The Virginia Housewife Part 19

CAKES.

JUMBALS.

Put one pound of nice sugar into two pounds of flour, add pounded spice of any kind, and pa.s.s them through a sieve; beat four eggs, pour them on with three quarters of a pound of melted b.u.t.ter, knead all well together, and bake them.

MACAROONE.

Blanch a pound of sweet almonds, pound them in a mortar with rose water; whip the whites of seven eggs to a strong froth, put in one pound of powdered sugar, beat it some time, then put in the almonds--mix them well, and drop them on sheets of paper b.u.t.tered; sift sugar over, and bake them quickly. Be careful not to let them get discoloured.

TO MAKE DROP BISCUIT.

Beat eight eggs very light, add to them twelve ounces of flour, and one pound of sugar; when perfectly light, drop them on tin sheets, and bake them in a quick oven.

TAVERN BISCUIT.

To one pound of flour, add half a pound of sugar, half a pound of b.u.t.ter, some mace and nutmeg powdered, and a gla.s.s of brandy or wine; wet it with milk, and when well kneaded, roll it thin, cut it in shapes, and bake it quickly.

RUSK.

Rub half a pound of sugar into three pounds of flour--sift it, pour on half a pint of good yeast, beat six eggs, add half a pint of milk--mix all together, knead it well: if not soft enough, add more milk-it should be softer than bread; make it at night--in the morning, if well risen, work in six ounces of b.u.t.ter, and bake it in small rolls; when cold, slice it, lay it on tin sheets, and dry it in the oven.

GINGER BREAD.

Three quarts of flour, three quarters of a pound of brown sugar, a large spoonful of pounded ginger, one tea-spoonful of powdered cloves--sift it, melt half a pound of b.u.t.ter in a quart of rich mola.s.ses, wet the flour with it, knead it well, and bake it in a slack oven.

PLEBEIAN GINGER BREAD.

Mix three large spoonsful of pounded ginger, with three quarts of flour--sift it, dissolve three tea-spoonsful of pearl-ash in a cup of water, and pour it on the flour; melt half a pound of b.u.t.ter in a quart of mola.s.ses, mix it with the flour, knead it well, cut it in shapes, and bake it.

SUGAR GINGER BREAD.

Take two pounds of the nicest brown sugar, dry and pound it, put it into three quarts of flour, add a large cup full of powdered ginger, and sift the mixture; wash the salt out of a pound of b.u.t.ter, and cream it; have twelve eggs well beaten; work into the b.u.t.ter first, the mixture, then the froth from the eggs, until all are in, and it is quite light; add a gla.s.s of brandy b.u.t.ter shallow moulds, pour it in, and bake in a quick oven.

DOUGH NUTS--A YANKEE CAKE.

Dry half a pound of good brown sugar, pound it and mix it with two pounds of flour, and sift it; add two spoonsful of yeast, and as much new milk as will make it like bread: when well risen, knead in half a pound of b.u.t.ter, make it in cakes the size of a half dollar, and fry them a light brown in boiling lard.

RISEN CAKE.

Take three pounds of flour, one and a half of pounded sugar, a tea-spoonful of cloves, one of mace, and one of ginger, all finely powdered--pa.s.s the whole through a sieve, put to it four spoonsful of good yeast, and twelve eggs--mix it up well, and if not sufficiently soft, add a little milk: make it up at night, and set it to rise--when well risen, knead into it a pound of b.u.t.ter, and two gills of brandy; have ready two pounds of raisins stoned, mix all well together, pour it into a mould of proper size, and bake it in an oven heated as for bread; let it stand till thoroughly done, and do not take it from the mould until quite cold.

POUND CAKE.

Wash the salt from a pound of b.u.t.ter, and rub it till it is soft as cream--have ready a pound of flour sifted, one of powdered sugar, and twelve eggs well beaten; put alternately into the b.u.t.ter, sugar, flour, and the froth from the eggs--continuing to beat them together till all the ingredients are in, and the cake quite light: add some grated lemon peel, a nutmeg, and a gill of brandy; b.u.t.ter the pans, and bake them.

This cake makes an excellent pudding, if baked in a large mould, and eaten with sugar and wine. It is also excellent when boiled, and served up with melted b.u.t.ter, sugar and wine.

SAVOY OR SPUNGE CAKE.

Take twelve fresh eggs, put them in the scale, and balance them with sugar: take out half, and balance the other half with flour; separate the whites from the yelks, whip them up very light, then mix them, and sift in, first sugar, then flour, till both are exhausted; add some grated lemon peel; bake them in paper cases, or little tin moulds. This also makes an excellent pudding, with b.u.t.ter, sugar, and wine, for sauce.

A RICH FRUIT CAKE.

HAVE the following articles prepared, before you begin the cake: four pounds of flour dried and sifted, four pounds of b.u.t.ter washed to free it from salt, two pounds of loaf sugar pounded, a quarter of a pound of mace, the same of nutmegs powdered; wash four pounds of currants clean, pick and dry them; blanch one pound of sweet almonds, and cut them in very thin slices; stone two pounds of raisins, cut them in two, and strew a little flour over to prevent their sticking together, and two pounds of citron sliced thin; break thirty eggs, separating the yelks and whites; work the b.u.t.ter to a cream with your hand-put in alternately, flour, sugar, and the froth from both whites and yelks, which must be beaten separately, and _only_ the froth put in. When all are mixed and the cake looks very light, add the spice, with half a pint of brandy, the currants and almonds; b.u.t.ter the mould well, pour in part of the cake, strew over it some raisins and citron--do this until all is in: set it in a well heated oven: when it has risen, and the top is coloured, cover it with paper; it will require three hours baking--it must be iced.

NAPLES BISCUIT.

Beat twelve eggs light, add to them one pound of flour, and one of powdered sugar; continue to beat all together till perfectly light; bake it in long pans, four inches wide, with divisions; so that each cake, when done, will be four inches long, and one and a half wide.

SHREWSBURY CAKES.

Mix a pound of sugar, with two pounds of flour, and a large spoonful of pounded coriander seeds; sift them, add three quarters of a pound of melted b.u.t.ter, six eggs, and a gill of brandy; knead it well, roll it thin, cut it in shapes, and bake without discolouring it.

LITTLE PLUM CAKES.

Prepare them as directed for pound cake, add raisins and currants, bake them in small tin shapes, and ice them.