Chapter XXXV: To Make Yeast for Bread (2)

1765. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of butter, 1 lb. of flour, 1/2 oz. of caraway seeds, 1/4 lb. of currants, 6 oz. of moist sugar, 1 oz. of candied peel, 3 eggs, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.--Rub the butter into the flour until it is quite fine; add the caraway seeds, currants (which should be nicely washed, picked, and dried), sugar, and candied peel cut into thin slices; mix these well together, and moisten with the eggs, which should be well whisked. Boil the milk, and add to it, whilst boiling, the carbonate of soda, which must be well stirred into it, and, with the milk, mix the other ingredients. Butter a tin, pour the cake into it, and bake it in a moderate oven from 3/4 to 1 hour.

_Time_.--1 to 14 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 8d. _Seasonable_ at any time.

CARBONATE OF SODA--Soda was called the mineral alkali, because
it was originally dug up out of the ground in Africa and other
countries: this state of carbonate of soda is called _natron._
But carbonate of soda is likewise procured from the combustion
of marine plants, or such as grow on the sea-shore. Pure
carbonate of soda is employed for making effervescing draughts,
with lemon-juice, citric acid, or tartaric acid. The chief
constituent of soda, the alkali, has been used in France from
time immemorial in the manufacture of soap and glass, two
chemical productions which employ and keep in circulation an
immense amount of capital. A small pinch of carbonate of soda
will give an extraordinary lightness to puff pastes; and,
introduced into the teapot, will extract the full strength of
the tea. But its qualities have a powerful effect upon delicate
constitutions, and it is not to be used incautiously in any
preparation.

A NICE PLAIN CAKE.

1766. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of flour, 1 teaspoonful of Borwick's baking-powder, 1/4 lb. of good dripping, 1 teacupful of moist sugar, 3 eggs, 1 breakfast-cupful of milk, 1 oz. of caraway seeds, 1/2 lb. of currants.

_Mode_.--Put the flour and baking-powder into a basin; stir those together; then rub in the dripping, add the sugar, caraway seeds, and currants; whisk the eggs with the milk, and beat all together very thoroughly until the ingredients are well mixed. Butter a tin, put in the cake, and bake it from 11/2 to 2 hours. Let the dripping be quite clean before using: to insure this, it is a good plan to clarify it. Beef dripping is better than any other for cakes, &c., as mutton dripping frequently has a very unpleasant flavour, which would be imparted to the preparation.

_Time_.--1-1/2 to 2 hours. _Average cost_, 1s.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A NICE PLAIN CAKE FOR CHILDREN.

1767. INGREDIENTS.--1 quartern of dough, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar, 1/4 lb. of butter or good beef dripping, 1/4 pint of warm milk, 1/2 grated nutmeg or 1/2 oz. of caraway seeds.

_Mode_.--If you are not in the habit of making bread at home, procure the dough from the baker's, and, as soon as it comes in, put it into a basin near the fire; cover the basin with a thick cloth, and let the dough remain a little while to rise. In the mean time, beat the butter to a cream, and make the milk warm; and when the dough has risen, mix with it thoroughly all the above ingredients, and knead the cake well for a few minutes. Butter some cake-tins, half fill them, and stand them in a warm place, to allow the dough to rise again. When the tins are three parts full, put the cakes into a good oven, and bake them from 13/4 to 2 hours. A few currants might be substituted for the caraway seeds when the flavour of the latter is disliked.

_Time_.--1-3/4 to 2 hours. _Average cost_, _1s. 2d._

_Seasonable_ at any time.

COMMON PLUM CAKE.

1768. INGREDIENTS.--3 lbs. of flour, 6 oz. of butter or good dripping, 6 oz. of moist sugar, 6 oz. of currants, 4 oz. of pounded allspice, 2 tablespoonfuls of fresh yeast, 1 pint of new milk.

_Mode_.--Rub the butter into the flour; add the sugar, currants, and allspice; warm the milk, stir to it the yeast, and mix the whole into a dough; knead it well, and put it into 6 buttered tins; place them near the fire for nearly an hour for the dough to rise, then bake the cakes in a good oven from 1 to 11/4 hour. To ascertain when they are done, plunge a clean knife into the middle, and if on withdrawal it comes out clean, the cakes are done.

_Time_.--1 to 1-1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 8d.

_Sufficient_ to make 6 small cakes.

A NICE PLUM CAKE.

1769. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of flour, 1/4 lb. of butter, 1/2 lb. of sugar, 1/2 lb. of currants, 2 oz. of candied lemon-peel, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of ammonia or carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.--Put the flour into a basin with the sugar, currants, and sliced candied peel; beat the butter to a cream, and mix all these ingredients together with the milk. Stir the ammonia into 2 tablespoonfuls of milk and add it to the dough, and beat the whole well, until everything is thoroughly mixed. Put the dough into a buttered tin, and bake the cake from 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Time_.--1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 1s. 3d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

POUND CAKE.

1770. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of butter, 1-1/4 lb. of flour, 1 lb. of pounded loaf sugar, 1 lb. of currants, 9 eggs, 2 oz. of candied peel, 1/2 oz. of citron, 1/2 oz. of sweet almonds; when liked, a little pounded mace.

_Mode_.--Work the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, currants, candied peel, which should be cut into neat slices, and the almonds, which should be blanched and chopped, and mix all these well together; whisk the eggs, and let them be thoroughly blended with the dry ingredients. Beat the cake well for 20 minutes, and put it into a round tin, lined at the bottom and sides with a strip of white buttered paper. Bake it from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, and let the oven be well heated when the cake is first put in, as, if this is not the case, the currants will all sink to the bottom of it. To make this preparation light, the yolks and whites of the eggs should be beaten separately, and added separately to the other ingredients. A glass of wine is sometimes added to the mixture; but this is scarcely necessary, as the cake will be found quite rich enough without it.

_Time_.--1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 3s. 6d.

_Sufficient._--The above quantity divided in two will make two nice-sized cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A PAVINI CAKE.

1771. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of ground rice, 1/2 lb. of raisins stoned and cut into small pieces, 1/4 lb. of currants, 1/4 lb. of butter, 2 oz. of sweet almonds, 1/4 lb. of sifted loaf sugar, 1/2 nutmeg grated, 1 pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.--Stone and cut the raisins into small pieces; wash, pick, and dry the currants; melt the butter to a cream, but without oiling it; blanch and chop the almonds, and grate the nutmeg. When all these ingredients are thus prepared, mix them well together; make the milk warm, stir in the soda, and with this liquid make the whole into a paste. Butter a mould, rather more than half fill it with the dough, and bake the cake in a moderate oven from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or less time should it be made into 2 cakes.

_Time_.--1-1/2 to 2 hours. _Average cost_, 1s. 8d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

RICE CAKE.

1772. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of ground rice, 1/2 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar, 9 eggs, 20 drops of essence of lemon, or the rind of 1 lemon, 1/4 lb. of butter.

_Mode_.--Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs; whisk them both well, and add to the latter the butter beaten to a cream. Stir in the flour, rice, and lemon (if the rind is used, it must be very finely minced), and beat the mixture well; then add the whites of the eggs, beat the cake again for some time, put it into a buttered mould or tin, and bake it for nearly 1-1/2 hour. It may be flavoured with essence of almonds, when this is preferred.

_Time_.--Nearly 1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

QUEEN-CAKES.

1773. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of butter, 1/2 lb. of pounded loaf sugar, 3 eggs, 1 teacupful of cream, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, essence of lemon, or almonds to taste.

_Mode_.--Work the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour, add the sugar and currants, and mix the ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs, mix them with the cream and flavouring, and stir these to the flour; add the carbonate of soda, beat the paste well for 10 minutes, put it into small buttered pans, and bake the cake from 1/4 to 1/2 hour.

Grated lemon-rind may be substituted for the lemon and almond flavouring, which will make the cakes equally nice.

_Time_. 1/4 to 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 9d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SAUCER-CAKE FOR TEA.

1774. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of flour, 1/4 lb. of _tous-les-mois_, 1/4 lb. of pounded white sugar, 1/4 lb. of butter, 2 eggs, 1 oz. of candied orange or lemon-peel.

_Mode_.--Mix the flour and _tous-les-mois_ together; add the sugar, the candied peel cut into thin slices, the butter beaten to a cream, and the eggs well whisked. Beat the mixture for 10 minutes, put it into a buttered cake-tin or mould, or, if this is not obtainable, a soup-plate answers the purpose, lined with a piece of buttered paper. Bake the cake in a moderate oven from 1 to 1-1/4 hour, and when cold, put it away in a covered canister. It will remain good some weeks, even if it be cut into slices.

_Time_.--1 to 1-1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

COMMON SEED-CAKE.

1775. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 quartern of dough, 1/4 lb. of good dripping, 6 oz. of moist sugar, 1/2 oz. of caraway seeds, 1 egg.

_Mode_.--If the dough is sent in from the baker's, put it in a basin covered with a cloth, and set it in a warm place to rise. Then with a wooden spoon beat the dripping to a liquid; add it, with the other ingredients, to the dough, and beat it until everything is very thoroughly mixed. Put it into a buttered tin, and bake the cake for rather more than 2 hours.

_Time_.--Rather more than 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 8d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A VERY GOOD SEED-CAKE.

1776. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of butter, 6 eggs, 3/4 lb. of sifted sugar, pounded mace and grated nutmeg to taste, 1 lb. of flour, 3/4 oz. of caraway seeds, 1 wineglassful of brandy.

_Mode_.--Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, mace, nutmeg, and caraway seeds, and mix these ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs, stir to them the brandy, and beat the cake again for 10 minutes. Put it into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it from 1-1/2 to 2 hours. This cake would be equally nice made with currants, and omitting the caraway seeds.

_Time_.--1-1/2 to 2 hours. _Average cost_, 2s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

BREAD-MAKING IN SPAIN.--The bread in the south of Spain is
delicious: it is white as snow, close as cake, and yet very
light; the flavour is most admirable, for the wheat is good and
pure, and the bread well kneaded. The way they make this bread
is as follows:--From large round panniers filled with wheat they
take out a handful at a time, sorting it most carefully and
expeditiously, and throwing every defective grain into another
basket. This done, the wheat is ground between two circular
stones, as it was ground in Egypt 2,000 years ago (see No. 117),
the requisite rotary motion being given by a blindfolded mule,
which paces round and round with untiring patience, a bell being
attached to his neck, which, as long as he is in movement,
tinkles on; and when it stops, he is urged to his duty by the
shout of "_Arre, mula_," from some one within hearing. When
ground, the wheat is sifted through three sieves, the last of
these being so fine that only the pure flour can pass through
it: this is of a pale apricot-colour. The bread is made in the
evening. It is mixed with only sufficient water, with a little
salt in it, to make it into dough: a very small quantity of
leaven, or fermenting mixture is added. The Scripture says, "A
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump;" but in England, to
avoid the trouble of kneading, many put as much leaven or yeast
in one batch of household bread as in Spain would last them a
week for the six or eight donkey-loads of bread they send every
night from their oven. The dough made, it is put into sacks, and
carried on the donkeys' backs to the oven in the centre of the
village, so as to bake it immediately it is kneaded. On arriving
there, the dough is divided into portions weighing 3 lbs. each.
Two long narrow wooden tables on trestles are then placed down
the room; and now a curious sight may be seen. About twenty men
(bakers) come in and range themselves on one side of the tables.
A lump of dough is handed to the nearest, which he commences
kneading and knocking about with all his might for about 3 or 4
minutes, and then passes it on to his neighbour, who does the
same; and so on successively until all have kneaded it, when it
becomes as soft as new putty, and ready for the oven. Of course,
as soon as the first baker has handed the first lump to his
neighbour, another is given to him, and so on till the whole
quantity of dough is successively kneaded by them all. The
bakers' wives and daughters shape the loaves for the oven, and
some of them are very small, and they are baked immediately. The
ovens are very large, and not heated by fires _under_ them; but
a quantity of twigs of the herbs of sweet marjoram and thyme,
which cover the hills in great profusion, are put in the oven
and ignited. They heat the oven to any extent required; and, as
the bread gets baked, the oven gets gradually colder; so the
bread is never burned. They knead the bread in Spain with such
force, that the palm of the hand and the second joints of the
fingers of the bakers are covered with corns; and it so affects
the chest, that they cannot work more than two hours at a time.

SNOW-CAKE.

1777. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of _tous-les-mois_, 1/4 lb. of white pounded sugar, 1/4 lb. of fresh or washed salt butter, 1 egg, the juice of 1 lemon.

_Mode_.--Beat the butter to a cream; then add the egg, previously well beaten, and then the other ingredients; if the mixture is not light, add another egg, and beat for 1/4 hour, until it turns white and light. Line a flat tin, with raised edges, with a sheet of buttered paper; pour in the cake, and put it into the oven. It must be rather slow, and the cake not allowed to brown at all. If the oven is properly heated, 1 to 1-1/4 hour will be found long enough to bake it. Let it cool a few minutes, then with a clean sharp knife cut it into small square pieces, which should be gently removed to a large flat dish to cool before putting away. This will keep for several weeks.

_Time_.--1 to 1-1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 3d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SNOW-CAKE.

(_A genuine Scotch Recipe_.)

1778. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of arrowroot, 1/2 lb. of pounded white sugar, 1/2 lb. of butter, the whites of 6 eggs; flavouring to taste, of essence of almonds, or vanilla, or lemon.

_Mode_.--Beat the butter to a cream; stir in the sugar and arrowroot gradually, at the same time beating the mixture. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add them to the other ingredients, and beat well for 20 minutes. Put in whichever of the above flavourings may be preferred; pour the cake into a buttered mould or tin and bake it in a moderate oven from 1 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Time_.--1 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, with the best Bermuda arrowroot, 4s. 6d.; with St. Vincent ditto, 2s. 9d.

_Sufficient_ to make a moderate-sized cake. _Seasonable_ at any time.

SCRAP-CAKES.

1779. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of leaf, or the inside fat of a pig; 1-1/2 lb. of flour, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1 oz. of candied lemon-peel, ground allspice to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the leaf, or flead, as it is sometimes called, into small pieces; put it into a large dish, which place in a quick oven; be careful that it does not burn, and in a short time it will be reduced to oil, with the small pieces of leaf floating on the surface; and it is of these that the cakes should be made. Gather all the scraps together, put them into a basin with the flour, and rub them well together. Add the currants, sugar, candied peel, cut into thin slices, and the ground allspice. When all these ingredients are well mixed, moisten with sufficient cold water to make the whole into a nice paste; roll it out thin, cut it into shapes, and bake the cakes in a quick oven from 15 to 20 minutes. These are very economical and wholesome cakes for children, and the lard, melted at home, produced from the flead, is generally better than that you purchase. To prevent the lard from burning, and to insure its being a good colour, it is better to melt it in a jar placed in a saucepan of boiling water; by doing it in this manner, there will be no chance of its discolouring.

_Time_.--15 to 20 minutes.

_Sufficient_ to make 3 or 4 dozen cakes.

_Seasonable_ from September to March.

Wheat is liable to several diseases, which affect the flour made
from it, and render it unfit for good bread. The principal of
these are the blight, mildew, and smut, which are occasioned by
microscopic fungi, which sow themselves and grow upon the stems
and ears, destroying the nutritive principles, and introducing
matter of a deleterious kind. The farmer is at the utmost pains
to keep away these intruders. Wheat, as well as all kinds of
corn, is also very liable to be injured by being stacked before
it is quite dry; in which case it will heat, and become musty in
the ricks. In wet harvests it is sometimes impossible to get it
sufficiently dried, and a great deal of corn is thus often
spoiled. It is generally reckoned that the sweetest bread is
made from wheat threshed out before it is stacked; which shows
the importance of studying the best modes of preserving it.

The erudite are not agreed as to the aboriginal country of corn:
some say it is Egypt, others Tartary; and the learned Bailly, as
well as the traveller Pallas, affirms that it grows
spontaneously in Siberia. Be that as it may, the Phocians
brought it to Marseilles before the Romans had penetrated into
Gaul. The Gauls ate the corn cooked or bruised in a mortar: they
did not know, for a long time, how to make fermented bread.

SCOTCH SHORTBREAD.

1780. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of flour, 1 lb. of butter, 1/4 lb. of pounded loaf sugar, 1/2 oz. of caraway seeds, 1 oz. of sweet almonds, a few strips of candied orange-peel.

_Mode_.--Beat the butter to a cream, gradually dredge in the flour, and add the sugar, caraway seeds, and sweet almonds, which should be blanched and cut into small pieces. Work the paste until it is quite smooth, and divide it into six pieces. Put each cake on a separate piece of paper, roll the paste out square to the thickness of about an inch, and pinch it upon all sides. Prick it well, and ornament with one or two strips of candied orange-peel. Put the cakes into a good oven, and bake them from 25 to 30 minutes.

_Time_.--25 to 30 minutes.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 2s.

_Sufficient_ to make 6 cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--Where the flavour of the caraway seeds is disliked, omit them, and add rather a larger proportion of candied peel.

SODA-CAKE.

1781. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of butter, 1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of moist sugar, 1 teacupful of milk, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.--Rub the butter into the flour, add the currants and sugar, and mix these ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs well, stir them to the flour, &c., with the milk, in which the soda should be previously dissolved, and beat the whole up together with a wooden spoon or beater. Divide the dough into two pieces, put them into buttered moulds or cake-tins, and bake in a moderate oven for nearly an hour. The mixture must be extremely well beaten up, and not allowed to stand after the soda is added to it, but must be placed in the oven immediately. Great care must also be taken that the cakes are quite done through, which may be ascertained by thrusting a knife into the middle of them: if the blade looks bright when withdrawn, they are done. If the tops acquire too much colour before the inside is sufficiently baked, cover them over with a piece of clean white paper, to prevent them from burning.

_Time_.--1 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ to make 2 small cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SAVOY CAKE.

1782. INGREDIENTS.--The weight of 4 eggs in pounded loaf sugar, the weight of 7 in flour, a little grated lemon-rind, or essence of almonds, or orange-flower water.

_Mode_.--Break the 7 eggs, putting the yolks into one basin and the whites into another. Whisk the former, and mix with them the sugar, the grated lemon-rind, or any other flavouring to taste; beat them well together, and add the whites of the eggs, whisked to a froth. Put in the flour by degrees, continuing to beat the mixture for 1/4 hour, butter a mould, pour in the cake, and bake it from 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour. This is a very nice cake for dessert, and may be iced for a supper-table, or cut into slices and spread with jam, which converts it into sandwiches.

_Time_.--1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 1 cake.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SPONGE-CAKE.

I.

1783. INGREDIENTS.--The weight of 8 eggs in pounded loaf sugar, the weight of 5 in flour, the rind of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoonful of brandy.

_Mode_.--Put the eggs into one side of the scale, and take the weight of 8 in pounded loaf sugar, and the weight of 5 in good _dry_ flour. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the former, put them into a saucepan with the sugar, and let them remain over the fire until _milk-warm,_ keeping them well stirred. Then put them into a basin, add the grated lemon-rind mixed with the brandy, and stir these well together, dredging in the flour very gradually. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, stir them to the flour, &c., and beat the cake well for 1/4 hour. Put it into a buttered mould strewn with a little fine sifted sugar, and bake the cake in a quick oven for 1-1/2 hour. Care must be taken that it is put into the oven immediately, or it will not be light. The flavouring of this cake may be varied by adding a few drops of essence of almonds instead of the grated lemon-rind.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 3d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 cake.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

The Egyptian, or Mummy Wheat, is not grown to any great extent,
owing to its inferior quality; but it is notable for its large
produce, and is often cultivated on allotment grounds and on
small farms, where quantity rather than quality is desired. At
Wix, in Essex, the seed of this wheat has produced, without
artificial assistance, four thousandfold; some of the ears have
had eleven offshoots, and have contained, altogether, eleven
grains in one ear.

II.

1784. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 lb. of loaf sugar, not quite 1/4 pint of water, 5 eggs, 1 lemon, 1/2 lb. of flour, 1/4 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.

_Mode_.--Boil the sugar and water together until they form a thick syrup; let it cool a little, then pour it to the eggs, which should be previously well whisked; and after the eggs and syrup are mixed together, continue beating them for a few minutes. Grate the lemon-rind, mix the carbonate of soda with the flour, and stir these lightly to the other ingredients; then add the lemon-juice, and, when the whole is thoroughly mixed, pour it into a buttered mould, and bake in rather a quick oven for rather more than 1 hour. The remains of sponge or Savoy cakes answer very well for trifles, light puddings, &c.; and a very stale one (if not mouldy) makes an excellent tipsy-cake.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1 hour.

_Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ to make 1 cake.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

TO MAKE SMALL SPONGE-CAKES.

1785. INGREDIENTS.--The weight of 5 eggs in flour, the weight of 8 in pounded loaf sugar; flavouring to taste.

_Mode_.--Let the flour be perfectly dry, and the sugar well pounded and sifted. Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs, and beat the latter up with the sugar; then whisk the whites until they become rather stiff, and mix them with the yolks, but do not stir them more than is just necessary to mingle the ingredients well together. Dredge in the flour by degrees, add the flavouring; batter the tins well, pour in the batter, sift a little sugar over the cakes, and bake them in rather a quick oven, but do not allow them to take too much colour, as they should be rather pale. Remove them from the tins before they get cold, and turn them on their faces, where let them remain until quite cold, when store them away in a closed tin canister or wide-mouthed glass bottle.

_Time_.--10 to 15 minutes in a quick oven.

_Average cost_, 1d. each.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

TEA-CAKES.

1786. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of flour, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, 1/4 lb. of butter or lard, 1 egg, a piece of German yeast the size of a walnut, warm milk.

_Mode_.--Put the flour (which should be perfectly dry) into a basin mix with it the salt, and rub in the butter or lard; then beat the egg well, stir to it the yeast, and add these to the flour with as much warm milk as will make the whole into a smooth paste, and knead it well. Let it rise near the fire, and, when well risen, form it into cakes; place them on tins, let them rise again for a few minutes before putting them into the oven, and bake from 1/4 to 1/2 hour in a moderate oven. These are very nice with a few currants and a little sugar added to the other ingredients: they should be put in after the butter is rubbed in. These cakes should be buttered, and eaten hot as soon as baked; but, when stale, they are very nice split and toasted; or, if dipped in milk, or even water, and covered with a basin in the oven till hot, they will be almost equal to new.

_Time_.--1/4 to 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ to make 8 tea-cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

TO TOAST TEA-CAKES.

1787. Cut each tea-cake into three or four slices, according to its thickness; toast them on both sides before a nice clear fire, and as each slice is done, spread it with butter on both sides. When a cake is toasted, pile the slices one on the top of the other, cut them into quarters, put them on a very hot plate, and send the cakes immediately to table. As they are wanted, send them in hot, one or two at a time, as, if allowed to stand, they spoil, unless kept in a muffin-plate over a basin of boiling water.

A NICE YEAST-CAKE.

1788. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of butter, 1/2 pint of milk, 1-1/2 tablespoonful of good yeast, 3 eggs, 3/4 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of white moist sugar, 2 oz. of candied peel.

_Mode_.--Put the milk and butter into a saucepan, and shake it round over a fire until the butter is melted, but do not allow the milk to get very hot. Put the flour into a basin, stir to it the milk and butter, the yeast, and eggs, which should be well beaten, and form the whole into a smooth dough. Let it stand in a warm place, covered with a cloth, to rise, and, when sufficiently risen, add the currants, sugar, and candied peel cut into thin slices. When all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, line 2 moderate-sized cake-tins with buttered paper, which should be about six inches higher than the tin; pour in the mixture, let it stand to rise again for another 1/2 hour, and then bake the cakes in a brisk oven for about 1-1/2 hour. If the tops of them become too brown, cover them with paper until they are done through. A few drops of essence of lemon, or a little grated nutmeg, may be added when the flavour is liked.

_Time_.--From 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 2s.

_Sufficient_ to make 2 moderate-sized cakes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.