may brown the cakes, turn them, and when brown on both sides, send them to the table.

INDIAN LIGHT CAKE.

347. One pint of Indian meal, One pint of milk, Two eggs, One tea spoonful of butter, Salt to the taste, One tea spoonful of _dissolved_ salæratus.

Mix the butter and salt with the meal; boil half the milk, add the _dissolved_ salæratus and the eggs, after they have been well beaten, to the remaining half of cold milk. Pour the boiling milk over the meal and let it cool. Then add the cold milk and salæratus. Bake it in a shallow pan.

INDIAN MUFFINS, No. 1.

348. One pint of Indian meal, One pint of wheat meal, Two eggs, One gill of yeast, Salt to the taste, As much milk as will make a batter.

Pour as much boiling milk over the Indian meal as will wet it. Beat the eggs very light and add them alternately with the cold milk and flour. Lastly stir in the yeast and salt.

They may be baked in pans or rings, as soon as they rise.

INDIAN MUFFINS, No. 2.

349. One quart of corn meal, Half a gill of yeast, Two eggs, Salt to the taste, Half an ounce of butter.

Cut up the butter into the meal, and pour on it enough boiling milk to form a thick batter; set it away to cool. Whisk the eggs very light and add to the batter, then the yeast and salt.

Butter square tins, fill them three parts full, and bake in a quick oven. Or they may be baked in rings as wheat muffins.

INDIAN MEAL BREAKFAST CAKES.

350. One quart of Indian meal, Two eggs, A tea spoonful of dissolved salæratus, Half an ounce of butter, Salt to taste, Milk sufficient to make a thick batter.

Beat the eggs very thick and light. Cut up the butter in the meal, then pour over it enough boiling water to wet it. When it is cool add the eggs and salt; pour the dissolved salæratus into the milk, and add as much milk as will make it into a thick batter.

Butter square tin pans, fill them but about two-thirds and bake in a quick oven. When done cut them into squares and serve hot.

MILK BISCUITS.

351. A quarter of a pound of butter, One quart of milk, One gill of yeast, As much flour as will form the dough, A little salt.

Stir flour into the milk so as to form a very thick batter, and add the yeast, this is called a sponge. This should be done in the evening; in the morning cut up the butter, and set it near the fire where it will dissolve but not get hot; pour the melted butter into the sponge, then stir in enough flour to form a dough, knead it well and stand it away to rise. As soon as it is perfectly light, butter your tins, make out the dough in small cakes, and let them rise. When they are light bake them in a _very_ quick oven, take them out, wash the tops over with water and send them to the table hot.

SALLY LUNN, No. 1.

352. Two pounds of flour, Half a pound of butter, Three eggs, One pint of milk, Half a gill of yeast, Salt to taste.

Cut up the butter in the flour, and with your hands rub it well together. Beat the eggs and add them gradually to the flour alternately with the milk. Stir in the yeast and salt.

Bake it in an earthen mould or iron pan one hour.

SALLY LUNN, No. 2.

353. A quarter of a pound of butter, A pound of flour, Two eggs, Salt to taste, Half a gill of yeast, Milk to make a soft dough.

Cut up the butter and warm it in a little milk; when the milk is lukewarm stir it into the flour with the eggs beaten light, and the yeast. Butter your cake mould, and set it near the fire to rise. When perfectly light bake it in a moderate oven.

It is always eaten hot.

WATER TOAST.

354. Toast some slices of bread, pound the crust to soften it, butter it well on both sides: have a vessel of boiling water with a little salt in it. On each slice of bread put one table spoonful of the boiling water. Serve it hot.

MILK TOAST.

355. Slice some bread, toast it of a nice light brown on both sides. Boil a pint of milk; mix together two tea spoonsful of flour in a little cold water; stir this into the boiling milk. Let it boil about one minute, then add a little salt and stir into it two ounces of butter. Dip the toast in the milk, place it on a dish, and pour the remainder of the milk over it.

The toast may be made much richer by increasing the quantity of butter.

MUSH CAKES.

356. One quart of milk, A quarter of a pound of butter, Half a pint of yeast, Salt to taste, Indian meal sufficient to thicken the milk, Flour enough to make a dough.

Boil the milk, and stir into it as much Indian meal mixed with cold milk as will make a mush as thick as batter, add the butter and salt while the mush is hot. As soon as it becomes lukewarm stir in the yeast and as much flour as will form a dough; cover it and stand it to rise. When light make it out into biscuits, put them in buttered pans, and as soon as they rise again bake them in a hot oven. These cakes are very nice.

RICE WAFFLES.

357. One gill of rice, Three gills of flour, Salt just to taste, One ounce of butter, Three eggs, As much milk as will make it a thick batter.

Boil the rice in very little water until it is soft; drain it and mash it fine. Then add the butter to the rice whilst it is warm; whisk the eggs very light, the yelks and whites separately, add the yelks to the rice, and as much milk as will form a batter. Beat the whole very hard, then stir the whites of the eggs gently into the mixture. Grease your waffle-irons and bake them. If the batter should be too thin, add a little more flour.

BUTTERMILK CAKES.

358. Take one pint of buttermilk and stir into it as much flour as will form a dough, with one table spoonful of dissolved carbonate of ammonia. Roll the dough out in sheets, cut the cakes, and bake them in a moderate oven. The carbonate of ammonia may be obtained at any of the druggists; it is the common smelling-salts, without any of the aromatic drugs. It never imparts any taste to the food, as the heat disengages the carbonic acid gas and the ammonia.

INDIAN METLAND.

359. One pint of milk, The yelk of one egg and whites of two, Half an ounce of butter, Salt to the taste, Indian meal enough to make a batter.

Warm the milk and butter together, beat the yelk of the egg, stir it into the milk, then add the meal. Lastly whisk the whites till they are very dry, and stir them in gently. Butter a square pan, pour in the batter, and bake in a moderate oven. When done cut it in squares and serve hot.

CREAM OF TARTAR CAKES.

360. One pint of milk, One ounce of butter, Three pints of flour, Three tea spoonsful of cream of tartar, One tea spoonful of carbonate of soda or salæratus.

Rub the butter in the flour, add the cream of tartar; dissolve the salæratus in the milk and add it to the flour. Roll out the dough, cut it in cakes and bake them on tins in a moderately hot oven.

CAKES.

In the manufacture of cakes it is of very great importance that the materials be of a good quality. It is better to make a plain cake of good materials than a richer one of those of an inferior quality.

Eggs should be beaten in a broad pan until they are _thick_, the yelks when whisked alone will be as thick as batter. The whites when beaten by themselves, should be dry and frothy, and appear full of small white grains. For most cakes the fine white pulverized sugar is best.

The flour should always be sifted, as it renders the cakes lighter.

Never warm butter in the pan it is to be beaten in, as it will be likely to make your cake heavy. If the weather is cold let the butter stand in the warm kitchen some time and it will be soft enough, the action of beating the butter and sugar, and the friction produced, softens the butter sufficiently.

Never beat cakes with your hand, the warmth of the hand will make them streaked. Always use a wooden ladle for butter and sugar, or batter, and rods or switches for eggs.

FRUIT OR PLUM CAKE, No. 1.