BOB'S CHRISTMAS GIFT TO BETTINA
BOB had walked home from the office through the falling snow--and it was
no short distance--with thought for neither snow nor distance. He was
distinctly worried,--Christmas only two weeks off, the first Christmas
since he and Bettina had been married, and as yet he had no idea what
sort of a Christmas gift he ought to purchase for his wife. What did she
need? Unfortunately he had heard her say only a few days ago that she
didn't need a thing. What did she secretly long for? A glass baking
dish! Shucks, what an unromantic present! Surely Bettina had been
teasing him when she mentioned such a prosy gift as that! Well, if he
didn't have some inspiration by the day before Christmas there would be
nothing to do but get her violets, or candy, or perhaps some silly book
that she didn't want.
"Hello, Bob!" said a voice almost at his feet.
"Say Mister Bob, Billy," another voice corrected severely.
"Hello, Jacky! Good evening, Marjorie! Coasting good?"
"Oh, pretty good. You don't know what we've got at our house!"
"Four Angora kittens!" interrupted Marjorie eagerly, before Bob had a
chance to guess. "Four whole kittens. Can't see a thing, though, but
they'll learn after a while! We're going to sell three of 'em, and keep
one, and----"
"See here, Marjorie!" exclaimed Bob. "I'd like to buy one myself, for a
Christmas present to some one! How about it? You ask your mother to save
one for me--I'll stop in tomorrow morning and talk to her about it.
Could you take care of it for me till Christmas morning?"
And Bob strode on with a happy grin on his face. Wouldn't Bettina laugh
at the idea of an Angora kitten!
For dinner that night Bettina served:
Beef Steak Baked Potatoes
Cauliflower in Cream Cranberry Jelly Moulds
Bread Butter
Burnt Sugar Cake Confectioner's Icing
Coffee
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Cranberry Jelly= (Three portions)
2 C-cranberries
2/3 C-water
3/4 C-sugar
Look over the cranberries, removing any stems and soft berries. Add the
water and cook until the skins have burst and all the berries are soft.
Press through a strainer, removing all the pulp. Add the sugar to the
pulp, and cook until the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally to
prevent sticking. When the jelly stands up on a plate it is done. Pour
into moulds (preferably of china or glass) which have been wet with cold
water.
=Burnt Sugar Cake= (Sixteen pieces)
1/2 C-butter
1-1/2 C-sugar
2 eggs
1/4 t-salt
2-1/2 C-flour
4 t-baking powder
1 C-boiling water
1 t-vanilla
Caramelize two-thirds of a cup of sugar. When the sugar is melted and
reaches the light brown or the "caramel" stage, add the water. Cook
until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved in the water. Allow it to cool.
Cream the butter, add the rest of the uncooked sugar, and then add the
egg-yolks. Mix well. Add the salt, flour, baking-powder, vanilla and the
cooled liquid. Beat two minutes and add the egg-whites stiffly beaten.
Pour into two pans prepared with buttered paper. Bake twenty-five
minutes in a moderate oven. Ice with confectioner's icing.
=Confectioner's Icing= (Sixteen portions)
2 T-cream or milk
1/2 t-vanilla
1 T-carmelized syrup or maple syrup
1-1/2 C-powdered sugar
Mix the cream, vanilla and syrup. Add the sugar (sifted) until the right
consistency to spread. Spread carefully between the layers and on the
top. Set aside to cool, and to allow the icing to "set." (More sugar may
be needed in making the icing.)