Bread, cakes, and biscuits

There is one more point to be considered about cakes, and that is their decoration. For ordinary purposes a little caster sugar lightly dusted over the top is plenty, but at other times a little beaten white of egg may be brushed over them, and the surface, thus moistened, sprinkled with chopped almonds or cocoanut, or roughly crushed sugar. Besides these garnishes there are the icings and glaces. The difference between these two lies in the fact that the first is raw, while the latter is cooked. Of icing, there are two kinds, the one known as “royal icing,” sometimes called “ French cream,” and the “ Vienna icing.” The first is made of finest icing sugar, mixed with unbeaten white of egg and strained lemon juice, in the proportion of fifteen to sixteen eggs and a full tablespoonful of lemon juice, to 51b. of icing sugar. This icing can, of course, be coloured as desired. For Vienna icing rub together till smooth lOoz. of icing sugar and 4oz. of fresh butter, then mix in a small wineglassful of any spirit or liqueur to taste, work it till quite creamy, and use. Viennese chocolate icing is made in the same way, only using Jib. icing sugar, Jib. of fresh butter, and 4oz. finely powdered chocolate. For Glace stir together, over the fire till warm, fib. of icing sugar with three full tablespoonfuls of any flavouring liqueur or syrup to taste, and use. This must not be made over hot, or it will be lumpy and dull. Chocolate Glace is made by cooking 2oz. of vanilla chocolate with a gill of water till it is perfectly smooth, then stir into it a pound of icing sugar and three tablespoonfuls of warm water ; just warm it up and use. The point to be observed about these cooked icings is that they must be only just warm enough to flow nicely, and perfectly smooth. When making icing the very best cane icing sugar is imperative, for unless the pure sugar is used the icing will never be either smooth or glossy. Coffee Glace is made by mixing lb. of cane icing sugar with three full dessertspoonfuls of strong black coffee, or coffee essence, and three dessertspoonfuls of hot water ; let it warm and use. Tea Glace is made in the same way, only using tea instead of coffee. Rum Glace is made in the same way, only using three tablespoonfuls of rum (or, indeed, any other spirit) and the same quantity of hot water to fib. icing sugar. Almond Icing. — Mix ljlb. of very finely-chopped almonds with lib. 14oz. of finest cane icing sugar; add to this the raw whites of three or four eggs, a wineglassful of brandy, rum, liqueur, or lemon juice, and a teaspoonful of essence of vanilla, and work to a stiff, dry paste. Boiled Icing. — Boil together |lb. caster sugar in a gill of boiling water till it will “thread” strongly, then beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth, when you add in a quarter of a teaspoonful of cream of tartar, and, lastly, beat in the sugar syrup. Beat it all till cold and thick, flavour to taste, and use. It must be understood that I claim no originality for the following cakes. They have mostly appeared in the columns of the Queen, and have been collected from all sorts of sources. The only thing I can claim is that, granted fair intelligence and good will, they are not difficult to make.