CHRISTMAS FARE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2514, 15 December 1927, Page 2

CHRISTMAS FARE.

Already preparations for Christmas are being made, and the pudding should be on the way. Here are some recipes, RICH CHRISTMAS PUDDING. One pound of beef suet, 11b of currants, lib of sultanas, lib of Demerara sugar, %lb of flour, %lb bread crumbs, %lb of raisins, %lb of muscatels, 14R) of mixed peel, 2oz. of citron, the rinds of two lemons, one nutmeg, 3oz of sweet almonds, loz of bitter almonds, 2oz of butter, one level teaspoonful of salt, six or eight eggs, quarter pint of milk, and quarter of a pint of brandy. First make the breadcrumbs. Chop the suet very finely, mixing with it while doing so some of the flour and crumbs, to prevent it from clogging. Clean and stalk the currants and sultanas; stone the raisins and muscatels, cut half of them in halves and chop the rest finely. Cut and stir these into a large basin, add the sugar, grated nutmeg, and grated lemon rind. Throw the almonds into boiling water, and let them boil for a minute or two, then peel and shred them, add them to the other ingredients, mixing all well. Melt the butter gently skim if necessary, and add it to the fruit, etc. Beat up the eggs, add the milk and brandy, stir these into the dry ingredients, and mix. Have ready the moulds or basins, or if preferred, use scalded and floured cloths. PLAINER CHRISTMAS PUDDING. One and a-half pounds of breadcrumbs, balk of flour, %lb suet, -/Mb each of currants, raisins and sultanas, 2oz of candied peel, % grated

nutmeg, lib of Demerara sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of marmalade, 4 eggs, a little milk (if necessary) % pint of stout, 1 saltspoonful of salt. Prepare and mix all the dry ingredients, make a well in the centre, add the marmalade, and well-beaten eggs, and stir in some of the dry ingredients before adding the stout. If too dry it may be necessary to add a little milk in the same way as the first recipe. CHRISTMAS CAKE. Half pound butter, %lb castor sugar, lib flour (self-raising) 141 b currants, lib raisins, 14lb mixed peel. 2oz. almonds, rind of lemon, 4 eggs and teacupful of milk. Method. Before mixing the cake, prepare the cake tin, and see that the oven is hot. Cream the butter and sugar together very thoroughly, if the butter is stiff warm the basin (but do not oil the butter at all). Beat the eggs and add these and a little flour alternatively. Stir in the fruit, add flavouring, and mix well. Add the milk, but only enough to prevent the. mixture being stiff. Place in the prepared tin, put in a hot oven, and bake carefully for two to three hours, gradually reducing the heat. ANOTHER CHRISTMAS CAKE. One and a-half pounds of butter, or half butter and half margarine, lib of brown sugar, lib each of currants and sultanas, %lb mixed candied peel, 141 b of glace cherries, 6oz. of chopped almonds, 2 teaspconfuis of mixed spice, grated rind of a lemon, 2 tablespoonfuls of golden syrup, 8 eggs, milk, -or a wineglassful f brandy, pinch of salt. Dry the flour in the oven, and rub through a sieve with the salt and spice. Clean the currants and sultanas, shred the candied peel, cut the cherries in halves or quarters, blanch and chop the almonds, grate the rind of the lemond on to the fruit. Line one or two cake tins with three thicknesses of greased paper, and place them on a baking tin, covered with a layer of sand or salt. Put the butter and margarine into a warm basin, and beat it to a cream, add the sugar, then beat in the eggs one by one, adding a spoonful of flour occasionally. When the mixture is well beaten and light, stir in the flour lightly, then thg fruit and nuts. Mix the golden syrup with a little milk and add, using more milk if the mixture be too dry, or adding the brandy. Put the mixture into the prepared tins and a moderate oven, and bake four to five hours if made in one tin, two to three hours if two tins are used. Let the oven cool the last hour to dry the cakes. If they become too brown cover with paper. Turn on to a sieve to cool, and when cold wrap in greaseproof paper and keep in a tin box. ALMOND ICING. Required: Half a pound of ground almonds, half a pound of castor sugar, two yolks of eggs, juice of half a lemon, a few drops of essence of almond. Mix all the ingredients together very thoroughly, kneading well with the hands until the mixture is pliable and will mould easily without cracking. Place this on top of the cake and press it well evenly over. Smooth with a hot knife round the outside, leaving the edges sharp and even. The top may be carefully rolled with the rolling-pin to ensure it being quite flat. WATER ICING. Mix a quarter pound of icing sugar with three tablespoonfuls of water or lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and pour this evenly over the cake, and allow to set before decorating. MINCEMEAT. Required: beef suet, lb brown sugar, %lb biscuits (crumbed), %lb lemon peel, %lb apples, %\b orange peel, citron, 1 cup wine, currants, 2 tablespoonfuls brandy. Put down in jars, tie up like jam, and it will keep good for a year. Should not be used for a month after it is made. ICE-CREAM SODA. Nothing sells better at an open-air fete or a bazaar than an ice-cream soda. Yet if apparatus is hired for the making of this popular drink the profits are greatly reduced. Here is a way to make it without machinery Follow the direction carefully. Have ready four pounds of castor sugar; three pints of water; the whites of ten eggs beaten so firmly that they will stay in the basin when you turn it upside down; three nutmegs grated; one ounce of gumarabec; also lemon or orange flavouring.

Mix all these ingredients well together and place in a pan over gentle heat, stirring well with a wooden spoon for 30 minutes. Then strain and divide the mixture into two equal portions. Into one half put eight ounces of bicarbonate soda, and into the other half six ounces of tartaric acid. Keep each portion sev-

erely separate. Shake well and leave to get quite cold. Serving the drink takes some skill. Have ready a block of ice from which pieces can be easily chipped. To mix the ice-cream soda have two glasses, each one-third full of ice cold water. Pour three teaspoonsful of the bicarbonate mixture into one and three teaspoonsful of tartaric acid mixture into the other. Mix the two; add some pieces of ice and, if the directions have been faithfully followed, the customers will come again.