The "A1" cookery book

Hot Cross Buns. — if lbs. of flour, ^ oz. mixed spice, 1 oz. German yeast, 3 gills of milk, i lb. butter, i lb. currants or sultanas, v lb. castor sugar, 2 eggs. Put | lb. of flour into a basin, add ^ oz. mixed spice to it. In another small basin put 1 oz. yeast with one teaspoon of castor sugar, and stir with a wooden spoon, add 3 gills of lukewarm milk and mix well. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and strain into it gradually the yeast and milk, mixing them into the flour with a wooden spoon. When smoothly mixed cover the basin with a cloth and set near the fire for about an hour, or until the sponge is covered with bubbles. While the sponge is rising prepare the other ingredients thus : — Put in large basin ii lbs. flour. Rub i lb. of butter into this ; add the fruit and castor sugar. When the sponge is ready, beat into it with your hand the other dry ingredients you have prepared ; this takes plenty of strength ; at intervals add the two well-beaten eggs. Continue kneading till you can pull the whole lump of dough out without it sticking to the basin. Now cover the basin again with a cloth and set in a warm place till the surface cracks ; this will take about 1 5 hours. Have ready some flat well-greased tins ; shape the dough into round balls and place them a good distance from each other on the tin ; place the tins in a warm place for twenty minutes till the buns have risen. Bake in a quick oven for twenty minutes. Sufficient for 2 dozen buns. Cinnamon Cakes.— I lb. almonds, i lb. castor sugar, | oz. of powdered cinnamon, the whites of three eggs, a few pounded cloves. AVash the almonds and grind them with the skin on. Beat the eggs to a stiff froth and mix them with the dry ingredients into a stiff paste. Roll out the paste to about a quarter of an inch thick, and cut into stars. Bake in a brisk oven. Chocolate Meringues. — 3 oz. castor sugar, 1^ oz. chocolate (grated) or good cocoa, whites of 2 eggs, a few drops of vanilla. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, stir in the sugar, chocolate, and vanilla. Have ready a baking sheet spread with buttered paper, and drop the mixture on it in rocky lumps. Bake for only a few minutes till the biscuits are firm. Small Chocolate Cakes. — 4 eggs, | lb. flour, 3 oz. castor sugar, 3 oz. grated chocolate, 3 oz. butter, vanilla flavouring. Put the butter and sugar in a basin and beat till it creams, add the eggs one by one, beat for ten minutes, lastly add the chocolate and flour by degrees, the baking powder and vanilla. Grease some patty-pans and partly fill with the mixture, and bake for a quarter of an hour. Ice with chocolate glace (for recipe see below). Glacé.— ⅛ lb. icing sugar, i| tablespoons of water, 1^ table- spoons of sherry. Mix together very smoothly, just warm, colour as desired, and use. Chocolate Glace. — 2 oz. finely grated chocolate, | pint water, 1 lb. icing sugar, 3 tablespoons of warm water. Put the grated chocolate and water in a saucepan and cook till it is smooth, and mix it with the sugar and the warm water. Warm it and pour over the cakes. Coffee Glacé.— ⅛ lb. icing, 1 1 tablespoons of strong coffee, 1^ tablespoons of hot water, mix together, warm slightly, and use at once.