HOME INTERESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3029, 3 April 1912, Page 74

HOME INTERESTS.

CRYSTALLISED GINGER CAKE. Half a pound of flour, on© teaspoon ful of baking powder, three ounces of butter, one qucrter of a pound of crystallised ginger, throe- eggs, three ounces of »uga.r, half u, gill of milk. Put the flour and baking powder into a basin, then rub the butter in till fieo from lumps; add the sugar and ginger, cut into small pieces ; thou well beat the -eggs and thoroughly mix all together, add a° little milk to make it the right consis Uncv. Put tho mixture in a well-greased tin, and babe in a moderate oven for about one hour. BROWSED PARSNIPS, VINEGAR SAUCE. A favourite way is to lx>il the parsnips tender, then cut them in halves, lengthwi.se. end fry a rich brown in bacon fat or butter". A white fiance made of butter, flour, and clear r.tock or broth seasoned with salt and pepper and two or three table-spoonfuls of vinegar may bo coded This sauce is poured over the parsnips and served with fish dinner or boiled or roast beef. Instead

f?rr tlM> V iS^ r a , few tablespoons of bottled horse RKkhsh makes a piquant sauce. ALMOND SHORTBREAD ° f - ImJ f a pound of butter, Sld ? lr PT*? ° f ? ug:ar ' garter °* » almonds (srot], a few drops & b, * ter almonds, two eggs, two t""ctW ,^ rai - Crumb butter and flour all WH VI, " l S ar and almonds; blond ui anient with citron, half cook in a quick ana remove to a cooler part to fhdsh. A NOVEL SWEET PICKLE. ■Ota?' r re " a ' ld , CUt small fiva Pounds of ;°" nc : ir „ firm "Ppleij clean and cut smal aho n£T ,° a f rot .° r hvo *™»« ones, and Put all i„?n ° Ut a beetroot? %l*u' Jw - lt i ln oll!lc c gTOUnd cloves, two and ripples may bG USOd iDstead of (ho EASTER BUNS. Put 10 ounces flour into a. basin mix half ■an ounce of yeast smoothly with half' a, pint of milk, which should be tepid, and stir into tho flour. Beat for five minutes, and set to rise in a warm place with a clean cloth over it for two hours. Then beat in six ounces more of flour, half a pound of currants, two ounces sugar, two ounces butter and two aggs; let it rise for Uvo hours longer, and form into buns with a cross on the top. Place on a tin, and let it rise for 10 minutes. Bake in a quick oven 'or five minutes. To glaze the top of the buns mix some sugar with a little boiling water, and brush top of buns HOT CROSS BUNS. Sieve together half a pound of flour and one ounoo of mixed spice. Put into a small basin one ounce of compressed yeast and one teaspoonful of castor sugar, " and mix together with a wooden spoon till the mass is liquid; then pour in three gills of lukewarm milk and mix all well. Make a hole in the middle of the flour, strain the milk gradually in, mixing it smoothly with the wooden spoon, and cover the basin with a piece of paper, putting it to stand in a. warm Mace for about half an hour, or until the , top of the " sponge" is covered with bubbles. | Put into a largo basin ono and a-quartor I pounds of sugar, rub in lightly quarter of | a pound of butter, iand add quarter of a I pound of castor sugar, quarter of a pound of currants (washed and picked), and two ounces of chopped peel. When the " sponge " in the first basin is ready (the top covered with bubbles), add some of the mixture from the other basin alternately with a little beaten egg, using two eggs altogether, beating all well in. Continue this beating after all the ingredients are mixed until you can pull the dough away from the sides of the basin in >a clean ball. Cover the basin, with its contents, again with paper, and leave it in a. warm place till the surface of the dough is covered with cracks (about an hour and a-half); then shape the mixture into small, round balls, and place them a good distance apart on greased bilking tins. Mark a cross on the top of each with a Hunt side of the knife, put the tin in a warm place for about 20 minutes till the buns have swollen, then bake them in a quick oven for about half an hour. EASTER CAKES. These will bo found delicious small cakes, and will keep quite well in a tin. If it ia liked, the currants can bo omitted, and a few carraway seeds be substituted. To make them, take half a pound of flour, two ounces of currants, a quarter of a. pound of butter, three ounces of castor sugar, the yolks of two eggs. Beat butter and sugar together until the consistency of whipped cream, then beat in the yolks, add the flour lightly, lastly add the currants, knead into a smooth paste, roll out and stamp out with a round cutter, and bake on a greased tin for 10 or 15 minutes, and bake till a pretty biscuit colour. Brush each one slightly with a beaten white of egg, and dust with sugar and place in the oven for a few minutes. APRICOT CAKE. Half a pound of flour, four ounces of butter, threo ounces of sugar, two new-laid eggs, three ouno»3 of dried apricots now sold by all grocers), one teaspoonful of baking powder. Use apricots of the best quality, wash them in cold water, and then souk them as if for a tn-rt for 12 hours or so. Drain very thoroughly, ar.d cut in halves, or to about the size of raisins. Cream the butter and sugar, add the flo.ir (sieved) and eggs (well beaten) alternately, then add, lastly, fruit and baking powder. Beat the mixture thoroughly, and bake in a buttered tin. To ice this cake: One white of egg l>eaten to a stiff froth, half an eggcupful of brandy, flavoured with « few drops of ratafia essence, one pound of finely-powdered icing sugar worked into them gradually till of a thickness to spread smoothly on the oake. Allow the icing to dry on cake before putting away in tin. TOMATO SOUP WITH SAGO. This is a very inexpensive recipe, and will also suit my vegetarian readers. Put the contents of a tin of tomatoes into a saucepan with a slice of onion, a bay loaf, and a sprig of parsley. Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Have ready four tableBpoonfuls of sago, previously soaked in a pint of water til! clear, and stand it 071 tho side of the range to heat stirring from time to time. Press the tomatoes through a fine sieve, add the sago, stir well, pour in hnlf a pint of water or vegetable stock, add a tablespoonful of butter, and a seasoning of salt and pepper; heat up and servo with toasted bread, cut in strips.