Fruit is best prepared the day before. It should be dry when used. Leave out a little flour for the purpose and roll the fruit in it just before putting it in the cake. With raised cake spread fruit lightly on top, pressing it in a little, but do not beat it in or it will sink to the bottom. Almonds should be blanched by being put into boiling water; leave a few minutes and then rub off the skin; then throw into cold water to preserve their color. If they are pounded, a little white of egg or water should be added every 2 or 3 minutes to prevent their oiling. Or cut them up and roll with a rolling pin on a table or marble slab, spreading a little sugar on first. If not pounded or rolled they should be cut into thin slices or divided lengthwise. To shred almonds, cut them with a sharp knife into fine strips length- wise, Citron should be sliced very thin, and the pieces should not be too large. A Cocoanut should have the milk drawn out through a hole cut in the end; crack it and take i\\e meat out (having previously loosened CAKE 349 it by pounding it all over) and dry for a few hours in a cool open ov- en; then grate and use. If any is left it can be kept for several weeks, if necessary, by sprinkling it with sugar and keeping it in a cool, dry, airy place. Currants should be washed in warm water, changing it 2 or 3 times, and rubbing them well with the hand. Then drain them, spread out on a cloth, and pick out all bad ones, sticks, grit, etc., and dry them in the sun; an oven unless very slow will harden them. It is well to prepare several pounds at a time, and keep them in glass jars English currants are ax3t to be "gritty;" they may be made to '■plump," or fill out, by pouring boiling water over them, after which dry them. Currants are neither so wholesome nor nutritious as rai- sins. Dates aro prepared by separating them from each other; then put them into lukewarm water, shake them about for 2 or 8 minutes, and drain. Now take out the stones; this can be done with the fingers as a rule, but if they are very hard use a sharp knife. Then rinse them very carefully again, and drain them very thoroughly. Raisins can be stoned more easily if boiling water is poured over them and left on 5 or 6 minutes, as that loosens the seeds. Pick out stems and defective raisins. For light fruit cake they may be chop- ped, but not too fine. Have them perfectly dry when used, and dredge flour over them. Baking powder, Cream of Tartar and Soda. — Cake should not be made overflight with baking powder. A less quantity is needed, in proxjortion to the flour, than for biscuits, which are made light and comparatively dry, as they are to be eaten soon after being made, but cake is made to keep for some time — a week or longer. It should of course be light, hut fine-grained and moist. The rule for biscuits is about 3 rounded teaspoons of baking powder to a quart of flour; for that amount of flour in cake, made with eggs properly beaten, 1 tea- spoon of baking powder is sufficient. The baking powder or cream of tartar should be well sifted into the flour before mixing that into either cake, biscuits, or bread. Dissolve the soda into a little milk or water.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Fruit is best prepared the day before. It should be dry when used. Leave out a little flour for the purpose and roll the fruit in it just before putting it in the cake. With raised cake spread fruit lightly on top, pressing it in a little, but do not beat it in or it will sink to the bottom. Almonds should be blanched by being put into boiling water; leave a few minutes and then rub off the skin; then throw into cold water to preserve their color. If they are pounded, a little white of egg or water should be added every 2 or 3 minutes to prevent their oiling. Or cut them up and roll with a rolling pin on a table or marble slab, spreading a little sugar on first. If not pounded or rolled they should be cut into thin slices or divided lengthwise. To shred almonds, cut them with a sharp knife into fine strips lengthwise, Citron should be sliced very thin, and the pieces should not be too large. AA Cocoanut should have the milk drawn out through a hole cut in the end; crack it and take the meat out (having previously loosened it by pounding it all over) and dry for a few hours in a cool open oven; then grate and use. If any is left it can be kept for several weeks, if necessary, by sprinkling it with sugar and keeping it in a cool, dry, airy place. Currants should be washed in warm water, changing it 2 or 3 times, and rubbing them well with the hand. Then drain them, spread out on a cloth, and pick out all bad ones, sticks, grit, etc., and dry them in the sun; an oven unless very slow will harden them. It is well to prepare several pounds at a time, and keep them in glass jars. English currants are apt to be "gritty;" they may be made to "plump," or fill out, by pouring boiling water over them, after which dry them. Currants are neither so wholesome nor nutritious as raisins. Dates aro prepared by separating them from each other; then put them into lukewarm water, shake them about for 2 or 8 minutes, and drain. Now take out the stones; this can be done with the fingers as a rule, but if they are very hard use a sharp knife. Then rinse them very carefully again, and drain them very thoroughly. Raisins can be stoned more easily if boiling water is poured over them and left on 5 or 6 minutes, as that loosens the seeds. Pick out stems and defective raisins. For light fruit cake they may be chopped, but not too fine. Have them perfectly dry when used, and dredge flour over them. Baking powder, Cream of Tartar and Soda. — Cake should not be made overflight with baking powder. A less quantity is needed, in proportion to the flour, than for biscuits, which are made light and comparatively dry, as they are to be eaten soon after being made, but cake is made to keep for some time — a week or longer. It should of course be light, but fine-grained and moist. The rule for biscuits is about 3 rounded teaspoons of baking powder to a quart of flour; for that amount of flour in cake, made with eggs properly beaten, 1 teaspoon of baking powder is sufficient. The baking powder or cream of tartar should be well sifted into the flour before mixing that into either cake, biscuits, or bread. Dissolve the soda into a little milk or water.

The household cook book