HOME COOKING

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28765, 10 December 1958, Page 3

HOME COOKING

■ - and KITCHENCRAFT

ICING CAKF

[By

“ELIZABETH”!

In spite of all that has on tKh subject of icing cakes, my mail at is still full of despairing requests for help on what appears to loom large . in many persons’ minds as problem number one at Christmas time. 1 One letter in front of me sets out some of the difficulties of making the icing stick op.” Others ask how to make a white icing that stays soft; still more ask for advice on writing lettering on icing so that it wfll not run Here are a few simple ideas which, if followed, will allow you to ice your cake in a very few minutes without any trouble at all.

Make up your mind first exactly what you want your cake to have in the way of Christmas touches, bearing in mind your own personal skill or practice with icing. If you dread the task, do not attempt to write lettering <m all; choose instead a few ample Christmas decorations and put them straight on to the white icing. For these, do not look for cake decorations but go to shop counters selling Christmas tree ornaments. The most effective decorations are often just a few coloured balls or bows of tinsel ribbons.' Do not attempt complicated manoeuvres with a forcing pipe, for a roughly swirling icing on a Christmas cake looks more effective with a fractional part of the trouble.

WRITING WORDS If you still wish to write words on the cake, make sure the undercoat is quite dry and smooth before you begin. Use a white of egg icing in the pipe, making sure by piping first on to a plate that the icing is stiff enough to hold shape and not run after piping. Or, with a fine paint brush dipped into food colourings, merely paint the lettering on to the completely dry and set icing. STICKY TOP To make sure the icing does not tall off the cake after cutting, either brush over the cake with » goof ftteng sugar and water «yrup; or flace a little jam on the tends asd rub it well over •he tefrfc-tenng just enough to rt’oist with ALMOND ICING Roll the .almond paste out and lay it over the cake, cutting and patching where necessary, and rolling the top with a rolling pin to get it smooth on top and aides. Leave a day or two after putting on before adding white icing Satin Smooth About Ijib of icing sugar, one lemon or more and one egg white will be required for an averagesized cake. Merely beat the egg white to a soft froth, add some icing sugar and a little lemon juice, beating and adding more sugar and lemon as necessary until file mixture is satin smooth •nd abort the consistency of- uncooked meringue. If there are lumps in it, stand and beat until there are not. It does not take long when standing the mixture aside this way for a minute or two and rebeating for even the most hard and obstinate lumps to disappear. Do not attempt to put the icing on if too runny. If the right consistency has been achieved, it is merely a few seconds’ work to turn the icing on to the cake and with a knife swirl it ovei* top and sides of the cake, roughing it up into small peaks which will dry and harden exactly as you leave it. This icing will not set brittlehard as it will if all egg white is used, but if a softer consistency still is desired, add a few drops of glycerine to the icing. If you are then using glass bells or balls or something similar, merely place them on the moist icing and your cake is glamorous* looking and finished with no further worries.

Sold in. Forcing Bags.—One of Jhe most useful gadgets put on jhe British market recently for Jhe home cook is a triangular, nexible container of instant cake icing. By snipping off the triangular end the container becomes a ready-made forcing bag.

Snappels Here is the extra special new biscuit for the tins this Christmas, and quite the nicest for a long time. They are crisp and crunchy, nutty and delicious and a quick-and-easy recipe to make. Quantities given make quite a good big tin of biscuits, but I’m going to make them again this week in double quantity, for they are exactly the right thing to have in the tins for any break from morning tea time on. 4oz butter i breakfast cup sugar 1 egg 1 breakfast cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder. 4 teaspoon salt t teaspoon cinnamon. i teaspoon mixed spice 1 cup minced peanuts 1 cup rice bubbles. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the egg. Sift in flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and spice. Add rice bubbles and minced peanuts and work all together into a paste. Break out small pieces, roll roughly into balls and place on a cold oven slide. With a fork dipped occasionally in cold water, press the biscuits down to flatten a little. Leave a little room to spread, but they do not “run.” Bake in a fairly hot oven—Tegulo 5 or 400 degrees—until golden brown lift off on to a wire tray to crisp and cool before storing in an airtight tin.

With all the Christmas season parties and entertaining on the horizon, now 18 the time to collect a few ideas on filling the tins. These Christmas Fingers are gay with fruit and caramel glazing and delicious with spaces. Quantities given will make one sponge roll-tin and cut up into nearly 30 bafS. 4oz butter, 4oz brown sugar, 1 egg, 6oz flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 4 teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 4 teaspoon lemon essence, 4 teaspoon vanilla essence, 2oz preserved ginger, 2 oz raisins, 2oz cherries, Milk, 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar. Cream butter and sugar and beat in egg. Sift in all dry ingredients. Cut ginger and cherries into small pieces and add, together with raisins and lemon and vanilla essences. Smooth out to cover evenly a buttered sponge roll tin.. Sprinkle lightly with milk and brush over to cover. Sprinkle with two to three tablespoons of brown sugar. Bake at regulo 4 or 350 degrees about half an hour. When it comes from the oven, make two cuts down the tin lengthwise and nine >cuts across about one inch apart Leave in the fin to become cold before lifting out.