Chapter 13

_Ingredients_--Half a calf's head. 3 oz. of butter. 1 shalot. Half-a-dozen mushrooms. 1 carrot. ½ a head of celery. 1 leek. 1 onion. 1 small turnip. 1 sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. 1 bay leaf. 1 blade of mace. 5 cloves. 3 oz. of flour. 2 wineglasses of sherry. 1 dozen forcemeat balls. 4 quarts of water. ¼ lb. of ham. Pepper and salt to taste.

_Method._--Wash the calf's head thoroughly.

Cut all the flesh from the bones and tie it in a cloth.

Put it, with the bones and water, into a large saucepan and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally for three and a half hours.

Then take out the calf's head and strain the stock into a clean pan.

Let it get cold, and then carefully remove all the fat.

Then put the butter into a stewpan, and fry in it the ham and vegetables, cut into slices, with the herbs, mace, cloves, &c.

When they are fried, put in the flour and fry till a light brown, stirring it to keep it from burning.

Then pour in the stock and stir until it boils.

Add pepper and salt to taste; put it by the side of the fire to simmer for half an hour.

Remove all scum, or fat, as it rises.

Then strain the stock into another stewpan.

Cut part of the calf's head into neat pieces and add it to the stock.

Pour in the sherry and lemon juice, and add the forcemeat balls.

Let the soup just come to the boil, and it is ready for serving. The forcemeat balls should be made of veal stuffing, and should be either fried or baked.

They should not be too large.

It is better to make this soup the day before it is wanted.

Pot-au-Feu.

_Ingredients_--4 lb. of sticking of beef, or 4 lb. of ox cheek without the bone. 2 large carrots. 1 head of celery. 3 onions. 2 turnips. 3 sprigs of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. 3 cloves. 6 quarts of water. 2 oz. of crushed tapioca, or sago. Pepper and salt to taste.

_Method._--Tie the meat firmly into shape with string.

Put it into a large saucepan with the water.

When it boils, add a teaspoonful of salt.

Simmer the meat gently for nearly two hours.

Clean the vegetables thoroughly, tying the celery, parsnips, and carrots together.

Add them, with the exception of the cabbage, to the meat, and simmer gently for two hours more.

Then add the cabbage, cleaned and trimmed; it should be cut in two, and tied together with string.

Simmer until it is tender, adding pepper and salt to taste.

The meat is then served with the carrots, turnips, and parsnips, as a garnish, and a little of the liquor poured round for gravy.

The cabbage is served in a vegetable dish.

To make the soup, put two quarts of the liquor into a saucepan. When it boils sprinkle in the sago, or tapioca, and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.

Dr. Kitchener's Broth.

_Ingredients_--4 oz. of Scotch barley. 4 oz. of sliced onions. 2 oz. of dripping. 3 oz. bacon. 4 oz. oatmeal. 5 quarts of the liquor from meat.

_Method._--Wash the barley, and soak it in water for two hours.

Put the meat liquor on to boil.

When boiling, add the barley and the onions.

Let it boil gently for an hour and a half.

Then put the dripping into another saucepan, and fry the bacon in it.

Then add, by degrees, the oatmeal; stir until it forms a paste.

Then pour in the broth.

Season with pepper and salt to taste, and set it by the side of the fire to simmer for thirty minutes; the soup is then ready.

Crowdie.

_Ingredients_--1 gallon of liquor from meat. ¼ pint of oatmeal. 1 onion. Pepper and salt.

_Method._--Put the liquor into a saucepan on the fire.

Mix the oatmeal to a paste with cold water.

Pour it into the liquor when boiling.

Stir until it thickens.

Add the onion, finely-chopped, and pepper and salt to taste.

Boil gently, stirring occasionally, for half an hour.

BREAD AND CAKES.

In making bread be careful that the yeast is good; otherwise the bread may be heavy. The German and French yeast will do quite as well as the brewers', and are generally more easily procured. The French yeast is the closest and strongest, but, though less is required, bread made with it will take longer to rise than that made with German. The yeast may be tested by mixing it with a little sugar; if it is good, it has the power of dissolving the sugar to a syrup. Everything made with yeast should be allowed a proper time to rise. A quartern loaf will generally be ready to make up in about two hours after the dough is set, but the time of rising will vary according to circumstances--for example, in cold weather it may not rise so quickly as in hot. For making bread, warm the pan or tub the dough is to be mixed in, but do not make it hot. Take care that the flour is dry, and free from lumps. The water used must be warmed, but care must be taken that it is neither too hot nor too cold. A certain amount of warmth is necessary for the growth of the yeast, but too great heat kills it. The water, therefore, should be lukewarm. When the dough is mixed, sprinkle the top with a little flour to prevent a crust forming; the pan should then be covered with a cloth and placed on a chair in a warm place, free from draught. It may be placed with advantage before the oven or boiler, but should not be put directly in front of a fire. When the dough is exposed to too great a heat it gets moist and sticky, is very difficult to make up, and is heavy when baked. When the dough has risen sufficiently, it should be well kneaded, and then made up into loaves. These loaves are then set on floured tins to rise in a warm place for about twenty minutes before they are baked. The oven should be very hot for the first twenty minutes, and then very much moderated: a sharp heat is necessary at first to throw up the bread; but the rest of the time the heat applied should be moderate. The same heat is required in baking cakes: a sharp heat at first, to throw them up, and moderate afterwards, so that they may get cooked through without the crust burning. The sugar in cakes causes them to burn very quickly. It is, therefore, a wise precaution to line the tin, even for a plain cake, with foolscap paper.

Currants used in cakes should be well washed and dried before they are used, and any stones removed from them. Sultanas should be rubbed in flour, and the stalks picked off. Raisins should be stoned, and cut in two or three pieces.

To cream butter is to work it about in a basin with the hand, or wooden spoon, until it is the consistency of cream.

The cake tins should be kept in a dry place, and before using should be well greased, especially at the bottom.

A Quartern Loaf.

_Ingredients_--3½ lb. of flour. 1¾ pint of water. ½ oz. of salt. 1 oz. of German yeast.

_Method._--Put 3 lb. of flour into the pan.

Make the water lukewarm, and mix it with the yeast.

Make a hole in the middle of the flour, and mix in the water smoothly and gradually.

Knead lightly for a minute or two.

Sprinkle with a little flour, and set to rise in a warm place for about two hours.

Then knead well for about a quarter of an hour, working in the remainder of the flour.

Make it into a loaf, and put it in or on a floured tin.

Set it to rise for about twenty minutes, and then bake.

The oven must be very hot for the first few minutes, and then the heat must be _much_ lowered, that the bread may get well cooked through.

Vienna Bread.

_Ingredients_--2 lb. of Vienna flour. 2 oz. of butter. 1 oz. of German yeast. 1 pint of milk. 1 teaspoonful of salt.

_Method._--Rub the butter well into the flour, and add the salt.

Make the milk tepid, and mix smoothly with the German yeast.

Make a well in the middle of the flour, and stir in the milk smoothly.

Knead very lightly for a minute, and then put the dough to rise in a warm place for two hours.

When it has well risen, make it into rolls or fancy twists.

Set them to rise on floured tins for about ten minutes.

Then bake in a quick oven from ten to twenty minutes, according to their size.

When nearly cooked, brush them with a little milk or white of egg to glaze them.

Unfermented Bread.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. 2 heaped teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Enough water to mix a dough.

_Method._--Put the flour in a pan.

Add the baking powder and mix up with the water.

Make it into small loaves quickly, and bake in a quick oven for about half an hour.

Milk Rolls.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. 2 oz. of butter. 2 heaped teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Enough milk to mix to a dough.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour lightly.

Add the baking powder, and mix with the milk.

Make into small rolls as quickly as possible, and bake for a few minutes in a quick oven.

Brush over with a little milk to glaze them.

Pound Cake.

_Ingredients_--10 oz. of flour. 8 oz. of butter. 8 oz. of castor sugar. 2 oz. of candied peel. ¼ lb. of sultanas. 4 large eggs. Grated rind of a lemon.

_Method._--Rub the flour and sugar through a sieve.

Beat the butter to a cream in a basin.

Mix in a little flour and sugar.

Then a well-beaten egg.

Next more flour, sugar, and another egg.

Continue mixing in the same way until the flour, sugar, and eggs are all well blended together.

Add the other ingredients, and put into a well-greased cake-tin lined with buttered paper.

Bake for about two hours.

Queen Cakes.

_Ingredients_--6 oz. of flour. 4 oz. of butter. 4 oz. of sugar. 4 eggs. A few currants. Grated rind of a lemon.

_Method._--Cream the butter.

Mix in the flour, sugar, and eggs, according to directions given in preceding recipe.

Add the lemon rind, and partly fill small well-greased Queen-cake tins with the mixture.

Sprinkle a few currants on the top of each.

Bake in a moderately quick oven for about a quarter of an hour.

Rock Cakes.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. 6 oz. of butter. 6 oz. of castor sugar. ½ lb. of currants. 2 oz. of candied peel. 1 teaspoonful of baking powder. 2 eggs. Grated rind of a lemon.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour.

Add the sugar, currants, and other ingredients.

Mix very stiffly with the eggs, well beaten.

Put in rough heaps on a well-greased baking-sheet.

Bake in a quick oven for a quarter of an hour.

Plain Rock Cakes.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of moist sugar. ¼ lb. of currants. ¼ lb. of butter, lard, or dripping. 1 egg. A little milk.

_Method._--Rub the butter or dripping into the flour.

Add the other dry ingredients.

Mix stiffly with the egg, well beaten, and a little milk.

Put in little rough heaps on a well-greased baking-tin.

Bake in a quick oven for about a quarter of an hour.

Plain Seed Cake.

_Ingredients_--10 oz. of flour. 3 oz. of butter or clarified dripping. 1 teaspoonful of caraway seeds. 3 oz. of castor sugar. 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. 1 egg. ¾ gill of milk. ½ saltspoonful of salt.

_Method._--Rub the fat well into the flour.

Add all the other dry ingredients.

Mix with the egg and milk, well beaten.

Bake in a well-greased cake-tin for about an hour.

Sultana Cake.

_Ingredients_--10 oz. of flour. ¼ lb. butter. ¼ lb. of castor sugar. ¼ lb. of sultana raisins. 1 oz. of candied peel. 2 eggs. 1 teaspoonful of baking powder. ½ gill of milk. Grated rind of a lemon.

_Method._--Rub the butter well into the flour.

Add all the other dry ingredients.

Mix with the milk and yolks of the eggs, well beaten together.

Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix them in lightly.

Put the mixture in a well-greased cake-tin.

Bake for about one hour and a half.

Plain Plum Cake.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of dripping. ¼ lb. of currants. ½ pint of milk. ¼ lb. of sugar. 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder.

_Method._--Rub the dripping into the flour.

Add the other dry ingredients.

Mix with the milk.

Bake in a well-greased cake-tin for about one hour and a quarter.

Rice Cake.

_Ingredients_--8 oz. of ground rice. 6 oz. of castor sugar. 4 eggs. Grated rind of a lemon.

_Method._--Beat the eggs well with a whisk.

Mix in gradually the castor sugar and rice, and add the lemon rind.

Bake in a well-greased baking-tin in a quick oven for about one hour.

Cornflour Cake.

_Ingredients_--¼ lb. of cornflour. ¼ lb. of castor sugar. 2 oz. of butter. 1 teaspoonful of baking powder. 2 eggs.

_Method._--Beat the butter to a cream.

Then mix in the sugar.

Add the two eggs, and beat all well together.

Lastly, stir in the cornflour and add the baking powder.

Put the mixture into a well-greased cake-tin, and bake for about three-quarters of an hour.

Scones.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. 2 oz. of castor sugar. 3 oz. of butter. ½ pint of milk. 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder, or ¼ oz. of cream of tartar, and 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour.

Add the other dry ingredients.

Mix lightly with the milk.

Divide the dough into two pieces.

Make each piece into a ball.

Roll it out to about three-quarters of an inch in thickness.

Cut into triangular-shaped pieces.

Bake on a greased baking-tin for about twenty minutes.

Brush them over with a little white of egg or milk to glaze them.

Currant Cake.

_Ingredients_--10 oz. of flour. ¼ lb. of currants. ¼ lb. of sugar. 3 oz. of butter. 1 egg. 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. ¼ pint of milk. A little grated lemon rind.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour until like fine bread-crumbs.

Add the sugar and currants--the currants should be well washed and dried--also the baking powder and lemon rind.

Mix with the beaten egg and milk.

Bake it at once, in a greased cake-tin lined with paper, for one hour and a half.

Luncheon Cake.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. 4 oz. of butter, lard, or dripping. ¼ lb. of sultanas. ¼ lb. of currants. 6 oz. of sugar. 2 oz. of candied peel. 2 eggs. Rather less than a ¼ pint of milk. 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. 1 oz. of lump sugar. Grated lemon rind.

_Method._--Put the lump sugar in a saucepan and burn it brown.

Pour in the milk and stir until it is coloured.

Then strain it and let it get cold.

Put the flour into a basin.

Rub the butter lightly into it.

Add the sultanas (well cleaned), and the rest of the dry ingredients.

Mix with the eggs well beaten, and the milk.

Put it into a well-greased tin, which should be lined with paper.

Bake from one hour and a half to two hours.

Gingerbread.

_Ingredients_--2 lb. of flour. 2 lb. of treacle. ½ lb. moist sugar. 3 eggs. ½ oz. of carbonate of soda. 8 oz. of butter. 2 oz. of ginger. ½ a cup of water. 2 oz. of candied peel.

_Method._--Put the flour, sugar, ginger, candied peel, and carbonate of soda into a basin.

Warm the treacle, water, and butter in a saucepan.

Mix with the dry ingredients and add the eggs, well beaten.

Partly fill a well-greased Yorkshire-pudding tin.

Smooth over with a knife dipped in hot water, and score with a knife.

Bake in a moderate oven for about an hour and a half.

Sponge Cake.

_Ingredients_--4 oz. of flour. 5 eggs. 4 oz. of castor sugar.

_Method._--Oil the cake-mould, and dust it over with castor sugar.

Beat the eggs and sugar for about twenty minutes until they rise and are quite light; this may be done over hot water, care being taken that the heat is not too great to cook the eggs.

Dry and sift the flour, and stir it lightly in.

Pour into the mould and bake in a moderate oven for about one hour.

Sponge Roll.

_Ingredients_--5 eggs. The weight of 4 eggs in castor sugar. Of 3 in flour. Some jam.

_Method._--Beat the eggs to a cream.

Add the sugar and then the flour, lightly.

Have a baking-tin ready greased with butter, and lined with greased paper.

Pour in the mixture; spread it over and bake it till a light fawn colour.

Then turn it on to a cloth.

Spread with the jam melted and roll up quickly.

Seed Cake.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. 4 oz. of butter. 6 oz. of castor sugar. ½ oz. of caraway seeds. ¼ pint of milk. 1 teaspoonful of baking powder. 2 eggs.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour.

Add the castor sugar and seeds.

Mix with the yolks and milk beaten together.

Beat the whites stiffly and stir in lightly.

Bake in a nicely prepared tin for about one hour and a half.

Madeira Cake.

_Ingredients_--10 oz. of flour. 10 oz. of lump sugar. ¼ lb. of butter. 6 eggs. ½ gill of water.

_Method._--Boil the water and sugar to a syrup.

Pour when hot, but not boiling, on to the eggs and beat over hot water until light.

Melt the butter and stir it in very lightly with the flour.

Oil a mould and dust it with castor sugar.

Pour in the mixture, and bake from one hour and a half to two hours.

Buns.

_Ingredients_--16 oz. of flour. ½ oz. of yeast. ½ pint of milk. 2 oz. of sugar. 2 oz. of sultanas. 2 oz. of butter. 1 egg.

_Method._--Put ten ounces of the flour into a basin.

Mix the yeast smoothly with the milk, which should be made tepid.

Stir into the flour.

Beat for five minutes, and set to rise in a warm place for about two hours.

Then beat in the remainder of the flour, sultanas, sugar, butter, and the egg.

Set to rise for about two hours more.

Then form into buns.

Place them on a floured tin, and let them rise for ten minutes.

Bake in a very quick oven for about five minutes until nicely coloured.

Boil half an ounce of sugar with half a gill of water, and brush the buns over with this to glaze them.

Dough Cake.

_Ingredients_--½ quartern of dough. ¼ lb. of currants. ¼ lb. of moist sugar. ¼ lb. of clarified dripping.

_Method._--Put the dough into a basin.

Beat in the dripping, sugar, and currants.

These should be well washed and dried.

Place in a greased tin, and set to rise for one hour.

Bake in a moderate oven for two hours.

Candied-peel Drops.

_Ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. 3 oz. of butter. 3 oz. of candied peel. Grated rind of a lemon. 1 egg. A little milk. One teaspoonful of baking powder. 3 oz. of sugar.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour.

Add the sugar, grated lemon rind, baking powder, and the candied peel chopped small.

Mix with the egg, well beaten, and the milk.

Put it in little heaps on a greased baking-tin.

Bake in a quick oven for about fifteen minutes.

Shrewsbury Cakes.

_Ingredients_--¼ lb. of butter. ¼ lb. of castor sugar. 6 oz. of flour. 1 egg.

_Method._--Cream the butter and sugar.

Add to them the egg, well beaten.

Then stir in the flour.

Knead it to a dough.

Roll out, and cut into small round cakes with a cutter.

Place them on a greased baking-sheet.

Bake in a moderate oven from fifteen to twenty minutes.

Oatmeal Biscuits.

_Ingredients_--7 oz. of flour. 3 oz. of oatmeal. 3 oz. of castor sugar. 3 oz. of lard, dripping, or butter. ¼ teaspoonful of baking powder. 1 egg. 1 tablespoonful of water.

_Method._--Put the flour, oatmeal, sugar, and baking-powder into a basin.

Mix them with the fat melted, and the egg beaten with the water.

Knead lightly into a dough.

Roll it out, and cut into round cakes.

Place them on a greased baking-tin.

Bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes.

Shortbread.

_Ingredients_--¼ lb. of flour. 1 oz. of castor sugar. 2 oz. of butter.

_Method._--Put the flour and sugar into a basin.

Melt the butter, and mix them with it.

Knead lightly.

Roll out, cut the paste into cakes with a knife, and bake for half an hour.

Yorkshire Teacakes.

_Ingredients_--¾ lb. of flour. 1½ gill of milk. 1 oz. of butter. 1 egg. ½ oz. of German yeast.

_Method._--Put the flour into a basin, and rub the butter into it.

Make the milk tepid, and blend it with the yeast.

Strain it into the flour.

Add the egg.

Beat all well together for a few minutes.

Knead lightly.

Then divide the dough in two.

Make each part into a ball, and put them in floured cake-tins.

Put the cakes in a warm place to rise for one hour, and then bake them for about twenty minutes.

Brush them over with a syrup of sugar and water to glaze them.

Ginger Biscuits.

_Ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. 2 oz. of butter, lard, or dripping. ½ oz. of ground ginger. 2 oz. of castor sugar. 1 egg, and a little milk. ½ teaspoonful of baking powder.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour until it is like fine bread-crumbs.

Add the sugar and baking powder, and mix with the egg, well beaten, and as much milk as necessary to make it bind.

Roll out, and cut into small round cakes.

Put them on a greased tin.

Bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes.

Lemon-rock Cakes.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. of flour. 3 oz. of butter. 5 oz. of castor sugar. Grated rind of one lemon and juice of two. 1 egg. A little milk. 1 teaspoonful of baking powder.

_Method._--Rub the butter into the flour.

Add the sugar, baking-powder, lemon rind, and juice.

Mix with the egg, well beaten, and as much milk as necessary; the mixture should be very stiff.

Put it in little rough heaps on a greased baking-tin.

Bake in a quick oven for about fifteen minutes.

Soda Cakes.

_Ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. 2 oz. of butter. 3 oz. of sugar. 1 oz. of candied peel. Grated rind of a lemon. 1 whole egg. If necessary, a little milk. ½ a teaspoonful of carbonate soda.

_Method._--Rub the butter well into the flour.

Add the sugar, peel, lemon rind, and soda.