COOKING HINTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1926, Page 18

COOKING HINTS.

Carrot Pudding. Take one cup each of flour, sugar, sultanas, currants, breadcrumbs, and grated one-side of a red carrot, grated rind of a lemon, a teaspoon of allspice, a teaspoon of soda, and a saltspoon of salt. Mix with a cup (or more, if required) of boiling water, in which a tablespoonful of butter has been dissolved, Boil three hours at the least. If preferred, use dripping instead of butter, first beating it with a squeeze of lemon juice to take, off the dripping flavour; add the sugar, and beat again. Half the quantity of fruit will make a nice plain pudding. Shortbread—the Edinburgh Way. The standard recipe for Scotch shortbread is 21b flour, lib butter, and Boz castor sugar, but the clever Edinburgh cook knows how to do better still. Instead of using all flour she takes Jib rice flour and mixes it with IJlb plain flour. Bice flour is finer and smoother than ground rice, and makes a better cake. In measuring out the ingredients the flour should be weighed with a light hand and the sugar with a heavy one. The butter is cut on a marble slab or in a basin, and a little of the sugar is kneaded into it to make a smooth, soft paste. The whole of the mixing is done by hand-kneading in sugar and flour alternately. When, kneaded enough the dough should be a. yellowish colour throughout and easy to work into shape. It is then divided into two or three pieces and rolled out into rounds of about an inch thick, which are placed on a baking-sheet and neatly notched round the edges with finger and thumb. The shortbread is pricked all over with a fork, and a piece of citron peel or caraway comfits may be placed in the centre. A slow oven is necessary, as the shortbread should not be brown cd. it will take about thirty minutes. Short Pastry. Half a pound of flour, half a teaspoonful baking powder, a pinch of salt. Jib good fat, a quarter pint of water. Sift together the flour, powder and salt, and rub the fat into it until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs; then pour in the water gradually, mixing into as stiff a dough as possible. Turn on to a floured board, knead slightly, and use as required. Steamed Chocolate Pudding. Quarter lb bread crumbs (brown), 2oz cocoa or grated chocolate, 2oz loaf sugar, i gill water, j pint milk, 2 eggs, few drops vanilla essence. Put, bread into a basin with chocolate. Boil the water and sugar together until a light brown, and add the milk. Reboil; then pour over the crumbs. Add the beaten egg yolks, stirring thoroughly, and. the essence. Lastly, stir in the stiffly beaten whites of eggs and mix lightly. Put into a greased mould, and steam in the oven for three-quarters of an hour. 'Serve with boiled custard.

Butter Icing.—Quarter of a lb of butter, Jib of icing sugar, 1 dessertspoonful of coffee essence, or about one teaspoonful of vanila or any flavouring essence liked. Rub the icing sugar through a hair sieve. Cream the butter, beating well with a wooden spoon, add the sugar gradually. When quite creamy, add the coffee or other essence and mix well.