HINTS AND RECIPES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 45, 22 February 1936, Page 3

HINTS AND RECIPES

Bowler hats sometimes require attention. Hold a piece of velvet in front of a fire until it is thoroughly warmed, and while it is still hot brush the hat with it as though with a brush. After repeating this process two or three times, brush the hat in the ordinary way. To make a good and cheap watersoftener, put ilb. borax into a tin or jar with a good-fitting Id. Sprinkle three or four drops of oil of verbena, lor oil of geranium, over the borax, and 'put a little of the scented borax in the ■ basin when washing, or use a larger quantity in the bath. Caramel Sauce. —I’ut a handful of loaf sugar into a saucepan with a little water, and set it on the lire until it becomes a dark brown caramel, then add more water (boiling) to produce a dark liquor like strong coffee. Add a few drops of vanilla essence, strain through a sieve, and serve. When Boiling Salt Meat—Allow 20 minutes to each pound. Salt meat should always be put on in cold water. For fish, allow 10 minutes to the pound, and when thick 10 minutes over. To Make Sauce Thicker.—lf a sauce is too thin mix a little flour with cold milk, stock, or water until smooth. Strain this into the sauce, stirring all the time, and st r until it roboils. If only slightly thinner than it should be, reduce the sauce by boiling it quickly without a lid on the pan. To Clean Antique Oak Furniture.— Never clean it by washing. The treat- ! ment recommended by an expert is to 'rub in a small quantity of linseed oil three or four times a year, augmenting | this by an occasional polish iu the usual way. Apply the oil very sparingly or it will produce a streaky effect instead of bringing out the beauty of the wood. Honey For Energy.—To make honey candy, which is so valuable for children," you’ll need one cupful of honey, 2oz. butter, a pinch cf cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, one cupful of brown sugar, and two teaspoousful of lemon juice.’ Put all the ingredients except the cream of tartar and lemon juice I into a saucepan, and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Then add the ’lemon juice and cream of tartar. Boil (until mixture hardens when tested in cold water. Pour into a greased tin. Mark into squares when cool. Making Rich Cakes. There are occasions when rich, dark, cakes are required. Some ambitious women even aspire to making their own or their daughter's wedding cakes Here is a good recipe for a large rich cake. Of course, the quantities should be reduced by a quarter or half if a smaller cake is required. Ingredients: lib. butter, lslb. Hour, 11b. currants, 11b. raisins, lib. sultanas, Alb. g ace cherries, Alb. mixed candied peel, 4oz. almonds, 11b. brown moist sugar, 1 dessertspoonful mixed spice, a good pinch of salt, 10 to 12 eggs, 1 g 11 brandy, a little caramel. First see to the oven, which should register from 300 de>gs. to 350 (legs. 1Then prepare the tin or tins, for you can make a fairly large cake and smaller one with this recipe, f you prefer, instead of one very big one. Brush the inside of the tins with clarified butter, then line them with two or three thicknesses of greased paper, and place them on baking-tins covered with sand or salt. Weigh the ingredients, clean and prepare the fruit, shred the candied peel, blanch and chop the almonds. Dry the flour in a cool oven, then sieve it with the spice and salt. Put the butter into a warm basin and beat it to a cream with the sugar. Add the eggs one by one, beating each in weii. When well beaten stir in the flour, then the prepared fruit and brandy. Colour pale brown with the caramel, and put the mixture into the prepared tins, and cook in a moderate oven. After the first 20 minutes lessen the heat of the oven slightly, again lower the gas in an hour’s time, and the last half-hour reduce the heat still more. The cake may be left in the oven for half an hour [after the gas has been turned off when using a gas oven. 5 ou should allow .from four to five hours for a big cake; for two smaller ones, two to three I hours. When cooked leave the cakes in the tins for a few minutes, then turn on to a wire rack or sieve to enable the

air to circulate all round them. When quite cold wrap in greaseproof paper and keep in an airtight tin. Almond Paste. —The almond paste and icing can be put on a few days before the cake is required. First of all, of course, the cake must be cut quite level. Mix together lib. castor sugar, 11b. ground almonds, the whites of two eggs, and enough rose-water to make it mould easily. Knead the mixture until it is of the right consistency. Spread the top of the cake with a light coating of apricot jam, then press the almond paste over the top, or top and sides, with a broad-bladed knife, ■which should be dipped into boiling water every now and then. White icing.—First sift 11b. icing sugar, and be sure there are no lumps left in it. Then add the juice of one large lemon, or two small ones. Beat this for as long as possible—the longer you beat it the whiter it will be. Whisk the white of an egg to a very stiff froth and add it by degrees. If the icing seems too wet, put in half the egg only, and add a little more sugar. Apply one coating, then leave the cake I for a day and give it another coatiug. Smooth icing should be spread with a knife dipped in hot water, but some of the pretttiest cakes are decorated with rough icing, put on to resemble snow, which is tar easier to do than the smooth style. Little robins, sprigs of holly, tiny figures on little sleighs, or baby crackers can be used as decorations. Ginger and Date Cake.— Ingredients: Alb. each of dates, figs, and preserved ginger, {lb. almondr, 12oz. flour, Boz. butter, Goz. sugar, and 4 eggs. Cream butter and sugar; add egs (well whisked), and flour, then figs, dates and ginger (chopped in small pieces), and almonds (blanched and cut in strips). Bake in steady oven until a skewer inserted in cake will come out clean. A fondant icing decorated with crystallised ginger makes au attractive finish for this rake. To make fondant icing put Alb. icing sugar, with 1 tablespoonful of water, in saucepan, and stir over gentle heat until it is creamy. Remove from fire, and stir for a few moments; then pour quickly o'er cake.