American Measures And Cooking Terms—III

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29179, 13 April 1960, Page 3

American Measures And Cooking Terms—III

American references are often inexplicable. A •tick of butter is a piece weighing 4oz, a square of chocolate weighs loz, a packet of chocolate chips weighs 6oz. Corn starch is cornflour. In New Zealand most of the cornflour is made from wheat. The cereal Americans call “corn” is what is known in New Zealand as maize or sweetcorn. British countries usually refer to wheat as corn.

The "cornsyrup” in American recipes is a by-product of the •cornstarch” Industry and there is ho comparable product In New Zealand. Dark com syrup is similar to golden syrup, and molasses to black treacle.

Baking Powders

Baking powder can also be difficult to replace. In New Zealand there are only two varieties available, the “tartrate” and the “phosphate” baking powders. American recipes often require “double action baking powder.” This raising agent, as it’s name indicates, has a stronger action than other baking powders. The amount of baking powder in recipes calling for the double acting type, should be increased by i a level teaspoon to each cup of flour to compensate for this.

Yeast, the other raising agent used in baking, is identical in both countries, but an American cake of yeast weighs Joz. and the New Zealand cake weighs IJoz. Biscuit, A Scone lham” flour is wholemeal S g l bo that “Graham crackers” wholemeal biscuits. In a biscuit means a scone, °r •.fecone may be called a baking powder biscuit to disassociate it from a yeast roll or bun. A

cracker is a plain biscuit while a cookie, an American term now used frequently in New Zealand, means a small sweet biscuit such as a peanut or chocolate chip biscuit The American name for a germ is a muffin, so a gem iron is a muffin iron. A girdle in America is a griddle, so girdle scones and pikelets become griddle cakes. —From the Home Science Extension, Department of Adult Education, University of Otago.

Apple Sapce.— When making apple sauce for a roast of pork, add to it a little finely chopped onion and a dash of vinegar. This gives a piquant tang. Try this recipe Tor apple sauce with roast beef or mutton—hot or cold—for a change.

Making Jelly Set.— To help a jelly set quickly add a little lemon juice before stirring in the hot water. If you use only one cup of hot water to dissolve the jelly and make up the required amount of liquid with cold water this should also help it set sooner. Firm Meringues.— When making meringues add half a teaspoon of cornflour to the mixture. This will keep them firm.

Walnut Biscuits

Neat rolls of biscuit mixture in the refrigerator are a wonderful help. They may be mixed up while the oven is full and you have to be there on duty beside it anyway, and baked at leisure at any moment when a plateful of freshly-baked biscuits would be an asset. In this variation, walnuts give interest and flavour. Form the mixture into two neat rolls about two inches in diameter, roll in waxed paper and chill for several hours before baking. Slice them thinly with a sharp knife and the mixture will yield about seven dozen biscuits. Ingredients: Boz butter i cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 cup chopped walnuts A teaspoon vanilla cups flour i teaspoon salt J teaspoon soda Method: Cream the butter and sugars together. Whisk 2 eggs and beat them in, then add chopped walnuts and dry ingredients and vanilla and work together to a stiff paste. Form into rolls neatly and chill. For a special moment, substitute almond essence for vanilla and 4oz blanched and shredded almonds for the walnuts. Then they taste of luxury.

Pork Steaks.— Pork steaks, which are slices cut from any fleshy part of good quality pork, are delicious. Dip the steaks in beaten egg, season with salt and pepper. Then dip into dine dried breadcrumbs. Put into an oven dish with two tablespoons of very hot fat. Bake for about 1 hour to 11 hours in a moderate oven. Serve with a sauce.