HINTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 100, 22 January 1927, Page 18

HINTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE

CAKES FOR THE TUCK BOX. Both boys and girls like substantial cakes to take back to school. Elaborate iced cakes travel badly, and too rich cakes or pastries are liable to disagree with tlie young people. SODA CAKE. This is usually very popular, and herewith a recipe fur a plain but wholesome cake :—• • Required: lib. of flour, Jib. of brown sugar, jib. of good dripping, or half dripping and half butter, 1 level tcaspooliful of carbonate of soda, |lb. oi sultanas, J-piut of milk, 2 eggs, pinch of salt Sieve the flour, salt, and carbonate of soda into a basin. Rub in the fat, add the sugar and cleaned, sultanas. Beat up the eggs, add the milk, and stir them into the dry ingredients. Pour tlie mixture into a tin lined with 2 or 3 thicknesses of greased paper. Place the tin on a baking tin covered with sand or salt, and bake in a moderate oven ffom 14 to 2 hours. To test if the cake be done, run a clean skewer into the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean the cake is ready. The oven should be fairly hot for the first 20 minutes, aftei which 'tlie heat should be gradually lessened. If the cake becomes too brown, cover it with paper. When cooked turn it on to a sieve to cool. WHOLEMEAL GINGERBREAD. Required: lOoz. of wholemeal and Ooz. ot white flour, Jib. of treacle or golden syrup, loz. of butter or margarine, joz. of ground ginger, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, l|oz. of candied peel, Joz. of caraway seeds, ■loz. of brown sugar, pinch of salt, 1 gill ot milk, 2 eggs. Sieve the flour, salt, ginger, and carbonate of soda into a basin, add the wholemeal, and mix well, Slired the candied peel, and add with the sugar and caraway seeds. Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Wann the butter, syrup, and milk until the butter has dissolved, beat up the eggs. Pour the eggs into the dry ingredients, and then stir in the syrup mixture, Stir all well together, and if too dry add a little more milk. Put the cake into a tin lined with two or three thicknesses of greased paper, and bake in a very moderate oven for about two hours. ALMOND CAKE. Required: -loz. each of rice flour or ground rice, and ordinary flour, Joz. of butter, loz. of caster sugar, 4oz. of ground almonds, almond essence, 1 level teaspoonful of baking powder, 3 eggs, pinch of salt, a few whole almonds Sieve the flour, salt, and baking powder, add the rice flour.. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, add the eggs one by one,' beating each in well, stir in the flours and ground almonds, add a few drops of almond essence, and a verv little milk if the mixture be too dry’. Put all into a greased tin lined with greased paper, place a few blanched mid shedded almonds over the top of the cake, and bake in a slow oven from I to 1J hours, or until well risen and firm to the touch, lurn on to a sieve to cool.

Dip a straw broom into hot soap suds after using, and it will last twice as long. . . . A little ammonia in a pail oi modcr-atcly-warm water is the best thing for cleaning windows. To freshen stale vegetables, soak for an hour in cold water to which the juice of a lemon has been added. White stockings should be dried at night if they arc made of silk or imitation silk, as sun and strong light wlil turn them yellow. Two ounces of fuller’s earth boiled in half a pint of vinegar and the juice of three onions is splendid for removing scorch marks from linen. When grating nutmeg the tips of the fingers often get a nasty scratch, especially if the nutmeg is worn down. To avoid this hold it with an old pair of sugar-tongs when grating. Tan shoes often become discoloured with dark spots, which are easily removed by cleaning them with a little raw milk and turpentine. When dry, polish in the ordinary way.

When about to store silver for. any length of time, clean it well with silver polish, put on a good thick coat of vaseline and wrap in tissue paper. It will later come out without a tarnish mark. When the whole of a cucumber is not used at a ineal, it will keep fresh best if it is .stood with the stalk .resting in a jug of water. It will last two days in this fashion. In the same way a cut marrow will survive, keeping for a day or so if the cut surface is placed on a dish. Black curr ants arc now iu Iho shops and reil and white variety follow fust, so a tew currant recipes may useful:

Currant Syrup is a useful adjust to the storo cupboard, as it can bo used for making jellies, sauces, and a refreshing drink, mixed with - water or soda water, f’ut equal qiiuutities of red and white currants into u jar after removing the stalks and washing the fruit. Bruise tho fruit with a wooden spoon, cover the jar and put it into a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer until tho juii'o flows freely. Strain through a jelly-bag or- clean tea-cloth until clear. Cover with muslin and leave in a cold place lor a ,day; then pour the juieo gently from the sediment. AVeigh it and add equal quantities of preserving sugar, stir over low heat until tho sugar lias melted, theu simmer gently. Remove the scum until no more rises, when the syrup is ready. Bottle when cold. Black currants, -raspberries, and blackberries can be similarly used to make the respective syrups. Spiced Currants. —To seven pounds of currants (either red or white) allow five pounds of brown sugar, a teaspoonful each of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice, and a pint of vinegar. Boil all together for oue and a-lialf hours, Small green grapes can bo treated in the same way, and should first be seeded, if the pips are at all hirgo. Black 'Currant Jam.—Allow a pound of sugar to each pound of currants (weighed after removing tlie stalks) and half a gill of water to each pouiifl of fruit. Put the fruit and water into a preserving pal), bring to Ihe boil, skim and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sugar, stir until it has melted, then boil for 30 minutes or until the jan; sets when tested by putting a spoonful on a plate mid leaving it until cook Put. into pots and cover.