The book of plain cooking

Buy a stale sponge or savoy cake that is made in a mould. Place it in a deep glass dish after having cut off the bottom to make sure of its being level, so that it will stand firmly in the dish ; also cut a hole in the top so that the wine can soak through. Soak well with sherry and brandy — and French cooks add a little rum. Blanch and cut into strips some sweet *54 almonds, with which thoroughly stick the cake when it is sufficiently soaked. Have ready a good custard to place round the cake — not pouring any over it — and put a few ratafias or crystallised cherries on the custard. 318. Tipsy Cake with Jam For this cake you require small sponge cakes, which must also be stale. Cut them in halves, and place jam between each half. Pour over some sherry and brandy, and let soak. Make a custard and pour over them, and grate a little nutmeg lightly on the top. 319. Trifle Line a trifle or deep glass dish with sponge cakes, macaroons, savoy fingers, and ratafias. Spread over this a cover of jam or jams, as several kinds, such as apricot and strawberry, blend well together. Then thoroughly soak with wine and brandy, or any kind of spirit you fancy. Cover with boiled custard, and then put the whipped cream — which must be prepared over night — lightly on the top, garnishing with strips of angelica, blanched almonds, and a few crystallised cherries or other fruit cut small. 320. A Quickly-made Trifle Get some sponge cakes, cut them in halves and fill with jam; then cover with sherry and a little brandy. Get half a pint, or threequarters of a pint of cream, add the whites of two eggs and some castor sugar. Beat well until it comes to a froth, then place over the cakes. 321. A Fruit Trifle Place some assorted fruits in the bottom of a trifle-dish, and sweeten with castor sugar. Then put a layer of sponge cakes and press down, so that they get the juice. Pour over a little wine or brandy, and then cover with custard and whipped cream. 322. Orange Trifles A pleasant and welcome change in the way of trifles is to make it of oranges. Soak some macaroons and ratafias for about an hour to an hour and a half with sherry, brandy, and a little orange juice in a trifle-dish. Then pare some seedless oranges, carefully removing all pith, and divide them in their natural divisions, and place upon the macaroons. Cover with a rich cnstardjUpon which place some whipped cream, and garnish with glace cherries and a little angelica cut in thin pieces. 323. Yorkshire Pudding Make a batter of two eggs to the pint of milk and four tablespoonsful of flour. Well grease a tin, and put in the oven to set for fifteen minutes, when place under the joint. Should you cook it the whole while in the oven, it requires a great deal of dripping. 324. Pancakes Make a batter of two eggs to two tablespoonsful of flour and half a pint of milk. Put the fat in the pan, and let it come to the boil ; then place some of the batter in, let it run over the pan, and when cooked on one side, turn over and let cook on the other. This quantity should be enough for four pancakes, and can be made richer if desired. Serve on a dishpaper with castor sugar over, and garnished with lemon. 325. A Plain Batter