Household cookery

Method. — Cut rabbit into neat joints. Mix flour, salt, pepper, and sweet herbs on a plate ; dip each piece of rabbit in this mixture. Cut bacon into thin slices, also the eggs. Arrange layers of rabbit, egg, and bacon till the dish is full, sprinkling some of the seasoned flour over each layer; pour in some good stock or gravy in which two sheets of gelatine have been dissolved. Roll out the pastry a little larger than pie-crust, cut narrow strips and place round edges of the dish, first wetting the edges; put the rest of pastry on top. Cut and trim the edges ; then decorate top of pastry. Brush over with beaten egg, make a hole in the top to let out the steam. Bake in a hot oven 1 hour. This may be served hot or cold. Pigeon Pie 2 or 3 pigeons. I or 2 hard-boiled eggs. Small piece of onion. Some good stock. I lb. good steak. I table - spoonful chopped parsley. I oz. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. Puff pastry (p. 50). Method. — Cut the steak in thin slices ; dip each piece in the seasoned flour and roll up ; place in pie-dish. Cut pigeons in half, place them in pie-dish with a little parsley and onion, finely chopped, also the hard-boiled eggs, sliced. Add stock. Cover with puff pastry. Decorate, brush over with beaten egg. Bake in hot oven i J to 2 hours. Mince Pies Method, — Roll out some puff pastry, cut into rounds, line some patty-pans with them, put in a good spoonful of mince meat ; place another round of pastry on top ; lightly brush over with beaten egg. Bake in a hot oven 15 or 20 minutes. Sausage Rolls \ lb. sausage. \ lb. rough puff pastr}' (p. 49). Method. — Remove skins from sausage; cut in half. Roll pastry out \ inch thick ; cut in squares. Put a piece of sausage in the centre of each square, wet the edges lightly, fold over, and mark with the back of a knife. Place on a tin, brush over with beaten egg. Bake in a hot oven from 20 to 30 minutes. Orange Cheese Cakes 2 oz. butter. 2 oz. flour. I large egg. Some scraps of pastry. 2 oz. sugar. Grated rind of i orange. \ tea-spoonful baking-powder. Method. — Roll out the pastry, cut in rounds, line some patty-tins with them. Beat butter and sugar to a cream; add eggs slowly, beating all the time, then add orange rind ; sieve flour and baking-powder, stir carefully to butter and sugar. Put a large tea-spoonful of the mixture into each patty-tin. Bake in a moderate oven 15 to 20 minutes. Raspberry Cheese Cakes } lb. butter. \ lb. flour. 2 eggs. Some scraps of pastry. \ lb. sugar. J tea-spoonful baking-powder. Raspberry jam. Method. — Roll pastry out thinly, cut into rounds, line some small patty-pans, put in \ tea-spoonful raspberry jam. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, add eggs (beaten) ; sieve flour and baking-powder, stir lightly to butter and sugar. Put a good spoonful of this mixture into each patty-tin. Bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes. Cool, and sprinkle with castor sugar. Apple Cheese Cakes 1 lb. apples. Grated rind and juice of i 2 oz. butter. lemon. 2 eggs. Scraps of pastry. Sugar to taste. Method, — Cook the apples in a little water till soft : rub through a sieve. Add butter, sugar, eggs (well beaten), lemon rind and juice. Line patty-pans with pastry, put in mixture, and bake in a quick oven from 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fine sugar.