Cookery for every household

To Prepare the Croutes. — Take some plain cake, such as sponge cake or Madeira cake, or light fancy bread, such as tea cake or brioche, and cut it in convenient-sized slices of about half an inch in thickness. Melt some butter in a frying pan ; when smoking hot, put in the slices of cake, and brown them nicely on both sides. Drain a minute or two to absorb the grease. The Syrup. — Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and boil them together until they form a syrup. Add the rum and currants and sultanas well cleaned. Boil together a few minutes, and use as directed. To Finish. — Arrange the croutes neatly on a hot dish, pour the syrup over boiling hot, soak a minute or two and serve. 1881. Currant Fritters J lb. flour. 1 tea-sp. baking powder. 1 oz. butter. 2 table-sps. sugar. A little milk. 2 oz. currants. 1 tea-sp. baking powder. Rind of J lemon. 2 eggs. Sieve the flour and baking powder on to a sheet of paper. Put the butter and sugar into a basin and cream them together with a wooden spoon. Add the yolks of eggs, and then the flour and milk by degrees. Next add the currants carefully prepared and the grated rind of half a lemon or any other flavouring preferred, and, lastly, stir in the whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Form the mixture into small portions about the size of a walnut, drop them into boiling fat, and fry until a pretty brown colour and thoroughly cooked. Sprinkle well with sugar, and serve piled up on a lace-edged paper. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Probable cost, 8 d. 1882. Custard Fritters (Creme Frite) 2 table-sps. flour. £ pt. milk. 1 table-sp. castor sugar. A pinch of salt. 2 yolks and 1 white of egg- Flavouring. Egg and bread-crumbs. Mix the flour smoothly with the milk, and stir them over the fire until the mixture begins to draw away from the sides of the saucepan. Then remove to the side of the fire, and stir in the salt, sugar, eggs, and flavouring. Mix well and cook two or three minutes longer. Spread the custard on a greased dish, about | inch in thickness, and set it aside. When cold, cut in rounds or other shapes, egg and bread-crumb the pieces, and fry them in boiling fat to a pretty brown colour. Drain well and dredge with sugar. Serve piled up with a dish paper under them. Note. — Cake or biscuit crumbs may be used instead of bread-crumbs. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Probable cost, 6 d. 1883. Date Croquettes 1| doz. dates. 2 tab.-sps. thick custard 2 macaroon biscuits. 2 table-sps. preserved fruits. 1 gill water. 2 oz. sugar. Vanilla. Some puff pastry. Beaten egg. Cake or biscuit crumbs.