FoodNetArchive

The encyclopædia of practical cookery

1890

Page 516 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Soda Crackers are made by adding from 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls of bicarbonate of soda to either of the foregoing receipts, or as follows : Make fib. of flour into a very stiff dough with sour milk, in which 1 saltspoonful of bicarbonate of soda has been dissolved ; work into this 1 dessert-spoonful of mixed lard and butterSoda Crackers, beat it well, and roll it very thin. Prick well with a fork, and bake in a moderate oven. CRACKERS (Bonbons, Cosaques, &c.). — • It would be quite impossible to give in these pages anything like a complete list of the numerous varieties of explosive Crackers manufactured in this and other countries for home use and exportation. The name of one maker alone — Tom Smith — is now proverbial, and his produc- tions are famous throughout the land, varying in price and quality from one extreme to the other ; and there are numerous other makers whoke Crackers are exceed- Fig. 544. Crackers. ingly well made and amusing (see Fig. 544). Crackers might, for the sake of the amusement, be made at home ; but no object of economy would be gained thereby, seeing that they would probably cost more to make than to buy. They afford much amusement amongst adults and children alike. CRACKLING. — There are two or three dishes of confectionery known by this term, for instance almond Cracklings, filbert Cracklings, &c., but the word com- monly means the scored and browned skin of roast pork. Charles Lamb says in one of his amusing essays, “There is no flavour comparable, I will contend, to that of the crisp, tawny, well-watched, not over-roasted ‘ Crackling ’ as it is well called/’ CRACKNELS (Fr. Craquelins). — The French and English languages are somewhat confused over the words crackle (craqueter), crackling, cracknel (craquelin), &c., the same intention running throughout Cracknel is, therefore, probably a corruption, in spite of the fact that the word is used by the translators of the Bible in their enumeration of the gifts the wife of Jeroboam took to the prophet Ahijali. Unlike any other British cakes, these are hard, shiny, and shell-like on the outside (see Fig. 545), but soft and fluffy within. They are made as follows : (1) Mix up with 3|lb. of flue pastry flour, 1 pincln of salt, loz. of bicarbonate of soda, 1 flat teaspoonful of good Cracknels — continued. baking-powder, 3oz. of fresh butter, and 6oz. of caster sugar ; blend all thoroughly, form a well in the centre, pour in one dozen well-beaten eggsCracknels, and work into a stiff dough. Put into a cloth in a basin, and cover over for four or five Fig. 545. Cracknel. hours. Work this dough under the biscuit-break (see Bis- cuits), and then roll out 4in. thick. Shape out with an oval, round, or oak-leaf cutter (see Fig. 546), dock them in the centre, lay out on a tray in rows, cover with a damp cloth for a time, and then drop them one at a time into boiling water. Keep the water simmering until the Cracknels rise to the surface ; remove them with a skimmer and put them into a pail of cold water for an hour, remove from the cold water and lay upon a folded cloth or sieve to drain, brush them over with Fig. 546. Cracknel-cutter. white of egg, set on a baking-sheet, and bake in a quick oven for about twelve minutes. When dropping into boiling- water, take care that the faces are uppermost, and let them boil so on the surface for a few minutes, so that the edges may turn up.