Choice cookery

POUND CAKE. £ lb. flour i lb. eggs 5 lb. currants 5 lb. candied peel, mixed Grated rind of 2 lemons £ glass brandy £ lb. butter 1 lb. sugar ^ lb. sultanas 2 oz. minced almonds Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, then add the flour, passing it through a wire sieve alternately with the * Forcing Bag and Rose Tube, Is. 4d., per post Is. 6d. These may be obtained from II. M. Young, 27, Arpley Street, Warrington. eggs (well beaten) ; beat 10 minutes, then add all the above ingredients; pour into a tin lined with oiled paper, and bake in a moderate oven 2J hours. If it is put into a shallow dripping tin, then it will not require so long baking. This may be covered when cold with almond paste (page 102) and when set with white icing (page 103). Then before the icing is set cover with large crystallized sugar ; set in a warm place until firm. This cake will improve if kept three weeks before icing. It is always best to ice a cake just before it is required for use. No. 164. PLUM CAKE. | lb. butter | lb. flour | lb. candied cherries ^ lb. sugar J lb. raisins | lb. sultanas £ lb. candied orange, lemon, and citron peel, mixed 4 oz. chopped almonds Grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange \ teaspoonful mixed spice A dust of salt 1 glass of brandy 2 eggs Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, add the eggs (well beaten) alternately with the flour (sifted), then add brandy, and beat the mixture ten minutes. Meanwhile, stone the raisins and chop slightly, also divide the cherries and cut up the peel into rather large pieces, add the whole of the above ingredients to the cake, mix well, and pour into a cake mould, first lined with oiled paper. Bake in a moderate oven 3 to 3j hours. No. 165. PETITS CHOUX, with Almonds. £ pint water % lb. butter 5 oz. flour 2 oz. minced almonds A little almond essence £ pint cream 3 eggs Boil the water and the butter, then stir in the flour (sifted), stir well until it is a smooth thick paste, allow it to cook gently 5 minutes, when cool add the eggs gradually, first beating them thoroughly, and add almond essence. Put into a forcing bag with a plain tube, and force on to a baking tin into small rounds ; bake in a moderate oven 15 minutes, then lift out, brush over with egg, and thickly cover with the crushed almonds, put back in the oven for 20 minutes. When cold put in each a little whipped cream flavoured with almond essence. Pass the sugar through a sieve, mix with the almonds, then add as much unbeaten white of egg as will mix it into a stiff paste ; add also the vanilla, and work it on a board until quite smooth. It is then ready for use. Forcing Bag and Plain Tube, Is. 4d., by post Is. 6d., from H. M. Young, 27, Arpley Street, Warrington. No. 166. ALMOND PASTE OR ICING. ^ lb. crushed almonds A few drops of vanilla or almond essence \ teaspoonful bitter almonds I lb. icing sugar Whites of eggs No. 167. WHITE ICING FOR DECORATING CAKES. 1 lb. of icing sugar I 1 to 2 whites of egg ^ teaspoonful lemon juice Pass the sugar through a fine hair sieve, add the lemon juice and the unbeaten whites of the eggs gradually, until the sugar is moistened, and presents the appearance of a stiffish paste; beat 10 to 15 minutes. With this cover the cakes, and, when set, decorate with fancy tubes and bag. This may be coloured, if liked, with cochineal. No. 168. CHOCOLATE ICING.