The Book of Household Management Part 213

1780. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of flour, 1 lb. of b.u.t.ter, 1/4 lb. of pounded loaf sugar, 1/2 oz. of caraway seeds, 1 oz. of sweet almonds, a few strips of candied orange-peel.

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

_Mode_.--Beat the b.u.t.ter to a cream, gradually dredge in the flour, and add the sugar, caraway seeds, and sweet almonds, which should be blanched and cut into small pieces. Work the paste until it is quite smooth, and divide it into six pieces. Put each cake on a separate piece of paper, roll the paste out square to the thickness of about an inch, and pinch it upon all sides. p.r.i.c.k it well, and ornament with one or two strips of candied orange-peel. Put the cakes into a good oven, and bake them from 25 to 30 minutes.

_Time_.--25 to 30 minutes.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 2s.

_Sufficient_ to make 6 cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--Where the flavour of the caraway seeds is disliked, omit them, and add rather a larger proportion of candied peel.

SODA-CAKE.

1781. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter, 1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of moist sugar, 1 teacupful of milk, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.--Rub the b.u.t.ter into the flour, add the currants and sugar, and mix these ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs well, stir them to the flour, &c., with the milk, in which the soda should be previously dissolved, and beat the whole up together with a wooden spoon or beater.

Divide the dough into two pieces, put them into b.u.t.tered moulds or cake-tins, and bake in a moderate oven for nearly an hour. The mixture must be extremely well beaten up, and not allowed to stand after the soda is added to it, but must be placed in the oven immediately. Great care must also be taken that the cakes are quite done through, which may be ascertained by thrusting a knife into the middle of them: if the blade looks bright when withdrawn, they are done. If the tops acquire too much colour before the inside is sufficiently baked, cover them over with a piece of clean white paper, to prevent them from burning.

_Time_.--1 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ to make 2 small cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SAVOY CAKE.

1782. INGREDIENTS.--The weight of 4 eggs in pounded loaf sugar, the weight of 7 in flour, a little grated lemon-rind, or essence of almonds, or orange-flower water.

_Mode_.--Break the 7 eggs, putting the yolks into one basin and the whites into another. Whisk the former, and mix with them the sugar, the grated lemon-rind, or any other flavouring to taste; beat them well together, and add the whites of the eggs, whisked to a froth. Put in the flour by degrees, continuing to beat the mixture for 1/4 hour, b.u.t.ter a mould, pour in the cake, and bake it from 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour. This is a very nice cake for dessert, and may be iced for a supper-table, or cut into slices and spread with jam, which converts it into sandwiches.

_Time_.--1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 1 cake.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SPONGE-CAKE.

I.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SPONGE-CAKE.]

1783. INGREDIENTS.--The weight of 8 eggs in pounded loaf sugar, the weight of 5 in flour, the rind of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoonful of brandy.

_Mode_.--Put the eggs into one side of the scale, and take the weight of 8 in pounded loaf sugar, and the weight of 5 in good _dry_ flour.

Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the former, put them into a saucepan with the sugar, and let them remain over the fire until _milk-warm,_ keeping them well stirred. Then put them into a basin, add the grated lemon-rind mixed with the brandy, and stir these well together, dredging in the flour very gradually. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, stir them to the flour, &c., and beat the cake well for 1/4 hour. Put it into a b.u.t.tered mould strewn with a little fine sifted sugar, and bake the cake in a quick oven for 1-1/2 hour. Care must be taken that it is put into the oven immediately, or it will not be light. The flavouring of this cake may be varied by adding a few drops of essence of almonds instead of the grated lemon-rind.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 3d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 cake.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EGYPTIAN WHEAT.]

The Egyptian, or Mummy Wheat, is not grown to any great extent, owing to its inferior quality; but it is notable for its large produce, and is often cultivated on allotment grounds and on small farms, where quant.i.ty rather than quality is desired. At Wix, in Ess.e.x, the seed of this wheat has produced, without artificial a.s.sistance, four thousandfold; some of the ears have had eleven offshoots, and have contained, altogether, eleven grains in one ear.

II.

1784. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of loaf sugar, not quite 1/4 pint of water, 5 eggs, 1 lemon, 1/2 lb. of flour, 1/4 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.--Boil the sugar and water together until they form a thick syrup; let it cool a little, then pour it to the eggs, which should be previously well whisked; and after the eggs and syrup are mixed together, continue beating them for a few minutes. Grate the lemon-rind, mix the carbonate of soda with the flour, and stir these lightly to the other ingredients; then add the lemon-juice, and, when the whole is thoroughly mixed, pour it into a b.u.t.tered mould, and bake in rather a quick oven for rather more than 1 hour. The remains of sponge or Savoy cakes answer very well for trifles, light puddings, &c.; and a very stale one (if not mouldy) makes an excellent tipsy-cake.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1 hour.

_Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ to make 1 cake.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

TO MAKE SMALL SPONGE-CAKES.

1785. INGREDIENTS.--The weight of 5 eggs in flour, the weight of 8 in pounded loaf sugar; flavouring to taste.

_Mode_.--Let the flour be perfectly dry, and the sugar well pounded and sifted. Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs, and beat the latter up with the sugar; then whisk the whites until they become rather stiff, and mix them with the yolks, but do not stir them more than is just necessary to mingle the ingredients well together. Dredge in the flour by degrees, add the flavouring; batter the tins well, pour in the batter, sift a little sugar over the cakes, and bake them in rather a quick oven, but do not allow them to take too much colour, as they should be rather pale. Remove them from the tins before they get cold, and turn them on their faces, where let them remain until quite cold, when store them away in a closed tin canister or wide-mouthed gla.s.s bottle.

_Time_.--10 to 15 minutes in a quick oven.

_Average cost_, 1d. each.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

TEA-CAKES.