217. Peel your tomatoes and cut them in small pieces. Make a dressing for six tomatoes of a table spoonful of sweet oil, one table spoonful of vinegar, half a tea spoonful of common mustard, or one tea spoonful of French mustard, cayenne pepper and salt to the taste. Pour this dressing over the tomatoes, stir them well and serve them.
Tomatoes may be dressed as cucumbers, and make a very good sauce for cold meat.
218. Cut off the beards and boil them with the liquor with a bit of mace and lemon peel. In the mean time throw the oysters in cold water and then drain them; strain the spice from the liquor, put it into a sauce-pan with the oysters, with two ounces of butter rolled in flour, and a gill of rich milk or cream. Let it boil once, squeeze in a little lemon juice, and serve it hot.
219. Wash a dozen tomatoes, cut them in pieces but do not skin them. Put them in a stew-pan with salt, cayenne pepper, one tea spoonful of whole allspice, half a dozen cloves, and four or five blades of mace. Stew them slowly till they are soft, pass them through a sieve to remove the skins and spice; put them back in the stew-pan, let themboil five minutes, then add two ounces of butter rolled in half a tea spoonful of flour, let it boil once, then serve it.
Pickles should always be done in the very best cider or wine vinegar, as the chemical preparations known by the name of vinegar soften the pickles, besides being very injurious to the stomach.
Stone or glass jars are the best for keeping pickles, which should be always completely covered with vinegar. When they are first put into the jars they require attention for a day or two, to keep them filled up, as the vinegar sinks in the jar, or is imbibed by the pickles.
220. If you would prefer your peppers less pungent, cut an opening in the top of the pepper, and take out half the seeds.
Lay them for two weeks in salt and water which will bear an egg. Be careful to keep them covered with the brine. Put a board over them to keep them under the salt and water, and take off the scum as it rises.
If they are not yellow at the end of two weeks, let them remain in the brine a little longer.
When yellow take them out, wash them, and putthem in a kettle with cold water—cover the top with leaves—place them near the fire, let them get hot, but do not permit them to simmer. When they are greened in this manner, take them out, drain them, place them in your jars, and pour cold spiced vinegar over them.
If you wish to stuff them, chop some cabbage very fine, season it highly with mace, cinnamon, cloves, and mustard seed—stuff the peppers with this preparation, and tie a thread round each one to keep the stuffing in.
221. Choose button mushrooms; wipe them well with a clean cloth. Sprinkle a little salt over them, and put them in a stew-pan, with some pieces of mace and whole pepper corns. Simmer them slowly till all the juice is out of them. Shake them frequently. Let them simmer very gradually till all the liquor is dried up, but be careful not to let the mushrooms get dry. When the juice has all evaporated, pour over them as much cold vinegar as will cover them, let them get hot, and put them in jars. When cold, cover them closely.
222. Select thebuttonmushrooms, that is, those which are not fully blown. Cut off the ends ofthe stems, scrape them, peel the tops, and wipe them on a clean cloth.
Put them into a stew-pan, with just enough water to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Shake them occasionally, to prevent them from burning.
As soon as they are tender, pour over them some boiling vinegar, seasoned with mace, cloves, whole grains of pepper, and salt.
When cool, bottle them, and seal the corks.
223. Choose small white onions, peel them, and throw a few at a time in a pan of boiling salt and water; as soon as they look clear take them out carefully, and place them on a sieve to dry; then put in more, and so on, till all are cooked. When they are cold, put them in jars, and pour spiced vinegar over them.
To each quart of the vinegar, put one table spoonful of whole allspice, half a table spoonful of pepper grains, three or four small pieces of mace, half a dozen cloves, and a table spoonful of mustard seed. Boil all these spices in the vinegar, and pour it, boiling hot, over the pickles.
224. Boil some eggs hard; take off the shells,put them into a jar, and cover them with cold vinegar.
225. Three cabbages,Twenty-five peppers,Half a pint of mustard seed,Three sticks of horse-radish, chipped.
Cut the cabbages as for slaw; chop the peppers very fine. Put in a jar a layer of cabbage, a very little salt, then a layer of peppers, sprinkle over this some horse-radish and mustard seed, and so on, till all is in, then fill up the jars with cold vinegar, in every quart of which dissolve two ounces of sugar.
This is very good with hot or cold meat.
226. Rub your walnuts well with a coarse towel, and lay them for two weeks in salt and water strong enough to float an egg.
Drain them, and put them in your kettle, with fresh water enough to cover them, and let them stand twelve hours, where they will keep hot, but not boil.
To one hundred walnuts take one gallon of the best vinegar, one ounce of pepper, one ounce of cloves, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce ofnutmeg, four ounces of ginger. Break the ginger and nutmegs in pieces, bruise the pepper a little, and put the spices into the vinegar just before it boils. Let it boil five minutes; pour it out, cover it closely, and stand it away to get cold.
Place the walnuts in your jars, and strew over them about four ounces of mustard seed, pounded and sifted, then pour the spiced vinegar over and cover them closely.
227. Select ripe cling-stone peaches. To one gallon of good vinegar add four pounds of brown sugar; boil this for a few minutes, and take off any scum which may rise. Rub the peaches with a flannel cloth, to remove the down, and stick a clove in each; put them in glass or stone jars, and pour the liquor upon them boiling hot. When cold, cover the jars and let them stand in a cool place for a week or ten days, then pour off the liquor and boil it as before, after which return it, boiling, to the peaches, which should be carefully covered and stored away for future use.
If your peaches are very hard, boil them in water till tender, before you pickle them, and they will be fit for use almost immediately.
228. String-beans, or French beans, are thekind used for pickling. Take off the strings but do not break the beans; put them in strong salt and water for three or four days; cover them with a board and weight so as to keep them under the water. Then take them out, wash them, and put them in a preserving kettle with hot water enough to cover them, and put leaves or a cloth over them to keep in the steam. When they are green take them out, drain them and put them in jars; pour hot vinegar over them, with any kind of spice you may like best, and a small piece of alum in each jar.
Radish pods are pickled in the same way.
229. Cut your mangoes in half, take out all the seeds, tie them together with coarse thread, and lay them in strong salt and water for three or four days. Then wash and drain them, put them into a kettle with vine or cabbage leaves over the top, or they may be covered with a clean coarse cloth; pour in hot water enough to cover them, and let them stand near the fire to keep hot. When they are green take them out, untie them, turn the cut side down and drain them. Cut some horse-radish in fine slips, and mix with it some mace, cloves, pepper, allspice and mustard seed; fill your mangoes with this, and if you like it add a clove of garlic to each one, place the two sides together and tie them again. Put them in jars and cover themwith vinegar. Cut off the threads before they are sent to the table.
230. Select the small sized cucumbers for pickling. They should be free from bruises and of a fine green color, for if they are old and yellow when picked from the vines they will never be green when they are pickled. Wash your cucumbers in cold water to remove all the sand and grit, put them in your pickling tub, make a brine of salt and water strong enough to float an egg. Pour enough of this brine over the cucumbers to cover them; spread over the top a coarse cloth and over this put the lid of the tub, which should be just large enough to fit inside and slip down so as to press on the cucumbers, put a weight on the lid to keep it in its place. Let them stand in the salt and water till they are perfectly yellow, which will be in about nine days. When they are quite yellow take them out, wash them in cold water and examine each one separately; if you should find any soft or bruised reject them, as they would be likely to spoil the others. Put them into a preserving kettle, cover them with hot water and vine or cabbage leaves, or if you have no leaves a clean coarse towel will answer as well. Put a plate over the top and stand them where they will keep hot, but not simmer, as that would ruin them. When theyare perfectly green take them out of the water, drain them, and put in your jars first a layer of cucumbers, then a tea spoonful of whole allspice, half a dozen cloves, some strips of horse-radish, and half a tea spoonful of mustard seed, then more cucumbers, and so on till the jar is full. Pour in as much good vinegar as will cover them, with a tea spoonful of pulverized alum to each jar. In a day or two examine them, and fill up the jars with vinegar if the pickles have absorbed it so as to leave the top ones uncovered.
If you do not wish to pickle all your cucumbers at once, (and they are much better when they are freshly pickled,) take them out of the salt and water, wash and drain them. Put the brine over the fire, boil and skim it; let it stand to get cold; wash the pickle tub, wipe it dry, put the cucumbers into it; examine each one that no specked ones may be put in the tub, pour the cold brine over them, wash the cloth and lid of the tub and replace them as before. Cucumbers will keep in this way all winter. They may be pickled a few at a time whenever they are wanted. They must be soaked twenty-four hours in cold water before they are pickled; if they are so long in salt and water they imbibe too much salt to green them without soaking.
Gherkins are done in the same way.
231. Boil your beets till tender, but not quite soft. To four large beets boil three eggs hard, remove the shells; when the beets are done take off the skin by laying them for a few minutes in cold water and then stripping it off; slice them a quarter of an inch thick, put the eggs at the bottom, and then put in the beets with a little salt. Pour on cold vinegar enough to cover them. The eggs imbibe the color of the beets, and look beautiful on the table.
232. Pick over your cherries, remove all the specked ones. Put them into a jar, and pour over them as much hot vinegar and sugar as will cover them; to each gallon of vinegar allow four pounds of sugar. Boil and skim it and pour it hot over the fruit. Let it stand a week, then pour off the vinegar and boil it as before, pour it hot over the cherries the second time. As soon as they are cold tie them closely.
233. Boil half a bushel of tomatoes until they are soft, squeeze them through a fine wire sieve and add—
One quart of vinegar,Half a pint of salt,One ounce of cloves,Two ounces ofwholeallspice,Two ounces of ground cayenne pepper,A dessert spoonful of ground black pepper,Two heads of garlic skinned and separated.
Mix the whole together and boil three hours; bottle without straining it.
On the top of each bottle pour a table spoonful of sweet oil, cork them closely and seal them. The sweet oil by excluding the air tends to preserve the catsup.
234. Slice the tomatoes, put a layer in a deep vessel, and sprinkle over some salt; then another layer of tomatoes and salt till all are in. Stand them in the sun for two or three days, when they are soft pass them through a sieve, and put the pulp, thus drained out, over the fire to boil. Add cayenne pepper, whole black pepper, mace, cloves, allspice, and a little race ginger if you like; let it boil till it is thick, add a clove of garlic; by tasting it you can judge if it is seasoned to your taste. When cold, bottle it off; put a table spoonful of sweet oil on the top of each bottle, and seal the corks.
235. Procure fresh mushrooms, pick them carefully, wipe them clean, and put a layer in the bottom of a pan, sprinkle over some salt, then another layer of mushrooms and more salt until all are in; cover the pan and let them stand two days, mash them well and strain them through a hair sieve. To each quart of the pulp add one ounce and a half of whole black pepper, half an ounce of whole allspice, and a few blades of mace. Boil it till reduced to two-thirds the original quantity. When done pour it in a pan and stand it away till the next day, then pass it through a hair sieve and bottle it for use. Put it in small bottles, on the top of each pour a table spoonful of sweet oil to exclude the air. Cork them closely and rosin the corks.
236. When your pickled walnuts are soft, mash them through the vinegar which covers them, strain it and boil it to a proper thickness. Bottle it, put a table spoonful of sweet oil on the top of each bottle, and cork them tightly; seal the corks and it will keep for several years.
This catsup is excellent.
237. Cut the green seeds of the nasturtiumswith a piece of the stem to each. Put them in a jar of cold vinegar.
238. Take one peck of ripe tomatoes, prick them with a large needle, and lay them in strong salt and water eight days. Then take them out of the brine and lay them in vinegar and water for twenty-four hours. Scald a dozen small onions in vinegar and stand the whole away to get cold. Drain the tomatoes and add them to the cold onions and vinegar, with two wine-glasses of mustard-seed and an ounce of cloves.
The flour for pastry should be of the whitest and finest quality. It should be mixed with a broad knife, as the moisture and warmth of the hand makes it heavy.
The butter should be of the best quality, as if it is a little rancid it will taste. To make puff paste it should have all the salt washed out of it.
Iron, or block tin plates are the best for baking pastry.
Always use cold water (in summer iced water) to mix pastry, and if it cannot be baked immediately, set it away in a cool place.
239. One pound of butter,One pound of flour.
Wash your butter in cold water to extract all the salt; work it well with a broad wooden spoon in order to get out all the water. Lay it between clean napkins, put it in a tin pan or plate, set it on the ice to get hard, but do not let it freeze. Sift your flour in a pan, cut the butter in four equal parts, cut one-fourth in very small pieces in the flour, but do not touch it, as the warmth of your hands will make the paste heavy. Add to the flour as muchcoldwater as will make it a stiff dough. Turn it out on your pie-board, roll it gently into sheets, cut one-third of the remainder of the butter into small pieces, and lay over it, sprinkle on averylittle flour, fold it over, roll it out again, cut one-half of the butter which is left in small pieces and lay on, put on a little flour, and fold it as before, roll it out again, and put on the remainder of the butter. It should now be set on the ice, but should not come in contact with it. When it is perfectly cold, roll it out in a sheet thinner in the centre than at the edges of your pie, cut it with avery sharpknife the size you wish it. Fill with whatever you choose, and bake in a tolerably quick oven.
240. One pound of flour,Three-quarters of butter.
Put the ingredients together in the same manner as directed for puff paste.
241. One pound of flour,Half a pound of butter.
Proceed as directed for puff-paste, only the butter need not be washed, nor the paste placed upon the ice.
A very good paste may be made with the above quantity of flour, and a quarter of a pound of butter, and the same quantity of nice fresh lard.
242. Half a pound of sugar,Half a pound of butter,Five eggs,The grated rind and juice of one lemon,Half a gill of brandy.
Beat the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs and add to it the gratedyellowrind and juice of one lemon, and lastly the liquor. Make a puff-paste,line your pie plates with it, and pour in the mixture. These ingredients will make three puddings.
It requires a moderate oven.
This is a very rich and expensive kind of pudding—for a plainer kind seeNo. 2.
In place of the liquor, a table spoonful of rose water, and a tea spoonful of grated nutmeg may be added.
243. Half a pound of sugar,A quarter of a pound of butter,Five eggs,The grated yellow rind and juice of one lemon.
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the lemon juice and grated rind.
Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
Two table spoonsful of brandy may be added, if preferred, to flavor it.
244. A quarter of a pound of butter,A quarter of a pound of sugar,Three eggs,A wine glass of milk or cream,Two ounces of sponge cake,The rind of one orange grated,Half a nutmeg,One table spoonful of brandy, or two of rose water.
Pour the milk or cream over the sponge cake to moisten it. Then stir together your butter and sugar, whisk your eggs, mash the cake very fine, and mix all together with the liquor and spice.
Line your pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
245. A quarter of a pound of butter,A quarter of a pound of sugar,A wine glass of milk or cream,Two ounces of sponge cake,Three eggs,The grated rind of one and juice of half a lemon.
Slice the cake, and pour over it the milk or cream. Beat the butter and sugar together, and stir into it. Mash the sponge cake very fine, and add to the above. Grate the yellow rind, and squeeze the juice of half a lemon and stir in.
Cover the pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a moderately hot oven.
246. One quart of milk,Half a pound of sugar,A quarter of a pound of butter,Five eggs,One tea spoonful of grated nutmeg,A quarter of a pound of currants.
Warm the milk, and turn it to a curd, with a piece of rennet, or a table spoonful of the wine in which a rennet has been soaked. As soon as the milk is a thick curd, take it out with a broad ladle or spoon, and lay it on a sieve to drain. Beat the eggs, and add the drained curd, also the sugar and butter, which must have been beaten to a cream, then the spice and fruit.
For those who would prefer it sweeter, more sugar may be added.
Line your pie plates with paste, fill them with the above mixture, and bake in a moderately hot oven.
247. One pint of curd,One gill and a half of cream,Three eggs,Sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the taste.
Mix the curd and cream thoroughly together. Beat the eggs, add them with the sugar and spice.Make a paste, cover your pie plates, and fill them with the mixture.
Bake in a moderate oven.
248. One quart of milk,Three eggs,One ounce of butter,Two table spoonsful of brandy,Sugar to the taste,As much Indian meal as will make the milk as thick as pap.
When the milk boils, stir in the Indian meal till it is thickened about like pap, then add the butter.
Set it off to cool. When cold stir in the eggs, which must have been well beaten, then the sugar and brandy.
They are very good without brandy.
Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the above mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
249. One quart of milk,Eight eggs,Sugar to the taste,A quarter of a pound of butter,One tea spoonful of cinnamon,One tea spoonful of nutmeg,Brandy, or rose-water to the taste,Rice flour enough to thicken the milk.
Boil the milk, and stir in enough rice flour mixed with cold milk, to thicken it about as stiff as thick molasses. Add the butter while it is hot. Beat the eggs, stir them in when it gets cold, and add the other ingredients, bake in pie plates, with an under crust only.
250. Half a pound of butter,Half a pound of sugar,Five eggs,Two table spoonsful of brandy,The rind of an orange.
Lay the rind of an orange to soak over night. The next day boil it and mash it fine. It must be boiled in fresh water.
Beat the butter and sugar as for cake. Whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the liquor and orange.
Cover your pie plates with rich paste, fill them and bake in a moderate oven.
251. Half a pound of butter,Half a pound of sugar,Five eggs,Six ounces of sweet almonds,Two ounces of bitter almonds,Half a gill of rose-water.
Blanch the almonds, pound them in a mortar to a paste with a little rose-water. Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs, mix all the ingredients together, line your pie plates with paste, fill them, and bake them as directed for other puddings.
252. A quarter of a pound of sugar,A quarter of a pound of cocoa-nut,Three ounces of butter,The whites of six eggs,Half a glass of wine and brandy mixed,One table spoonful of rose-water.
Beat the butter and sugar smooth, whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the grated nut and liquor.
Cover your pie plates with rich crust, fill them with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
253. Half a pound of sugar,Half a pound of butter,One pound of nut,Eight eggs, the whites only,Half a gill of wine and brandy mixed,One table spoonful of rose-water.
Peel off the outer skin of the cocoa-nut, grate it and stir it into the butter and sugar, which must be beaten to a cream. Add the brandy, wine, and rose-water, then the whites of the eggs, which must be whisked till they are dry.
Bake in a puff paste.
254. Half a pound of the mashed apple,Half a pound of butter,Half a pound of sugar,Five eggs,Half a nutmeg,Two table spoonsful of brandy, or rose-water if preferred.
Peel the apples and core them; cut them in small pieces, and stew them in very little water till they are soft. Pass them through a sieve to free them from lumps.
Beat the butter and sugar smooth, whisk the eggs and add to it; then stir in the apples, (which should be half a pound when mashed,) brandy orrose-water and nutmeg. Cover your pie plates with a rich crust and bake in a moderate oven.
These are very rich.
255. One pound of grated apple,Half a pound of butter,Half a pound of sugar,Six eggs,Half a pint of cream,The juice and grated rind of one lemon.
Grate your apples; beat the butter and sugar very light, whisk the eggs and add to it, add the apples, cream and lemon. Stir all together, line your pie plates with rich paste, pour in the mixture and bake it.
A few currants may be added.
256. One pound of the mashed apples,A quarter of a pound of butter,Sugar to the taste,Six eggs,One tea spoonful of cinnamon,Half a nutmeg,Brandy or rose-water to the taste.
Peel the apples, cut them in slices, and stewthem in a very little water till they are tender. Mash them fine, and while they are hot add the butter. Set them away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the apples are cold add the eggs and sugar, liquor and spice. Cover your pie plates with plain paste, fill them and bake in a moderate oven.
A quarter of a pound of dried currants may be added if preferred.
257. A quarter of a pound of butter,Sugar to the taste,Eight eggs,Two table spoonsful of brandy,One tea spoonful of cinnamon,One tea spoonful of grated nutmeg,One pint of mashed pumpkin.
Stew the pumpkin in very little water, mash it fine, and add the butter to it whilst it is hot; whisk the eggs and stir into the pumpkin when it is cool enough, and add the other ingredients. Bake in a light paste.
258. Eight eggs,One pint of stewed pumpkin,A quarter of a pound of butter,A quarter of a pound of sugar,Two table spoonsful of brandy,One tea cupful of cream,One tea spoonful of cinnamon,One tea spoonful of nutmeg.
Stew the pumpkin in very little water, mash it very fine, add the butter and stand it away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the pumpkin is cool add them and the other ingredients. Line your pie-plates with paste, pour in the pumpkin, and bake in a moderately hot oven.
When they are to be sent to the table sift sugar over them.
259. Six ounces of mashed quinces,Half a pound of butter,Half a pound of sugar,Five eggs,A table spoonful of brandy.
Stew the quinces, mash them very fine, and when nearly cold add to them the butter and sugar beaten to a cream. Whisk the eggs very light and stir in with the other ingredients. Cover your pie-plates with a nice paste, pour in the mixture and bake it.
260. One pint of milk,One table-spoonful of flour,Three eggs,Sugar to the taste,Flavored with rose-water, essence of lemon, or brandy.
Put on the milk to boil, mix the flour smoothly with a little cold milk; as soon as the milk boils stir in the mixture of flour and milk. Let it boil one minute, take it off and set away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the milk is cool add them to it with the sugar, then the spice and rose-water, or whatever it is to be flavored with. Line your pie plates with paste, pour in the above mixture, and bake it in a moderate oven.
261. Half a pound of butter,Half a pound of sugar,Half a pound of mashed potatoes,Half a gill of cream,Five eggs,Two table spoonsful of brandy,The grated peel of one orange,One tea spoonful of nutmeg,One tea spoonful of cinnamon.
Mash the boiled potatoes with the cream, and when cool, add to it the butter and sugar beaten to a cream, the eggs well whisked, and all the other ingredients. Bake in a puff paste.
262. Made as thewhite potato.
263. Stew your cranberries with sugar in the proportion of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, and merely enough water to melt the sugar. When they are done set them away to get cold. Make some shells of puff paste and fill with the fruit.
264. Cut your fruit in pieces, strew over it plenty of sugar, and stew it till it is soft, then mash it fine. Line your pie plates with good light paste, bake it, and when the shells are cold fill them with the stewed fruit.
265. Pare your peaches, cut them in halves or quarters according to their size; lay them in a dish, and between every layer of peaches strew sugar according to the acidity of the peach. Line your pie plates with a paste, then put in the fruit andcover with a lid of paste, leaving a small opening in the centre for the steam to escape.
Ripe peach pie may be made without any sugar; when the pie is baked take off the top crust, mash the fruit, and add as much sugar as will sweeten it. Be careful not to break the crust as it will disfigure the pie.
266. Line the sides of a deep pot with a paste made in the proportion of half a pound of butter to one pound of flour. Then pare and slice some peaches, sugar them to your taste, and fill up the pot and cover the top with the paste, leaving an opening in the middle of the crust to permit the steam to escape while the pie is baking. Bake it in a moderately hot oven, and when cold serve it with cream.
267. The quinces are prepared in the same manner as for quince marmalade. Make your paste, line your pie plates, fill them with the marmalade, cover with a lid of paste and bake them.
Quince pies made in this way, are excellent during the winter when fruits are scarce.
268. Cut your plums in two, and take out thestones. Make a paste, line your pie plates, put in a layer of fruit and one of sugar, in the proportion of three-quarters of a pound of sugar to one pound of fruit. Roll out some paste, cover the pies and bake them in a moderate oven. Leave an opening in the centre of the lid to allow the steam to escape while they are baking.
269. Pare and core your quinces, put them in a sauce-pan with very little water, and as soon as theybeginto get tender take them out. Make a paste of six ounces of butter to a pound of flour, cover the fruit, tie them in dumpling cloths and boil them.
270. Choose large free-stone peaches; peel them, make a paste of six ounces of butter to one pound of flour; cover each peach with this paste, and boil them in cloths or nets till the fruit is tender. They are very nice. Serve with sugar and cream.
271. Make a paste of six ounces of butter to a pound of flour. Pare your apples, take out the cores, and cover them with the paste; tie them incloths and boil them till the apples are tender. Serve with sugar and cream, or molasses and butter.
272. Stew your cherries with sugar, in the proportion of a pound of cherries to half a pound of sugar, and stir in a little flour to thicken the syrup. Make a paste, as rich as you like, line your pie plates, fill with the fruit, and cover with a lid of the paste.
273. Cut the young stalks in pieces about half an inch in length. Make a paste, cover the bottom of your pie plate, put in the fruit with a great deal of sugar, about four table spoonsful to each pie: put on a cover and bake them till the fruit is soft.
274. Half a pound of beef suet,One pound of flour,Half a pound of dried currants,Half a pound of stoned raisins,Two eggs,Nutmeg and cinnamon to the taste,Half a salt spoonful of salt.
Shred the suet, chop it fine, and rub it through the flour. Wash, pick, and dry the currants; seed the raisins, mix the currants and raisins together, and dredge over them as much flour as will adhere to them.
Beat the eggs till they are very thick and light, and add enough milk to form a batter—stir in the eggs, then the spices and salt, and lastly the fruit.
Dip your pudding bag into cold water, turn it wrong side out and flour it well, then turn it back again, pour in the batter, tie the mouth of the bag with a strong string, but take care to leave a space sufficient to allow the pudding to swell.
Have ready a pot of boiling water, with a plate in the bottom to prevent the bag from touching the bottom of the pot, put in the pudding and let it boil two hours and a half.
Keep a kettle of boiling water to fill up the pot as may be required. When the pudding is done, take it out of the pot, dip it for an instant in cold water, untie the bag, and turn it out on a dish.
To be eaten with sweet sauce.
275. Six eggs,Six apples,Six ounces of bread crumbs,Six ounces of currants,Six ounces of sugar,Nutmeg to the taste,Half a salt spoonful of salt.
Beat the eggs very light, add to them the apples, which must be finely chopped, the currants, sugar and bread crumbs, nutmeg and salt.
If the mixture should be too thick, add a little milk.
Pour the batter in a pan leaving a space at the top, tie a cloth tightly over the pan so as to exclude all the water, and let it boil three hours. Serve it with sweet sauce.
276. One quart of milk,Ten table spoonsful of flour,Eight eggs.
Beat the eggs very light, add them to the milk, with the flour. Butter a pan, pour in the mixture, and bake it. Serve it hot with sweet sauce.
277. A quarter of a pound of sago,Three pints of milk,Eight eggs,Sugar to the taste,A quarter of a pound of butter,Half a pound of currants,Half a tea spoonful of nutmeg and cinnamon mixed.
Pick and wash the sago, and pour over it enough warm water to cover it. Put it in a warm place, and let it stand for three hours to soak.
Wash, pick, and dry your currants, and sift flour over them.
Boil the sago in the milk until it is completely incorporated with it. Add the butter and stand it away to cool. Beat the eggs, and stir them into the milk; add the sugar, fruit, and spice.
Butter a deep dish, pour in the mixture and bake it.
278. One-half of a four cent baker's loaf,One quart of milk,Three eggs,One gill of dried currants,Sugar to the taste.
Boil the milk, slice the bread, and pour the boiling milk over it. Stand it away to cool.
Beat the eggs, and add them and the sugar whenthe milk is cool. Wash, pick and flour the currants, and stir them in to the mixture. Put it in a pudding dish, and bake it half an hour in a moderate oven. Serve it with or without sweet sauce.
279. Cut off the cob one dozen ears of green corn whilst in the milky state. Beat five eggs very light, add to them one quart of milk, with sugar to the taste, stir in the grains of corn, butter thoroughly the bottom and sides of a pudding pan, pour in the mixture, and bake it in a very moderate oven for three hours. It may be eaten with any kind of sweet sauce; or the sugar may be left out of the pudding, and then it may be eaten hot for breakfast with butter.
280. Pick and wash a tea cupful of rice, and boil it in a quart of milk till it is very thick and dry; add to this whilst it is hot, a pint of rich milk or cream, and two ounces of butter. When it is sufficiently cool, add three eggs, well beaten, and sugar to the taste. Butter your cups, pour in the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven. Grate nutmeg over the top, and serve them with cream.
281. Make a custard of six eggs to a quart ofmilk and sugar to the taste. Beat the eggs; stir them in the milk, and add the sugar. Butter some bread, lay it in the bottom of a dish, then strew over it some currants, then another layer of buttered bread and currants. Pour on the egg and milk prepared as above, and bake it until the custard is thick.
282. Line a deep pudding dish with slices of baker's bread cut thin. Fill up the dish with ripe peaches cut in pieces and sugared, cover the top with some bread sliced thin, buttered and dipped in the yelk of an egg well beaten. Set the pudding in the oven and bake it. Serve it with milk or cream.
283. Stew some tender apples; if the apples are juicy they will require very little water to cook them; add to one pound of the mashed apple, whilst it is hot, a quarter of a pound of butter, and sugar to the taste. Beat four eggs and stir in when the apple is cold.
Butter the bottom and sides of a deep pudding dish, strew it very thickly with bread crumbs, put in the mixture, and strew bread crumbs plentifully over the top. Set it in a tolerably hot oven, and when baked, sift sugar over.
This is good with a glass of rich milk.
It is a good substitute for pie, and can be eaten by those who cannot partake of pastry.
284. Half a tea cup of rice,Two ounces of butter,Three pints of milk,Five eggs,Sugar to the taste.
Put the rice and milk together, and simmer it gently till the rice is soft, then take it out and add the butter while the rice is hot. Set it away to cool. Beat the eggs, stir them in when the rice is cool, and add the sugar. Put the mixture in a pudding dish, place it in a moderate oven, and as soon as it forms a custard take it out.
Grate nutmeg over the top.
285. One quart of milk,Rice flour enough to thicken the milk,Six eggs,Two ounces of butter,Sugar to the taste.
Boil the milk and thicken it with rice flour mixed with cold milk. It should be about as thick as pap.
Add the butter while the milk is hot. When cool add the beaten eggs, and sugar to the taste.
Put it in a deep dish and bake it till a fine custard is formed.
Dried currants may be added before it is baked, also a little lemon or rose-water.
286. Pick and wash your rice, tie it in a pudding bag, allowing it room to swell. Boil it till the rice is soft, and serve it with sugar and cream, or molasses and butter.
287. Put your rice in a stew-pan, with very little milk; that is, to one cup of rice one gill of milk. Stand it where it will be hot, but not boil; when the rice has absorbed all the milk add to it a quarter of a pound of dried currants, and one egg, well beaten. Boil it in a bag till the rice is tender, and serve it with sugar and cream.
More fruit may be added to the rice if it should be preferred.
288. Boil some rice in very little milk so as it may be perfectly dry when done. Mash it fine, and while it is hot add a little butter and sugar tothe taste. Put the rice in cups; you should fill them as full as they will hold, by pressing the rice into them. When they are cold, turn them out on a dish, pour a custard round them, and eat them with cream.
289. One quart of milk,Six eggs,A quarter of a pound of seeded raisins,A quarter of a pound of currants,Sugar to the taste.
Beat the eggs, and add them to the milk with the fruit. Pour it in a pudding dish, cover the top with slices of bread well buttered. First dip the bread in the milk, so as it may be brown when it is baked.
This is generally eaten cold. It may be flavored with lemon or vanilla.
290. Pour over a pint of the crumbs of baker's bread as much boiling milk as will moisten it, mash it smoothly in the milk. Beat the yelks of four eggs and add them to the bread and milk, beat it very hard; then whisk the whites of the eggs and stir in gently with as much flour as will make a batter. Fruit may be added if preferred, but thepudding will be lighter without. Rinse your pudding bag, flour it on the inside, pour in the batter, tie it very closely, leaving room for it to swell. Boil it two hours.
291. Eight eggs,One quart of milk,One pint of flour,Salt just to taste.
Beat the eggs very light, the yelks and whites separate—the yelks should be as thick as batter—add to them the flour and milk alternately, and very gradually, beating it hard all the time; then stir in the whites, but do not beat it after they are in. The whites should be very dry. Wet your pudding bag, wring it dry, flour the inside, and pour in the pudding. It requires one hour to boil, and is very delicate, being very little thicker than a custard. Serve it with any kind of sweet sauce. This makes a light wholesome pudding.
292. One quart of milk,Four eggs,Half a pound of dried currants,Two ounces of butter,Salt just to taste,Indian meal sufficient to form a batter.
Stand the butter near the fire where it will dissolve without getting hot. Stir as much Indian meal in the milk as will form a thick batter, then add the salt and melted butter. Separate the yelks and whites of the eggs; beat the yelks very thick and light, and add to the batter; whisk the whites till they are very dry, stir them gently into the mixture. Have your currants washed, picked and dried, flour them and stir in at the last.
Dip your pudding bag in water, wring it out, turn it wrong side out, flour it well, turn it again, pour in the mixture and tie it closely with a strong string, taking care to leave room at the top of the bag for the pudding to swell.
Have ready a pot of boiling water, put the pudding in, and have a kettle of boiling water to fill it up as it boils away. Keep the pudding boiling all the time, as it would be heavy if it should cease. Let it boil three hours. When done immerse the bag for an instant into a pan of cold water, untie the string, turn back the bag and place your pudding on a dish. Serve it immediately.
To be eaten with any kind of sweet sauce.
293. One pint of Indian meal,One heaping table spoonful of wheat flour,A table spoonful of butter,Four eggs,Salt just to taste,Milk enough to form a batter.
Stand your butter near the fire to warm, add it to the Indian meal, then the salt and milk. Beat the eggs very light, the yelks and whites separate; add the yelks to the Indian batter, then the whites alternately with the flour. Do not beat it after the whites are in. Butter a pan, pour in the batter, and bake it in a moderate oven.
This pudding is very good with a quarter of a pound of currants and a quarter of a pound of raisins, floured and stirred into the batter.
To be served with sweet sauce of any kind.
294. Half a pint of bread crumbs,One pint of milk,Six eggs,Two ounces of butter,Half a pint of cream,A quarter of a pound of dried currants,Sugar and nutmeg to the taste.
After the bread is soaked in the milk, which should be warm, mash it very smooth and add thebutter while it is hot. Beat the eggs very light, the yelks first, and stir them into the bread and milk, then add the cream, sugar, nutmeg and fruit. Lastly have the whites whisked to a dry froth; stir them gently into the mixture; butter your cups, half fill them with the batter, and bake them in a tolerably hot oven. Serve with pudding sauce.
295. Four eggs,One pint of milk,A little salt,Flour to make a rather thin batter,One dessert spoonful of dissolved carbonate of ammonia.
Beat the yelks of the eggs very light, add the salt, milk and flour. The batter must not be thick. Beat the whole very hard for ten or fifteen minutes. Then stir in gently the whites of the egg, which should have been whisked very dry. Do not beat the batter after the whites are in, only stir it sufficiently to incorporate them with it. Lastly add the ammonia. Butter well a cake mould or iron pan, pour in the mixture and bake it in an oven about as hot as for bread.
This pudding is very nice with wine or lemon sauce. Cream sauce may be served with it if preferred.
296. One pint of milk,One pint of cream,One ounce of isinglass,The grated rind and juice of one lemon,Sugar to the taste.
Boil the milk and pour it whilst hot over the isinglass, let it stand near the fire until it is perfectly dissolved, then strain it through a flannel jelly bag into the pint of cream, to which add the grated rind and juice of one lemon, and sugar to the taste. Let the whole boil once; take it off the fire, strain it again through your jelly bag, and pour it in moulds. Set it in a cool place.
297. Boil four calves' feet in three quarts of water until the water is reduced to one quart, then strain it through a flannel jelly bag and stand it away to cool. When it is perfectly cold scrape off all the fat, which will be congealed in a cake on the top; after you have scraped all off as clean as you can get it, take a piece of clean damp sponge, or soft cloth a little damp, and wipe the top of the jelly and the inner edge of the vessel which contains it, lest any of the grease should be combined with the jelly when it is melted, as it would destroy its transparency. Break the jelly in pieces, put itin a preserving pan, add to it one pound of pulverized white sugar, half an ounce of bitter almonds pounded in a mortar with a little rose-water; put the almonds in the mortar one at a time, so as to pound them very finely, they should be like cream when done; strain them and add them to the jelly with a table spoonful of rose-water. Place the preserving pan in a vessel of boiling water, let it stand till it getsvery hot, but do not let it boil. Strain it through the jelly bag several times, and when perfectly clear pour it in moulds; wet them inside first to prevent the jelly from adhering to them, and stand them in a cold place. When you strain the jelly do not squeeze the bag, as by that means you force the sediment through it; and by no means wash it, as it is impossible to wring it perfectly dry, and consequently the jelly will be thinned; scrape it on the inside as clean as you can each time.
298. Get a sponge cake which has been baked in a mould, and weighing about two pounds or little more. Place this in the centre of a deep china or glass dish. Mix together half a pint of wine with half a pint of water, and sweeten it well with white sugar. Pour this over the cake, which should have been baked the day before; let it stand till it has absorbed as much of the wine as it will takeup, then make a custard according to the following directions: Put over the fire three half-pints of milk, well sweetened and flavored with lemon or vanilla, and as soon as it is ready to boil stir inverygradually the yelks of six eggs which should have been well beaten. As soon as the milk and egg begins to bubble a little at the edges, take it off the fire. When the custard is lukewarm pour it round the cake in the dish; whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff, dry froth, sweeten them with powdered white sugar and flavor with essence of lemon or lemon juice. Pile the whites on the top of the cake and serve it immediately.
299. Line the bottom and sides of a dish with slices of fresh sponge cake. Pare some ripe peaches, cut them in halves, sprinkle sugar over them, and fill up the dish. Then whisk a pint of sweetened cream; as the froth rises, take it off till all is done. Pile the cream on the top of the peaches and send it to the table.
300. Lay some slices of sponge cake in the bottom of a deep dish; moisten it with wine. Make a custard of one quart of milk and five eggs, with as much sugar as will sweeten it. Beat the eggs, stir them into the milk with the sugar, pourit in a pan, place the pan in a vessel of water, put it in the oven, and as soon as the custard is thick, set it away to cool. With a silver spoon lay the custard over the cake. Take half a pint of cream, flavor it with wine and white sugar, whip it to a froth, and as the froth rises, take it off carefully and lay it on the custard.
The wine may be dispensed with, and the charlotte be very nice, if made according to the above directions.
301. Stone and stew some morella cherries; to each pound of cherries add three-quarters of a pound of sugar, and one tea spoonful of flour, mixed smoothly with a little water. When the fruit is done, butter some baker's bread, lay it on a dish, spread some of the stewed fruit over it, then put another layer of bread and fruit; cover the top with the fruit.
This is very nice served with cream.
302. Two quarts of milk,Two gills of rice,Sugar to the taste.
Pick and wash the rice, put it in the milk, and set it over a slow fire to boil.
When the rice isverysoft, add sugar to the taste, pour it into a bowl, and stand it away to cool.
Grate nutmeg on the top.
303. One quart of milk,One ounce of butter,Sugar to the taste,Rice flour enough to thicken the milk.
As soon as the milk begins to boil, stir in as much rice flour as will make it as thick as a stiff batter.
Add the butter and sugar, turn it out in cups, and stand it away to get cold.
Serve it with cream and nutmeg if preferred.
It would be better to place the vessel in which the milk is to be boiled in a pan of hot water, which will prevent the milk from burning, should the fire be hot.
304. Stew in a sauce-pan, with very little water, eight or nine fine apples; when they are soft, pass them through a sieve, and season them with nutmeg and pulverized sugar to the taste. Whisk to a froth the whites of four or five eggs, mix them gradually with the apples; stir in onetable spoonful of rose-water. Sweeten some cream or rich milk, and place the above mixture upon it in heaps.
This is a very nice dish.
305. One quart of milk,Sugar to the taste,The whites of three eggs.
Sweeten the milk to your taste, and to it add wine, if you prefer it. Then whisk the whites of the eggs to a dry froth, and to every egg add one tea spoonful of currant, quince, or any kind of jelly you choose, add also one tea spoonful of white sugar to each white.
Pile the froth upon the milk, and serve it soon, as the whites will fall.
306. The whites of three eggs,Sugar to the taste,One pint of milk or cream.
Mix the whites of the egg (without beating them) into the milk. Sweeten it to your taste, then whisk it to a froth, which must be taken off and put in glasses as it rises. The milk may be flavored with lemon or vanilla.
307. Half a pound of sugar,Three pints of lukewarm milk or cream,One tea cupful of wine.
Dissolve the sugar in the wine, then pour in the milk, in a small stream, from a vessel, holding it up very high so as to cause the milk to froth. In the country it is best to milk into the bowl, the last of the milk which is taken from the cow is richer.
308. Pound a vanilla bean in a mortar, and stir it into three pints of milk, eight well beaten eggs, and sugar to the taste.
Fill your cups, place them in a pan of hot water, set them in the oven, and as soon as a custard is formed take them out.
They are very nice if placed on the ice in warm weather an hour or two before they are served.
309. Beat one egg very light, and add to it as much flour as it will moisten. Rub it through your hands until the flour is in fine dry lumps like bread crumbs.
Put on a quart of milk to boil, and when boiling, stir in as much of this flour as will make it verythick. Serve it with butter and sugar, and rich cream if you have it.
310. Cut the soft part of bakers' bread in slices a quarter of an inch thick, and of any form you choose. Take a pint of milk or cream, three well beaten eggs, half a tea spoonful of nutmeg and cinnamon mixed, three drops of the essence of lemon, and sugar to the taste, stir all well together and pour over the pieces of bread. When they have absorbed as much of the milk as they will, take them out before they get too soft, and fry them of a nice light brown on both sides.
They may be served with or without sweet sauce.
311. One pint of milk,Three eggs,Salt just to taste,As much flour as will make a batter.
Beat the yelks and whites separately, add the yelks to the milk, stir in the whites with as much flour as will make a batter; have ready some tender apples, peel them, cut them in slices round the apple; take the core carefully out of the centre of each slice, and to every spoonful of batter lay in aslice of the apple, which must be cut very thin—fry them in hot lard of a light brown on both sides.
312. These are made as the above, only a slice of orange is to be substituted for the apple.
313. One pint of milk,Three eggs,One pound of flour,One dessert spoonful ofdissolvedsalæratus,A tea spoonful of butter,A salt spoon of salt.
Beat the yelks and whites of the eggs separately. The yelks must be as thick as batter, and the whites perfectly dry.
Add to the yelks half the milk and half the flour, stir it well until the batter is smooth, then add the remainder of the flour and milk.
Warm the butter and stir in and beat the batter thus made till it is light and full of bubbles.
Stir in the salæratus, and lastly the whites—but do not beat it after the whites have been added, as that will make it tough.
Butter tea cups, or an earthen mould, pour in the batter, and bake it in a moderate oven.
Serve with butter and sugar, or any kind of sauce which may be preferred.
They require from half an hour to three-quarters to bake.