KITCHEN AND COOKERY 396 THE DRUM CAKE For the drum cake either the sultana or children's mixture could be used. The top is covered with a layer of almond paste ; round the side is fastened a deep band of gold paper (on no account use pins, fasten it either with gum or a little icing) . Next strips of al- mond paste are fastened round the top and bottom edges of the cake. The dark patterns shown in photograph are painted on with a little car- mine. The upright straps are made of uncoloured almond paste, so also are the drum-sticks. With the picture before you you will find no The Flag Cake, decorated trouble in turning out a very presentable looking drum, which will delight the hearts of the little ones. THE FLAG CAKE Either of the mixtures can be used for the flag cake. It is coated with almond paste, then iced with royal and boiled icings, and piped with royal icing. The soldiers are made of chocolate, and can be bought at most sweet shops or stores. The flags also can be bought for a few pence a packet. The soldiers are kept in position by the icing, being put on before it is set. The central figure consists of two soldiers placed back to back and fastened together with a little icing. SUGGESTIONS FOR CAKE DECORATIONS Ice the cake over with almond paste, royal icing, and boiled icing, then add one of the following : 1. Small leaves of shamrock, made out of slices of pistachio nuts, arranged in a wreath round the top. 2. Tiny fancy crac- kers arranged round the side of the cake A. uuyett ^nd kcpt in place with with chocolate soldiers icing, with crackers or a small figure on the top. 3. A design of leaves and flowers cut out of green and red candied fruits, and arranged as a spray on the top. 4. Red and green brochettes, either whole or cut in halves, and set in the royal icing ; these cost is, 2d. a pound, and weigh light. 5. Tiny silvered balls arranged here and there in the piped design. 6. Any suitable motto or greeting piped in white or coloured icing on the top. THE ABC OF FASTRY-MAHIMG How to Make Pastry— The Materials Required and so forth— Recipes for Short-Crust Pastry, Flaky Pastry, Puff Pastry, Choux Pastry, etc*, etc. I In pastry, lightness is the quality which is
- most to be desired ; indeed, it is an
essential. The manufacture of good pastry requires a liberal allowance of " shortening," viz., butter, lard, or dripping. It is, more- over, also necessary to fold into, or entangle in the pastry, as much cold air as possible. Cold air expands with the heat of the oven, and thus lifts up and pushes apart the starch granules in the flour. The intro- duction of air into the pastry is also brought about in short pastry by the use of baking- powder, which, when moistened, gives off carbonic acid gas. Puff and flaky pastry should be folded repeatedly and rolled with the view of en- closing air between the layers. The difference between puff and flaky pastry and short pastry is, that in the two former there are alternate thin layers of pastry and air, and in the latter small cavities all through the pastry caused by the expan- sion of the air. Puff pastry requires equal amounts of butter and flour ; flaky pastry, three- quarters of a pound of butter to one of flour ; short pastry (for ordinary purposes), hall a pound of shortening to one pound of flour. The quantity of water required to moisten a given amount of flour varies according to the quality of the latter. As a rule, about half a pint of liquid is needed to moisten one pound of flour, but if the fat used has become very soft, owing to over-much friction or prolonged contact with the warmth of the hand, less water will be re- quired, as also will be the case if eggs have been added to enrich the pastry. A rich, short crust is lighter and shorter — viz., more crumbling, if mixed very stiffly ; but a plain, short crust will be hard and tough if mixed to the same consistency. In puff pastry the consistency depends on the butter; if this is very soft, the dough into which it is to be rolled must be soft also, and vice versa. The addition of lemon-juice to pastry helps to lighten it. MATERIALS REQUIRED The best flour to use is a fine white pastry flour. It contains a large proportion of starch and only a little gluten, which, though most desirable from a dietetic point of view, is apt to render pastry tough. Flour must be kept very dry, and before use it must be passed through a sieve to remove lumps and to aerate it. I
