Part 6

Beat to a cream two tea-cups full of sugar, and one of butter; add half a pound of currants floured, one glass of rose water, and six eggs beaten separately; dissolve one teaspoonful of soda, and three of cream of tartar in a little cream; and add, just before putting the cake in the pan, flour enough to make a stiff batter.

POUND CAKE.

Beat to a cream one pound of butter, with one pound of sugar; separate ten eggs, and beat them very light; have a pound of flour sifted; add the eggs and flour alternately; beat till the cake looks light just before going in the pan; put in a glass of brandy, rose water or lemon peel, or anything you prefer. This cake will take an hour and three quarters to bake.

PLUM OR FRUIT CAKE.

Fruit cake is made as the above; with the addition of a pound of currants, a pound of raisins, and half a pound of citron; flour the currants, raisins, and citron before putting them in. Raisins should always be seeded.

A VERY CHEAP CAKE.

One tin cup full of flour, with two teaspoonsful of cream of tartar sifted with the flour; a piece of butter the size of an egg, half a cup full of sugar rubbed in the butter, and half of a teaspoonful of soda; dissolve in a small cup full of milk; bake in a pound cake form.

RUSKS.

Take a pint of milk, a quarter of a pound of butter; warm the butter in the milk with half a tea-cup full of sugar; stir in enough flour to make a very soft dough; beat three eggs very light, and add; lastly, put in a tea-cup full of yeast; do not beat it or any cake after the yeast goes in; set it in a warm place to rise; when light add more flour by stirring it in, but do not beat it; let it rise again; flour your board, and pour out your dough; cut in cakes, and put in pans; handle as little as possible, and do not put any more flour to them; set them to rise again, and as soon as light, bake.

TO MAKE COCOA-NUT CAKE.

To two whites of egg, take one cocoa-nut; after it has been peeled and grated, sugar to the taste; make them high in middle, and bake a few minutes.

COCOA-NUT AND ALMOND CAKE.

Blanch half a pound of almonds, and pound them in a mortar, with a little rose water, to prevent them oiling; add an equal quantity of grated cocoa-nut, three whites of eggs beaten to a froth, and sugar to the taste; bake ten minutes.

LADY CAKE.

Beat to a stiff froth the whites of ten eggs, add one pound of loaf sugar, blanch half a pound of almonds, and pound them very well with some rose water; beat to a cream a quarter of a pound of butter, then add the sugar; stir in alternately with half a pound of flour, the eggs and the almonds; bake one hour and a half.

SMALL ALMOND CAKE.

Blanch and pound, with rose water, a quarter of a pound of almonds; beat very stiff the whites of four eggs; add three tablespoonsful of rice-flour, and sugar to the taste; bake in fancy shapes on buttered paper, in a slow oven, ten minutes.

DROP CAKE.

Beat to a cream half a pound of butter, and a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar; three eggs and the third of a cup of cream, half a pound of flour, rose water to the taste; drop them in buttered pans, and bake fifteen minutes. If preferred, they can be seasoned with chocolate.

FEDERAL CAKE.

Two pounds of flour, one pound of sugar, three quarters of butter, four eggs, the juice of one lemon, three teaspoonsful of cream of tartar, sifted with the flour, one of soda; dissolve in milk enough to make a dough; cut the cakes in the shape of a diamond.

HARD GINGERBREAD.

One and a half pounds of flour, half a pound of butter, half a pound of sugar, a pint of molasses, a tea-cup full of ginger, a tablespoonful of ground orange peel, and cloves; roll them very thin, and bake.

BUTTER DROPS.

One quarter of a pound of butter, one pound of flour, two spoonsful of rose water, three eggs, well beaten, a little nutmeg; dissolve a small lump of pearlash in a little milk, and stir in just before baking; drop them on tins, and bake.

OHIO CAKES.

One and three-quarters of a pound of flour, three-quarters of a pound of sugar, four eggs, five tablespoonsful of thick cream, and a teaspoonful of soda; spice to your taste. Roll them about a quarter of an inch thick, and bake.

SUGAR CAKES.

Three pounds of flour, and half a pound of sugar, thirteen ounces of butter, and a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in half a pint of water; rub the butter in the flour; mix the sugar and water, then knead all well together; roll thin, and bake.

ANOTHER COCOA-NUT CAKE.

One pound of cocoa-nut, one pound of flour, three quarters of a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, six eggs, well beaten; mix all together, and bake.

NEW YORK COOKIES.

Two pounds flour, one of sugar, one quarter of a pound of butter, a large cup full of milk, a teaspoonful of soda, two of cream of tartar, two tablespoonsful of caraway seeds; roll them, and bake on tins.

DIAMOND CAKES.

Beat to a cream half a pound of butter, and the same of sugar; add four eggs, well beaten, half a pound of flour, and the same of currants, washed and dried, and well floured, to keep them from sinking, a small teaspoonful of soda, and two of cream of tartar dissolved separately in milk; bake them in small pans, diamond shape.

A SPANISH CAKE.

Beat to a cream half a pound of butter; with the same quantity of sugar, four eggs, well beaten, a quarter of a pound of currants, a glass of wine and brandy mixed, two tablespoonsful of rose water, and half a pound of prepared flour, (which can be bought at any grocery store in the city;) bake in small tin pans, any shape preferred. Ice them.

A. P. S.

Beat to a cream half a pound of butter, with same of sugar, a few caraway seed, three eggs, rose water, and nutmeg, and flour enough to make a dough; roll out thin, and bake.

SPANISH BUNNS.

Three quarters of a pound of flour, a pint of good milk or cream, three eggs, two tablespoonsful of rose water, half a nutmeg, half a pound of butter, and the same of sugar; warm the butter in the milk; when milk warm, stir in the flour and eggs; then beat in the sugar, a little at a time, and some currants; put in the yeast, and set it to rise in square tin pans; when very light, bake for fifteen or twenty minutes.

SCOTCH CAKES.

Beat to a cream half a pound of butter, and three quarters of a pound of sugar, a tablespoonful of caraway seed, one tablespoonful of rose water or essence of lemon, a pound of flour, and five eggs, beaten very light; roll half an inch thick, stick them with a fork, and bake.

A GOOD SMALL CAKE.

Beat to a cream three quarters of a pound of butter, and the same of sugar; whisk three eggs very light; season with rose water; add flour enough to roll out; cut them half an inch thick, and bake.

CREAM CAKE.

One and a half cups full of butter, two of sugar, four eggs, one cup full of sour cream, into which dissolve one teaspoonful of soda, four cups full of flour; season as you like; beat very light, and bake.

LEMON DROP CAKES.

Grate the rinds of six lemons; add six heaping tablespoonsful of the best white sugar and two of flour; work all well together; beat very light the whites of two eggs; drop the mixture from a spoon on buttered paper. When cold, take them off very carefully with a knife.

ORNAMENTAL ICING FOR CAKES.

Put the icing on any way you prefer with a syringe, which must be kept for the purpose. It is better to put it on plain first, and then ornament it.

POTATO PUFFS.

Take a pint bowl of white potatoes, mashed as fine as possible; then add two eggs and one tablespoonful of flour; drop them from a spoon into hot lard, and fry: when done, sprinkle sugar over them.

SAVOY CAKES.

Separate twelve eggs, and beat them very light; add a pound of the best loaf sugar; stir in three quarters of a pound of flour, essence of lemon, or rose water to the taste; do not beat it after the flour goes in, as this will make it tough: bake in small tin pans in a quick oven.

COCOA-NUT POUND CAKE.

Beat to a cream a quarter of a pound of butter and half a pound of the best white sugar; add four tablespoonsful of cream, one tablespoonful of the essence of lemon, one of flour, and three eggs; beat till very light: then grate the white meat of a cocoa-nut; stir it lightly, and bake in tin pans. Some persons omit the flour.

ALMOND POUND CAKE.

Blanch the almonds by throwing them into boiling water: take them out; drain and pound them in a mortar with a little rose water, and proceed as for cocoa-nut pound cake. Ice them, if preferred.

EVERY DAY CAKE.

Beat to a cream half a pound of butter, and the same of sugar, some grated nutmeg and rose water, two eggs well beaten; stir in a pound of flour: roll out, and bake.

COMMON RUSK.

One cup full of butter, the same of sugar, one pint of milk, flour enough to make a batter; beat it well, and then put in a cup full of yeast; (but never beat any cake after the yeast goes in;) when very light, add more flour; make into cakes, and set them to rise; as soon as they are light, bake them.

A VERY CHEAP AND GOOD CAKE.

One cup full of lard, two of molasses, two of sour milk, one egg, three tablespoonsful of cinnamon, half a nutmeg, essence of lemon, and flour enough to make a thick batter; beat a great deal, and bake in a tin pan, one hour and a half or two hours.

HOME-MADE POUND CAKE.

One pound of patent flour, one of pulverized sugar, one cup full of butter, one of milk, and four eggs; bake in a quick oven: if it gets too brown, put paper over the top.

A VERY GOOD HOME-MADE GINGER-BREAD.

One pint of molasses, one tea-cup full of sugar, three quarters of a pound of butter and lard mixed. Spices,--one tablespoonful of good ginger, three of cinnamon, a whole nutmeg, a teaspoonful of cloves. Roll out thin, and bake in a quick oven.

CINNAMON CAKE.

Take one pint of risen dough; work into it one cup full of butter, and two of sugar, one tablespoonful of cinnamon; set it in a dripping pan, and pour over it a little melted butter and some cinnamon; set it to rise, and when light, add more cinnamon, and butter, and bake. Cut them in square cakes.

PRESERVES.

A porcelain kettle is the best for preserves. Have a ladle with a long handle, and pierced with holes. The sugar should be the best loaf sugar. All soft fruit should be done gently, and not allowed to remain longer than half an hour after it begins to cook, till it is laid on dishes. This makes the fruit more firm.

TO PRESERVE CLING-STONE PEACHES.

Get the finest cling-stone peaches; take out the stone without disfiguring them; lay them after they are pared in half of their weight of sugar, allowing a pound of sugar to a pound of peaches; let them remain two hours: then put both sugar and peaches in the kettle together; let them boil till clear, skimming them frequently. Have some of the kernels cracked, and preserve them with the peaches.

TO PRESERVE PEACHES IN BRANDY.

The heath cling-stone are the best for this purpose. Half a pound of sugar to a pound of peaches. Throw into boiling pearl-ash water for a moment: then take them out and rub the skin off with a coarse towel, and throw them into cold water; make a syrup with as little water as possible; put in the peaches to boil, until they begin to look clear; then take up the peaches, and let the syrup boil ten minutes longer, mixing equal quantities of the syrup and the best white brandy. Put the peaches in jars: pour over the syrup, and seal them.

PEACH MARMALADE.

Take free-stone peaches; pare and slice them, allowing half a pound of sugar to one of the peaches. Sprinkle the sugar over them and let them stand two hours: then put them down to cook. Stir and mash them; let them cook gently, till they are a transparent pulp; then take it off, put into jars, and seal them.

QUINCES.

Take fine large quinces; pare and core them; cut them round half an inch thick; then put them in the preserving kettle with the skins and cores, with water enough to cover them; let them boil till they look clear: take them up; strain the juice; put it back again into the kettle with the sugar, allowing three quarters of a pound to a pound of quinces: let the syrup boil slowly; skim it, and put it in the quinces for twenty minutes.

QUINCE JELLY.

Put down the quinces, after mashing and quartering them, in sufficient water to cover them; let them boil slowly more than half a day: then strain the juice, and add a pound of sugar to a pint of the juice. Let it boil till it jellies.

QUINCE MARMALADE.

Boil your quinces till soft: when cool, pass them through a cullender; add half a pound of sugar to a pint of the pulp; let it boil till it will jelly.

PEARS.

Leave the stems on, and stick a clove in the blossom end, after paring them; make a syrup of a pint of water to half a pound of sugar; skim it, and put in the pears: let them boil till clear.

TO PRESERVE GREEN TOMATOES.

Gather those that look clear, not very large; put them down to boil with plenty of water. Throw this water off; then add more water and some green ginger; let this boil till the water tastes of the ginger very strong: allow three quarters of a pound of sugar to a quart of juice; make a syrup and put in the tomatoes; let them boil till clear. The syrup, when boiled down, will make a nice jelly.

TO PRESERVE CITRON MELON.

Pare the melon, and cut it in any shape you fancy; put it down to boil in a strong ginger water; after it has boiled ten minutes take it up; make a syrup, allowing a pound of sugar to a quart of the water; add slices of lemon; cut them; put in your citron: when clear, it is done.

SPICED PEACHES.

To nine pounds of peaches, take three pounds of sugar, and one pint of vinegar; make a syrup; then put in the fruit. Soft free-stone peaches are the best; let them boil ten minutes.

PLUMS.

Plums are prepared in the same way as peaches, also cantelopes before they are ripe; add cloves, mace and allspice, to the taste: make the syrup; put in the plums, and let boil ten minutes; or pour the boiling vinegar and spices over the plums.

BLACKBERRY FLUMMERY.

Put the blackberries down to stew, with sugar to the taste; thicken with a little flour; keep stirring till it is done, which will be in ten minutes. This is sometimes called blackberry mush.

CURRANT JELLY.

Wash the currants; then spread them on a dish in the sun to dry; then put them in a stone crock, and set the crock in boiling water till the currants are soft; then strain them through a flannel bag or a hair sieve; press all the juice out; allow a pound of the best loaf sugar to a pint of the juice; boil twenty minutes, not longer. Another way is to pour the boiling juice on the sugar: this makes much prettier jelly, but not so rich.

APPLE JELLY.

Cut up some fine pippin apples; do not pare them; let them boil till quite tender: then strain the juice and put it down with sugar, allowing three quarters of a pound to a pint of juice; put in while boiling, some lemon peel: when the jelly is done, which will be as soon as it is thick, take out the lemon peel. Put the jelly in half-pint tumblers.

GREEN GRAPE JELLY.

Put the grapes on to boil with a little water; mash them, and when the juice is well out, strain it; add a pint of juice to a pound of sugar; boil until it jellies.

MORELLA CHERRIES OR CARNATION.

Allow one pound of sugar to a pound of cherries; take out the stones with a quill; boil the juice and the sugar; skim it well, and then put in the fruit: when clear, they are done.

RASPBERRY JAM.

Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit; stir it well, and when it is a thick jelly, it is done.

TO PRESERVE STRAWBERRIES.

The medium size are the best and the firmest; allow a pound of sugar to a quart of the fruit; sprinkle them with sugar for a couple of hours; then put all into the kettle together; skim it well, and let them boil twenty minutes; be very careful not to mash them.

MAGNUM BONUM PLUMS.

Stick them with a large needle; make a syrup of a pound of the fruit to three quarters of sugar; then put in the fruit; let them boil slowly till they clear.

STRAWBERRY JAM.

Strawberry jam is made in the same manner as raspberry jam.

PINE APPLES.

Grate them; allow a pound of sugar to a pint of the fruit; after it has been grated, half an hour will cook it sufficiently.

APRICOTS.

Scald and wipe them dry; a pound of fruit to a pound of sugar; water sufficient to make a syrup; boil and take off the skum; put in the apricots: boil slowly till the fruit is clear.

GREEN GAGE PLUMS.

Take a pound of sugar to a pint of the fruit; scald the plums and wipe them; pierce them with a needle; put very little water to the sugar; when the syrup boils, put in the plums. Have a slow fire, and let them boil till they are clear; take out the plums, and spread them on dishes to cool; put the syrup in a tureen, and set all away till perfectly cold. Then put some of the plums in half pint tumblers, nearly filling them full of the syrup, which will be very rich; pour on the top of each tumbler a dessert spoonful of good brandy. Cut a round piece of white paper the size of the top of the tumbler; soak it in brandy, and lay it on top; then cover it tight by pasting paper over. Preserves properly done and put up in this way will be as good at the end of three years as the first. Glass tumblers are excellent for putting up jelly and preserves. Prune plums, egg plums, and the common blue plums may all be done in the same way.

WATER MELON RINDS.

The rinds are cut in various fancy forms; make a strong salt and water; put them in with cabbage leaves as for greening; keep them near the fire, turning them very often, till they become yellow; have a kettle of alum water ready; wash the rinds, and put them in the kettle with cabbage leaves over and under them and between every layer; put the kettle on the fire; do not let them come to a boil, but keep them scalding over two hours; when they are green, put them in cold water for three days; change the water several times. Some persons make two syrups; but one will be sufficient, by making a syrup of a pound and a quarter of sugar to one of melon; drop in some ginger; boil twenty-five minutes.

PINE APPLE PRESERVES.

Pack the pine apple, after it is peeled and cut into slices, in a jar with a layer of sugar on every layer of the fruit; set the jar for fifteen minutes in a kettle of boiling water; cover it tight, and keep it in a dry place.

TO PRESERVE CRAB APPLES.

Make a syrup of a pound of sugar for a pound of fruit; put in the apples after skimming the syrup; let them boil till they are clear. Some persons make a second syrup, and keep the first for cordial.

TO DRY PEACHES LIKE FIGS.

Pare and cut the peaches in slices; make a syrup of half a pound of sugar to one of fruit; put the peaches in and let them scald; then take them out, put them on a flat dish, and set the syrup away; next day repeat the process; then put them in the oven, after the bread comes out, on a flat dish; do this till they are dry; pack them in jars, sprinkling sugar over each layer. The syrup will make cordial.

TO PRESERVE LIMES.

Get the limes green; take out all the inside very carefully with a pen-knife, then lay them for twenty-four hours in salt and water; take them out, wash and scald them till all of the salt is out; make a syrup with three quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of limes; skim it, and put in the fruit; let them boil till clear. It is better to boil the limes in water for twenty minutes before they go in the syrup.

Pickles.

The vinegar for pickling should be the best kind of cider vinegar.

MANGOES.

Have the melons of a good size, solid, but not large; put them in a crock, and pour over them salt and water, boiling hot; let them remain for three days; take them out of the pickle, cut a hole in the side, scrape out the inside; make a dressing of the following articles; some cucumbers cut fine, some cabbage, onions, horse-radish, race ginger, mustard seed, mace, and cloves; mix all well together and fill the mangoes; sew up the mangoes, put the top on, lay them in a jar, and pour over them boiling vinegar. They will be fit for use in three months.

TO PICKLE ONIONS.

The small white onions are the best; pour boiling salt and water over them, and let them stand till cold; repeat this several times; then put them in a jar and pour boiling vinegar over them; cover tight, and put them away for three weeks, when they are fit to use.

TO PICKLE CUCUMBERS.

Gather the small cucumbers; put in brine for a day and night; then pour off the water, put them in jars, and pour boiling vinegar over them, with whole ears of pepper and allspice if you like.

Gherkins, radish pods, and beans may be pickled according to the above receipt.

TO PICKLE NASTURTIONS.

Nasturtions should be young: pour boiling salt and water over them; let them stand till cold; pour it off and repeat it; let it stand two days, then pour off the water; add cold vinegar with a little mace.

TO PICKLE TOMATOES.

Have ripe tomatoes; the small ones are the best; put them in a jar, with salt over each layer; next day take them out, and wipe them off; wash the jar; wipe it perfectly dry; put them in again in the same manner; let them stand another day; then drain and wipe them; put them in a clean jar with mustard seed, cloves, and whole grains of pepper; and if preferred some onions sliced; pour cold vinegar over them, and put them away.

TO PICKLE PEPPERS.

Get some good green peppers; cut a hole at the top, and take out the seed; lay them in salt and water for two days; then wash them; fill them with cabbage, horse-radish, mustard seed, and onions, all chopped fine with pepper and cloves. Boil the vinegar and pour over them.

TO PICKLE BUTTER NUTS.

Gather the nuts in the beginning of July; put them in strong salt and water for a week; take them out, wash and drain them; lay them in a stone jar; boil some good vinegar with pepper grains, mustard seed, mace, and cloves; pour this boiling hot over the nuts, and let them stand a week; then take them and put on fresh vinegar with the spices which were in the first vinegar; in a month look at them; if the vinegar has lost its strength, boil fresh and pour over: this will be fit to use in six months.

TO PICKLE MUSHROOMS.

Gather the small mushrooms; peel and mash them; put them in a jar; add a little mace and white mustard; cold vinegar sufficient to cover them.

TO PICKLE GREEN TOMATOES.

Wash them and cut them in slices, with an equal number of white onions; put in a jar with a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of onions and salt; let them remain twenty-four hours; take them out; have some good vinegar and pepper, white mustard seed, and cloves; mix some mustard, flour, and turmeric, with the vinegar; and when boiling hot, put in the tomatoes and onions; let them boil ten minutes; then take them up, and put them away; in two weeks they will be fit for use; at the end of that time boil the vinegar again, and pour over them.

PICCALILLE.

Piccalille is made in the same manner, only the vinegar must be cold when it is poured on: omit the cloves, as they will make them dark, and use white vinegar.

CAULIFLOWER.

Cut the cauliflower in small pieces, but long, so as to show the flower; lay them twenty-four hours in salt and water; then take out and wash and drain them for two hours; add to the vinegar, mustard seed, horse-radish, ginger, allspice, and mace; boil for ten minutes, and pour over the cauliflower.

TO PICKLE RED CABBAGE.

Cut up the cabbage with a slaw cutter; sprinkle it with salt in alternate layers; let it stand twenty-four hours; then take it out and drain it; put it in a jar, and pour boiling vinegar, with horse-radish, black pepper, and cloves; cover it; when nearly cold, tie up the jar.

TOMATO CATSUP.