HOME INTERESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 58

HOME INTERESTS.

CHRISTMAS SPICE CAKE. Half a pound of flour, shoz of butter, 6oz of atoned raisins, soz of Demerara sugar, 4oz of candied peel, half ar teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, £oz of mixed spice, two welbbeaten eggs, about a gill of milk. Well boat butter and'sugar to a cream, add the mixed spice, then the flour and eggs, gradually mixing them well in, then the fruit, and lastly the soda mixed with the warm milk. The oven must be rather warm at first, as the mixture is rather liquid, and the. fruit will sink to the bottom otherwise. Bake about one and a-half hours. This cake will keep quite moist for at least three weeks. YULETIDE FRUIT GINGER CAKE. One pound of flour, Jib of sugar, 2oz of but'er, 2oz of lard, 3oz of raisins, Joz of candied peel,- two teaspoonfuls of ground ginger, half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, five drops of essence of lemon, one egg, a little milk, and 4oz of golden syrup. Mix the flour, cut peel, raisins, and ginger. Heat the lard and butter to a cream with the sugar, add the egg, dissolve the soda into the milk, add the syrup to all the other ingredients, mix in the essence of lemon. Beat all well together, and bake in > a .slow oven for two hours. RICH CHRISTMAS CAKE. Cream lib of butter or margarine with lib of castor sugar, beat four eggs, add with i half a pint of milk. Put in Jib each of raisins, currants, sultanas, and quartered figs. Add Jib of almonds, half a grated nutmeg, and one- teaspoonful of mixed spice. j Dredge in lib of flour mixed with two teai spoonfuls of baking powder. Put in well- ; papered and buttered tins, and bake in a I fairly hot oven for two hours. GOOD CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITHOUT EGGS OR BRANDY. Half a pound of suet, Jib of raisins, Jib of currants, loz of pool, Jib of flour, jib of breadcrumbs. Well mix all these, then place |!b of coarse brown sugar in hole in centre, I pour on it a large tablespoonful of vinegar, adding as much more water aa will make it the proper thickness. Boil for six hours. ALMOND ICING AND ALMOND PASTE FOR CAKE. Six ounces of icing sugar, 4oz of crushed 1 almonds, a few drops of almond essence, and the white of one egg. Mix well with a spoon. Turn out on a board and work perfectly smooth, using a little sugar instead of

flcur to prevent sticking. Almond paste: One pound of ground almonds, lib of castor sugar, one tablespoonful of orange, flowerwater, eight drops of almond essence, two eggs, and an extra white of an egg. Mix almonds and sugar, add the water and essence, then beat the eggs and knead them into the almonds, spread on top of cake, and smooth with a clean knife. THE CHRISTMAS TRIFLE.

Four spongecakes, three macaroons, eight ratafia biscuits, ljoz of almonds, one banana, half-pint of custard, two whites of eggs, fruit •Mice,' strawberry jam, angelica, cherries, Make the custard, and cool it. Spread the sponge cakes with jam, and arrange them with the crumbled macaroons and ratafias in a pret+y. dish. Pour over a little frn itjuice or sherry to' soak them -'well. Add the sliced banana and loz of the almonds, blanched and chopped. Pour the custard over. Whisk the whites of eggs stiffly, sweeten to tas+e, pile lightly on the custard. Garnish with cherries, angelica, and almonds, WAR-TIME CHRISTMAS PUDDING. Owing to the shortage of sugar at Home many people are discovering that the humble carrot has valuable sweetening properties, and perhaps some New Zealand housewives may like to try a recipe like this: Half a pound of flour, Jib efch of carrots and mashed potatoes '.nd brown sugar, 6oz each of raisins, currants, and suet, loz each of candied citron and candied lemonpeel, ono tablespoonful of golden syrup, and a teaspoonful of cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg mixed. All the dry ingredients are mixed first, then the mashed carrots and potatoes are added, and the whole finally blended with the syrup. Four hours is long enough for tho boiling of this _ pudding. IMPROVED MINCEMEAT. Try tho following- recipe, and you will n«ver prefer tlie old-fashioned, uncooked mincemeat again. Prepare lib each of sultanas, currants, raisins, Jib of mixed peel, and lib cf apples. Pass the whole through a mincingmachine, and add Alb of sugar, a little spice and nutmeg to taste; also juice and chopped rind of a lemon. Put all into an earthenware jar, and steam two hours. Whilst hot stir in 4oz of good butter. LEMON MINCEMEAT. Ingredients: Two large lemons, six large apples, Jib of suet, lib of currants, 1-lb of sugar, 2oz candied peel, loz citron, halfteasponful of spice. Pare the lemons, squeeze them and boil the peels until tender, so you can mash them; then add. the apples, which should be pared, cored, and minced; then add all tho other ingredients—suet chopped, currants cleaned and dried, sliced peel, sugar, etc. ; strain the lemonjuice on all these ingredients,' which should be already placed in a large basin, and mix thoroughly; then place all into a jar with a closefitting lid. Stir occasionally, and in a few days' time the mincemeat will be ready for use. THE HOME MINCEMEAT. (Enough for 31b.) Half a pound each of currants, raisins, sultanas, and apples, 4oz of mixed candied peel, 3oz of suet, 9oz of Demerara sugar, a quarter of a tcaspoonful of cinnamon, a little grated nutmeg the rind and' juice of one lemon. Stone the raisins, wash the currants, and clean the sultanas. Peel and coro the apples. Chop all finely, except the currants, which should be added last of all with the cinnamon, sugar, grated lemonrind, and strained juice of the lemon. Mix all very well with a wooden spoon. Turn it into jars and cover and tie down ready for use. If a thin paper brushed with white of eggs is placed on the top of the mixture before the cover i 3 tied down, it will keep fresh and sweet for a very long time.