CAKES.
English Christmas Cake.—Sift five pounds of flour; mix with it one tablespoonful of salt, one pound and a half of butter, and half a pint of fresh brewer’s yeast or five teaspoonfuls of baking powder; if yeast is used allow dough to rise before adding other ingredients; mix in three pounds of washed currants, one pound and a half of “A” sugar, a whole nutmeg grated, one-quarter of a pound of chopped candied lemon-peel, one wineglassful of brandy, and four well-beaten eggs; butter the tins and line them with buttered paper; bake in a moderate oven for two hours. The quantity of brandy recommended will serve to keep these cakes fresh for an indefinite time.
Apple Snow.—Reduce half a dozen apples to a pulp; press them through a sieve; add half a cupful powdered sugar and a teaspoonful of extract of lemon; take the whites of six eggs, whip them for several minutes, and sprinkle two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar over them; beat the apple pulp to a froth, and add the beaten egg; whip the mixture until it looks like stiff snow; then pile it high in rough portions on a glass dish, garnish with small spoonfuls of currant-jelly, and stick a sprig of green on top.
Almond Cake.—Blanch and pound in a mortar thoroughly eight ounces of sweet and one of bitter almonds; add a few drops of rosewater or white of egg every few minutes to prevent oiling; add six tablespoonfuls of sifted sugar and eight beaten eggs; sift in six tablespoonfuls of flour and work it thoroughly with the mixture, gradually add a quarter of a pound of creamed butter; beat the mixture constantly while preparing the cake, or it will be heavy; pour the mixture into a buttered tin (place a buttered paper between the tin and the cake), allowing room for it to rise, and bake in a quick oven. Should the oven prove too hot for it, and the cake be in danger of burning, cover it with paper for a few minutes.
Almond Sponge-Cake.—Take half a pound of loaf-sugar, rub the rind of lemon on a few of the lumps, and crush the whole to a powder; separate the whites from the yolks of five eggs, beat the yolks, and add the sugar gradually; then beat the whites to a stiff froth; add it to the dish, and sift in flour enough to make a batter; add a tablespoonful of essence of almonds; butter and paper a tin, pour in the mixture until the tin is two-thirds full, and bake one hour in a moderate oven. The bottom of the tin may be studded with small pieces of almonds.
Zephyr Cakes.—Excellent tea-cakes. Wash the salt out of nearly a 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).
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.
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.
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.
“General remarks.—We have thus briefly indicated the points necessary to be observed in obtaining uniformly good coffee, whether made from Rio, or Java, and other mild-flavored coffees. In the Eastern and Middle States Mocha, Java, Maracaibo, Ceylon, etc., are most highly esteemed and generally used; but at the West and in the South more Rio coffee is consumed. The coffee par excellence, however, is a mixture of Mocha and Java roasted together, and thus thoroughly blended. Mocha alone is too rough and acrid to suit many palates, but blended as above it is certainly delicious. In all varieties, however, there is a considerable range as to quality and flavor, and, as before stated, the best guide for the consumer is to buy of a reliable dealer, and throw upon his shoulders the responsibility of furnishing a satisfactory article.
“Hotels and restaurants that desire good coffee should make it in small quantities and more frequently. It is impossible for coffee to be good when it is kept simmering for hours after it is made.”
“A Cup of Coffee.”—The author of “Salad for the Solitary,” etc., has so well covered all the facts concerning the origin and history of this domestic beverage that little remains to be said; but as the establishment of the first coffee-house in London is connected with a curious anecdote, perhaps my readers will like to hear it.
Mr. D. Edwards, a Turkish merchant, on his return from Smyrna to London, brought with him a Greek of Ragusa, named Pasquet Rossee, who used to prepare coffee every morning for his master. Edwards’s neighbors, beginning to appreciate the good qualities of this beverage, became so numerous as visitors at breakfast-time that in order to get rid of them he ordered Rossee to open a coffee-house, which the latter did in St. Michael’s Alley, Cornhill. This was the first coffee-house in the city.
Now, taking its popularity as a basis, let us laugh at the doctors who maintain the theory that hot coffee irritates the stomach and injures the nerves. Let us tell them that Voltaire, Fontenelle, and Fourcroy, who were great coffee-drinkers, lived to a good old age. Let us laugh, too, at Madame Sévigné, who predicted that coffee and Racine would be forgotten together.—Exchange.