Soyer's standard cookery

METHOD. — Mix the bread, sugar and lemon rind together in a bowl. Boil the milk, pour it on the beaten eggs, stirring meanwhile, add the sherry, and pour over the dice of bread, etc. Let it soak for fifteen or twenty minutes, then pour into a buttered mold, and steam gently for two hours. Serve with custard, or wine sauce, or jam syrup. Maids of Honor. INGREDIENTS. — Puff paste, eight ounces of castor sugar, four ounces of Jordan almonds, one ounce of fine flour, four yolks of eggs, four tablespoonfuls of cream, two tablespoonfuls of orange-flower water. METHOD. — Blanch and dry the almonds, and pound them in a mortar with the sugar until fine. Add the yolks of eggs one at a time, and mix in the flour, cream and orange-flower water. Line eight or nine small tartlet molds with paste, fill them with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven. Mid-Lent Fritters. Boil three cupfuls of milk with an ounce of butter and a little sugar, and then blend it with the yolks of four eggs and sufficient semolina to make the whole into a tolerably firm paste. Add a tablespoonful of brandy or any other flavoring essence that is preferred. Form the paste into rings, dust with flour, and fry in lard. They should be sprinkled with sugar before serving, and are usually eaten with gooseberry jam. Mincemeat. INGREDIENTS. — Two pounds of finely-chopped suet, two pounds of currants, washed and picked, two pounds of raisins, stoned and quartered, two pounds of chopped apples, two pounds of castor sugar, one pound of sultanas, one-half pound of shredded mixed candied peel, four lemons, one gill of brandy, one saltspoonful each of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon. METHOD. — Pare the lemons thinly, simmer the rinds in a little water until perfectly tender, then pound them or rub them through a fine sieve. Mix all the ingredients well together, press into a jar, cover closely, and keep in a cool dry place for at least one month before using. Mincemeat. (Another Method.) INGREDIENTS. — Two pounds of finely-chopped apples, two pounds of currants, cleaned and picked, one and a half pounds of finely-chopped suet, one and a half pounds of raisins, stoned and quartered, one and a half pounds of castor sugar, one-half pound of finely-shredded mixed candied peel, the grated rind and juice of four lemons, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, ground cloves, mace and nutmeg, mixed in equal proportions, one-half pint of brandy. METHOD. — Mix all these ingredients well together, press them into a jar, cover closely and store in a cool dry place until required. It should be kept for one month at least before being used. Mincemeat. (Another Method.) INGREDIENTS. — Two pounds of chopped apples, one and a half pounds of currants, washed and picked, one pound of raisins, stoned and quartered, one pound of finely-chopped suet, one pound of castor sugar, four ounces of chopped candied peel, the juice and grated rind of two lemons, two saltspoonfuls of grated nutmeg. METHOD. — Mix all these ingredients well together, and keep in closely-covered jars in a cool dry place, until required. Mincemeat, Lemon. INGREDIENTS. — Four large lemons, twelve large apples, one pound of suet, two pounds of currants, one pound of sugar, four ounces of candied lemon peel, two ounces of citron, mixed spice to taste.