Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 14 December 1911, Page 2553

Domestic

By Maureen.

Jelly Hint. To give variety to plain apple jelly the rose geranium will add a dainty flavor. Allow a clean large leaf to two quarts, added to the boiling juice a little before the sugar is put in. Remove in three or four minutes. Two whole cloves to the same quantity of juice or a piece of stick cinnamon, a finger long, will give apple jelly a piquant taste which will be liked. Sprigs of mint used in the same way will surprise the family pleasantly when they are served with roast lamb or mutton. Discolored Potatoes. When potatoes are inclined to go black after boiling the following is a good plan to improve the color and make them floury. Pare an hour before cooking, and put into enough cold water to entirely cover. At the right time place in fresh cold water with some salt and a tablespoonful of milk, let them come to the boil, and then simmer for the rest of the time required for cooking. To Cook Asparagus. Asparagus .should be largely used in the spring it is both appetising and medicinal. If tied together in bunches and set up in a kettle with the green ends out of the water, the tougher lower ends may be thoroughly cooked without boiling the tender tops to pieces. The kettle must be tightly covered, that the upper ends may be cooked by the steam. Asparagus should always be put into salted boiling water and cooked quickly for 15 or 20 minutes, or till the large ends are tender. t CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS. Queen’s Christmas Pudding (very rich).lngredients—lib of stoned raisins, 11b of sultanas, 11b of currants, lib of candied citron cut into strips, |lb of flour, £lb of breadcrumbs, lib of finely chopped suet, 11b of castor sugar, lib of Afresh butter, yolks of ten eggs, whites of two, 2 glasses of brandy, 1 nutmeg grated, | pint of milk, one teaspoonful each of powdered cloves and cinnamon. This pudding is mixed a little differently to the usual method. , Mix together in a basin first the fruit and citron, and then the flour after which, when the fruit is well coated with the flour, the crumbs may be added with the suet. Now, put the butter in another basin, and slightly melt it stir in he sugar, and beat both until creamy, add the yolks of eggs to this one by one, and beat well ; mix contents of the two basins together with the other ingredients, finally adding the whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Turn the pudding into a greased basin, and boil for five hours. The best ingredients should be used. Christmas Pudding No. 2.—This is not nearly so rich as the foregoing recipe, but for all that is particularly good. The ingredients required arel£lb of raisins, -lib of currants, fib of breadcrumbs, Mb of flour, fib of beef suet, nine eggs, one wineglass brandy, Mb of citron and orange-peel, half a nutmeg, a little ground ginger. Chop the suet as finely as possible, and mix it with the breadcrumbs and flour; add the currants, washed and dried, and citron and orangepeel, cut into shreds, and the raisins stoned and divided. Mix it well together with the grated nutmeg and ginger, ’then stir in the eggs well beaten, and the brandy, and mix well so that every ingredient may be moistened • put into a buttered mould, tie closely, and boil for six hours. This pudding may be made' now, boiled in a cloth, and hung in a dry place. When required, boil for 21 hours longer, turn out, and serve with brandy sauce.