Christmas Recipes.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18565, 24 November 1923, Page 6 (Supplement)

Christmas Recipes.

CHRISTMAS CAKES/. Once again the season of mirth and fesfcitity is at hand, and, though in the warmth of New Zealand summer sunshine and the atmosphere of holidaymaking and picnicking it loses some of its cud-fashioned charm and timeJtKjnoured .associations, vet still there are many to whom Christmas would not. be Christmas without at least some of these delicacies which custom has long decreed peculiar to the occasion. And so, while fyetJv admitting the unsuitability of roast turkey and plum pudding, mince .meat and Christmas cakes, for a summer menu, nevertheless the children and the young at heart at all events will put in a plea ior these necessary items of Christinas fare.- •

The Christmas rake, at least, is an item which finds favour with most, housewives, since a good fruit cake which will keen well is always a welcome standby ill the holiday season.

Rich Christmas Cakes.—(l) The following recipe is specially recommended, as a cake so made is not only delicious, but ilso possesses excellent keeping qualities: lib.' butter, jib. sugar, lib. 2oz. flour, lib. raisins, lib. sultanas, Alb. currants, ■ah. mixed peel, 9 eggs or 8 eggs with 1 tablespoonful of cold water, a wineglass of whisky or brandy. 2 teaspoon Jul s baking powder. Cream the sugar and butter, add the eggs one at a time, then flour. After beating well, add the fruit and lastly the baking powder. Mix thorough! tarn into a well-greased tin, and bake tor five, hours in_ a slow oven. Another recipe for **» rich cake which vml keep we-lf'-ts as follows:lib. of flour, Mb. of sugar and . the same of butter, lOoz. each of currants, sultanas, cherries and mixed peel, 6oz. of sweet almonds. 7or 8 eg 23, loz. or less of mixed spice, the rind of 2 oranges, and 2 lemons, jr pint of brand/, rum or home-made wine, and i teacnpfnl of caramel if you want the cake to look very dark. Prepare the fruit;' blanch and chop the almonds, and grate the rind; break the eggs separately into a cup before mixing into a baski. to test their freshness. The mixing is easy; the baking presents difficulties with some ovens. If yours is apt to bum underneath, it is advisable to put some salt or sand on a baking tin, and stand your cake tin on this. The layer should be about lin. thick; the larger the cake the more slowly it must bake, after the first ten minutes When the top is a pale brown put two layers of paper over it to prevent, it getting too dark&ind burnt. Test the cake with a clean skewer.

Inexpensive Christmas Cake.—lib. floor, Alb. currants, . £lb. raisins, jib. batter, i of a teaspoonful salt, jib. sugar, 4 eggs. 2 teaspoonfyls treacle. 1 teaspoonfid mixed spice, 1 teaspoonful carbonate soda, £ pint milk. Mix the flour, spice, salt and soda ; together, 'rub in the butter, add sugar]and currants well cleaned, and mix together with the other dry ingredients. Pour in" the beaten eggs, treacle and milk enough to make a stiff mixture. Beat all well together, and'"pour into weUgreased cake tin. Bake at ' once in a moderately hot oven for on© and a-half to two hours.

Christmas Ginger Cake.— flour, ilb. ground rice, gib. castor sugar, lib. tread©, ilb. lard, £lb. batter, 2 eggs, a little lemon essence, 2 heaped teaspoonfuls each of ground ginger and baking powder, i teaspoonfnl carbonate of soda, 1 gill oi" milk, a little salt. Beat butter, lard and sugar together, add the be<.tßn eggs, then the flour, rice and salt. Mix well, add baking powder, soda and' again mix. Now add the ginger and lemon essence- Make a well in the centre, poor in the treacle, mixed with the warm milk,and beat well for 10 minutes. Bake in & paper-lined - tin for 2£ hours in a moderate oven. This cake is better if made a fortnight before Christinas.