Part 5
In filling the cake pan put the mixture well into the corners and leave a slight depression in the centre. This will leave the cake perfectly smooth on top. Now, if the oven is too cool when the cakes go into it the cake will rise over the top of the pans and become coarse-grained. While, on the other hand, if it is too hot it will brown quickly on the top before the cake has had a chance to rise; then when the dough does attempt to rise it will break through and crack the crust. Too much flour will also cause this. Now to break the old hoodoos about cake-baking! You may look at the cake after it is in the oven ten minutes if you will open and shut the oven door gently, and if necessary to remove the cake wait until it has reached its full height and is beginning to brown. Then it may be removed carefully without danger of falling. Sometimes it may be necessary to remove the cakes so that they may brown evenly. Icing the cakes greatly improves their appearance. Should the cake for any reason scorch, don't trim it with a knife. This spoils its appearance; instead use a grater and remove the scorched part.
Turn the cakes to cool upon a sieve or wire cake-rack. Do not attempt to ice a cake until it is cool and then coat the entire cake over with a plain water icing.
A SMALL POUND CAKE
Four ounces of butter, One cupful of sugar.
Place in a warm bowl and cream until light and frothy; now add yolks of four eggs and beat well for ten minutes, then add
Three cupfuls of flour, Four level teaspoonfuls baking powder, One cupful of milk, One teaspoonful of nutmeg.
Beat hard for fifteen minutes and then carefully fold in the stiffly beaten white of an egg and then pour into a prepared pan and bake for sixty minutes in slow oven.
A LARGE POUND CAKE
One and one-half cupfuls of sugar, Eight ounces of shortening.
Cream together until light and fluffy and then add
Yolks of six eggs, Five cupfuls of sifted flour, Three level teaspoons of baking powder, One and one-half cupfuls of milk, One teaspoonful of mace.
Beat for twenty minutes to blend and then carefully fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the six eggs. Bake in a prepared pan for eighty minutes in a moderate oven.
COBBLER, SOUTHERN STYLE
Select the fruit desired and to one quart of stewed fruit add
One and one-half cups of fine bread crumbs, One cup of brown sugar, Three tablespoonfuls of melted shortening, One teaspoon of nutmeg or cinnamon.
Mix well and then turn into well-greased baking dish and cover with a crust of pastry. Bake in a slow oven for forty minutes. Serve with either fruit or vanilla sauce.
CHERRY ROLY-POLY
Place in a mixing bowl
Two and one-half cups of sifted flour, Two tablespoons of baking powder, One teaspoon of salt, One-half cup of sugar.
Sift to mix. Now rub in one-half cup of shortening and mix to a dough with three-quarters cup of water. Roll out one-quarter inch thick and fill with the prepared cherries. Roll as for jelly roll and then place in a well-greased and floured pan. Bake in a moderate oven for thirty-five minutes, basting every ten minutes with syrup made from
One-half cup of brown sugar, Three-quarters cup of boiling water.
To prepare the cherries: Stone two pounds of cherries and place in a saucepan and add
One cup of brown sugar, Four tablespoons of water.
Cook slowly until the cherries are soft and then add
Two tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in Three tablespoons of water.
Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Cool and use. This mixture must be very thick.
OATMEAL DROPS
Place in a saucepan
One cup of corn syrup, One-half cup of shortening, One cup of chopped raisins.
Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes and then add
One teaspoon of soda dissolved in Four tablespoons of cold water, Two cups of rolled oats, One-half cup of flour, One-half teaspoon of nutmeg.
Mix and then drop by the spoonful on a greased and floured baking sheet two inches apart. Bake in a hot oven for ten minutes.
CHEESE CAKE
Use level measurements. Place in a saucepan
One cupful of milk, Two tablespoonfuls cornstarch.
Dissolve the starch in the milk and then bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes. Cool and then rub one and one-half cupfuls of cottage cheese through a sieve. Add
One teaspoonful of nutmeg, Two yolks of eggs, One teaspoonful of vanilla extract, Two-thirds cup of sugar.
Beat to cream and then fill into the oblong cheese-cake pan, which has been lined with plain pastry. Bake in a slow oven for thirty minutes.
SOFT CHOCOLATE COOKIES
One-half cup of brown sugar, One-half cup of syrup, Six tablespoons of shortening, One egg.
Cream and then add
One-half cup of cocoa, One-half cup of milk, Two teaspoons of baking powder, Four cupfuls of flour, One teaspoon of cinnamon.
Work to a dough and then roll, cut and bake in a moderate oven for eight minutes. Cool and cover with a damp cloth for three minutes. Store in an air-tight container.
BLACK NUT CAKE
One cup of brown sugar, Five tablespoons of shortening.
Cream well and then add
One-half cup of cocoa, Two cups of sifted flour, Four level teaspoons baking powder, One well-beaten egg, One cup of milk, One teaspoon of cinnamon, One teaspoon vanilla, One cup of finely chopped nuts.
Peanuts or any other variety selected will do. Beat to mix and then pour into well-greased and floured loaf-shaped pans. Bake for thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Ice with water icing. This cake is delicious.
ANIMAL COOKIES
One cupful of brown sugar, One and one-half cupfuls of flour, One-quarter teaspoonful of baking soda, Two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, One teaspoonful of ginger, Two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, One-half teaspoon of nutmeg.
Mix thoroughly by sifting and then rub into the mixture seven tablespoons of shortening. Mix to dough with
One well-beaten egg, Six tablespoons of coffee.
Knead dough well and then roll out one-quarter inch on slightly floured pastry board. Cut with animal cutters and then bake on a baking sheet in a moderate oven for ten minutes. Cool and then wash with a mixture of syrup and water and roll in confectioner's sugar.
NOTE.--The dough must be fairly soft. If necessary, add more coffee.
Syrup Wash:
Three tablespoons syrup, One tablespoon boiling water.
Mix and use.
CHOCOLATE FILLING FOR CAKES MADE FROM COCOA
Place in a saucepan
One cup of water, One cup of syrup, One-half cup of cocoa, Six tablespoons of cornstarch, One teaspoon of cinnamon.
Stir until the starch is dissolved and then bring to a boil. Cook slowly for six minutes and then add one teaspoon of vanilla. Cool and use for chocolate filling between cakes, in éclairs or cream puffs, or for chocolate pie.
VEGETABLES
BAKED GREEN PEPPERS
Allow one large pepper for each person. Cut a slice from the top and remove the seeds and then place in cold water until needed. Now mince fine four onions and then cook until tender but not brown, in four tablespoons of shortening. Place in a bowl and then add
Two ounces of bacon, diced and cooked to a light brown, One and one-half cups of fine bread crumbs, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon paprika, One-half teaspoon thyme, Three-quarters cup of milk, One well-beaten egg.
Mix and then fill into six large peppers. Place in a greased baking pan and add one-half cup of water. Bake for forty minutes in a moderate oven. Five minutes before removing from the oven place a strip of bacon over each pepper. When nicely browned, serve.
EGG PLANT CROQUETTES
Pare the egg plant and then cut in slices and cover with boiling water. Cook until tender and then drain well. Place in a bowl and add
One medium-sized onion grated, Two green peppers chopped fine, One well-beaten egg, One-half cup of fine crumbs, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika.
Mould into croquettes and then dip in flour, then in beaten egg and roll in fine crumbs. Fry in hot fat, serve with cream sauce.
BRAISED CELERY
Scrape and thoroughly clean the coarse outside branches of celery, cut into inch pieces and then parboil gently for fifteen minutes. Drain. Now place two tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add one and one-half cupfuls of the prepared celery. Cover closely and cook until tender, shaking occasionally to prevent sticking to the pan. Season, and when ready to serve cover with espaniole or brown sauce made from stock.
To make sauce: Place two tablespoonfuls of fat in an iron frying pan and add four tablespoonfuls of flour; work to a roux, browning well. Now add one and a half cupfuls of stock and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes and then strain and return to the saucepan and season. Use a bouillon cube to make the stock if none of the regular stock is on hand.
BAKED BABY LIMA BEANS
These tiny limas are most delicious when baked like the ordinary navy bean. Wash one-half pound of beans well and then look over carefully and discard all bruised or damaged ones. Soak overnight in cold water. In the morning wash again and then place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then turn into a colander and let the cold water run on them, then place in a saucepan and cover with boiling water and cook for twenty minutes. Turn into a baking dish and add
One cup of stewed tomatoes, One onion, minced fine, One green pepper, minced fine, One teaspoon of salt, One tablespoon of paprika, One-half cup of salad oil, Four tablespoons of syrup.
Add sufficient water to cover beans one inch deep. Mix well and bake for two hours in a slow oven.
STRING BEANS, ITALIAN STYLE
Soak one cupful of dried string beans and then cook until tender or use 1 quart of green snap beans.
Then add
Two onions minced fine, One green or red pepper minced fine.
When tender drain well and season with
One teaspoonful of salt, One teaspoonful of paprika, Three tablespoonfuls of grated cheese.
CARROTS A LA BRABANCONNE
Pare carrots cut in slices and then cook until tender. Drain and then place a layer of carrots in a baking dish. Sprinkle with fine bread crumbs and salt and paprika and then sift two tablespoons of grated cheese over each layer. Repeat this until the dish is full and then cover with one and one-half cupfuls of cream sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and fine bread crumbs. Bake in a hot oven for twenty minutes.
BABY LIMA BEAN CROQUETTES
Baby lima beans should be soaked overnight. In the morning look over carefully and then discard all bruised and damaged beans. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Turn into a colander and rinse under cold water and then return to the saucepan. Cover with boiling water and cook until tender, then add
Two onions, minced fine, One fagot of soup herbs.
Cool and then drain the beans well, then mash fine, pile in a dish and set in the icebox until needed.
CREAMED MUSHROOMS
Use both caps and stems. Peel and then parboil for three minutes and drain. Use three-quarters pound of mushrooms. Now make a cream sauce of
Three cups of milk, One-half cup of flour.
Dissolve the flour in the milk and then bring to a boil. Cook slowly for ten minutes and then add the prepared mushrooms and
One onion, grated, One-half cup of finely chopped parsley, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, Three tablespoons of butter.
Heat to a boiling point and then simmer slowly.
CORN FRITTERS
One-half can of crushed corn, One egg, One-half cup of water, One teaspoon of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, One grated onion, One tablespoon of baking powder, Two cups sifted flour.
Beat to mix and then fry in hot fat. Drain. This amount will serve six persons.
BRAISED ONIONS
Parboil and then drain three cups of finely chopped onions. Now place one-half cup of shortening in a frying pan and add onions. Cover closely and cook until a light golden brown. Make a border of onions around a hot platter.
BAKED BEANS WITH SALT PORK
Soak the beans--one pound--over night or early in the morning, and at noon place in a kettle and cover with water. Bring to a boil and drain off the water. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for fifteen minutes. Drain. Now add
One can of tomatoes, One cup of chopped onions, One-half cup of syrup, One pound of salt pork cut in pieces, Two tablespoons of salt, One tablespoon of paprika.
Add sufficient water to cover beans one inch deep. Mix well and then cover the pot closely and bake in a slow oven for four hours.
LIVER DUMPLINGS
Parboil four ounces of liver until tender, and then put through a food chopper. Either beef, pork or lamb liver may be used. Mince three onions very fine. Place four tablespoons of fat in a frying pan and add onions and liver. Cook gently until onions are tender and then lift and turn into a mixing bowl and add
One and one-half cupfuls of dry mashed potatoes, Two teaspoonfuls of salt, One teaspoonful of paprika, One-half teaspoon of thyme, One and one-half cupfuls of sifted flour, One teaspoonful of baking powder.
Mix thoroughly and then add
One egg, Four tablespoons of potato water.
Work to a smooth well-blended mass and then rub your hands with salad oil and then form this mass into balls. Cook for twenty minutes in boiling salted water. Lift with a skimmer on a napkin to drain. Serve with either onion, tomato or creamed sauce, or the dumplings may be rolled in flour, browned quickly in hot fat and served at once.
SCALLOPED CORN
Place in a mixing bowl
Three-quarters cup of crushed can corn, One-half cup of fine bread crumbs, One tablespoon of grated onion, Two tablespoons of finely minced parsley, One tablespoon of butter, One teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of paprika, Three tablespoons of flour, One egg, Three-quarters cup of milk.
Mix well and then turn into a well-greased baking dish and bake for thirty minutes in a moderate oven.
RABBITS
FRICASSEE OF RABBIT
Place the rabbit in a saucepan and add
One quart of boiling water, One large onion with two cloves stuck in it, Fagot of soup herbs.
Bring to a boiling point and cook gently until the meat is tender. The gravy may be thickened with cornstarch.
Season with pepper, salt and finely minced parsley.
To make a rabbit pie place the fricasse of rabbit in a baking dish and cover with a crust. Bake for thirty-five minutes in a hot oven.
FRIED RABBIT
Prepare and cook the rabbit as for fricasse and when the meat is tender lift to drain. Cool. Dip in beaten egg and then roll in fine bread crumbs and fry until golden brown in hot fat. Use the liquid for gravy.
SOUR RABBIT
Cut the rabbit and then place in a china bowl and add
One cupful of chopped onions, One bunch of potherbs, One teaspoonful of sweet marjoram, Six cloves, Five allspice, Two bay leaves.
Now cover, using a mixture of two parts vinegar and one part water. Set in a cool place for three days, turning the rabbit over every day, then put in a casserole dish or stewing pan and cook until tender. Thicken the gravy. Serve potato dumplings with this dish, or it may be eaten cold.
RABBIT PIE
Clean and prepare a pair of rabbits for cooking; cut into suitable pieces. Brown quickly in hot fat; lift to a baking dish and add one quart of hot water.
Two large onions, minced very fine, Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook very slowly until tender, thicken the gravy and add one cupful of sour cream, then cover the top of the baking dish with mashed and seasoned sweet potatoes, one inch thick. Brush with syrup and dust lightly with cinnamon, and dot with bits of butter. Bake until slightly brown.
CUSTARD SAUCE
One cup of milk, Two tablespoons of cornstarch.
Stir to dissolve and bring to a boil, cook for three minutes and then add
One-quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, Five tablespoons of sugar, Yolk of one egg.
Beat to blend and then cool.
CARAMEL SAUCE
One cup of brown sugar, Four tablespoons of water, One tablespoon of butter.
Place in a frying pan and cook until caramelled, then add one and one-half cups of water. Bring to a boil and then add four tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in five tablespoons of water. Stir until the mixture thickens and cook for five minutes, then add one teaspoon of vanilla and use.
FRUIT SAUCE
Place in a saucepan
One cup of crushed fresh fruit, One cup of brown sugar, One cup of water.
Cook until the fruit is soft and then cool. Rub through a fine sieve and then add
Three tablespoonfuls cornstarch
dissolved in
Three tablespoons of water.
Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes.
SWEETENED CREAM SAUCE
Place in a saucepan
Two cups of milk, Four tablespoons of cornstarch.
Dissolve the cornstarch in cold milk and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes and then add
One-half cup of sugar, One-half teaspoon of nutmeg, One well-beaten egg.
Beat to mix.
VANILLA SAUCE
Place in a saucepan
One-half cup of sugar, One-half cup of white corn syrup, One-half cup of water, Two tablespoons of cornstarch.
Stir to dissolve and then bring to a boil and cook three minutes. Now add
One tablespoon of vanilla extract.
LEMON SAUCE
Place in a saucepan
Grated rind of one lemon, Two cups of water, Four tablespoons of cornstarch.
Dissolve the starch and then bring to a boil. Cook slowly for five minutes and then add
One cup of sugar, Juice of two lemons.
Beat to thoroughly mix and then serve.
SABOYON SAUCE
Place one-half cup of sugar in a saucepan and add the yolks of two eggs. Cream until light and fluffy and then add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and one-half teaspoon of almond extract. Heat one-half cup of milk to the boiling point and then pour over the eggs and sugar. Stir continually over a slow fire until the mixture is just below the boiling point. Remove and add stiffly beaten whites of two eggs and serve on pudding.
SWEET SPICED BLACKBERRY SAUCE
Place in a saucepan
One cup of well-cleaned blackberries, One cup of sugar, One cup of water,
and the following spices tied in a little piece of cheesecloth:
One-half teaspoon nutmeg, One teaspoon cinnamon, One-quarter teaspoon allspice.
Cook slowly until the fruit is soft and then rub through a fine sieve and thicken with
Three tablespoons of cornstarch
dissolved in
One-quarter cup of cold water.
Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes, cool and serve.
CHERRY SAUCE
One-half pound of stoned cherries, One-half cup of sugar, One cup of water.
Bring to a boil and then cook slowly until the cherries are soft. Now add two tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in one-half cup of cold water. Bring to a boil and then cook for five minutes. Cool and use.
PUDDING SAUCE
One-half cup of white syrup, One-half cup of water, One small bottle of maraschino cherries, cut in bits, One tablespoon of cornstarch.
Dissolve the starch in water and add the syrup and cherries. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Serve.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
One-half cup of sugar, One cup of water, Seven level tablespoons of chocolate, Two level tablespoons of cornstarch.
Dissolve the starch and chocolate in the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes.
MAKING A CHOCOLATE SAUCE USING COCOA
One cup of syrup, One cup of water, One-half cup of cocoa, Two tablespoons of cornstarch, One teaspoon of cinnamon.
Place in a saucepan and stir until the starch is dissolved and then bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes and then cool and add one tablespoon of vanilla. Use the same as sauce made with chocolate.
FRUIT CUSTARD SAUCE
Place in a saucepan
One and one-half cupfuls of cold stewed fresh fruit, One cup of milk, Four level tablespoons of cornstarch.
Stir to dissolve the starch and then bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for five minutes, and add one well-beaten egg and three-quarters of a cup of sugar; beat hard and then cook for two minutes.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Place four ounces of chocolate, cut into fine pieces, in a saucepan and add one pint of water and one and one-half cups of sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then bring to a boil, cook for ten minutes and then add
Six tablespoonfuls of cornstarch, dissolved in One-half cup of water, One teaspoon of cinnamon.
Bring to a boil and stir continually and cook for five minutes. Cool and then add one tablespoon of vanilla. Place in a fruit jar and store in a cool place. This sauce is used for puddings, pastries, cakes, ice cream, sundaes and chocolate sodas.
ORANGE SAUCE
Juices of two oranges, One-quarter cup of sugar, One tablespoon of cornstarch, Two tablespoons of water, Yolks of two eggs.
Dissolve the starch in the water. Add the orange juice and cook until thick, about five minutes. Add sugar and yolks of eggs. Remove from fire. Cool and fold in the beaten white of one egg. Use yolk of egg left over for the mousse.
FRUIT WHIP
Whites of two eggs, One glass of apple jelly.
Beat, using a Dover egg-beater, until it forms into a stiff meringue. This amount will serve about ten people liberally.
One-half of this recipe for ordinary family.
DESSERTS
BANANA FRITTERS
Cut four bananas in half; now then place in a bowl
One-half cup of milk, One-half cup of flour, One teaspoon baking powder, One teaspoon of sugar, One teaspoon of shortening, Pinch of salt, Yolk of one egg.
Beat to mix and then dip banana in batter. Fry golden brown in hot fat. Serve with vanilla or fruit sauce.
CRANBERRY JELLY
One quart of cranberries, One cupful of water.
Cook until the berries are soft and then put through the colander or a coarse sieve. Return to the saucepan and boil for three minutes, then add
Two cupfuls of sugar, Pinch of salt.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and then boil for ten minutes. Rinse a mould with cold water and then pour in the cranberries and let cool.
LEMON MARMALADE
Cut one lemon into slices and then remove the seeds and put through the food chopper. Add one and one-quarter cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook slowly until the lemon rind is very soft. This usually takes about one hour. Now add one and one-half cups of sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook until thick like marmalade. Place an asbestos mat under the saucepan to prevent scorching. Stir frequently.
Use level measurements; they conform to pounds and ounces and give satisfactory results.
ORANGE JELLY
Juice of three oranges, One-half cupful of sugar, One-half cupful of water, Two tablespoonfuls of syrup from a bottle of maraschino cherries.