Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information Part 41

Splendid.

YEAST.--In reference to yeast, we advise the use of Magic Yeast Cakes; it keeps good a year, and works quicker and better than other yeasts.

SUGGESTIONS IN MAKING CAKE.--It is very desirable that the materials be of the finest quality. Sweet, fresh b.u.t.ter, eggs, and good flour are the first essentials. The process of putting together is also quite an important feature, and where other methods are not given in this work by contributors, it would be well for the young housekeeper to observe the following directions:

Never allow the b.u.t.ter to oil, but soften it by putting in a moderately warm place before you commence other preparations for your cake; then put it into an earthen dish--tin, if not new, will discolor your cake as you stir it--and add your sugar; beat the b.u.t.ter and sugar to a cream, add the yolks of the eggs, then the milk, and lastly the beaten whites of the eggs and flour. Spices and liquors may be added after the yolks of the eggs are put in, and fruit should be put in with the flour.

The oven should be pretty hot for small cakes, and moderate for larger. To ascertain if a large cake is sufficiently baked, pierce it with a broom-straw through the center; if done, the straw will come out free from dough; if not done, dough will adhere to the straw. Take it out of the tin about fifteen minutes after it is taken from the oven (not sooner), and do not turn it over on the top to cool.

FROSTING.--One pint granulated sugar, moisten thoroughly with water sufficient to dissolve it when heated; let it boil until it threads from the spoon, stirring often; while the sugar is boiling, beat the whites of two eggs till they are firm; then when thoroughly beaten, turn them into a deep dish, and when the sugar is boiled, turn it over the whites, beating all rapidly together until of the right consistency to spread over the cake. Flavor with lemon, if preferred.

This is sufficient for two loaves.

FROSTING, FOR CAKE.--One cup frosting-sugar, two tablespoons of water boiled together; take it off the stove, and stir in the white of one egg beaten to a stiff froth; stir all together well, then frost your cake with it, and you will never want a nicer frosting than this.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING.--Whites of two eggs, one and one-half cups of fine sugar, six great spoons of grated chocolate, two teaspoons of vanilla; spread rather thickly between layers and on top of cake. Best when freshly made. It should be made like any frosting.

ICING.--The following rules should be observed where boiled icing is not used:

Put the whites of your eggs in a shallow earthern dish, and allow at least a quarter of a pound or sixteen tablespoons of the finest white sugar for each egg. Take part of the sugar at first and sprinkle over the eggs; beat them for about half an hour, stirring in gradually the rest of the sugar; then add the flavor. If you use the juice of a lemon, allow more sugar. Tartaric and lemon-juice whitens icing. It may be shaded a pretty pink with strawberry-juice or cranberry syrup, or colored yellow by putting the juice and rind of a lemon in a thick muslin bag, and squeezing it hard into the egg and sugar.

If cake is well dredged with flour after baking, and then carefully wiped before the icing is put on, it will not run, and can be spread more smoothly. Put frosting on to the cake in large spoonfuls, commencing over the center; then spread it over the cake, using a large knife, dipping it occasionally in cold water. Dry the frosting on the cake in a cool, dry place.

ICE-CREAM ICING, FOR WHITE CAKE.--Two cups pulverized white sugar, boiled to a thick syrup; add three teaspoons vanilla; when cold, add the whites of two eggs well beaten, and flavored with two teaspoons of citric acid.

ICING, FOR CAKES.--Take ten whites of eggs whipped to a stiff froth, with twenty large spoonfuls of orange-flower water. This is to be laid smoothly on the cakes after they are baked. Then return them to the oven for fifteen minutes to harden the icing.

ICING.--One pound pulverized sugar, pour over one tablespoon cold water, beat whites of three eggs a little, not to a stiff froth; add to the sugar and water, put in a deep bowl, place in a vessel of boiling water, and heat. It will become thin and clear, afterward begin to thicken. When it becomes quite thick, remove from the fire and stir while it becomes cool till thick enough to spread with a knife. This will frost several ordinary-sized cakes.

ALMOND CAKE.--Take ten eggs, beaten separately, the yolks from the whites; beat the yolks with half a pound of white sugar; blanch a quarter of a pound of almonds by pouring hot water on them, and remove the skins; pound them in a mortar smooth; add three drops of oil of bitter almonds; and rose-water to prevent the oiling of the almonds.

Stir this also into the eggs. Half a pound of sifted flour stirred very slowly into the eggs; lastly, stir in the whites, which must have been whipped to a stiff froth. Pour this into the pans, and bake immediately three-quarters of an hour.

COCOANUT CAKE.--Whip the whites of ten eggs, grate two nice cocoanuts, and add them; sift one pound of white sugar into half a pound of sifted flour; stir this well; add a little rose-water to flavor; pour into pans, and bake three-fourths of an hour.

COCOANUT DROPS.--One pound each grated cocoanut and sugar; four well beaten eggs; four tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well, drop on pan, and bake.

COCOANUT JUMBLES.--Take one cup b.u.t.ter, two cups sugar, three eggs well whipped, one grated cocoanut, stirred in lightly with the flour, which must be sufficient to stiffen to the required consistency. Bake one to know when enough flour is added.

COFFEE CAKE.--Take three eggs, two cups brown sugar, one cup strong coffee, quarter of cup of b.u.t.ter, three cups flour, one teaspoonful cream tartar, half teaspoonful each soda and ground cinnamon and cloves, half a nutmeg grated, one cup of raisins, stoned; beat b.u.t.ter and sugar to a cream, then add eggs beaten, coffee, flour sifted, and cream tartar, well mixed with it. Spices and raisins, then soda dissolved in sufficient warm water to absorb it. Thoroughly mix, and bake in round tins.

COOKIES.--Two cups bright brown sugar, one cup b.u.t.ter, half cup sweet milk, two eggs, one teaspoonful soda, flour enough to roll out.

COMPOSITION CAKE.--Five eggs, three cups sugar, two cups b.u.t.ter, five cups flour, one wine-gla.s.s brandy, one nutmeg grated, half pound each raisins and currants, three teaspoonfuls Gillett's baking powder.

CORN STARCH CAKE.--Two cups pulverized sugar, one cup b.u.t.ter, cup corn starch, two cups sifted flour, seven eggs (whites beaten very light), one teaspoon soda, two teaspoons cream tartar (or two teaspoons caking powder instead of soda and cream tartar), flavor with lemon.

In putting this together, beat b.u.t.ter and sugar to a light cream, dissolve corn starch in a cup of sweet milk, leaving enough of the milk to dissolve the soda if it is used, put cream of tartar or baking powder in the flour, beat the whites of the eggs separate when the b.u.t.ter and sugar are ready, put all the ingredients together first, leaving the eggs and flour to the last.

CREAM CAKE.--Half pint cream, one tablespoon b.u.t.ter rubbed into one tablespoon flour. Put the cream on the fire. When it boils stir in the b.u.t.ter and flour mixed, add half a tea cup sugar, two eggs very light, flavor with vanilla. Spread between cakes, and frost or sugar top of cake to please fancy.

CINNAMON CAKE.--Take two cups of brown sugar, one cup of b.u.t.ter, three-quarters cup of milk, half cup of vinegar, four eggs, large tablespoon of cinnamon, four cups of flour, one teaspoon of soda, two teaspoons cream tartar, mix all but vinegar and soda, then add vinegar, then soda, bake in large tin or patty pans.

CURRANT CAKE.--Take two pounds of flour, half a pound of b.u.t.ter rubbed in the flour, half a pound of moist sugar, a few caraway seeds, three or four tablespoonfuls of yeast, and a pint of milk made a little warm. Mix all together, and let it stand an hour or two at the fire to rise; then beat it up with three eggs and a half pound of currants. Put it into a tin, and bake two hours in a moderate oven.

CUP CAKE.--Cream half a cup of b.u.t.ter, and four cups of sugar by beating; stir in five well-beaten eggs; dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in a cup of good milk or cream, and six cups of sifted flour; stir all well together, and bake in tins.

DELICATE CAKE.--Mix two cups of sugar, four of flour, half cup b.u.t.ter, half cup sweet milk, the whites of seven eggs, two teaspoons cream tartar, one teaspoon soda, rub the cream tartar in the flour and other ingredients, and flavor to suit the taste.

DELICIOUS SWISS CAKE.--Beat the yolks of five eggs and one pound of sifted loaf sugar well together; then sift in one pound of best flour, and a large spoonful of anise seed; beat these together for twenty minutes; then whip to a stiff froth the five whites, and add them; beat all well; then roll out the paste an inch thick, and cut them with a molded cutter rather small; set them aside till the next morning to bake. Rub the tins on which they are baked with yellow wax; it is necessary to warm the tins to receive the wax; then let them become cool, wipe them, and lay on the cakes. Bake a light brown.

DOUGHNUTS.--One and a half cup of sugar; half cup sour milk, two teaspoons soda, little nutmeg, four eggs, flour enough to roll out.

DROP CAKE.--- To one pint cream, three eggs, one pinch of salt, thicken with rye till a spoon will stand upright in it, then drop on a well b.u.t.tered iron pan which must be hot in the oven.

DROP COOKIES.--Whites of two eggs, one large cup of milk, one cup of sugar, one-half cup of b.u.t.ter, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder, flavor with vanilla, rose, or nutmeg; flour enough for thick batter, beat thoroughly, drop in b.u.t.tered pans, dust granulated sugar on top, and bake with dispatch.

FRUIT CAKE.--Take one pint each of sour milk and sugar, two eggs, half pint melted b.u.t.ter, two teaspoons even full of soda, dissolve in milk flour enough to roll out into shape, and fry in hot lard.

FRIED CAKES.--Three eggs, one cup of sugar, one pint of new milk, salt, nutmeg, and flour enough to permit the spoon to stand upright in the mixture; add two teaspoonfuls of Gillett's baking powder and beat until very light. Drop by the dessert-spoonful into boiling lard.

These will not absorb a bit of fat, and are the least pernicious of the doughnut family.

FRUIT CAKE.--Take four pounds of brown sugar, four pounds of good b.u.t.ter, beaten to cream; put four pounds of sifted flour into a pan; whip thirty-two eggs to a fine froth, and add to the creamed b.u.t.ter and sugar; then take six pounds of cleaned currants, four pounds of stoned raisins, two pounds of cut citron, one pound of blanched almonds, crushed, but not pounded, to a paste--a large cup of mola.s.ses, two large spoonfuls of ground ginger, half an ounce of pounded mace, half an ounce of grated nutmeg, half an ounce of pounded and sifted cloves, and one of cinnamon. Mix these well together, then add four large winegla.s.ses of good French brandy, and lastly, stir in the flour; beat this well, put it all into a stone jar, cover very closely, for twelve hours; then make into six loaves, and bake in iron pans. These cakes will keep a year, if attention is paid to their being put in a tin case, and covered lightly in an airy place. They improve by keeping.

GINGER DROP CAKE.--Cup each sugar, mola.s.ses, lard and boiling water, one teaspoon soda, half teaspoon cream tartar, stir in flour until it is as thick as cake, add sugar and salt.

GINGER SNAPS.--Take one cup each of sugar, mola.s.ses, b.u.t.ter, half cup sour milk, two teaspoons cream tartar, one teaspoon soda, flour enough to roll out, cut into size desired and bake.

GINGER SNAPS.--Two cups of New Orleans mola.s.ses, one cup of sugar, one of b.u.t.ter, one teaspoonful of soda, one of cloves, one of black pepper, and two tablespoons of ginger. These will keep good a month if you wish to keep them.

GRAHAM CAKES.--Half a cup of b.u.t.ter, one-half cup sugar, one egg, one teacup sour milk, one-half teaspoon soda. Make a stiff batter by adding graham flour.

GOOD GRAHAM CAKES.--Two cups sweet milk, one cup sweet cream, the white of one egg beaten to froth, half a spoonful of salt, dessert spoonful baking powder, stir in stiffened graham flour until quite thick, bake in m.u.f.fin-rings or gem-tins, until well browned on top.

INDIAN BREAKFAST PATTIES.--To one pint of Indian meal add one egg, and a little salt, pour boiling water upon it, and fry brown immediately in pork fat. Cut open and put b.u.t.ter between, and send to the table hot.

JUMBLES.--Stir together till of a light brown color, one pound sugar, one-half pound b.u.t.ter, then add eight eggs beaten to a froth, add flour enough to make them stiff enough to roll out, flavor with lemon, cut in rings half an inch thick, bake in quick oven.

KISSES.--Beat the whites of four eggs to a froth, stir into them half pound powdered white sugar; flavor with lemon, continue to beat it until it will be in a heap; lay the mixture on letter-paper, in the size and shape of half an egg, an inch apart, then lay the paper on hard wood and place in the oven without closing it, when they begin to look yellowish take them out and let them cool three or four minutes, then slip a thin knife carefully under and turn them into your left hand, take another and join the two by the sides next the paper, then lay them in a dish handling them gently. They may be batted a little harder, the soft inside taken out and jelly subst.i.tuted.

LIGHT FRUIT CAKE.--Take one cup b.u.t.ter, two cups sugar, four of flour, four eggs, one teaspoon cream tartar, half teaspoon soda, one cup sweet milk, one pound currants, half pound citron.

MARBLE CAKE, LIGHT PART.--One and a half cups white sugar, half cup b.u.t.ter, half cup sweet milk, one teaspoon cream tartar, half teaspoon soda, whites of four eggs, two and half cups flour.

DARK PART.--One cup brown sugar, half cup each mola.s.ses, b.u.t.ter and sour milk, one teaspoon cream tartar, one teaspoon soda, two and a half cups flour, yolks four eggs, half teaspoon cloves, allspice and cinnamon.

MOLa.s.sES COOKIES.--Three cups New Orleans mola.s.ses, one cup b.u.t.ter, one-half cup lard, one heaped teaspoon soda, one tablespoon ginger, one cup hot water. Roll thick. Better after standing.

m.u.f.fINS.--Take two cups flour, one cup milk, half cup sugar, four eggs, one-half teaspoon each of soda and cream tartar, one tablespoon b.u.t.ter. Bake in rings.

GRAHAM m.u.f.fINS.--Mix one pint sweet milk, sift your flour, then take half pound each Graham and wheat flour, five or six spoonfuls melted b.u.t.ter, two half spoons baking powder. Bake in rings in very quick oven.