The Book of Household Management Part 158

_Seasonable_ at any time.

MACARONI is composed of wheaten flour, flavoured with other articles, and worked up with water into a paste, to which, by a peculiar process, a tubular or pipe form is given, in order that it may cook more readily in hot water. That of smaller diameter than macaroni (which is about the thickness of a goose-quill) is called _vermicelli_; and when smaller still, _fidelini_. The finest is made from the flour of the hard-grained Black-Sea wheat. Macaroni is the princ.i.p.al article of food in many parts of Italy, particularly Naples, where the best is manufactured, and from whence, also, it is exported in considerable quant.i.ties. In this country, macaroni and vermicelli are frequently used in soups.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MACARONI.]

MANNA KROUP PUDDING.

1302. INGREDIENTS.--3 tablespoonfuls of manna kroup, 12 bitter almonds, 1 pint of milk, sugar to taste, 3 eggs.

_Mode_.--Blanch and pound the almonds in a mortar; mix them with the manna kroup; pour over these a pint of boiling milk, and let them steep for about 1/4 hour. When nearly cold, add sugar and the well-beaten eggs; mix all well together; put the pudding into a b.u.t.tered dish, and bake for 1/2 hour.

_Time_.--1/2 hour.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

MANNA KROUP, SEMORA, or SEMOLINA, are three names given to a flour made from ground wheat and rice. The preparation is white when it is made only of these materials; the yellow colour which it usually has, is produced by a portion of saffron and yolks of eggs. Next to vermicelli, this preparation is the most useful for thickening either meat or vegetable soups. As a food, it is light, nutritious, wholesome, and easily digested. The best preparation is brought from Arabia, and, next to that, from Italy.

MANSFIELD PUDDING.

1303. INGREDIENTS.--The crumb of 2 rolls, 1 pint of milk, sugar to taste, 4 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy, 6 oz. of chopped suet, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream.

_Mode_.--Slice the roll very thin, and pour upon it a pint of boiling milk; let it remain covered close for 1/4 hour, then beat it up with a fork, and sweeten with moist sugar; stir in the chopped suet, flour, currants, and nutmeg. Mix these ingredients well together, moisten with the eggs, brandy, and cream; beat the mixture for 2 or 3 minutes, put it into a b.u.t.tered dish or mould, and bake in a moderate oven for 1-1/4 hour. Turn it out, strew sifted sugar over, and serve.

_Time_.--1-1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 3d.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

MARLBOROUGH PUDDING.

1304. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter, 1/4 lb. of powdered lump sugar, 4 eggs, puff-paste, a layer of any kind of jam.

_Mode_.--Beat the b.u.t.ter to a cream, stir in the powdered sugar, whisk the eggs, and add these to the other ingredients. When these are well mixed, line a dish with puff-paste, spread over a layer of any kind of jam that may be preferred, pour in the mixture, and bake the pudding for rather more than 1/2 hour.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

MARMALADE AND VERMICELLI PUDDING.

1305. INGREDIENTS.--1 breakfastcupful of vermicelli, 2 tablespoonfuls of marmalade, 1/4 lb. of raisins, sugar to taste, 3 eggs, milk.

_Mode_.--Pour some boiling milk on the vermicelli, and let it remain covered for 10 minutes; then mix with it the marmalade, stoned raisins, sugar, and beaten eggs. Stir all well together, put the mixture into a b.u.t.tered mould, boil for 1-1/2 hour, and serve with custard sauce.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_. 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

MARROW DUMPLINGS, to serve with Roast Meat, in Soup, with Salad, &c.

(_German Recipe_.)

1306. INGREDIENTS.--1 oz. of beef marrow, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 2 eggs, 2 penny rolls, 1 teaspoonful of minced onion, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, salt and grated nutmeg to taste.

_Mode_.--Beat the marrow and b.u.t.ter together to a cream; well whisk the eggs, and add these to the other ingredients. When they are well stirred, put in the rolls, which should previously be well soaked in boiling milk, strained, and beaten up with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients, omitting the minced onion where the flavour is very much disliked, and form the mixture into small round dumplings. Drop these into boiling broth, and let them simmer for about 20 minutes or 1/2 hour. They may be served in soup, with roast meat, or with salad, as in Germany, where they are more frequently sent to table than in this country. They are very good.

_Time_.--20 minutes to 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 7 or 8 dumplings. _Seasonable_ at any time.

BAKED OB BOILED MARROW PUDDING.

1307. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of bread crumbs, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 6 oz.

of marrow, 4 eggs, 1/4 lb. of raisins or currants, or 2 oz. of each; sugar and grated nutmeg to taste.

_Mode_.--Make the milk boiling, pour it hot on to the bread crumbs, and let these remain covered for about 1/2 hour; shred the marrow, beat up the eggs, and mix these with the bread crumbs; add the remaining ingredients, beat the mixture well, and either put it into a b.u.t.tered mould and boil it for 2-1/2 hours, or put it into a pie-dish edged with puff-paste, and bake for rather more than 3/4 hour. Before sending it to table, sift a little pounded sugar over, after being turned out of the mould or basin.

_Time_.--2-1/2 hours to boil, 3/4 hour to bake. _Average cost_, 1s. 2d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

MILITARY PUDDINGS.

1308. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of suet, 1/2 lb. of bread crumbs, 1/2 lb. of moist sugar, the rind and juice of 1 large lemon.

_Mode_.--Chop the suet finely, mix it with the bread crumbs and sugar, and mince the lemon-rind and strain the juice; stir these into the other ingredients, mix well, and put the mixture into small b.u.t.tered cups, and bake for rather more than 1/2 hour; turn them out on the dish, and serve with lemon-sauce. The above ingredients may be made into small b.a.l.l.s, and boiled for about 1/2 hour; they should then be served with the same sauce as when baked.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 9d.

_Sufficient_ to fill 6 or 7 moderate-sized cups. _Seasonable_ at any time.

MINCEMEAT.

1309. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of raisins, 3 lbs. of currants, 1-1/2 lb. of lean beef, 3 lbs. of beef suet, 2 lbs. of moist sugar, 2 oz. of citron, 2 oz. of candied lemon-peel, 2 oz. of candied orange-peel, 1 small nutmeg, 1 pottle of apples, the rind of 2 lemons, the juice of 1, 1/2 pint of brandy.

_Mode_.--Stone and _cut_ the raisins once or twice across, but do not chop them; wash, dry, and pick the currants free from stalks and grit, and mince the beef and suet, taking care that the latter is chopped very fine; slice the citron and candied peel, grate the nutmeg, and pare, core, and mince the apples; mince the lemon-peel, strain the juice, and when all the ingredients are thus prepared, mix them well together, adding the brandy when the other things are well blended; press the whole into a jar, carefully exclude the air, and the mincemeat will be ready for use in a fortnight.

_Average cost_ for this quant.i.ty, 8s.

_Seasonable_.--Make this about the beginning of December.

EXCELLENT MINCEMEAT.

1310. INGREDIENTS.--3 large lemons, 3 large apples, 1 lb. of stoned raisins, 1 lb. of currants, 1 lb. of suet, 2 lbs. of moist sugar, 1 oz.