The new century cookery book

Mix the yeast with a little tepid water ; add sufficient flour to make a sponge paste, and allow to stand for an hour or so. Put the remainder of the flour in a basin, add the salt and sugar, break and beat up the egg. Melt the butter in a little warm milk. Stir this gradually into the yeast and then mix with the flour &c., and work into a dough. Knead well for a good quarter of an hour. Then stand it in a basin and allow to raise for about two or three hours, keeping it in a moderate temperature. Then make up into shapes or mould and bake. 1964. Icing for Gateaux , Petits Fours , and Small Cakes (Fondant for Masking Cakes and Gateaux). — lk lb. lump sugar, a good pinch of cream of tartar, about a gill of boiling water. Put the sugar into a copper stewpan, add the pinch of cream of tartar, pour the water (boiling) over, and let stand on the stove until the sugar is quite dissolved. Set it over a quick fire and allow it to boil up quickly for a few minutes. The best way to find out when the sugar has boiled sufficiently is to try the heat with a thermometer, which should register 230 degrees for fondant sugar. Take it from the fire and rub the syrup with a wooden spoon against the sides for a minute or two. After it has stood to cool for a few minutes sprinkle a few drops of cold water over the top and stir until it becomes a white or creamy substance. It is best to turn it into an earthenware basin as soon as it is done. It can be kept for a long time if covered over with a thick damp. cloth, which should, of course, be changed and redamped from time to time. When required for use a quantity is put into a stewpan or basin and stood in hot water over the fire, and is worked until it is fit for glazing. A little water may be added if not soft enough. In order to know when the fondant is fit for use it should be just warm enough to bear the finger in it. Any flavouring can be added when melted ; use always the best quality. Chocolate flavour is added by grating a small quantity of unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder, both of which should be previously melted before being added. For coffee flavour use extract or essence of coffee. 1965. Water Icing or Transparent Icing. — Put a pound of loaf sugar into a clean and dry stewpan or copper sugar boiler ; add half a gill of warm water, stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved ; then place it over the fire and boil for about five minutes, or until it is reduced to a thick syrup. It should register 230 degrees Fahr. on the saccharometer. Pour it into a basin and stir till almost cold. Use it for coating or covering cakes and pastry. This icing must be used before it is quite cold, otherwise the covering will not be successful. 1966. Glace fondante an Cafe ( Coffee Icing). — Put a pound of best icing sugar or very fine caster sugar in a copper pan, add about a gill of water and boil it to the small ball degree ; turn out into a basin, and work with a spatula until it becomes creamy ; flavour with a dessertspoonful of best coffee essence. Dip in the surface of the gateaux and finish as directed. It is necessary to remember that if fondant icing is used too warm it will lose its brilliancy, and that it should be stirred until it has reached the desired consistency for icing — in other words, the icing point.