HOME INTERESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1681, 9 February 1884, Page 27

HOME INTERESTS.

Baki;u Appj,E3.~A delicious way to prepate baking apples for tea is to cut out the core before baking. Whim ready to send to iko table fill the space lefb in the apple with sweot cream j with a little powdered sugar in it. Quinces ate al»o excellent prepared m the same way. In these, bnttor nuy take the plaeo of cream 1 if more convenient. Apples and Kiok. — Gore and pare as manyapples as will fill a. pudding dish ; stew them b<> that they are nearly soft. Boil a half-teacupful ' of rice ; when nearly soft add sugar, milt, and a pint of milk. Place the apples iv a pudding dish, turn the rice ovrsr them, filling up the core of eaoti apple with sugar before putting in the rice. Bake until it is a nice browu. Serve with cream or without sauce. .HOME MADE TEA OAKKS. As a thoroughly wholesome, and at-the same time a dainty, addition to the lea-table, nothing, can surpass a home-made, northcountry taa-cake. I have tried to buy them in the Houth, but L find there ia not such a thing to ho got ; therefore, those who wish to indulge in this luxury can only do so by having them made at home, as I do myself. The recipe which I have used for some years past, and which will be given below, I had from a dear old lady in the norlh, who prided herself upon the fact that ahe always bad nicer tea-cake 3 than any of her friends ; therefore, I feel quite sure that those who follow it carefully cannot fail to be well satisfied with the result. The wisest plan in making these, or j any olher cakes, is to let the ingiedients be of j the best quality, flour especially. It is quite i worth the extra cost, as it yields so much morp, and you can always rely upon the cakes being nice. Give the bi-st of everything a trial, and it will so<>n be proved that it is the most economical way in tho end. The Ingredients. — For a dozen ordinary-sized tea-cakes, tho ingredients would be as follow : — Three pounds of flour, half a teaspoonful of salt, half a pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of pure Jaid, three-quarters of a pound of clean, picked currants, a quarter of a pound [ of finely chopped lemon peel, half a teaspoon- j ful of mixed spice, two table-spoonfuls of white sugar, and two ounces of fresh German yenst. The Mixing. — Put the yeast into a b^sin with a teaspoonful of sugar, and the same of flour. Mako it into a smooth paste by adding a little lukewarm water, and beating it with the back of a spoon. Then add half a pint more of the lukewarm water, stir it round a few times, and set* it in front of the lire to rise. Meanwhile, put the flour into a bowl large enough to hold three or four times the quantity. Rub into this the butter and lard, then add all this other dry ingredients, thoroughly mixing each with the rest. When this is done, make a hole in the centre and pour in the yeaat, which will be sufficiently risen by this time. Add lukewarm milk, or milk and water, working it gently all the time with the hand till it becomeß a nice light dough. Cover the bowl with a cloth, and set it in a watm place for two or three hours, when it ought (if tho yeast is fresh) to' be sufficiently risen to make it up into cakes. The Baking. — Divide the dough into twelve pieces, knead each piece aa lightly as possible, just to get it formed into a loun'd ball ; then slightly flour the paste-board and rolling-pin, and roll the cakes out to the thickness of an inch. Prick them with a fork, and place them on well-greased baking tins. Set these before the fire for a few minutes, till the cakes begin to rise again, then bake in a moderate oven ; not too hot, or the cak3S will not bo properly cooked through ; and not too cold, or they will fall, and become heavy. In half-an-hour, if the oven is .at a right heat, they will be sufficiently baked. It is best not to make all tho dough up into cakes at onco, as an ordinary oven will not hold more than half, bo make up the second lot white the first are baking. If preferred, the currants may be omitted, and a table spoonful of carraway seeds be substituted for them. '