The New England Cook Book Part 9

166. _Shelah or quick Loaf Cake._

Melt half a pound of b.u.t.ter, when cool work it into a pound and a half of raised dough. Beat four eggs, with three quarters of a pound of rolled sugar, and put it into the cake together with a tea spoonful of saleratus, dissolved in a tea cup of milk, add a wine gla.s.s of brandy, a little mace and cinnamon. Work the whole with the hand for a quarter of an hour, add a pound of raisins; then put it into cake pans, let it remain twenty five or thirty minutes, before baking it.

167. _Loaf Cake._

Into two pounds of flour, stir a pound of lukewarm melted b.u.t.ter and a tea cup of yeast, put it in a warm place to rise, but care must be taken not to get it too warm, as the yeast will get scalded, and prevent its rising. When perfectly light, beat four eggs with a pound and a quarter of sugar, and work them into the sponge, with a wine gla.s.s of wine, and one of brandy, three tea spoonsful of cinnamon, a little mace, or nutmeg. Work the whole well with the hand for ten minutes, then set it where it will rise again. When risen the second time, work it with the hand for fifteen minutes, then stir in gradually a pound of stoned raisins, and quarter of a pound of citron cut into small strips, fill your cake pans about half full, put them near the fire for half an hour, to rise again in the pans. Bake the cake in a quick (but not a furious oven,) for about an hour and twenty minutes.

168. _Rice Cake._

Mix ten ounces of ground rice, three of wheat flour, eight ounces of powdered sugar, sift them by degrees into eight yolks and six whites of eggs previously beaten to a froth, grate in the peel of a lemon, and bake it in deep pans, about twenty minutes.

169. _Diet Bread._

Sift a pound of flour, and put it with a pound of sugar and eight eggs well beaten, add a little rosewater or essence of lemon, bake it fifteen or twenty minutes.

170. _Scotch or Lemon Cake._

Stir together till white, a pound of sugar, half a pound of b.u.t.ter; then put in eight eggs, beaten to a froth, with the grated peel of a couple of lemons, and the juice. Sift a pound of flour and stir it in.

171. _Pound Cake._

Mix a pound of sugar, three quarters of b.u.t.ter, when white put in eight eggs beaten to a froth, the whites and yolks separate, add a pound of sifted flour, and mace, to your taste. If you wish your cake to be very rich, stir in just before it is put in the oven, half a pound of stoned raisins, and quarter of a pound of citron, or pounded sweet almonds.

172. _Queen's or Heart Cakes._

Rub together till very white, a pound of sugar, three quarters of b.u.t.ter, then beat the whites and yolks of seven eggs, separately to a froth, and stir them into the cake, mix a wine gla.s.s of wine, one of brandy, and one of milk, turn it into the cake, then stir in a pound of flour, a little essence of lemon, and mace or nutmeg to your taste. Stir the whole well together, then add (a minute before you put it in the pans,) half a pound of raisins seeded, quarter of a pound of Zante currants, quarter of a pound of almonds pounded fine, or citron cut in strips; they should be stirred in very gradually, a handful of each alternately; when well mixed in, bake the cake immediately, in small tins or in large cake pans, if baked in the latter it will require baking about an hour and twenty five minutes, if baked in small tins it will bake in much less time.

173. _Jelly Cake._

Stir together half a pound of sugar, and six ounces of b.u.t.ter, beat seven eggs to a froth and put in, together with a little mace, or nutmeg, then stir in gradually a pound of flour, and the juice and grated peel of a fresh lemon, turn the mixture on to scolloped tin plates, well b.u.t.tered, the mixture should not be more than quarter of an inch thick in each one, bake them until brown, in a quick oven, then pile them together on a plate, with jelly spread on each one and jelly on the top.

174. _Raised Queen's Cake._

Stir into a pound of flour, half a pint of lukewarm milk, a tea cup of yeast, set it in a warm place; when light stir a pound of sugar, with three quarters of b.u.t.ter and work it into the sponge, with three beaten eggs, a little mace or essence of lemon, and half a pound more of sifted flour. Work the whole together for fifteen or twenty minutes, then let it remain till very light, when so, stir in half a pound of seeded raisins, quarter of a pound of Zante currants, and the same of citron.

Bake it directly in a moderate oven, but not a slow one.

175. _Sponge Cake._

Take the weight of ten eggs, in sifted loaf sugar, beat it well with the yolks of twelve eggs, then grate in the peel of a fresh lemon, and add the juice of half an one. Beat the whites of six eggs to a froth, and mix them with the sugar and yolks. Beat the whole, well together without any cessation, for fifteen minutes, on a shallow plate, then stir in very gradually the weight of six eggs, in sifted flour, put it in a moderate oven, as soon as the flour is well mixed in, and bake it from fifteen to twenty minutes.

176. _Almond Sponge Cake._

Into the whites of sixteen eggs, beaten to a froth, stir their weight of sifted loaf sugar; beat them well five or six minutes, then add the weight of seven whites of eggs, in sweet almonds, previously blanched, dried, and pounded fine, a table spoonful of cream or lukewarm melted b.u.t.ter, beat the ingredients well together, then stir in very gradually, the weight of the whites of eight eggs, in sifted flour; as soon as it is mixed in well, bake it in a moderate oven about twenty minutes.

177. _Black or Fruit Cake._

Stir for twenty minutes, four pounds of b.u.t.ter with five of sugar. Beat forty eggs, the whites and yolks separate, and stir them into the b.u.t.ter and sugar, then add a table spoonful of cinnamon, the same quant.i.ty of rosewater, a tea spoonful of essence of lemon, or three of orange flower water, half an ounce of allspice, the same of mace, and a tea spoonful of cloves. Stir in very gradually, five pound of sifted flour. Mix three gla.s.ses of white wine, three of brandy, and two of milk. Stir it with the rest of the above ingredients for twenty minutes, then stir in three quarters of a pound of blanched, dried and pounded almonds, four pounds of stoned raisins, five of Zante currants, and a pound of citron, cut in small pieces, the fruit should be stirred in gradually, a handful of each kind alternately. Bake it immediately in a moderate oven, for about two hours and a half. This kind of cake will keep good four or five months.

178. _Almond Cheese Cake._

Mix half a pound of powdered loaf sugar, with four ounces of b.u.t.ter, when white add a gill of cream, if you have it, if not put in the same quant.i.ty of boiling milk, with an ounce of pounded cracker, two ounces of blanched and pounded sweet almonds, half a gla.s.s of wine, a tea spoonful of orange flower or rosewater, and half a grated nutmeg. Beat five eggs to a froth, the whites and yolks separate, and stir into the above mixture; then set it on a few coals and stir it constantly till scalding hot, take it off before it boils, and stir it till nearly cold, then add quarter of a pound of Zante currants. Pour it into patty pans, lined with puff paste, cut blanched almonds into small slips, and ornament the top of the cheese cake with them. Bake them in a quick oven twenty minutes.

179. _Maccaroons._

Beat the whites of nine eggs to a stiff froth, then stir in ten large table spoonsful of powdered loaf sugar, beat them together well; add quarter of a pound of bitter almonds, previously blanched, dried and pounded fine, and the same quant.i.ty of sweet ones. When the whole is well mixed, do them up into b.a.l.l.s of the size of a walnut, lay them on b.u.t.tered baking plates, several inches apart, flatten them on the top, bake them in a slow oven till of a light brown.

180. _Frosting for Cake._

Allow for each loaf of cake, the white of one egg, and ten heaping tea spoonsful of powdered double refined loaf sugar. Beat the eggs on a shallow plate till you can turn the plate upside down, without the eggs dropping from it. Then stir in the sugar very gradually; stir it without any cessation for fifteen minutes, then add a tea spoonful of lemon juice, vinegar will do but it is not as good as the lemon juice. If you wish to have it colored, stir in a few grains of cochineal powder, or a little powder blue. As soon as you have put in the lemon juice, lay it with a knife, on the cake, which should be hot, smooth it over, and set the cake away in a cool place, and let it remain, until it hardens.

181. _Cocoanut Cakes._

Beat the whites of eight eggs, to a stiff froth, then stir in half a pound of sifted loaf sugar; it should be stirred in very gradually, and beaten eight or ten minutes, then add half a pound of grated cocoanut, the brown part should be cut off before it is grated. Put in a table spoonful of the milk of the cocoanut, if you have it, if not it will do without, drop it on b.u.t.tered pie plates, several inches apart, the drops should be about the size of a cent. Bake them in a oven about twenty minutes.

182. _Floating Island._

Beat the whites of nine eggs to a froth, then beat with them seven large table spoonsful of whatever dark colored jelly, you may happen to have.

When you have beaten them seven or eight minutes, put some cream into a large shallow dish, and turn the jelly and eggs, into the center of it.

This should not be made but a short time before it is to be eaten.

183. _Whip Syllabub._

Take good sweet cream, and to each pint of it, put six ounces of sifted double refined loaf sugar, half a tumbler of white wine, the juice and grated peel of a lemon. Beat it well, as the froth rises, take it off and lay it on jelly, in a dish or gla.s.ses. Keep it in a cool place till just before it is eaten.

184. _Blanc Mange._

Pull an ounce of isingla.s.s, into small pieces, rinse and put it to a pint and a half of milk. Stir it over a slow fire, with a stick of cinnamon or mace, and loaf sugar to your taste. Stir it without boiling until the isingla.s.s dissolves. Then set it where it will boil five or six minutes, stirring it constantly. Strain it and fill your moulds with it when cool, and let it remain until wanted.

185. _Rice Flour Blanc Mange._