The Century Cook Book Part 45

Place the bowl in a saucepan full of boiling water over a spirit lamp, or on the range. Stir the mixture carefully till very hot, to prevent the b.u.t.ter from oiling. When hot add two well-beaten eggs; stir till thick, then pour in a half pint of cream, stir, remove from the fire, and allow it to get perfectly cold.

Cold sweet-breads are excellent served with this cream Mayonnaise.

=MACARONI a L'ALBI=

Break a dozen stems of large macaroni into pieces four inches long, and stew carefully, till tender, in consomme or white soup stock.

Place in a dish layers of the macaroni sprinkled with salt, pepper, and of Gruyere cheese grated fine. Cover the top with a thick layer of grated cheese, on that a layer of fine bread-crumbs, and on that bits of b.u.t.ter cut fine. Bake just long enough to brown the top thoroughly.

=CORN PUDDING=

Sc.r.a.pe with a knife two dozen ears of green corn, cutting each row through the middle. Add one pint of milk, half a pound of b.u.t.ter, three eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately, a little salt, and white pepper. Stir the yolks into the milk and corn, pour into a baking-dish, stir in the whites, and bake an hour and a half.

=THIN INDIAN BREAD=

VERMONT

Mix together two cupfuls of meal, a tablespoonful of lard, and a teaspoonful of salt; scald with boiling water. Thin it with a large cupful of cold milk and two well-beaten eggs. Spread thin on a large b.u.t.tered pan, and bake till brown in an oven only moderately hot.

=GRAHAM GEMS=

One pint of milk.

One pint of graham flour.

Place on top of the range a frame of "iron-clad" gem-pans to get very hot. Stir the milk and meal together lightly, not trying to make the batter very smooth. Drop a bit of b.u.t.ter into each hot pan, and while it sizzles pour in the batter, and instantly set in the oven; bake twenty minutes. The heat raises the batter to lightness, and the b.u.t.ter gives a savory crust to the little cakes.

=COLONIAL HOE-CAKES=

CONNECTICUT

Stir Indian meal and water together into a thickish paste. Spread thickly on a new wooden spade, or on the top of a new barrel, and set on end before an open fire to slowly toast, turning the cake when the outer side is brown. No preparation of Indian meal has quite the flavor of this.

=RHODE ISLAND JOHNNY-CAKE=

For this, Rhode Island meal, ground between stones, is required. Take one pint of meal and one teaspoonful of salt, and scald thoroughly with boiling water till it is a stiff, smooth batter. Thin with cold milk till about the consistency of sponge-cake batter, and drop in tablespoonfuls on a hot b.u.t.tered griddle. When the under side is brown, turn the cakes and brown the other side. Eat with b.u.t.ter.

=BOSTON BROWN BREAD=

One pint of yellow cornmeal, scalded with a small quant.i.ty of boiling water, just enough to wet it thoroughly. Let it stand ten minutes. Then add enough cold water to make a soft batter. Add one quarter pint of brewer's yeast, one quarter pint of mola.s.ses, one pint of rye meal, one half teaspoonful of salt, and one saltspoonful of soda. Beat it well together, and set it to rise over night. When light, stir it thoroughly, put it into a b.u.t.tered tin, sprinkle a little flour over the top, and set it to rise again. Bake about two hours. It is excellent cut into slices and toasted.

=DABS=

CONNECTICUT

A pint of cornmeal, thoroughly scalded with hot water. Rub into it a dessertspoonful of b.u.t.ter, two eggs beaten very light, a winegla.s.sful of cream or milk, and a little salt. b.u.t.ter a tin pan, and drop the mixture from a spoon upon it. Bake in a moderate oven.

=CREAM OATMEAL=

Boil oatmeal for an hour as for breakfast use. Rub it through a fine sieve, add a little milk, and cook it very slowly in a double boiler for half an hour longer. When perfectly smooth, add a little salt and cream.

This is the most delicate preparation of oatmeal that an invalid can take.

=ZEPHYRS=

Prepare a thin mush of Indian meal, water, and salt, and boil till smooth. Drop this batter into iron-clad pans, made very hot and b.u.t.tered, and bake till brown.

=SQUASH PIES=

Pare and cut into pieces a Hubbard squash, and steam it till, thoroughly soft; then rub it through a coa.r.s.e sieve.

To a quart of the squash, which should be as thick and dry as chestnuts when prepared for stuffing, add three quarters of a pint, heaping full, of granulated sugar, the peel and juice of a large lemon, half a nutmeg grated, a tablespoonful of powdered ginger, about as much powdered cinnamon, a small teaspoonful of salt, six drops of rose-water, half a pint of cream, and four beaten eggs. Stir thoroughly, and add about three pints of scalded milk. The mixture should be tasted, and a little more sugar, or lemon, or spice added if required.

Line a deep tin pie-dish with paste, lay a narrow strip around the edge, and fill the dish with the mixture. Bake till the filling is set. This quant.i.ty will make four pies.

=PUMPKIN PIES (About Four Pounds)=

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS

Pare a small pumpkin, about four pounds, and take out the seeds. Steam till soft, and strain through a colander.

Beat in three eggs, three tablespoonfuls of mola.s.ses, two tablespoonfuls of ground cinnamon, one of ginger, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and two quarts of hot milk. If more sweetening is needed add a little sugar.

Bake with an under crust only. This receipt will make five pies.

=EASY PIE-CRUST=

Three quarters of a pint of lard, three quarters of a pint of b.u.t.ter, three quarters of a pint of iced water with a teaspoonful of salt dissolved in it, a pint and a half of flour sifted twice through a fine sieve.

Put the lard and flour into a bowl (leaving out a little flour for rolling), and very lightly rub them together with the tips of your fingers. Pour in the salted water, and stir with a knife till the flour and lard are well mixed. Pour out onto the paste-board (over which a very little flour should be sifted), and beat the mixture with a rolling pin, doubling and folding, and putting the dry particles in the middle, till the whole becomes a smooth, firm paste.

Roll this into a narrow oblong, as far as possible rolling from you.

Divide the b.u.t.ter, which should be very cold and hard, into three parts, and put one third on the paste with a knife, cutting it into little bits. Fold the sheet of paste over into a roll, and again roll out into an oblong. Add the second third of b.u.t.ter in the same way. Roll once more, put on the last third of b.u.t.ter, again fold into a roll, and cut the paste in two, putting one half on top of the other half.

Cut portions off from the end of the double roll, and with them line the pie dishes, rolling them very thin. This quant.i.ty of paste will make four or five pies. Care should be taken not to increase the quant.i.ty of flour. The pie-crust will be found tender and delicate, though not so elegant as puff-paste; and to make it ready for use in the pie-dishes should not take more than a quarter of an hour.