quarter of a pound of butter; add to it a quarter of a pound of powdered
sugar and three well-beaten eggs, a teaspoonful of rosewater, and sifted
flour enough to make a thin batter; stir it with a wooden spoon till the
batter is perfectly smooth and so light that it will break when it falls
against the sides of the mixing-bowl; fill well-buttered muffin-moulds
(small) nearly half full with the mixture, and bake in a quick oven;
serve hot with newly-made butter.
=Columbia Cake.=—Beat three-quarters of a pound of butter to a cream;
add gradually a pound of sugar, four well-beaten eggs, a cupful of milk,
half a grated nutmeg, a salt-spoonful cinnamon, a wineglassful of
brandy, nearly two pounds of flour, and half a pound of washed currants;
beat these ingredients together twenty minutes. Dissolve a teaspoonful
of saleratus in a few spoonfuls of hot water, and stir it into the
mixture; butter the pan and line it with buttered paper, pour in the
cake, and bake in a moderate oven.
=Knickerbocker Cakes.=—Beat half a pound of fresh butter to a cream; add
half a pound of powdered sugar, three-quarters of a pound of sifted
flour, a tablespoonful of orange-flower water and one of brandy, and
four ounces of washed currants; add five well-beaten eggs, and beat the
mixture until very light. Line some shallow cake-tins with buttered
paper, pour in the mixture until they are half full, and bake in a quick
oven.
=Cocoanut Cake.=—One and a half cups of sugar, half a cup each of butter
and milk, one cup of cocoanut grated fine, two cups flour, three
teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Bake in pans with dry cocoanut sprinkled
over the top (three cakes).
M. G. H.
=Olive Gingerbread.=—Five and one-half cups of flour, two cups of
molasses, one cup of sour cream, half a cup of butter, and two
teaspoonfuls each of soda and ginger. M. G. H.
=Chocolate Cake.=—_Outside_: Half a cup of butter, two cups of sugar,
one cup of cold water, three cups of flour, four eggs, whites and yolks
beaten separately, and three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. _Inside_:
Five tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate with enough cream or milk to wet
it, one cupful of brown sugar, and one egg well beaten. Let it come to a
boil, and then flavor with vanilla. Cake is made in layers like jelly
cake.
M. G. H.
=Chocolate Macaroons.=—Put three ounces of plain chocolate in a pan, and
melt on a slow fire; then work it to a thick paste with one pound of
powdered sugar and the whites of three eggs; roll the mixture down to
the thickness of about one-quarter of an inch; cut it in small, round
pieces with a paste-cutter, either plain or scalloped; butter a pan
slightly, and dust it with flour and sugar in equal quantities; place in
it the pieces of paste or mixture, and bake in a hot but not quick oven.
=Whortleberry Cake.=—One quart of flour, one cupful of sugar, one pint
of berries, a little salt, and three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Mix
stiff with milk like biscuit.
M. G. H.
=Whortleberry Cake, No. 2.=—One cupful of sugar, two eggs, one and a
half cupfuls of milk with half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it;
butter size of an egg, one quart of berries, one teaspoonful of
cream-tartar, and flour enough to make a stiff batter. Bake in
muffin-rings or tins.
=Cocoanut Pound Cake.=—Beat half a pound of butter to a cream; add
gradually a pound of sifted flour, one pound of powdered sugar, two
teaspoonfuls of baking powder, a pinch of salt, a teaspoonful of grated
lemon-peel, quarter of a pound of prepared cocoanut, four well-beaten
eggs, and a cupful of milk; mix thoroughly; butter the tins, and line
them with buttered paper; pour the mixture in to the depth of an inch
and a half, and bake in a good oven. When baked take out, spread icing
over them, and return the cake to the oven a moment to dry the icing.
=Icing.=—One cupful white sugar, enough water to dissolve it; set on the
stove and let it boil until it will “hair”; beat the white of one egg to
a stiff froth, pour the heated sugar on the egg, and stir briskly until
cool enough to stay on the cake. The icing should not be applied until
the cake is nearly or quite cold. This will frost the tops of two
common-sized cakes.
=Cream Cake.=—Sift half a pound of flour into three ounces of creamed
butter; add an even teaspoonful of baking powder, two tablespoonfuls
powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, half a teaspoonful of grated
lemon-peel, a cupful of cream that has turned a little, and beaten egg.
Mix the batter, pour it into a buttered and papered tin, and bake in a
moderate oven.
=Windsor Cake.=—Beat the yolks and whites of six eggs separately. Have
ready the crumbs of three Vienna rolls soaked in milk, and squeeze dry;
mix the crumbs with four ounces of melted butter, add the beaten yolks
and two ounces crushed sugar, with a teaspoonful of grated lemon-peel;
work the mixture, and add gradually two ounces each of raisins, almond
paste, and candied orange-peel. Next add the frothed whites of eggs;
butter and paper a shallow tin, and bake in a moderate oven. When done
sprinkle powdered sugar over it. If preferred, chopped almonds may be
sprinkled over the bottom of the cake-tin before adding the cake.
=Ginger Cup Cake.=—Mix two cupfuls of powdered sugar with two cupfuls of
warmed butter; add three well-beaten eggs, a cupful of molasses, four
heaping cupfuls of flour, a tablespoonful of fresh ground ginger, and a
tablespoonful of dissolved saleratus; mix thoroughly, and pour into
buttered moulds or patty pans. Bake in moderate oven.
=Macaroons.=—Blanch and pound six ounces of sweet almonds; add one pound
of powdered sugar, the beaten whites of six eggs, two ounces of rice
flour, and one tablespoonful of brandy; mix all well together, and drop
the mixture in small quantities through a cornucopia on a sheet of
confectionery paper, leaving a small distance between each, and bake in
a moderate oven. It is best to bake one little cake at first, and if it
is at all heavy add a little more beaten white of egg. A strip of
blanched almond in the middle of each will be an improvement. They
should be baked a fawn color.
=Neapolitan Cake.=—Blanch and pound to a smooth paste six ounces of
sweet and one ounce of bitter almonds; add a few drops of orange-flower
water while pounding to prevent oiling; add a pinch of salt, the grated
rind of one lemon, four ounces of butter from which the salt has been
extracted, half a pound of crushed loaf-sugar, ten ounces of flour; mix
thoroughly, and add the well-beaten yolks of six eggs after the eggs
have cooled a little. Roll the paste out to the thickness of about
one-quarter of an inch, and stamp out into small forms with a
cake-cutter; lay them upon a floured tin, and bake in a good oven. When
they are done take them out, and when cold cover the tops with a little
icing. Return them to the oven one moment to dry the icing.
=Marbled Cake.=—One cupful of butter, two of sugar, three of flour, four
well-beaten eggs, and one cupful of milk; two teaspoonfuls of baking
powder; dissolve a large spoonful of chocolate with a little cream, and
mix with a cupful of the batter; cover the bottom of your pan with the
batter, and drop upon it in two or three places a spoonful of the
chocolate, forming rings, then another layer of the batter, and so on
until all is used. Bake in a moderate oven.
=Pound Cake without Soda.=—One pound powdered sugar, half pound butter,
eight eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately and well; ten ounces
flour, one nutmeg; bake one hour or longer. Never fails, and will keep
one week.
=Lady Fingers, No. 1.=—Beat the whites and yolks of four eggs
separately; mix with the yolks three ounces of flour and three of
powdered sugar; add the beaten whites, and afterwards a gill of
rosewater; beat all together a few minutes; put the mixture in a paper
funnel, and squeeze it out into the shape of fingers on paper which has
had a little powdered sugar dusted over it; dust a little sugar over the
fingers; let them stand five minutes, then bake to a fawn color in a
moderate oven; fasten together after they have been baked with a little
white of egg. Keep them in close-covered tin till wanted.
=Lady Fingers, No. 2.=—Rub half a pound of butter into a pound of flour;
add half a pound of sugar; grate in the rinds of two lemons, and squeeze
in the juice of one; then add three eggs; make into a roll the size of
the middle finger; it will spread in the oven to a thin cake; dip in
chocolate icing.
=Crescents.=—Mix three ounces of rice flour with three ounces of
powdered sugar; add three well-beaten eggs; mix all thoroughly, then
spread the mixture thinly on paper and bake for twenty minutes. Take it
out, and stamp into the shape of crescents; cover each crescent with
icing, and return them to the oven for a minute or two to dry; add to a
portion of the icing a little cochineal, to make some of the cakes
pink-colored.
=Maids of Honor.=—One cup _each_ of sour and sweet milk, one small cup
of white pounded sugar-candy, one tablespoonful of melted butter, the
yolks of four eggs, and the juice and rind of one lemon. Put both kinds
of milk together in a vessel, which is set in another, and let it become
sufficiently heated to set the curd; then strain off the milk, rub the
curd through a strainer, add butter to the curd, also sugar-candy,
well-beaten eggs, and lemon. Line the little pans with the richest of
paste, and fill with the mixture; bake until firm in the centre—from ten
to fifteen minutes.
=Charlotte Russe.=—Take one-fifth of a package of gelatine and half a
cupful cold milk; place in a farina boiler, and stir gently over the
fire until the gelatine is dissolved; pour into a dish, and place in a
cool room; take one pint of rich cream and whisk it with a tin
egg-beater until it is thick; flavor the cream with either vanilla or
wine, and sweeten to taste; when the gelatine is cool strain carefully
into the prepared cream; line a mould with ladyfingers; then pour the
cream in carefully until it is filled; cover with ladyfingers.
=Manioca Cream.=—Three tablespoonfuls of manioca, one pint of milk,
three eggs, vanilla and sugar to taste; soak the manioca in water till
soft; boil the milk; while boiling stir in the manioca and the yolks of
the eggs, beaten with the sugar; when cooked sufficiently, pour into a
dish to cool; when cold, add the vanilla; beat the whites of the eggs
till stiff, sweeten and flavor them, and stir part into the pudding,
putting the rest on top.
=Blanc-Mange.=—Blanch ten bitter almonds with two ounces of sweet
almonds, and pound them to a paste; add by degrees a third of a pint of
cold water; let it stand till settled, and strain off the almond milk.
Put into a pint of milk five ounces of loaf-sugar, three inches of stick
vanilla, and pour it into an enamelled saucepan; boil slowly till the
sugar is dissolved, then stir in an ounce of well-soaked isinglass;
strain into a basin; add the milk of almonds with a gill of cream;
remove the sticks of vanilla, and when cold pour the mixture into
individual moulds and place in ice-box till wanted.
=Meringues.=—Take one pound of powdered sugar, and add it to the beaten
whites of eight eggs (slowly), until it forms a stiff froth; fill a
tablespoon with the paste, and smooth it with another spoon to the
desired shape; sift a little sugar over a sheet of paper, drop the
meringues about two inches apart; dust a little sugar over them, and
bake in a quick oven with door left open, so they can be watched
constantly; when fawn-colored, take them out; remove them from the paper
with a thin knife; scrape out of each a little of the soft part. They
may be neatly arranged around a dish of whipped cream, or filled with
ice-cream. If whipped cream is used, they would be improved by the
addition of a little bright jelly inside each méringue.
=Macaroon Basket.=—This is a pretty and unconventional way of serving up
macaroons with whipped cream, etc. Make a cement of sugar boiled to
crackling, into which dip the edges of macaroons. Line a two-quart
(deep) cakepan with them, bottom and sides, taking care that the edges
of macaroons touch each other firmly; also have a care not to pack them
so tightly in the pan as to prevent easy removal. Set aside to dry, and
when wanted fill with the desired cream, and serve on a glass dish.
=Italian Cream.=—Put one ounce of soaked isinglass, six ounces of
loaf-sugar, half a stick of vanilla, and one pint of milk into a
saucepan; boil slowly, and stir all the time until the isinglass is
dissolved; strain the mixture, and when a little cool mix it with a pint
of thick cream. Beat thoroughly until it thickens. Pour into a large or
individual moulds, and put in ice-box until wanted.
=Whipped Coffee Cream.=—Sweeten one pint of rich cream rather liberally;
roast two ounces of coffee beans; when they are lightly browned throw
them into the cream at once and let the dish stand one hour before
using; strain and whip the cream to a firm froth. A teaspoonful of
powdered gum-arabic, dissolved in a little orange-flower water, may be
added to give the cream more firmness, if desired.
=Whipped Cream with Liqueurs.=—Proceed as with coffee cream, flavoring
the cream before whipping with Curaçoa, Maraschino, or any other cordial
that may be desired. Other creams can be made on the same principle with
chocolate extracts or highly-flavored wines.
=Bavarian Cream.=—Whip one pint of cream to a stiff froth and set in a
colander one minute, to allow unwhipped portion to drip away; boil one
pint of milk with a stick of vanilla and half a cupful of sugar until
flavor is extracted; then take out stick of vanilla, and remove saucepan
from fire; add half a box of Cox’s gelatine that has been soaked in
water; add the well-beaten whites of four eggs, and when the mixture has
become quite cold add the whipped cream gradually until it is well
mixed; put into individual moulds a teaspoonful of some bright jelly or
jam, then pour in the mixture and place in ice-box until wanted. This
cream may be flavored in any way desired.
=Ice-Cream.=—Use only the best materials for making and flavoring. Avoid
using milk thickened with arrowroot, corn-starch, or any farinaceous
substance. Pure cream, ripe natural fruits, or the extracts of same, and
sugar of the purest quality, combine to make a perfect ice-cream. In the
first place secure a good ice-cream freezer. Of these several are made.
Without recommending any particular make, we would suggest that one be
secured working with a crank and revolving dashers. Next secure an
ice-tub, not less than eight inches greater in diameter than the
freezer. See that it has a hole in the side near the bottom, with a
plug, which can be drawn at pleasure, to let off water accumulated from
melting ice. Get a spatula of hard wood—not metal—with a blade about
twelve inches long and four or five inches wide, and oval-shaped at end.
This is used to scrape off cream which may adhere to the sides of
freezer in process of freezing, also for working flavorings and fruits
into cream. A smaller spade is also necessary for mixing salt and ice
together and for depositing this mixture in the intervening space
between can and ice-tub. Ice must be pounded fine in a coarse, strong
bag. To freeze the cream, assuming it to be already flavored, first
pound up ice and mix with it a quantity of coarse salt, in the
proportion of one-third the quantity of salt to amount of ice used. Put
freezing-can in centre of tub, taking care that lid is securely fastened
down, and pile the mixed ice and salt around it on inside of tub to
within three inches of top. First turn crank slowly, and as cream
hardens increase the speed until mixture is thoroughly congealed, and
revolving dashers are “frozen in.” Remove the lid, take out dashers, cut
away the cream which has adhered to the sides, and proceed to work the
mixture with the spatula until it is smooth and soft to the tongue.
Reinsert the dashers, cover can again, and work crank until entire
contents are hard and well set. It is now ready to be served.
=Vanilla Cream.=—Four quarts of very rich cream, containing no milk;
split two good-sized vanilla beans and cut up into small pieces; two
pounds of powdered sugar and four fresh eggs; beat the eggs thoroughly
in a porcelain-lined dish; add the sugar, and stir both well together;
add the cream and throw in vanilla; place on fire, stirring constantly
until boiling commences, but do not retain it there an instant after
that time; strain through a hair sieve, and when cool pour it into the
freezer and freeze.
=Lemon Ice-Cream.=—Grate off the yellow rind of two large fresh lemons,
with half a pound of loaf-sugar, using care not to grate a particle of
the white, leathery pith beneath; crush the sugar to a powder, strain
over it the juice of one lemon; add a pint of rich cream; stir until
sugar is dissolved and freeze.
=Peach Ice-Cream.=—Pound to a pulp twelve whole canned peaches; strain
through a hair sieve and add six ounces of loaf-sugar which has been
setting on fire to dissolve a few minutes; add one pint and a half of
cream and a few drops of cochineal to give it a nice peach-color;
freeze. Fruit creams of any kind can be made in same manner.
=Water Ices.=—_Lemon Ice_: Rub the rinds of six lemons upon twelve
square lumps of sugar; squeeze over them the strained juice, half a pint
of water, and a pint of syrup made by boiling three-quarters of a pound
of sugar in nearly a pint of water; put in an earthen crock for one hour
and a half, then mix, strain, and freeze. The ice will be improved by
adding the whites of three eggs beaten to a froth with six ounces of
powdered sugar. Serve in glasses.
_Apricot Ice_: Skin, divide, and stone six large ripe apricots; blanch,
pound, and add the kernels to the fruit, with the juice of two lemons,
half a pint of water and two ounces of clarified sugar; put in an
earthen crock for one hour and a half, then strain and mix the whites of
three eggs beaten to a firm froth with four ounces of powdered sugar;
add this to the prepared water, mix thoroughly, and freeze.
=Orange Basket.=—Remove the fruit from interior of the orange carefully
by making a small incision on one side of the orange, then cut the skin
into shape of a basket, leaving about one-half an inch of the stalk end
for a handle. Fill the basket with ices, ice creams, frozen punches,
whipped creams, jellies, etc. They look very pretty on a table. The
fruit portion of orange can be utilized by removing the pith and seeds
and sending to table sweetened with sugar, or used to make orange
ice-cream or ices.
=Good Coffee.=—The following remarks addressed to the trade by Messrs.
H. K. & F. B. Thurber & Co. are so true and brief, yet so comprehensive,
that I introduce them here:
“Nothing is more generally desired or appreciated, nothing harder to
find, than a uniformly good cup of coffee. Its production is generally
considered an easy matter, but it involves the observance of a
considerable number of conditions by a considerable number of persons,
and a volume might be written about these and still leave much to be
said. We will, however, briefly state the most important requisites.
“The wholesale dealer must exercise care and judgment in his selections,
as there is almost as much difference in the flavor of coffee as there
is of tea; this is especially true of Mocha, Java, Maracaibo, and other
fancy coffees, of which frequently the brightest and handsomest looking
lots are greatly lacking in the flavor and aroma which constitute the
chief value of coffee, and which can be ascertained only by testing
carefully each invoice purchased. It should be roasted by a professional
roaster, as this is a very important part of the programme, and requires
skill, experience, and constant practice. Expert roasters are usually
experienced men and command high salaries. A bad coffee-roaster is dear
at any price, as the coffee may be ruined or its value greatly injured
by an error in judgment or an instant’s inattention. Owing to these
circumstances, in addition to the fact that in order to do good work it
is necessary to roast a considerable quantity at a time, none of the
small hand-machines produce uniformly good results, and they are only to
be tolerated where distance makes it impossible for the retail merchant
to obtain regular and (when not in air-tight packages) frequent supplies
of the roasted article. _How much_ it should be roasted is also an
important part of the question; for making “BLACK” or “French” coffee,
it should be roasted higher than usual (the French also often add a
little chiccory), and some sections are accustomed to a higher roast
than others, but as a whole the customary New York standard will best
suit the average American palate.
“Retail dealers should buy their roasted coffee of a reliable house that
has a reputation to sustain, and that cannot be induced to cut down
prices below what they can afford to furnish an article that will do
them credit; do not buy much at a time (unless in air-tight packages), a
week or ten days’ supply is enough, and if you are situated so you can
buy it twice a week so much the better. Keep it in a dry place, and, if
possible, in a tin can which shuts tightly, never in a pine box or bin,
for the smell of the wood is quickly absorbed by the coffee. Get your
customers in the habit of buying it in the berry, or, if they have no
mill at home and want you to grind it for them (every grocer should have
a mill), grind it pretty fine, so that when used the strength is readily
extracted, but do not sell them much at a time, as it is a _necessity_
to have coffee _freshly ground_.
“Consumers should adopt the above suggestions to retail dealers—buy of a
reliable dealer who will not represent an inferior article as ‘Java’;
buy in small quantities, and buy often; keep it dry and in a
tightly-closed tin can, or in a glass or earthen jar. Have a small ‘hand
coffee-mill,’ and grind only when ready to use it; and if during rainy
weather the kernels become damp and tough, warm them up in a _clean_ pot
or skillet, but do not scorch them; this drives off the moisture,
restores the flavor, and makes it grind better. The grinding is an
important feature; if ground too coarse, you lose much of the strength
and aroma of the coffee; if too fine, it is hard to make it clear, but
of the two the latter is least objectionable; both the strength and
flavor of the coffee, however, is a necessity, and if a little of the
finely-powdered coffee flows out with the liquid extract, it is clean
and will hurt nobody. It is better, however, to grind it _just right_,
which is so that the largest pieces will be no larger than pinheads.
“We now come to the important part of making coffee. For this there are
many receipts and formulas, including a large number of new and
so-called improved coffee-pots, but we have never seen any of the new
methods which in the longrun gave as satisfactory results as the
following old-fashioned receipt:
“Grind moderately fine a large cup of coffee; break into it one egg with
shell; mix well, adding just enough cold water to thoroughly wet the
grounds; upon this pour one pint of boiling water; let it boil slowly
for ten to fifteen minutes, and then stand three minutes to settle; pour
through a fine wire sieve into coffee-pot, which should be first rinsed
with hot water; this will make enough for four persons. _Coffee should
be served as soon as made._ At table first rinse the cup with hot water,
put in the sugar, then fill half full of _hot_ milk, add your coffee,
and you have a delicious beverage that will be a revelation to many poor
mortals who have an indistinct remembrance of and an intense longing for
_an ideal cup of coffee_. If you have cream, so much the better; and in
that case boiling water can be added either in the pot or cup to make up
for the space occupied by the milk, as above; or condensed milk will be
found a good substitute for cream.