Chapter XIII: Part VI: Methods of Making Biscuits and Cakes

It is here necessary to premise that particular care must be taken to keep the utensils entirely free from grease of any kind: and the flour and sugar quite dry, as in case of neglect you cannot make good biscuits.

_Savoy Biscuits._

TAKE one pound and a half of sugar, one pound and two ounces of flour, and twenty four eggs: separate the yolks from the whites, beat the yolks and sugar together with a spoon: whisk the whites up stiff, and mix with the yolks; whisk it all on a slow fire till warm, then take it off and whisk it till cold; mix in the flour, and drop them through a funnel made for the purpose.

N.B. They require a hot oven, and you should sift a little sugar over them, just before you put them in.

_Spunge Biscuits._

TAKE one pound of sugar, and three quarters of flour, and mix in the same manner as the savoy biscuits: these will not require so hot an oven as the former.

_Palace Royal Biscuits._

ARE made in the same manner as savoy biscuits, and are baked in small paper boxes.

_Royal Heart Biscuits._

TO a pound of almonds beat fine, put a pound and a half of sugar, half a pound of flour, sixteen whole eggs, and twelve yolks. Beat the sugar and almonds up well by degrees with the eggs; then put in the flour, and set it into moles, they will require a gentle oven.

_Diet Bread Cakes._

TAKE one pound of moist sugar, one pound and a quarter of flour, and seven eggs: let your sugar boil with better than half a pint of water; then whisk your eggs and sugar up well: take it off, and whisk it till it is cold, then mix in your flour, and put it into moles.

_Naple Biscuits._

ARE made in the same manner as diet bread, but add a little more flour.

_Orange Heart Biscuits._

TAKE one pound and a half of sugar, three quarters of a pound of flour, one pound and a half of yolks of eggs, eight preserved orange peels, and two ounces of almonds; pound your peels and almonds fine, then beat it up and proceed in the same manner as in making the royal heart biscuits.

_Queen Cakes._

TAKE one pound and a quarter of flour, one pound of sugar, and one pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of currants, and eight eggs: cream your butter, and beat it up with the eggs and sugar, then put in the flour and currants.

_Champaign Biscuits._

TAKE the whites of eight eggs with some flour, and half a pound of butter; beat the eggs and sugar together: melt the butter, and beat it up; then put in the flour and a few carraway seeds: fold a paper up in the form of a fan, and drop them in the ridges: they will require a hot oven.

_Fine Rusks._

MAKE a good diet bread paste, bake it in long tins; when cold, cut it in slices, and brown them in the oven: put a few carraway seeds in the paste.

_French Rusks._

TAKE three pounds of sugar, four pounds of flour, and two pounds of yolks of eggs: beat the sugar and yolks together, then mix in the flour, and roll it up in long rolls; bake it, and when cold, cut it into thin slices.

_Yarmouth Cakes._

TAKE one pound and a half of flour, one pound of sugar, and one pound of butter, six ounces of currants, and six eggs: beat the eggs and sugar together, melt the butter, and mix it and the flour up to stiff paste: part it half for plums, and half for seed; then roll it out, cut it into round shapes, and bake them in a gentle oven.

_Tunbridge Water Cakes._

TAKE one pound of flour, one pound of butter, three quarters of a pound of sugar, half a pint of cream, and four eggs: mix the eggs, sugar, and cream together, put in the butter melted, and beat it up well; then mix in the flour, and a few carraway seeds, roll the part out quite thin; cut it into round cakes, and bake them in a slow oven.

_Cedraty Biscuits._

TAKE one pound and three quarters of sugar, half a pound of yolks, and three quarters of a pound of butter: mix these together, then roll them up with as much flour as is necessary to stiffen it: make them into round rings, and bake them.

_Italian Cakes._

TAKE the whites of twelve eggs with some flour and sugar; whisk the eggs and sugar over the fire, till hot; then take it off, and whisk it till it is quite cold, and put in the flour: drop them in round cakes on paper, and bake them.

_Common Maccaroons._

TAKE one pound of almonds, one pound of sugar, and the whites of ten eggs, and a little rose water: pound your almonds with the whites, and rose water; then mix in the sugar, and lay them out on wafer paper.

_French Maccaroons._

TO a pound of almonds, allow two pounds of sugar mixed in the same way, and laid out in the same manner.

_Ratafia Biscuits._

TAKE half a pound of sweet almonds, and half a pound of bitter: pound them fine, mixed with whites of eggs, then add two pounds and a half of sugar; beat it up well with whites of eggs, then drop them on paper, and bake them in a slow oven.

_Orange Biscuits._

MIX one pound of almonds, with two pounds of sugar in the same manner as ratafia biscuits; but rasp the rind of eight China oranges among it, and drop them in small drops.

Lemon biscuits are made in the same manner.

_Spanish Rusks._

TAKE half a pound of yolks, half a pound of sugar, and half a pound of flour; two ounces of butter, two lemons rasped, and a glass of brandy: mix all together, then roll it up stiff, and make it in rings, and bake them.

_Merenges._

TAKE a pint of sugar, and the whites of six eggs; boil the sugar to the degree called _blown_, then grain it, and mix in the whites whisked stiff: lay them out in oval shapes, and brown them in the oven, put a piece of barberry jam in between, and put two halves together.

_Ginger Cakes._

TAKE one pound of butter, three pounds of flour, one pound of sugar; a pint of cream, and five eggs: beat the eggs, cream, and sugar together; melt the butter and put it in, then mix in the flour with a few carraway seeds, and six ounces of ginger; roll them thin, and bake them in a slow oven.

_Ginger-Bread Nuts._

TO five pounds of flour, put six pounds of treacle, one pound and a half of sugar, and a pound and a half of butter: rub the butter with the flour and sugar, then mix it up with the treacle; and put in six ounces of ginger, and four ounces of pimento, and drop them in drops. They will require a slow oven.

_Filbert Biscuits._

TAKE a pound of nut kernels; let them be exceeding dry, pound them fine, with the whites of eggs; mix in two pounds of sugar, beat the paste up with whites of eggs. Drop them out in small drops.

_Sweetmeat Biscuits._

TAKE a pound of sugar, a pound and a half of flour, the yolks of twenty eggs, with half a pound of almonds; pound the almonds fine with the yolks: mix in the sugar, and beat it up well, then mix in the flour, bake it in a square cake, afterwards ice it: cut it into shapes, and put orange peels on them.

_Rock Almond Biscuits._

CUT your almonds very fine: to a pound of which, allow four ounces of sugar, and the whites of six eggs; whisk the eggs stiff, then put in the sugar and almonds; set them in lumps on wafer paper, and bake them in a very slow oven.

_Syringe Biscuits._

TO a pound of almonds, allow four pounds of sugar: pound the almonds fine, mixed with whites of eggs; then put in the sugar, mix it into a stiff paste; then push it through your jumbal mould, and form it into different shapes.

_Italian Maccaroons._

TO a pound of almonds, allow two pounds and a quarter of sugar: mix it all in the same manner as ratafia biscuits. Drop it on wafer paper, and put some almonds cut small on the top of every drop.

_Milfruit Biscuits._

CUT some almonds small, and colour some of the pieces red; then cut some orange-peel small, and mix them together: dip them in icing, and lay them on wafer paper, in the shape of rock biscuits.

_Marchpane Biscuits._

BEAT a pound of almonds in a mortar, with a little rose water, and the whites of four eggs: mix in a pound of sugar, roll it out, and put two pieces together, with some rasberry jam between: ice it, and cut it into different shapes; bake them in a slow oven.

_Biscuit Drops._

TO a pound of sugar, allow a pound and a quarter of flour, and eight eggs: mix them in the same manner as spunge biscuits; drop them on wafer paper.

Common savoys are made in the same manner.

_To make a Savoy Cake._

TAKE the whites of six eggs, with some flour and sugar; beat the yolks and sugar together: mix it with the whites whisked stiff, then put in the flour, and bake it in a gentle oven.

_To make a Spunge Cake._

TAKE the whites of six eggs in sugar, and the weight of four eggs in flour; mix it up in the same manner as a savoy cake.

_To make a Plum Cake._

TO two pounds of flour, allow two pounds of sugar, two pounds of butter, and sixteen eggs: cream the butter, and beat it all up together; then mix in a pound of currants.

N.B. Seed Cake is made in the same manner.

_To make a Rice Cake._

TO a pound of sugar, allow a pound of flour, and half a pound of rice pounded fine, and ten eggs: mix it up exactly in the same manner as diet-bread.

_To make an Almond Cake._

TO half a pound of almonds, allow half a pound of sugar, and the yolks of sixteen eggs; beat it up well, then put in three whole eggs, and mix in six ounces of flour.

N.B. It will require a slack oven.

_To make a Ratafia Cake._

TO a pound of sugar, allow three quarters of a pound of flour, and four ounces of bitter almonds pounded fine: mix it up with fourteen eggs, in the same manner as a savoy cake.

_To make Anniseed Cakes._

TO half a pound of sugar, allow a pound of flour, three whites of eggs, and half a pound of butter: mix all these ingredients together with a little cream, then put in two ounces of anniseeds, roll it very thin, and cut it into round cakes.

_Cinnamon Drop Biscuits._

TO a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, allow half a pound of sugar: pound the almonds fine with whites of eggs, put in a little cinnamon essence, or a little cinnamon pounded fine; then drop them on paper in small drops, and bake them in a slow oven.

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