RECOMMENDED RECIPES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1926, Page 18

RECOMMENDED RECIPES.

SIMPLE SWEET MAKING. Very few women realise how easy it is to manufacture the daintiest confections which cost so much money when they are ,bought at the shops. Sweets may be divided into two chief classes: those which are boiled, and those which are made without the application of heat. The latter process of course is the easiest and simplest, and no thermometer is needed. Fondant or French Cream.—This is the foundation of an endless variety of sweets, and is made as follows: Dissolve 31bs of loaf sugar (can sugar if possible) in three-quarters of a pint of hot water, stirring occasionally. When the sugar has melted, add 3 teaspoonsful of glucose, and boil all together rapidly. Glucose can be procured from any good grocery store. It is used to give a glaze, and also to prevent the sugar crystallising. It will keep indefinitely. Failing glucose, cream of taritar may be substituted, only in less quantity. Neither glusOse nor its substitute must ever be added until the sugar is just beginning to boil. Remove the scum, should any arise to the surface., and test the heat with a sugar-boiling thermometer. When this registers 240 degrees Fah., remove instantly, and pour the.syrup on to a slate slab which has been well sprinkled with cold water. Leave until the edges become slightly set, then fold the edges towards the middle, and-work the whole mass well together with a broad knife or wooden spatula. When the fondant lias changed from a milkly-white to a deep cream, it may be finished by hand, kneading in at the same time the required colouring and flavouring. Finally mould the fondant into the required shapes—-balls, oblongs, squares, etc., and leave to dry for some hours on trays lined with grease-proof paper. Uncooked Fondant.—This is made with finely sifted icing sugar, moistened with the whites of eggs and a little water or milk. The usual proportions are 11b of icing sugar to two whites of eggs and a tablespoonful oPliquid. After mixing, it can be worked up by hand, and coloured and flavoured to taste by the method described for fondant proper. Marzipan is another useful foundation in sweet making. Boil together 11b of sugar, % pint of water, and 1 teaspoonful of glucose to the temperature of 238 degrees Fah. Remove the mixture from the fire; add 12 ozs. of ground almonds, and later, when quite cool, two unbeaten whites of eggs. Heat again gently for two or three minutes, and then pour the mixture on to a dry slab, and work up with the spatula in the same way as for fondant. When firm, divide the marzipan into three or more portions, and colour and flavour each part separately. Special marzipan moulds can be bought, but if expense is an object, the paste may be rolle_<l out as in pastry-making, and cut into neat shapes with a single knife. Chocolate Creams are merely, fondant shapes dipped into melted chocolate, which must never be more than just warm, or the glazed appearance will be lost and the sweets spoiled. Pepermint creams are made of either cooked or uncooked fondant, flavoured with two drops of strong oil of peppermint, worked in with the fingers. Stuffed Fruits are made by removing the stones, etcetera from dates, French plums, preserved cherries, and so* on and filling the holes with coloured fondant or inarzipan.

Anchovy Toast.—(Remove skin and bones from one dozen anchovies, pound a luuitar and mix with an ounce of butter and half a teaspoonful of parsley. Butter a dozen small rounds of toast a nd spread with anchovy mixture. Put in the oven for eight minutes and serve very hot. Savoury Rarebit.—(Pour over a tablespoonful (a heaped one) of fine white crumbs, a fresh egg, beaten, and a couple of tablespoonfuls of new milk. Stir in well three heaped tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, a small teaspoonfiu of made mustard, a grain or two of cayenne, and salt to taste. Heat an ounce of butter in a clean pan, put in the mixture, and stir over a clear fire or the gas ring till you get a smooth, piping hot creamy .rarebit. Have ready small squares, of hot toast, spread with butter to which a little made mustard has been added, heap a spoonful of the ■mixture on each, and servo at once. Greyere cheese is nice for this rarebit, ’or for the devilled cheese. You can use .more or less mustard as you like, but a savoury can stand a great deal more seasoning than an ordinary dish. Cheese Bouches.—Roll out Quite thin* ly two ounces of puff pastry, and cut into two-inch squares. Mix together a small tablespoonful of grated cheese with salt, pepper, a very little cayenne, ana put not quite half a teaspoonful on the centre of half your squares. Moisten the edges with a little beaten egg or milk, a nd put each square of pastry over. Press the edges together brush the top. over with more egg or milk and put in a moder., e oven. They will take a quarter of a.i hour or a little less to cook. Serve .immediately. You can sprinkle these v.< h parmesan cheese just before serving i you want them extra good. If you want to make more savouries cut your squares IJin, and put less of the mixture on each. But never make them bigger than the 2 inches.

Macaroni a I’ltalienne.—Boil three ounces of macaroni. Slice half a pound of tomatoes and stew them in two j tablespoonfuls of stock. Pass through a sieve when done. Put an ounce of butter into a stewpan with 1-1 ounces of cheese and the macraoni; then add the puree of tomatoes. Season with pepper and salt and serve hot. Angels on Horseback. —Beard six oysters and place each one on a piece of bacon (very fat) with a little cayenne pepper and two drops of lemon juice. Roll them up; thread each on s skewer and cook for about five minutes in a quick oven. Fry some croutons of bread to a light golden colour; dish the rolls of bacon on them and serve very hot on a dish paper.