Hilda's diary of a Cape housekeeper

having travelled very leisurely and enjoying ourselves , BERG RIVER. RIBBON CAKE Dec. Berg river, the home of the Melcks, who have splendid thoroughbred horses and prize sheep. On this farm ostriches roam in large droves, and the lovely Berg river winds in and out, running level with its banks, which are wooded with willow, blue-gum, and black-wood, forming a lovely oasis. The soil all along the Berg river is very rich, being much mixed with limestone, and grows fine crops of wheat, oats, rye, and barley. Vineyards do not thrive there, but apricots, peaches, and lemons ; the trees die away after three or four years and new ones have to be planted, there not being sufficient depth of soil ; but it is a lovely homestead, known far and wide for its hospitality. The river affords much enjoyment, with boating and swimming ; there is, however, no fishing. Shooting is a favourite pastime, game abounding. The hippopotami used to be numerous in the river in olden days, but being very dangerous to the inhabitants the last one was shot, and now adorns the museum in Cape Town. The ostriches find their own food here — the saline bush, with succulent leaf, which forms their staple food at Graaf Reinet and Outshoorn, growing all along the banks of the river. Ribbon Cake (Mrs. Griffith’s, of Port Elizabeth, recipe). — I lb. sugar, lb. butter beaten to a cream with sugar. Add 6 eggs, one at a time, i large cupful of milk ; lastly, i lb. flour with half a teaspoonful of soda, and i teaspoonful of cream-of-tartar. Mix all well together, and flavour with vanilla essence. Divide this quantity into three equal parts, and pour into baking-tins, leaving one tin plain, colouring a second with cochineal, and the third with a sixpenny cake of chocolate, grated and dissolved in half a cup of milk extra, stirred into it. When all are baked, set to cool, Dec. ICING. “JUMBLES.” ROCK CAKES and when nearly cold cut in layers ; while the cakes are cooling make the icing. Before quite cold, build the layers of cake together, the icing between slices, so that the plain cake, the pink and the brown come alternately, and pour the rest of the icing over the outside. Half this quantity will make a nice-sized cake. Lemon icing in between and over all is very nice. Icing for Cakes (Mrs. Griffith’s recipe). — Two large cups of fine white sugar, with just enough hot water to melt it ; set it to boil in an earthenware saucepan, stirring occasionally till it threads from the spoon ; beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, and put into a deep basin, and pour the boiling sugar over the stiffly beaten whites, beating all the time. December 24. — “Jumbles” (Tea Cakes, West Indian recipe, brought from Jamaica by Mrs. Monier Williams). — 6 oz. finely-powdered loaf-sugar. 8 oz. butter. I egg. 1 2 oz. flour (4 of which to be self-raising flour'). The sugar and butter to be rubbed well with the egg, and the flour added by degrees. When well mixed, take pieces the size of a walnut, roll them into a pencil shape about 5 inches long, keeping them rounded. Coil them round flat on the baking-dish, round and round, but keeping the coil flat and closely curled. When baked it looks a very pretty and dainty tea cake. Rock Cakes. — i lb. flour. lb. butter. I egg. Half a teaspoonful of baking-powder. CHRISTMAS. DRIED FLOWERS Dec. lb. sugar. Some currants. 2 tablespoonfuls of cold milk.