CHRISTMAS FARE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1941, Page 2

CHRISTMAS FARE

CAKES AND PUDDINGS RECOMMENDED RECIPES. BEGIN PREPARATIONS NOW. Now is the time for all good cooks to prepare their Christmas cakes and puddings. The earlier they arc made the better they taste, and when the cooking is finished Christmas shopping can -be' done with an easier mind. ; Rich Christmas Cake. Cream 11b butter well until white and light: gradually add 11b castor sugar and continue to beat until quite light and fluffy; add the yolks of 8 eggs and beat well. In the meantime prepare fruit and measure 11b each currants, raisins, and sultanas, the grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange, 4oz each chopped dates, almonds, and cherries, 4oz mixed peel. Pour over 1 wine-glass brandy or rum, i wine-glass sherry, and 1 tablespoon glycerine. Mix ail well together. Sift 11b plain flour with 4oz rice flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, i teaspoon salt, and if liked a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Add a handful flour, then a handful fruit and mix well. Continue in this way’until all used up. Lastly add the egg-whites, beaten until stiff, but not dry, and mix gently into mixture. Bake in well-lined cake-tins in a hot oven at first then decrease heat gradually and bake for about 31 houis. Extra Special Christmas Cake.

Sift lib flour, 4oz rice flour, J level teaspoon salt, 1 level teaspoon ground cloves, 1 level teaspoon cinnamon, 1 level dessertspoon nutmeg, one level dessertspoon ground mace, and >' level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda. Have prepared 141 b seeded raisins, 11b sultanas, 21b currants, Jib chopped dates, ■Jib chopped almonds, 11b mixed peel, Boz chopped walnuts, 4oz cherries, cut in halves. Sprinkle with i cup flour, then mix with the dry ingredients. Now cream lib butter until white and light; gradually add Boz castor sugar, sifted together with 6oz brown sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Add the yolks of 10 eggs, one at a time, the grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange. Measure I level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda and add it to J- cup molasses and stir until it begins to foam, then add it to butter mixture with | cup very black coffee. Mix together i cup rum, the juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange, and 2 tablespoons tart jelly, such as gooseberry. Add dry ingredients alternately with liquid to butter mixture, and lastly the whites, beaten to a stiff froth, but not dry. When well mixed, place in a large prepared tin, cover with greased paper, and steam four hours. Remove from steamer, take off the top paper, and bake in a slow even for 2 hours. Christmas Mince.

Chop suet very finely and measure 11b. Wash fruit well and allow to dry. Chop. 11b seeded raisins, -Jib mixed peel, and lib currants, LJ-lb finelychopped (not minced) apples, 21b sugar, grated rind of 4 lemons, and grated rind and juice of 1 orange. Pour over 1 pint brandy and f pint sherry. Mix well together and place in a jar and cover tightly. One ounce of mixed spice may be added (cinnamon, spice, nutmeg, and ground cloves). Mincemeat should be made 3 or 4 weeks before using, so now is the time to get busy.

Almond Icing.

Mix tcegther 2 cups ground almonds, 2 cups or a little more icing sugar, the white of 3 eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, a little sherry (about 1 tablespoon), a few drops vanilla essence. Work into paste, then roll out on a board dusted with icing sugar, large enough to cover top of cake. Now roll out the trimmings and cut into strips and fit round the sides of cake. Allow to dry before covering with fondant or soft icing. It is a good idea to brush the cake over with liquid jelly before covering. The jelly makes the almond paste stick. Fondant. Icing. Place 1-Jlb sugar in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon glucose and enough warm water to moisten. Stir over a low gas until sugar is dissolved. Allow to boil, taking care at the same time to wash down the sides of pan to remove any grains of uncooked sugar. Boil until it ‘will form a soft ball when tried between the thumb and finger, or 240 degrees. Remove from gas, allow bubbles to cease, then pour into a wet bowl. Allow to cool, then beat with wooden spoon until only just pourable. Cover with a cloth and allow to stand for 1 hour, then knead until quite smooth. Place back in double saucepan and warm. Do not allow fondant to get too hot. Stir until the right consistency to pour over cake, do so at once. Pour enough over cake so it will run down the sides without having to spread it. Allow to set before decorating. Eggless Plum Pudding. Mix together lib fine white breadcrumbs, | cup plain flour, 11b raisins, 4oz currants, 4oz sultanas, |lb sugar, lib grated suet, 1 teaspoon baking powder, teaspoon bicarbonate of soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water, i teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon mixed spice, the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon'. Mix all well together with 1 cup milk. Place in cloth and boil for four hours. Rich Plum Pudding. Prepare fruit beforehand and have them well dried. Place 21b seeded raisins in ‘a basin with lib each sultanas and currants, 4oz each dates, chopped prunes, walnuts, almonds, and cherries, 2oz chopped ginger (crystallised), |lb mixed peel, 3 grated or finely-chopped apples, 1 small grated carrot, the grated rind of 2 lemons and 2 oranges. Pour, over a small bottle of beer or stout, | pint rum or brandy. Allow to soak overnight. Sift 12oz plain flour with one teaspoon ground cloves, one teaspoon mixed spice, one teaspoon cinnamon, one teaspoon grated nutmeg. Add lib brown sugar, Ijlb grated suet, 1 Jib fine soft white breadcrumbs; mix all well together with 10 well-beaten eggs. Place in cloth or basin and boil for 6 hours. On the day to be used, boil for another 2 hours. This amount makes 2 large or 4 small puddings. Continental Plum Pudding. Place -J- pint milk and 2oz butter in a saucepan and bring to boil; add 4oz sifted flour and stir over the gas until mixture leaves the sides of pan. Remove from gas and allow to cool, then add 3oz sugar, then the yolks of G eggs and 4 whites beaten well together. Now peel and chop 4 large cooking apples and place them in a basin with 1 port wine-glass rum, |lb seeded raisins, 4oz currants, 2oz chopped almcnds, 2oz chopped walnuts, 4oz sultanas, loz mixed peel, | teaspoon mixed spice and | teaspoon cinnamon. Mix all well to.-> gether, place in a well-greased basin and steam for 2| hours.