Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/68

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64
COOKERY.

which soda or baking powder is used, it should be mixed in dry with the flour unless specially mentioned otherwise.

Spoon Cakes.

Ingredients: Three tablespoonfuls of butter, one cup sugar, three eggs, grated rind of two lemons, two cups of flour, one small teaspoonful of baking powder.

Mode: Mix together the butter with the sugar, eggs, grated rind of the lemons, and the flour in which the baking powder is mixed. Mix with sweet milk till it will drop stiffly from the spoon on to the tin, and bake quickly.

Custard Cake.

Ingredients: One cup sugar, two tablespoonsful of butter, two cups flour, one teaspoonful of baking powder, milk.

Mode: Mix the ingredients with some milk, and bake in sheets or layers—the above will make five or six. A square baking tin is the best to bake them in. Spread the mixture thinly over the bottom of the tin, and bake in a very quick oven. When brown, turn out, and spread with the mixture given in next recipe.

Custard for Cake.

Ingredients: Three tablespoonsful cornflour, two of sugar, half a pint of

milk, two eggs, vanilla flavouring.

Mode: Beat the cornflour, sugar, and eggs together, have the milk boiling and pour on to them, return to the saucepan, and boil one minute, or till thick, flavour with vanilla, and add a pinch of salt. Now spread each layer of cake with this custard; cover with another layer. When cold, cut into convenient pieces. It is a very good cake for children.

Pancakes with Jam.

Ingredients: Five eggs, one and a half pints of sweet milk, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of butter, flour sufficient to make a batter, half a teaspoonful of baking powder.

Mode: Beat the yolks and whites of the eggs separately. Into the yolks stir the milk, salt, butter, and add by degrees the flour, to which the baking powder has been added; last of all stir in the whites of the eggs, well beaten, and beat the whole for a few minutes. Fry in good dripping, lard, or butter—the least little bit is all that is required to fry pancakes. When brown on one side turn carefully and do not break the cake. When brown on both sides lift out on a plate, spread with jam, and roll up again. When all are piled on the dish sprinkle with sugar and serve hot.


PASTRY.

Very few who are even good cooks otherwise succeed in making pastry worth eating, and as a rule those who can make it are always exclaiming and wondering how it is others cannot manage it. The whole secret of pastry-making lies in a light hand and a quick one. It does not do to run away, and leave it just in the midst of mixing, nor is it necessary to keep on kneading and handling it till it is like bread dough. As it requires very little art to make good short-crust, I will treat of it first. All dripping for pastry should be clarified—that is, put on in cold water, and when it has boiled, remove from the fire,and let stand till cold, when the cake on top is easily lifted off. This, again, must be melted down and poured into a jar or basin; the fat taken off soup is the best for short-crust, when it has been clarified as I direct. Take the quantity of flour required