above the stove before weighing and using it. Flour should be sieved for all cakes, as this not only renders it lighter, but keeps back any hard lumps it may contain. For sieving use either a very fine wire sieve or a patent flour sifter, which can be bought for about Is. 8 d. Butter, Dripping, <&c. — Inferior or tainted butter should never be used for cakes. If butter is em- ployed at all it must be good, fresh butter being the best. In cases where the butter is rubbed into the flour, the butter should be as cool and firm as possible ; where it is to be creamed with the sugar it may be rather softer, but not on any account oily. If the butter is very salt it will be better to wash it in cold water, and dry it in a floured cloth before using. If the butter contains a large proportion of water it should be dried and squeezed in a floured cloth before using. For many of the plainer cakes, and especially when baking for large families, or where expense has to be considered, a cheaper kind of fat may be substituted for butter. Lard, beef dripping, margarine, or one of the different vegetable fats now on the market will generally answer the pur- pose. A good sweet margarine, costing about 8 d. per lb., is always to be preferred to inferior butter, or a mixture of margarine and butter is very good. When beef dripping is used it must be carefully clarified to free it from any meat juice and any brown sediment scraped from it. For nursery cakes beef dripping or marrow is to be specially recommended. Mutton dripping is not so suitable for cake- making unless for gingerbread, as it has too strong a flavour. Sugar. — Take castor or sifted sugar for all the recipes except where otherwise stated, and always sieve it before use. Baking Powder. — There are many kinds and many qualities, but the best should always be chosen. It may be tested by putting a small quantity into a spoonful of water ; if fresh it will effervesce, if it does not bubble it is spoilt. Baking powder can also be made at home (see p. 634). It should always be kept in an airtight tin box, and in a dry place. Eggs. — These must be fresh and good, but not necessarily new laid. Well-preserved eggs serve the purpose excellently. They should always be broken separately into a small cup or basin before adding them to any mixture. To Clean Currants. — Rub these on the top of a sieve with a little dry flour to clean them and re- move the stalks. Then drop them on a plate a few at a time to make sure there are no stones amongst them. If the currants are dirty they may be washed first in hot water, then dried in a cloth or a cool oven, and rolled in flour. This should be done some little time before the currants are re- quired, as they should be quite dry and cold before being added to the cake, otherwise they will spoil the mixture. To Clean Sultana Raisins. — Rub these on the top of a sieve with a little dry flour, and carefully remove all stalks. If very dirty they should be washed and dried like currants. To Prepare Valencia Raisins. — Remove the stalks, split them open with a small knife, and take out the stones, using a little warm water to 552 COOKERY FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD prevent their sticking to the fingers. These raisins are usually cut in small pieces or chopped roughly.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

above the stove before weighing and using it. Flour should be sieved for all cakes, as this not only renders it lighter, but keeps back any hard lumps it may contain. For sieving use either a very fine wire sieve or a patent flour sifter, which can be bought for about Is. 8 d. Butter, Dripping, <&c. — Inferior or tainted butter should never be used for cakes. If butter is employed at all it must be good, fresh butter being the best. In cases where the butter is rubbed into the flour, the butter should be as cool and firm as possible ; where it is to be creamed with the sugar it may be rather softer, but not on any account oily. If the butter is very salt it will be better to wash it in cold water, and dry it in a floured cloth before using. If the butter contains a large proportion of water it should be dried and squeezed in a floured cloth before using. For many of the plainer cakes, and especially when baking for large families, or where expense has to be considered, a cheaper kind of fat may be substituted for butter. Lard, beef dripping, margarine, or one of the different vegetable fats now on the market will generally answer the purpose. A good sweet margarine, costing about 8 d. per lb., is always to be preferred to inferior butter, or a mixture of margarine and butter is very good. When beef dripping is used it must be carefully clarified to free it from any meat juice and any brown sediment scraped from it. For nursery cakes beef dripping or marrow is to be specially recommended. Mutton dripping is not so suitable for cakemaking unless for gingerbread, as it has too strong a flavour. Sugar. — Take castor or sifted sugar for all the recipes except where otherwise stated, and always sieve it before use. Baking Powder. — There are many kinds and many qualities, but the best should always be chosen. It may be tested by putting a small quantity into a spoonful of water ; if fresh it will effervesce, if it does not bubble it is spoilt. Baking powder can also be made at home (see p. 634). It should always be kept in an airtight tin box, and in a dry place. Eggs. — These must be fresh and good, but not necessarily new laid. Well-preserved eggs serve the purpose excellently. They should always be broken separately into a small cup or basin before adding them to any mixture. To Clean Currants. — Rub these on the top of a sieve with a little dry flour to clean them and remove the stalks. Then drop them on a plate a few at a time to make sure there are no stones amongst them. If the currants are dirty they may be washed first in hot water, then dried in a cloth or a cool oven, and rolled in flour. This should be done some little time before the currants are required, as they should be quite dry and cold before being added to the cake, otherwise they will spoil the mixture. To Clean Sultana Raisins. — Rub these on the top of a sieve with a little dry flour, and carefully remove all stalks. If very dirty they should be washed and dried like currants. To Prepare Valencia Raisins. — Remove the stalks, split them open with a small knife, and take out the stones, using a little warm water to prevent their sticking to the fingers. These raisins are usually cut in small pieces or chopped roughly.

Cookery for every household