Chapter VII: Front Matter (7)

Gather codlins at Midsummer of a middling size: put them into an earthen pan: pour boiling water over them, and cover the pan with cabbage-leaves. Keep them by the fire till they would peel, but do not peel them; then pour the water off till both are quite cold. Place the codlins then in a stonejar with a smallish mouth, and pour on them the water that scalded them. Cover the pot with bladder wetted, and tied very close, and then over it coarse paper tied again.

It is best to keep them in small jars, such as will be used at once when opened.

_To keep Damsons for winter Pies._

Put them in small stonejars, or wide mouthed bottles: set them up to their necks in a boiler of cold water, and lighting a fire under, scald them. Next day, when perfectly cold, fill up with spring water. Cover them.

_Another way._

Boil one third as much sugar as fruit with it, over a slow fire, till the juice adheres to the fruit, and forms a jam. Keep it in small jars in a dry place. If too sweet, mix with it some of the fruit that is done without sugar.

_Another way._

Choose steep pots if you can get them, which are of equal size top and bottom (they should hold eight or nine pounds): put the fruit in about a quarter up, then strew in a quarter of the sugar, then another quantity of fruit, and so till all of both are in. The proportion of sugar is to be three pounds to nine pounds of fruit. Set the jars in the oven, and bake the fruit quite through. When cold, put a piece of clean scraped stick into the middle of the jar, and let the upper part stand above the top; then pour melted mutton suet over the top, full half an inch thick, having previously covered the fruit with white paper. Keep the jars in a cold dry place, and use the suet as a cover, which you will draw up by the stick; minding to leave a little forked branch to it to prevent its slipping out.

_Observations on Sweetmeats._

Sweetmeats should be kept in a very dry place. Unless they have a very small proportion of sugar, a warm one does not hurt; but when not properly boiled, that is, long enough, but not quick, heat makes them ferment, and damp causes them to grow mouldy. They should be looked at two or three times in the first two months, that they may be gently boiled again, if not likely to keep.

It is necessary to observe, that sugar being boiled more or less, constitutes the chief art of the confectioner; and those who are not practised in this knowledge, and only preserve in a plain way for family use, are not aware that, in two or three minutes, a syrup over the fire will pass from one gradation to another, called, by the confectioners, degrees of boiling, of which there are six, and those subdivided. But I am not versed in the minutia; and only make the observation to guard against under boiling, which prevents sweetmeats from keeping; and quick boiling and long, which brings them to candy.

Attention, without much practice, will enable a person to do any of the following sorts of sweetmeats, &c. and they are as much as is wanted in a private family; and the higher articles of preserved fruits may be bought at less expense than made.

A pan should be kept for the purpose of preserving, of double blocktin. A bow handle opposite the straight one, for safety, will do very well; and, if put by nicely cleaned, in a dry place, when done with, will last for several years. Those of copper or brass are improper, as the tinning wears out by the scraping of the sweetmeat ladle. There is a new sort of iron, with a strong tinning, which promises to wear long. Sieves and spoons should be kept likewise for sweet things.

_To clarify Sugar._

Break as much as required in large lumps, and put a pound to half a pint of water, in a bowl, and it will dissolve better than when broken small. Set it over the fire, and the well whipt white of an egg: let it boil up, and, when ready to run over, pour a little cold water in it to give it a check; but when it rises a second time, take it off the fire, and set it by in the pan for a quarter of an hour: during which time the foulness will sink to the bottom, and leave a black scum on the top; which take off gently with a skimmer, and pour the syrup into a vessel very quickly from the sediment.

_To dry Cherries, with Sugar._

Stone six pounds of Kentish; put them into a preservingpan, with two pounds of loaf sugar pounded and strewed among them: simmer till they begin to shrivel, then strain them from the juice; lay them on a hot hearth, or in an oven, when either are cool enough to dry without baking them.

The same syrup will do another six pounds of fruit.

_To dry Cherries without Sugar._

Stone and set them over the fire in the preservingpan: let them simmer in their own liquor, and shake them in the pan. Put them by in China common dishes. Next day give them another scald, and put them, when cold, on sieves to dry, in an oven of at tempered heat as above. Twice heating, an hour each time, will do them.

Put them in a box, with a paper between each layer.

_Excellent Sweetmeats for Tarts, when Fruit is plentiful._

Divide two pounds of apricots when just ripe, and take out and break the stones. Put the kernels without their skins to the fruit: add to it three pounds of green gage plums, and two pounds and a half of lump sugar. Simmer until the fruit be a clear jam. The sugar should be broken in large pieces, and just dipped in water, and added to the fruit over a slow fire. Observe that it does not boil, and skim it well. If the sugar be clarified it will make the jam better.

Put it into small pots; in which, all sweetmeats keep best.

_Currantjelly, red or black._

Strip the fruit, and in a stonejar stew them in a saucepan of water, or by boiling it on the hot hearth; strain off the liquor, and to every pint weigh a pound of loaf sugar. Put the latter in large lumps into it, in a stone or China vessel, till nearly dissolved; then put it in a preservingpan. Simmer and skim as necessary. When it will jelly on plate, put it in small jars or glasses.

_Raspberry Jam._

Weigh equal quantities of fruit and sugar. Put the former into a preservingpan; boil and break it; stir constantly, and let it boil very quickly. When most of the juice is wasted, add the sugar, and simmer to a fine jam.

This way the jam is greatly superior in colour and flavour to that which is made by putting the sugar in at first.

_Raspberry Jam another way._

Put the fruit in a jar into a kettle of water, or on a hot hearth, till the juice will run from it; then take away a quarter of a pint from every pound of fruit. Boil and bruise it half an hour, then put in the weight of the fruit in sugar, and, adding the same quantity of currantjuice, boil it to a strong jelly.

The raspberry juice will serve to put into brandy; or may be boiled, with its weight in sugar, for making the jelly for raspberry ice or cream.

_Raspberry jelly, for Ices or Creams._

Do the fruit as directed for currantjelly, and use in the same proportion of sugar and liquor.

_Raspberry Cakes._

Pick out any bad raspberries that are among the fruit: weigh and boil what quantity you please; and when mashed, and the liquor is wasted, put to it sugar the weight of the fruit you first put into the pan. Mix it well _off_ the fire, until perfectly dissolved; then put it on China plates, and dry it in the sun. As soon as the top part dries, cut with the cover of a cannister into small cakes, turn them on fresh plates, and, when dry, put them in boxes with layers of paper.

_Apricot Cheese._

Weigh an equal quantity of pared fruit and sugar: wet the latter a very little, and let it boil quickly, or the colour will be spoiled: blanch the kernels, and add to it. Twenty or thirty minutes will boil it. Put it in small pots or cups half filled.

_Apricots or Peaches in Brandy._

Wipe, weigh, and pick the fruit, and have ready a quarter of the weight of fine sugar in fine powder. Put the fruit into an icepot that shuts very close: throw the sugar over it, and then cover the fruit with brandy. Between the top and cover of the pot, put a piece of double cap paper. Set the pot into a saucepan of water till the brandy be as hot as you can possibly bear to put your finger in, but must not boil. Put the fruit into a jar, and pour the brandy on it. When cold, put a bladder over, and tie it down tight.

_Cherries in Brandy._

Weigh the finest morellas, having cut off half the stalk: prick them with a new needle, and drop them into a jar or widemouthed bottle. Pound three quarters the weight of sugar or white candy: strew over, fill up with brandy, and tie a bladder over.

_To prepare Oranges to put into Orange Puddings._

Put twelve Seville oranges in water, and change them three days. Boil them in the least water till tender: scoop out the pulp, and pick out the kernels; then, in a marble mortar, beat the oranges, then the pulp separately; and, after, both together. To every pound put a pound and a half of sugar, pounded and sifted, and beat to a paste. Keep it in small gallipots, and cover with white paper dipped in brandy.

_To dry Apricots in half._

Pare thin and halve four pounds of apricots, weighing them after: put them in a dish, and strew among them three pounds of sugar in the finest powder. When it melts, set the fruit over a stove to do very gently. As each piece becomes tender, take it out and put it into a China bowl. When all are done, and the boiling heat a little abated, pour the syrup over them. In a day or two remove the syrup, leaving only a little in each half. In a day or two more turn them; and so continue daily till quite dry, in the sun or a warm place. Keep in boxes with layers of paper.

_To preserve Apricots in Jelly._

Pare the fruit _very_ thin, and stone it. Weigh an equal quantity of sugar in fine powder and strew over it. Next day boil very gently till they are clear: move them into a bowl, and pour the liquor over. The following day pour the liquor to a quart of codlin liquor, made by boiling and straining, and a pound of fine sugar: let it boil quickly till it will jelly: put the fruit into it, and give one boil; and having skimmed well, put into small pots.

_Applejelly for the above, or any sort of Sweetmeats._

Let apples be pared, quartered, and cored: put them into a stewpan with as much water as will cover them: boil as fast as possible. When the fruit is all in a mash, add a quart of water: boil half an hour more, and run through a jellybag.

If in summer, codlins are best: in September, golden rennets or winter pippins.

_To preserve green Apricots._

Lay vine or apricot leaves at the bottom of your pan, then fruit, and so alternately till full, the upper layer being thick with leaves; then fill with spring water, and cover down, that no steam may come out. Set the pan at a distance from the fire, that in four or five hours they may be only soft, but not cracked. Make a thin syrup of some of the water, and drain the fruit. When both are cold, put the fruit into the pan and the syrup to it; put the pan at a proper distance on the fire till the apricots green, but on no account boil or crack: remove them very carefully into a pan with the syrup for two or three days, then pour off as much of it as will be necessary, and boil with more sugar to make a rich syrup, and put a little sliced ginger into it. When cold, and the thin syrup has all been drained from the fruit, pour the thick over it.

_To preserve Strawberries whole._

Get the finest scarlets before they are too ripe, with their stalks kept on; lay them separately on a China dish; beat and sift twice their weight of doubly refined sugar over them; then bruise a few ripe strawberries, with their weight of doubly refined sugar, in a China bason, cover it close, and set it in a saucepan of boiling water which will just hold it till the juice comes out and becomes thick; strain it through muslin into a sweetmeat pan, boil it up and skim it. When cold, put in the strawberries, set them over a stove till milk warm, then take the pan off till they are cold, set them on again, and let them become rather hotter, and so for several times till they become clear, but the hottest degree must not come to a boil. When cold, put them into glasses, and pour the syrup over.

_Another way._

Take equal weight of the fruit and doubly refined sugar, lay the former in a large dish, and sprinkle half the sugar in fine powder over; give a gentle shake to the dish, that the sugar may touch the under side of the fruit. Next day make a thin syrup with the remainder of the sugar, and instead of water, allow one pint of red currant juice to every three pounds of strawberries; in this simmer them until sufficiently jellied. Choose the largest scarlets, or others, when not dead ripe.

_Cherry Jam._

To twelve pounds of Kentish or Duke cherries, when ripe, weigh one pound of sugar; break the stones of part and blanch them; then put them to the fruits and sugar, and boil all gently till the jam come clear from the pan. Pour it into China plates to come up dry to table. Keep in boxes with white paper between.

_Orange Marmalade._

Rasp the oranges, cut out the pulp, then boil the rinds very tender, and beat fine in a marble mortar. Boil three pounds of loaf sugar in a pint of water, skim it, and add a pound of the rind; boil fast till the syrup is very thick, but stir it carefully; then put a pint of the pulp and juice, the seeds having been removed, and a pint of apple liquor; boil all gently until well jellied, which it will be in about half an hour. Put it into small pots.

Lemon marmalade do in the same way.

_Quince Marmalade._

Pare and quarter quinces, weigh an equal quantity of sugar; to four pounds of the latter put a quart of water, boil, and skim, and keep ready against four pounds of quinces are tolerably tender by the following mode: lay them into a stonejar, with a teacup of water at the bottom, and pack them with a little sugar strewed between; cover the jar close, and set it on a stove or cool oven, and let them soften till the colour become red, then pour the fruit, syrup, and a quart of quince juice into a preserving pan, and boil all together till the marmalade be completed, breaking the lumps of fruit with the preserving ladle.

This fruit is so hard, that if it be not done as above, it requires a great deal of time.

N. B. Stewing quinces in a jar, and then squeezing them through a cheesecloth, is the best method of obtaining the juice to add as above.

_To dry Cherries; the best way._

To every five pounds of cherries stoned, weigh one of sugar doubly refined. Put the fruit into the preservingpan with _very_ little water, both made scalding hot; take the fruit immediately out and dry them, put them into the pan again, strewing the sugar between each layer of cherries; let it stand to melt, then set the pan on the fire, and make it scalding hot as before; take it off, and repeat this thrice with the sugar. Drain them from the syrup, and lay them singly to dry on dishes, in the sun or on a stove. When dry, put them into a sieve, dip it into a pan of cold water, and draw it instantly out again, and pour them on a fine soft cloth; dry them, and set them once more in the hot sun, or on a stove. Keep them in a box, with layers of white paper, in a dry place.

This way is the best to give plumpness to the fruit, as well as colour and flavour.

_Observe._ When any sweetmeats are directed to be dried in the sun or in a stove, it will be best in private families, where there is not a regular stove for the purpose, to place them in the sun on flag stones, which reflect the heat, and place a garden glass over them to keep insects off: or if put in an oven, to take care not to let it be too warm, and watch that they do properly and slowly.

_Gooseberry Jam, for Tarts._

Put twelve pounds of the red hairy gooseberries, when ripe and gathered in dry weather, into a preservingpan with a pint of currantjuice, drawn as for jelly; let them boil pretty quick, and beat them with the spoon; when they begin to break, put to them six pounds of pure white Lisbon sugar, and simmer to a jam. It requires long boiling, or will not keep; but is an excellent and reasonable thing for tarts or puffs. Look at it in two or three days, and if the syrup and fruit separate, the whole must be boiled longer. Be careful it does not burn to the bottom.

_Another._

Gather your gooseberries (the clear white or green sort) when ripe; top and tail, and weigh them: a pound to three quarters of a pound of fine sugar, and half a pint of water; boil and skim the sugar and water, then put the fruit and boil gently till clear; then break and put into small pots.

_White Gooseberry Jam._

Gather the finest white gooseberries, or green if you choose, when just ripe; top and tail them. To each pound put three quarters of a pound of fine sugar, and half a pint of water. Boil and clarify the sugar in the water as directed under that article, then add the fruit; simmer gently till clear, then break it, and in a few minutes put the jam into small pots.

_Barberries for Tartlets._

Pick barberries, that have no stones, from the stalks, and to every pound weigh three quarters of a pound of lump sugar. Put the fruit into a stonejar, and either set it on a hot hearth or in a saucepan of water, and let them simmer very slowly till soft; put them and the sugar into a preservingpan, and boil them gently fifteen minutes.

Use no metal but silver.

_Barberry Drops._

The black tops must be cut off, then roast the fruit before the fire, till soft enough to pulp with a silver spoon through a sieve into a China bason; then set the bason on a saucepan of water, the top of which will just fit it, or on a hot hearth, and stir it till it grows thick. When cold, put to every pint one pound and a half of sugar, the finest doubly refined, pounded and sifted through a lawn sieve, which must be covered with fine linen, to prevent its wasting while sifting. Beat the sugar and juice together three hours and a half if a large quantity, but two and a half for less: then drop it on sheets of white thick paper, the size of the drops sold in the shops.

Some fruit is not so sour, and then less sugar is necessary. To know if there be enough, mix till well incorporated, and then drop: if it runs, there is not enough sugar, and if it is too much it will be rough. A dry room will suffice to dry them. No metal must touch the juice but the point of a knife, just to take the drop off the end of the wooden spoon, and then as little as possible.

_Ginger Drops, a good Stomachic._

Beat two ounces of fresh candied orange in a mortar, with a little sugar, to a paste; then mix one ounce of powder of white ginger with one pound of loaf sugar. Wet the sugar with a little water, and boil altogether to candy, and drop it on paper the size of mint drops.

_Peppermint Drops._

Pound and sift four ounces of doubly refined sugar, beat it with the whites of two eggs till perfectly smooth; then add sixty drops of oil of peppermint, beat it well, and drop on white paper, and dry at a distance from the fire.

_Lemon Drops._

Grate three large lemons, with a large piece of doubly refined sugar; then scrape the sugar into a plate, add half a teaspoonful of flour, mix well, and beat it into a light paste with the white of an egg. Drop it upon white paper, and put them into a moderate oven on a tinplate.

_A beautiful Red, to stain Jellies, Ices or Cakes._

Boil fifteen grains of cochineal in the finest powder, with a drachm and a half of cream of tartar, in half a pint of water, very slowly, half an hour. Add in boiling a bit of alum the size of a pea. Or use beetroot sliced, and some liquor poured over.

For white, use almonds, finely powdered, with a little drop of water; or use cream.

For yellow, yelks of eggs, or a bit of saffron steeped in the liquor and squeezed.

For green, pound spinach leaves or beet leaves, express the juice, and boil in a teacupful in a saucepan of water, to take off the rawness.

_Damson Cheese._

Bake or boil the fruit in a stonejar, in a saucepan of water, or on a hot hearth. Pour off some of the juice, and to every two pounds of fruit, weigh half a pound of sugar. Set the fruit over a fire in the pan, let it boil quickly till it begins to look dry; take out the stones and add the sugar, stir it well in, and simmer two hours slowly, then boil it quickly half an hour, till the sides of the pan candy; pour the jam then into potting pans or dishes, about an inch thick, so that it may cut firm. If the skins be disliked, then the juice is not to be taken out; but after the first process, the fruit is to be pulped through a very coarse sieve with the juice, and managed as above. The stones are to be cracked, or some of them, and the kernels boiled in the jam. All the juice may be left in and boiled to evaporate, but do not add the sugar until it has done so. The above looks well in shapes.

_Biscuit of Fruit._

To the pulp of any scalded fruit, put equal weight of sugar sifted, beat it for two hours, then put it into little white paper forms: dry in a cool oven, turn the next day, and in two or three days box them.

_Magnum Bonum Plums. Excellent as a Sweetmeat, or in Tarts, though very
bad to eat raw._

Prick them with a needle, to prevent bursting, simmer them very gently in a thin syrup; put them in a China bowl, and when cold pour it over. Let them lie three days; then make a syrup of three pounds of sugar to five of fruit, with no more water than hangs to large lumps of the sugar dipped quickly, and instantly brought out. Boil the plums in this fresh syrup, after draining the first from them. Do them very gently till they are clear, and the syrup adheres to them. Put them one by one into small pots, and pour the liquor over. Those you may like to dry, keep a little of the syrup for, longer in the pan, and boil it quickly, then give the fruit one more warm: drain, and put them to dry on plates, in a cool oven. These plums are apt to ferment, if not boiled in two syrups; the former will sweeten pies, but will have too much acid to keep. You may reserve part of it, and add a little sugar, to do those that are to dry, for they will not require to be so sweet, as if kept wet, and will eat very nicely if only boiled as much as those. Do not break them. One parcel may be done after another, and save much sugar.

_To preserve Grapes in Brandy._

Put some close bunches, when ripe, but not over ready, into a jar: strew over them half their weight in white sugarcandy pounded: prick each grape once with a needle; fill up with brandy, and tie close. They look beautifully in a dessert.

_Gooseberry Hops._

Of the largest green walnut kind, take and cut the bud end in four quarters, leaving the stalk end whole: pick out the seeds, and with a strong needle and thread, fasten five or six together, by running the thread through the bottoms, till they are of the size of a hop. Lay vineleaves at the bottom of a tin preservingpan: cover them with the hops, then a layer of leaves, and so on; lay a good many on the top, then fill the pan with water. Stop it so close down that no steam can get out: set it by a slow fire till scalding hot; then take it off till cold, and do so till on opening while cold, the gooseberries are of a good green. Then drain them on sieves, and make a thin syrup of a pound of sugar, to a pint of water, boil, and skim it well; when half cold, put in the fruit, next day give it one boil; do this thrice. If the hops are to be dried, which way they eat best, and look well, they may be set to dry in a week: but if to be kept wet, make a syrup in the above proportions, adding a slice of ginger in boiling; when skimmed and clear, give the gooseberries one boil, and when cold, pour it over them. If the first syrup be found too sour, a little sugar may be added and boiled in it, before the hops that are for drying, have their last boil.

The extra syrup will serve for pies, or go towards other sweetmeats.

_A Carmel Cover for Sweetmeats._

Dissolve eight ounces of double refined sugar in three or four spoonfuls of water, and three or four drops of lemonjuice; then put it into a copper untinned skellet; when it boils to be thick, dip the handle of a spoon in it, and put that into a pintbason of water, squeeze the sugar from the spoon into it, and so on till you have all the sugar. Take a bit out of the water, and if it snaps, and is brittle when cold, it is done enough; but only let it be three parts cold, when pour the water from the sugar, and having a copper form oiled well, run the sugar on it, in the manner of a maze, and when cold you may put it on the dish it is to cover; but if on trial the sugar is not brittle, pour off the water, and return it into the skellet and boil it again. It should look thick like treacle, but of a bright light gold colour.

It is a most elegant cover.

_Transparent Marmalade._

Cut the palest Seville oranges in quarters, take the pulp out, and put it in a bason, pick out the seeds and skins. Let the outsides soak in water with a little salt all night, then boil them in a good quantity of spring water till tender; drain and cut them in very thin slices, and put them to the pulp; and to every pound, a pound and a half of double refined sugar beaten fine; boil them together twenty minutes, but be careful not to break the slices. If not quite clear, simmer five or six minutes longer. It must be stirred all the time very gently.

When cold, put it into glasses.

_To preserve Oranges or Lemons in Jelly._

Cut a hole in the stalk part, the size of a shilling, and with a blunt small knife scrape out the pulp quite clear without cutting the rind. Tie each separately in muslin, and lay them in spring water two days, changing twice a day; in the last boil them tender on a slow fire. Observe that there is enough at first to allow for wasting, as they must be covered to the last. To every pound of orange, weigh two pounds of double refined sugar, and one pint of water; boil the two latter together with the juice of the orange to a syrup, and clarify it, skim well, and let it stand to be cold; then boil the fruit in the syrup half an hour; if not clear, do this daily till they are done.

Pare and core some green pippins, and boil in water till it tastes strong of them; do not break them, only gently press them with the back of a spoon. Strain the water through a jellybag till quite clear; then to every pint put a pound of double refined sugar, the peel and juice of a lemon, and boil to a strong syrup. Drain off the syrup from the fruit, and turning the whole upwards in the jar, pour the applejelly over it. The bits cut out must go through the same process with the fruit. Cover with brandy paper.

_Orange Chips._

Cut oranges in halves, squeeze the juice through a sieve; soak the peel in water, next day boil in the same till tender, drain them, and slice the peels, put them to the juice, weigh as much sugar, and put all together into a broad earthen dish, and put over the fire at a moderate distance, often stirring till the chips candy; then set them in a cool room to dry. They will not be so under three weeks.

_Orange Cakes._

Cut Seville oranges in pieces, take out the seeds and skins, save the juice, and add to the meat of the fruit, after having beaten it quite fine in a mortar, in the proportion of a pound to a pound and a half of loaf sugar finely beaten first. When the paste is finely mixed, make it into small cakes, and dry them on China plates in a hot room, and turn them daily. Do not let them be too dry.

They are excellent for gouty stomachs, or for travellers.

The peels of China oranges, soaked a night, then drained and boiled up in a syrup till enough to be tender, answer for common puddings extremely well, and are of no value; whereas Seville are usually dear, and sometimes cannot be had.

_To preserve Morella Cherries._

Gather them when full ripe, and perfectly dry, take off the stalks, and prick them with a new needle to prevent bursting. Weigh to every pound, one and a half of sugar, beat part, and strew over them; let them lie all night; dissolve the rest in half a pint of currantjuice, set it over the fire, and put in the cherries, and sugar that hangs about them, give them a scald, then put them in a China bowl; next day give them another scald, then take them carefully out, boil the syrup till it is thick, and pour it on them; look at it in a day or two, and if too thin, boil it more, but gently.

_To keep Lemonjuice._

Buy the fruit when cheap, keep it in a cool place until the colour becomes very yellow: cut the peel off some, and roll them under your hand to make them part with the juice more readily; others you may leave unpared for grating, when the pulp shall be taken out and dried. Squeeze the juice into a China bason, then strain it through some linen which will not permit the least pulp to pass. Have ready some half and quarter ounce phials perfectly dry: fill them with the juice so near to the top as only to admit half a teaspoonful of sweet oil into each; or a little more, if for larger bottles. Cork the bottles, and set them upright in a cool place.

When you want lemonjuice, open such a sized bottle as you shall use in two or three days, wind some clean cotton round a skewer, and dipping it in, the oil will be attracted; and when all shall be removed, the juice will be as fine as when first bottled.

The peels hang up till dry, then keep them from the dust.

_Ice Waters._

Rub some fine sugar on lemon, or orange, to give the colour and flavour; then squeeze the juice of either on its respective peel: add water and sugar, to make a fine sherbet, and strain it before it be put into the icepot. If orange, the greater proportion should be of the China juice, and only a little of Seville, and a small bit of the peel grated by the sugar.

_Currant, or Raspberry water Ice._

The juice of these, or any other sort of fruit, being gained by squeezing, sweetened and mixed with water, will be ready for icing.

_Ice Creams._

Mix the juice of the fruits with as much sugar as will be wanted, before you add cream, which should be of a middling richness. Under the article of FRUITS is given a mode of preparing juice for ice.

_Brown Bread Ice._

Grate as fine as possible stale brown bread, soak a small proportion in cream two or three hours, sweeten and ice it.

_To make the Ice._

Get a few pounds of ice, break it almost to powder, throw a large handful and a half of salt among it. You must prepare it in a part of the house where as little of the warm air comes as you can possibly contrive. The ice and salt being in a bucket, put your cream into an ice pot, and cover it; immerse it in the ice, and draw that round the pot, so as to touch every possible part. In a few minutes put a spatula or spoon in, and stir it well, removing the parts that ice round the edges to the centre. If the icecream or water be in a form, shut the bottom close, and move the whole in the ice, as you cannot use a spoon to that without danger of waste.

_Note._ When any fluid tends towards cold, the moving it quickly accelerates the cold; and likewise, when any fluid is tending to heat, stirring it will facilitate its boiling.

_Icing for Tarts._

Beat the yelk of an egg and some melted butter well together, wash the tarts with a feather, and sift sugar over as you put them in the oven. Or beat white of egg: wash the paste, and sift white sugar.

_Icing for Cakes._

For a large one, beat and sift eight ounces of fine sugar, put into a mortar with four spoonfuls of rose water, and the whites of two eggs beaten and strained, whisk it well, and when the cake is almost cold, dip a feather in the icing, and cover the cake well; set it in the oven to harden, but do not let it stay to discolour. Put the cake in a dry place.

CAKES.

_Observations on making and baking Cakes._

Currants should be very nicely washed, dried in a cloth, and then set before the fire. If damp they will make cakes or puddings heavy. Before they are added, a dust of dry flour should be thrown among them, and a shake given to them, which causes the thing that they are put to, to be lighter.

Eggs should be very long beaten, whites and yelks apart, and always strained.

Sugar should be rubbed to a powder on a clean board, and sifted through a very fine hair or lawn sieve.

Lemonpeel should be pared very thin, and with a little sugar beaten in a marble mortar to a paste, and then mixed with a little wine, or cream, so as to divide easily among the other ingredients.

After all the articles are put into the pan, they should be thoroughly and long beaten, as the lightness of the cake depends much on their being well incorporated.

Whether black or white plumcakes, they require less butter and eggs for having yeast, and eat equally light and rich. If the leaven be only of flour, milk and water, and yeast, it becomes more tough, and is less easily divided, and if the butter be first put with those ingredients, and the dough afterwards set to rise by the fire.

The heat of the oven is of great importance for cakes, especially those that are large. If not pretty quick, the batter will not rise. Should you fear its catching by being two quick, put some paper over the cake to prevent its being burnt. If not long enough lighted to have a body of heat, or it is become slack, the cake will be heavy. To know when it is soaked, take a broad bladed knife that is very bright, and plunge into the very centre, draw it instantly out, and if the least stickiness adheres, put the cake immediately in, and shut up the oven.

If the heat was sufficient to raise, but not to soak, I have with great success had fresh fuel quickly put in, and kept the cakes hot till the oven was fit to finish the soaking, and they turned out extremely well. But those who are employed, ought to be particularly careful that no mistakes occur from negligence when large cakes are to be baked.

_Plumcake._

Mix thoroughly a quarter of a peck of fine flour, well dried with a pound of dry and sifted loaf sugar, three pounds of currants washed, and very dry, half a pound of raisins stoned and chopped, a quarter of an ounce of mace and cloves, twenty Jamaica peppers, a grated nutmeg, the peel of a lemon cut as fine as possible, and half a pound of almonds blanched, and beaten with orange flour water. Melt two pounds of butter in a pint and a quarter of cream, but not hot, put to it a pint of sweet wine, a glass of brandy, the whites and yelks of twelve eggs beaten apart, and half a pint of good yeast. Strain this liquid by degrees into the dry ingredients, beating them together a full hour, then butter the hoop, or pan, and bake it. As you put the batter into the hoop, or pan, throw in plenty of citron, lemon, and orange candy.

If you ice the cake, take half a pound of double refined sugar sifted, and put a little with the white of an egg, beat it well, and by degrees pour in the remainder. It must be whisked near an hour, with the addition of a little orange flour water, but mind not to put much. When the cake is done, pour the icing over, and return it to the oven for fifteen minutes; but if the oven be warm, keep it near the mouth, and the door open; lest the colour be spoiled.

_Another Plumcake._

Flour dried, and currants washed and picked, four pounds, sugar pounded and sifted one pound and a half, six orange, lemon, and citron peels, cut in slices; mix these.

Beat ten eggs, yelks and whites separately; then melt a pound and a half of butter in a pint of cream; when lukewarm put it to half a pint of ale yeast, near half a pint of sweet wine, and the eggs; then strain the liquid to the dry ingredients, beat them well, and add of cloves, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg, half an ounce each. Butter the pan, and put it into a quick oven. Three hours will bake it.

_A very fine Cake._

Wash two pounds and a half of fresh butter in water first, and then in rosewater; beat the butter to a cream: beat twenty eggs, yelk and whites separately, half an hour each. Have ready two pounds and a half of the finest flour, well dried, and kept hot, likewise a pound and a half of sugar pounded and sifted, one ounce of spice in finest powder, three pounds of currants nicely cleaned and dry, half a pound of almonds blanched, and three quarters of a pound of sweetmeats cut not too thin. Let all be kept by the fire, mix all the dry ingredients; pour the eggs strained to the butter; mix half a pint of sweet wine with a large glass of brandy, pour it to the butter and eggs, mix well, then have all the dry things put in by degrees; beat them very thoroughly; you can hardly do it too much. Having half a pound of stoned jar raisins chopped as fine as possible, mix them carefully, so that there shall be no lumps. Beat the ingredients together a full hour at least. Have a hoop well buttered, or if you have none, a tin, or copper cakepan; take a white paper, doubled and buttered, and put in the pan round the edge, if the cake batter fill it more than three parts, for space should be allowed for rising. Bake in a quick oven. It will require three hours.

_An excellent and less expensive Cake._

Rub two pounds of dry fine flour, with one of butter, washed in plain and rosewater, mix it with three spoonfuls of yeast in a little warm milk and water. Set it to rise an hour and a half before the fire, then beat into it two pounds of currants, one pound of sugar sifted, four ounces of almonds, six ounces of stoned raisins, chopped fine, half a nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and a few cloves, the peel of a lemon chopped as fine as possible, a glass of wine, ditto of brandy, twelve yelks and whites of eggs beat separately, and long; orange, citron, and lemon. Beat exceedingly well, and butter the pan. A quick oven.

_A very good Common Cake._

Rub eight ounces of butter into two pounds of dried flour, mix it with three spoonfuls of yeast that is not bitter, to a paste. Let it rise an hour and a half; then mix in the yelks and whites of six eggs beaten apart; one pound of sugar, some milk to make it a proper thickness, (about a pint will be sufficient,) a glass of sweet wine, the rind of a lemon, and a teaspoonful of ginger. Add either a pound and a half of currants, or some carraways, and beat well.

_A cheap Seed Cake._

Mix a quarter of a peck of flour with half a pound of sugar, a quarter of an ounce of allspice, and a little ginger; melt three quarters of a pound of butter with half a pint of milk; when just warm, put to it a quarter of a pint of yeast, and work up to a good dough. Let it stand before the fire a few minutes before it goes to the oven; add seeds, or currants, and bake an hour and a half.

_Another._

Mix a pound and a half of flour, and a pound of common lump sugar, eight eggs beaten separately, an ounce of seeds, two spoonfuls of yeast, and the same of milk and water.

_Note._ Milk alone causes cake and bread soon to dry.

_Common Bread Cake._

Take the quantity of a quartern loaf from the dough when making white bread, and knead well into it two ounces of butter, two of Lisbon sugar, and eight of currants. Warm the butter in a teacupful of good milk.

By the addition of an ounce of butter, or sugar, or an egg or two, you may make the cake better. A teacupful of raw cream improves it much. It is best to bake it in a pan, rather than as a loaf, the outside being less hard.

_A good Pound Cake._

Beat a pound of butter to a cream, and mix with it the whites and yelks of eight eggs beaten apart. Have ready warm by the fire, a pound of flour, and the same of sifted sugar, mix them and a few cloves, a little nutmeg and cinnamon in fine powder together; then by degrees work the dry ingredients into the butter and eggs. When well beaten, add a glass of wine, and some carraways. It must be beaten a full hour. Butter a pan, and bake it a full hour in a quick oven.

The above proportions, leaving out four ounces of the butter, and the same of sugar, make a less luscious cake.

_Queen Cakes._

Mix a pound of dried flour, the same of sifted sugar, and of washed clean currants. Wash a pound of butter in rosewater, beat it well, then mix with it eight eggs, yelks and whites beaten separately, and put in the dry ingredients by degrees; beat the whole an hour; butter little tins, teacups, or saucers, and bake the batter in, filling only half. Sift a little fine sugar over just as you put into the oven.

_Queen Cakes, another way._

Beat eight ounces of butter, and mix with two well beaten eggs, strained; mix eight ounces of dried flour, and the same of lump sugar, and the grated rind of a lemon, then add the whole together, and beat full half an hour with a silver spoon. Butter small pattypans, half fill, and bake twenty minutes in a quick oven.

_A Common Cake._

Mix three quarters of a pound of flour with half a pound of butter, four ounces of sugar, four eggs, half an ounce of carraways, and a glass of raisin wine. Beat it well, and bake it in a quick oven. Fine Lisbon sugar will do.

_Shrewsbury Cakes._

Sift one pound of sugar, some pounded cinnamon, and a nutmeg grated, into three pounds of flour, the finest sort; add a little rosewater to three eggs, well beaten, and mix these with the flour, &c. then pour into it as much butter melted as will make it a good thickness to roll out.

Mould it well, and roll thin, and cut it into such shapes as you like.

_Little white Cakes._

Dry half a pound of flour, rub into it a very little pounded sugar, one ounce of butter, one egg, a few carraways, and as much milk and water as to make a paste; roll it thin, and cut it with the top of a cannister or glass. Bake fifteen minutes on tin plates.

_Tea Cakes._

Rub fine four ounces of butter into eight ounces of flour; mix eight ounces of currants, and six of fine Lisbon sugar, two yelks and one white of eggs, and a spoonful of brandy. Roll the paste the thickness of an Oliver biscuit, and cut with a wineglass. You may beat the other white, and wash over them; and either dust sugar, or not, as you like.

_Little short Cakes._

Rub into a pound of dried flour four ounces of butter, four ounces of white powder sugar, one egg, and a spoonful or two of thin cream to make into a paste. When mixed, put currants into one half, and carraways into the rest. Cut them as before, and bake on tins.

_Very good common Plum Cakes._

Mix five ounces of butter in three pounds of dry flour, and five ounces of fine Lisbon sugar; add six ounces of currants, washed and dried, and some pimento finely powdered. Put three spoonfuls of yeast into a Winchester pint of new milk warmed, and mix into a light dough with the above. Make it into twelve cakes, and bake on a floured tin half an hour.

_Benton Tea Cakes._

Mix a paste of flour, a little bit of butter, and milk; roll as thin as possible, and bake on a back-stone over the fire, or on a hot hearth.

_Another sort, as Biscuit._

Rub into a pound of flour six ounces of butter, and three large spoonfuls of yeast, and make into a paste, with a sufficient quantity of new milk; make into biscuit, and prick them with a clean fork.

_Another sort._

Melt six or seven ounces of butter with a sufficiency of new milk warmed to make seven pounds of flour into a stiff paste: roll thin, and make into biscuit.

_Hard Biscuit._

Warm two ounces of butter in as much skimmed milk as will make a pound of flour into a very stiff paste, beat it with a rolling pin, and work it very smooth. Roll it thin, and cut it into round biscuit; prick them full of holes with a fork. About six minutes will bake them.

_Flat Cakes, that will keep long in the house good._

Mix two pounds of flour, one pound of sugar, and one ounce of carraways, with four or five eggs, and a few spoonfuls of water to make a stiff paste; roll it thin, and cut into any shape. Bake on tins lightly floured. While baking, boil a pound of sugar in a pint of water to a thin syrup; while both are hot, dip each cake into it, and put them on tins into the oven to dry for a short time; and when the oven is cooler still, return them there again, and let them stay four or five hours.

_Plain and very crisp Biscuit._

Make a pound of flour, the yelk of an egg, and some milk, into a very stiff paste; beat it well, and knead till quite smooth; roll very thin, and cut into biscuit. Bake them in a slow oven till quite dry and crisp.

_Little Plumcakes, to keep long._

Dry one pound of flour, and mix with six ounces of finely pounded sugar, beat six ounces of butter to a cream, and add to three eggs, well beaten, half a pound of currants washed, and nicely dried, and the flour and sugar; beat all for some time, then dredge flour on tin plates, and drop the batter on them the size of a walnut. If properly mixed, it will be a stiff paste. Bake in a brisk oven.

_Rusks._

Beat seven eggs well, and mix with half a pint of new milk, in which has been melted four ounces of butter; add to it a quarter of a pint of yeast, and three ounces of sugar, and put them, by degrees, into as much flour as will make a _very_ light paste, rather like a batter, and let it rise before the fire half an hour; then add some more flour to make it a little stiffer, but not stiff. Work it well and divide it into small loaves or cakes, about five or six inches wide and flatten them. When baked and cold, slice them the thickness of rusks, and put them in the oven to brown a little.

_Note._ The cakes, when first baked, eat deliciously buttered for tea; or with carraways to eat cold.

_A Biscuit Cake._

One pound of flour, five eggs well beaten and strained, eight ounces of sugar, a little rose or orange flower water; beat the whole thoroughly, and bake one hour.

_Cracknuts._

Mix eight ounces of flour, and eight ounces of sugar; melt four ounces of butter in two spoonfuls of raisin wine; then with four eggs beaten and strained, make into a paste; add carraways, roll out as thin as paper, cut with the top of a glass, wash with the white of an egg, and dust sugar over.

_Water Cakes._

Dry three pounds of fine flour, and rub into it one pound of sugar sifted, one pound of butter, and one ounce of carraway seed. Make into a paste with three quarters of a pint of boiling new milk, roll very thin, and cut into the size you choose; punch full of holes, and bake on tin plates in a cool oven.

_Cracknels._