Plain cookery recipes

Sieve flour and salt into a bowl, and rub in the butter. Cream the yeast and sugar until liquid. Add the tepid milk, and strain it into the middle of the flour ; strain in also the beaten egg. Mix together to a smooth dough. Cover with a cloth, and put in a warm place till well risen (about one hour). Form into fancy shapes, place on a greased bakingsheet, and prove for about fifteen minutes. Bake in a quick oven for about twenty to thirty minutes. Brush over with clarified butter. Plain Plum Cake. Half-pound flour. Quarter-pound butter. Quarter-pound sugar. One teaspoonful of bakingpowder. Half a teaspoonful allspice. Two ounces Valencia raisins. Two ounces currants. Two ounces peel. Two eggs. A little milk. Sieve the flour. Clean and prepare the fruit, and mix with it the spice and one teaspoonful of flour. Cream the butter and sugar ; add the flour and the eggs by degrees, beating thoroughly. Add the fruit and the baking-powder mixed with the last spoonful of flour. The mixture should be of a consistency to drop easily from the spoon, so if necessary add a little milk. Turn into a prepared cake-tin. Place in a hot oven till risen. Moderate the heat, and bake steadily for about one and a half hours. Sultana Cake. Grated rind of half a lemon. Two ounces candied peel. One teaspoonful of bakingpowder. Two eggs. Half-pound flour. Quarter-pound butter. Quarter-pound castor sugar. Quarter-pound sultanas. A little milk. Prepare and bake as for Plum Cake (page 123). German Pound Cake. Ten ounces flour. Eight ounces butter. Eight ounces castor sugar. Eight ounces sultanas. Four ounces peel. Grated rind of one lemon. One teaspoonful of bakingpowder. Five eggs. Prepare and bake as for Plum Cake (page 123). Scotch Seed Cake. Fourteen ounces flour. Eight ounces sugar. Eight ounces mixed peel (lemon, orange, citron). Six eggs. Prepare and bake as for Plum Cake (page 123). Eight ounces butter. Four ounces almonds. One dessertspoonful bakingpowder. Six ounces flour. Two ounces rice flour. Four ounces castor sugar. Four ounces butter. Two ounces currants. Luncheon Cake. Half an ounce candied peel. Pinch of nutmeg. Two eggs. One teaspoonful of bakingpowder. About half a gill milk. Sieve the flour and rub in the butter. Clean the sultanas, shred the peel, and mix all the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, add the milk, mix with the dry ingredients, and beat well. Turn into a prepared cake-tin, and bake in a steady oven for one and a half to two hours. Currant Cake. Half-pound flour. Three ounces butter. Four ounces castor sugar. Four ounces currants. Two eggs. One teaspoonful of bakingpowder. About half a gill milk. Prepare and bake as for Luncheon Cake. Madeira Cake. Eight ounces flour. Five ounces butter. Five ounces castor sugar. Grated lemon rind. Four eggs. One teaspoonful of bakingpowder. Citron peel. Sieve the flour, cream the butter and sugar, add the grated lemon rind. Add the flour and eggs by degrees, and beat well. Add the baking-powder with the last spoonful of flour. T urn into a greased and papered tin ; place the citron peel on the top. Place in a moderate oven, and bake steadily for one and a half hours. Carraway Seed Cake. Half a pound flour. Quarter of a pound butter. Quarter of a pound castor sugar. Two eggs.