HOME INTERESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 56

HOME INTERESTS.

GROUND CARAWAY SEED CAKES. Ingredients: Three quarters of a pound of flour, five ounces of butter, two or three teaspoonfuls of ground caraway seeds, six ounces of white sugar, a quarter of a flat teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, half an egg, milk, and water to mix (about one and u-lialf gills), a few pieces of candied peel. Method: Add the soda and ground seeds to tlie flour, and sieve them into a basin. Rub in the butter or margarine until it is like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, and thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients. •Grease well about sixteen small cake tins. Beat up the egg and divide it, and pour it on to the dry ingredients, together with the milk and water. Beat together for about five minutes into a wet paste. flace a small quantity into each tin, and bake in a moderately hot oven for about twenty minutes, until nicely browned. When half cooked very carefully place a small piece of candied peel on the top of each. After baking put the cakes on a sieve until cold. Test with a skewer to see if cooked. Poke an iron skewer (warmed) into the centre of a cake. If cooked, it will lie quite clean wtien taken out. DROP CAKES, Ingredients: Three-quarters of a pound of flour, six ounces of dripping, grated nutmeg, five ounces of sultanas, one ounce of candied peel, five ounces of white sugar, one egg, a quarter of a flat teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, milk and water (about half a gill). Method: Wash the sultanas, rub in a cloth, stalk them and put to dry. Cut the peel into small pieces. Mix the 3oda with the flour, and sieve them into a basin. Rub the drioping into the flour until like fine crumbs. If very hard shred it first. Add the sugar, prepared fruit, and a little grated nutmeg. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Grease two baking sheets. Beat up the egg and add to the dry ingredients with sufficient milk and water to make a stiff paste. Press it well together with your hand 3. Drop it on to the greased tins in small heaps, using about a dessertspoonful for each. Bake in a hot oven for fifteen minutes. Place on a sieve until cold. Note. —Do not make the mixture too moist. ICED OPERA CAKES. Ingredients: Half a pound of ground rice, six ounces of castor sugar, three eggs, one lemon (grated rind) or ratafia flavouring. Method: Grease some very small cake-tins. Whisk the sugar and eggs together for fifteen minutes. Add the ground rice and grated lemon rind. Mix all well together, pour into prepared tins. Bake in a hot oven for about ten to fifteen minutes. Place on a sieve and leave until cold. Dip each cake in glace icing. (Use a skewer to do this). Decorate with rose leaves, whole or crushed. Serve in paper cases. GLACE ICING. One pound of loaf sugar; water to cover (about half a pint). Place sugar and water in a saucejian. Bring to the boil, and boil until it is reduced to a syrup (about fifteen minutes). Remove from fire and stir slowly until it is white and thick. Ice cakes quickly, before the icing sets. FAIRY CAKES. Ingredients: Seven ounces of flour, one less, spoonful of baking powder, a quarter of a l>ound of butter, a quarter of a pound of

castor sugar, one egg, a few drope of vanilla flavouring, milk to mix (about a half gill), a few glace cherries. Method: Glease about a dozen very small cake tins. Add the baking powder to the flour and sieve them on to a piece of paper. Put the butter and sugar into a basin, and be-at together until they are like thick cream. Stir in the egg quickly, and beat well for about five minutes. Bold in the flour, together with the milk and vanilla. Mix all to a wet consistency. Put a email quantity into each lin, and bake in a hot oven for about fiften minutes. Cut the cherries into quarters when they are half cooked, and carefully put a small piece on the top of each cake. Put on a sieve until cold. SWISS ROLL. Ingredients: Two eggs, their weight in su.?ar (castor), two ounces of butter, four ounces of flour, one flat teaspoonful of baking powder, half a gill of milk (if required), two tablespoonfuls of raspberry jam. Method: Mix the flour and baking powder together, and sieve them on to a sheet of paper. Beat the sugar and margarine together until they are like thick cream. Grease a baking sheet, and line it. with a street of greased paper, so that the latter comes just above the sides of the tin. Stir each egg quickly and separately into the creamed fat and sugar, beat well for a few minutes before adding the second one. When both are well beaten, fold m the flour and baking powder, together with a little milk, then mix lightly. Pour into the prepared tin, and spread evenly. Bake in a hot oven for eight or ten minutes, until very pale biscuit colour. Heat the jam in a saucepan. Have ready a sheet of paper well dredged! with castor sugar. Turn the sponge carefully on to it. Very quickly cut off the hard outside rim, and spread the warm jam over the sponge. Roll it up, and pl«ce on a sieve until cold. Kote. —When cooked the top will feel firm. Be careful not to overcook it, or it will be liard to roll.