Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches Part 39

Mince-meat made early in the winter, and packed closely in stone jars, will keep till spring, if it has a sufficiency of spice and liquor. Whenever you take out any for use, pour some additional brandy into the jar before you cover it again, and add some more sugar. No mince-meat, however, will keep well unless all the ingredients are of the best quality. The meat should always be boiled the day before you want to chop it.

GOOD MINCE-MEAT.

Take a bullock's heart and boil it, or two pounds of the lean of fresh beef. When it is quite cold, chop it very fine. Chop three pounds of beef suet (first removing the skin and strings) and six pounds of large juicy apples that have been pared and cored. Then, stone six pounds of the best raisins, (or take sultana raisins that are without stones,) and chop them also. Wash and dry three pounds of currants. Mix all together; adding to them the grated peel and the juice of two or three large oranges, two table-spoonfuls of powdered cinnamon, two powdered nutmegs, and three dozen powdered cloves, a tea-spoonful of beaten mace, one pound of fine brown sugar, one quart of Madeira wine, one pint of French brandy, and half a pound of citron cut into large slips. Having thoroughly mixed the whole, put it into a stone jar, and tie it up with brandy paper.

THE BEST MINCE-MEAT,

Take a large fresh tongue, rub it with a mixture, in equal proportions, of salt, brown sugar, and powdered cloves. Cover it, and let it lie two days, or at least twenty-four hours. Then boil it two hours, and when, it is cold, skin it, and mince it very fine. Chop also three pounds of beef suet, six pounds of sultana raisins, and six pounds of the best pippin apples that have been previously pared and cored. Add three pounds of currants, picked, washed and dried; two large table-spoonfuls of powdered cinnamon; the juice and grated rinds of four large lemons; one pound of sweet almonds, one ounce of bitter almonds, blanched and pounded in a mortar with half a pint of rose water; also four powdered nutmegs; two dozen beaten cloves; and a dozen blades of mace powdered. Add a pound of powdered white sugar, and a pound of citron cut into slips. Mix all together, and moisten it with a quart of Madeira, and a pint of brandy. Put it up closely in a stone jar with brandy paper; and when you take any out, add some more sugar and brandy.

Bake this mince-meat in puff paste.

You may reserve the citron to put in when you make the pies. Do not cut the slips too small, or the taste will be almost imperceptible.

VERY PLAIN MINCE-MEAT.

Take a piece of fresh beef, consisting of about two pounds of lean, and one pound of fat. Boil it, and when it is quite cold, chop it fine. Or you may subst.i.tute cold roast beef. Pare and core some fine juicy apples, cut them in pieces, weigh three pounds, and chop them. Stone four pounds of raisins, and chop them also.

Add a large table-spoonful of powdered cloves, and the same quant.i.ty of powdered cinnamon. Also a pound of brown sugar. Mix all thoroughly, moistening it with a quart of bottled or sweet cider. You may add the grated peel and the juice of an orange.

Bake it in good common paste.

This mince-meat will do very well for children or for family use, but is too plain to be set before a guest. Neither will it keep so long as that which is richer and more highly seasoned. It is best to make no more of it at once than you have immediate occasion for.

MINCE-MEAT FOR LENT.

Boil a dozen eggs quite hard, and chop the yolks very fine. Chop also a dozen pippins, and two pounds of sultana raisins. Add two pounds of currants, a pound of sugar, a table-spoonful of powdered cinnamon, a tea-spoonful of beaten mace, three powdered nutmegs, the juice and grated peel of three large lemons, and half a pound of citron cut in large strips. Mix these ingredients thoroughly, and moisten the whole with a pint of white wine, half a pint of rose-water, and half a pint of brandy. Bake it in very nice paste.

These mince pies may be eaten by persons who refrain from meat in Lent.

ORANGE PUDDING.

Grate the yellow part of the rind, and squeeze the juice of two large, smooth, deep-coloured oranges. Stir together to a cream, half a pound of b.u.t.ter, and half a pound of powdered white sugar, and add a wine-gla.s.s of mixed wine and brandy. Beat very light six eggs, and stir them gradually into the mixture. Put it into a b.u.t.tered dish with a broad edge, round which lay a border of puff-paste neatly notched. Bake it half an hour, and when cool grate white sugar over it.

You may add to the mixture a Naples biscuit, or two finger biscuits, grated.

LEMON PUDDING.

May be made precisely in the same manner as the above; subst.i.tuting lemons for oranges.

QUINCE PUDDING.

Take six large ripe quinces; pare them, and cut out all the blemishes. Then sc.r.a.pe them to a pulp, and mix the pulp with half a pint of cream, and half a pound of powdered sugar, stirring them together very hard. Beat the yolks of seven eggs, (omitting all the whites except two,) and stir them gradually into the mixture, adding two wine gla.s.ses of rose water. Stir the whole well together, and bake it in a b.u.t.tered dish three quarters of an hour Grate sugar over it when cold.

If you cannot obtain cream, you may subst.i.tute a quarter of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter stirred with the sugar and quince. A baked apple pudding may be made in the same manner.

ALMOND PUDDING.

Take half a pound of sh.e.l.led sweet almonds, and three ounces of sh.e.l.led bitter almonds, or peach-kernels. Scald and peel them; throwing them, as they are peeled, into cold water. Then pound them one at a time in a marble mortar, adding to each a few drops of rose water; otherwise they will be heavy and oily. Mix the sweet and bitter almonds together by pounding them alternately; and as you do them, take them out and lay them on a plate. They must each be beaten to a fine smooth paste, free from the smallest lumps. It is best to prepare them the day before you make the pudding.

Stir to a cream half a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter and half a pound of powdered white sugar; and by degrees pour into it a gla.s.s of mixed wine and brandy. Beat to a stiff froth, the whites only, of twelve eggs, (you may reserve the yolks for custards or other purposes,) and stir alternately into the b.u.t.ter and sugar the pounded almonds and the beaten white of egg. When the whole is well mixed, put it into a b.u.t.tered dish and lay puff paste round the edge. Bake it about half an hour, and when cold grate sugar over it.

ANOTHER ALMOND PUDDING.

Blanch three quarters of a pound of sh.e.l.led sweet almonds, and three ounces of sh.e.l.led bitter almonds, and beat them in a mortar to a fine paste; mixing them well, and adding by degrees a tea-cup full, or more, of rose water. Boil in a pint of rich milk, a few sticks of cinnamon broken up, and a few blades of mace. When the milk has come to a boil, take it off the fire, strain it into a pan, and soak in it five stale rusks cut into slices. They must soak till quite dissolved. Stir to a cream three quarters of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter, mixed with the same quant.i.ty of powdered loaf-sugar. Beat ten eggs very light, yolks and whites together, and then stir alternately into the b.u.t.ter and sugar, the rusk, eggs, and almonds. Set it on a stove or a chafing dish, and stir the whole together till very smooth and thick. Put it into a b.u.t.tered dish and bake it three quarters of an hour. It must be eaten cool or cold.

COCOA-NUT PUDDING.

Having opened a cocoa-nut, pare off the brown skin from the pieces, and wash them all in cold water. Then weigh three quarters of a pound, and grate it into a dish. Cut up half a pound of b.u.t.ter into half a pound of powdered loaf-sugar, and stir them together to a cream; add to them a gla.s.s of wine and rose water mixed. Beat the whites only, of twelve eggs, till they stand alone on the rods; and then stir the grated cocoa-nut and the beaten white of egg alternately into the b.u.t.ter and sugar; giving the whole a hard stirring at the last. Put the mixture into a b.u.t.tered dish, lay puff paste round the flat edge, and bake it half an hour in a moderate oven. When cool, grate powdered sugar over it.

ANOTHER COCOA-NUT PUDDING.

Peel and cut up the cocoa-nut, and wash, and wipe the pieces.

Weigh one pound, and grate it fine. Then, mix with it three stale rusks or small sponge-cakes, grated also. Stir together till very light half a pound of b.u.t.ter and half a pound of powdered white sugar, and add a gla.s.s of white wine. Beat six whole eggs very light, and stir them gradually into the b.u.t.ter and sugar in turn with the grated cocoa-nut. Having stirred the whole very hard at the last, put it into a b.u.t.tered dish and bake it half an hour.

PUMPKIN PUDDING.

Take a pint of pumpkin that has been stewed soft, and pressed through a cullender. Melt in half a pint of warm milk, a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter, and the same quant.i.ty of sugar, stirring them well together. If you can conveniently procure a pint of rich cream it will be better than the milk and b.u.t.ter. Beat eight eggs very light, and add them gradually to the other ingredients, alternately with the pumpkin. Then stir in a wine gla.s.s of rose water and two gla.s.ses of wine mixed together; a large tea-spoonful of powdered mace and cinnamon mixed, and a grated nutmeg. Having stirred the whole very hard, put it into a b.u.t.tered dish and bake it three quarters of an hour.

A SQUASH PUDDING.

Pare, cut in pieces, and stew in a very little water, a yellow winter squash. When it is quite soft, drain it dry, and mash it in a cullender. Then put it into a pan, and mix with it a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter. Prepare two pounded crackers, or an equal quant.i.ty of grated stale bread. Stir gradually a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar into a quart of rich milk, and add by degrees, the squash, and the powdered biscuit. Beat nine eggs very light, and stir them gradually into the mixture. Add a gla.s.s of white wine, a gla.s.s of brandy, a gla.s.s of rose water, and a table-spoonful of mixed spice, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon powdered. Stir the whole very hard, till all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Bake it three quarters of an hour in a b.u.t.tered dish; and when cold, grate white sugar over it.

YAM PUDDING.

Take one pound of roasted yam, and rub it through a cullender. Mix with it half a pound of white sugar, a pint of cream or half a pound of b.u.t.ter, a tea-spoonful of powdered cinnamon, a grated nutmeg, and a wine gla.s.s of rose water, and one of wine. Set it away to get cold. Then beat six eggs very light. Stir them into the mixture. Put it into a b.u.t.tered dish and bake it half an hour.

Grate sugar over it when cold.

CHESTNUT PUDDING,

May be made in the above manner.

POTATO PUDDING.