Hilda's diary of a Cape housekeeper

-J- lb. sweet almonds and 15 bitter almonds, all blanched and well minced. , ^ lb. flour. lb, of finely-sifted white sugar. 6 eggs, of which you beat the whites and yolks separately. Mix in the following order — first the yolks with the sugar, then add the almonds, lastly the whites and flour alternately. Butter the mould well and dust with fine flour, or dried bread-crumbs finely pounded, put buttered paper over the top. Bake the cake one hour in a slow oven as you do sponge-cake. Almond Cake, No. 2. — The other almond cake requires — 3 cupfuls of flour. 2 cupfuls of sugar. 2 well-beaten eggs. 2 tablespoonfuls of fresh butter. I cup of milk. 30 sweet almonds, blanched and pounded. 10 drops of essence of almonds. ½ teaspoonful of soda. I teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Mix and bake ingredients same as almond cake No. i. July LEMON BISCUITS. LIMPET SOUP Lemon Biscuits. — The lemon biscuits are always favourites of ours. They should not be made in a great quantity at a time, as they are best eaten quite fresh. I lb. flour. I lb. butter. 1 lb. sugar. 2 lemons. 2 eggs. The flour should be well dried and slightly heated, then rub the butter into it, then mix in the sugar and the peel of the lemons grated. Beat the eggs well and add to the juice of the lemon. Stir the whole together and knead well ; roll out the paste thin, cut it into shapes and bake to a lightbrown on a tin. July 21. — Periwinkle or Limpet Soup, — H tells me they made a very good soup of periwinkles lately, when at the seaside, from Mrs. Cloete s (of Alphen) recipe, using the black periwinkles which have a pink edge, which are in season in the winter months, and are taken from the rocks below low tide mark. Of these they collected half a bucketful, and put them in fresh water for about half-anhour so as to get rid of any sand, etc. (The fresh water kills them.) They also scraped the shells quite clean of all smaller shellfish, sea-weed, etc., and washed them again in clean water. Then the shells were well pounded in a mortar, before putting in a cooking-pot, covering with water and boiling for stock. When all the strength was boiled out the liquid was strained through a coarse linen cloth, and to it was added good beef or mutton stock in the proportion of one cup to every three of the periwinkle broth. A couple of onions had been boiled in the meat stock before it was strained. One dozen peppercorns COFFEE ICING. BREAD-PUDDING July same of allspice, one tablespoonful of flour, and same, of burnt sugar were added to the mixed stocks. Lastly it was poured into a tureen into which a good tumbler of wine had been put, and served up with sippets of toast. People by the seaside may like to try this nourishing soup. Jtily 24. — Coffee Icing. — I have to-day been given this good recipe. Work together 5 ozs. of icing sugar with 2 ozs. of fresh butter; to this add i-| tablespoonfuls of essence of coffee, or coffee made very strong ; let it cool before adding to the butter and sugar. Spread this mixture evenly on the cake ; do not cut till wanted. I believe a plain flat sponge-cake is best, and I shall try it for tea to-morrow. The coffee essence we use for picnics {Hildas Where is it, p. 36) would do. Baked Bread-pudding. — H also sends me a very old