The Indian Cookery Book by - (best biographies to read .TXT) 📖

the same way, substituting essence of lemon

instead of ginger.

 

248.—Gingerbread Spiced

 

Take three-quarters of a pound of treacle, one egg, four ounces of

moist sugar, an ounce of powdered ginger, a quarter of an ounce each

of mace, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg powdered, a pound of oiled

butter, and sufficient flour to make a stiff paste; mix well, and make

into thick pieces, which should be brushed over the top with white of

egg and baked for an hour in a moderate oven.

 

249.—American Gingerbread

 

Take half a pound of fresh butter melted, a pound and a half of dried

and sifted flour, the same quantity of brown sugar, a quarter of a

pound of pounded ginger, nine eggs, the yolks and whites separately

beaten, one glass of rose-water, and one of white wine; mix all well

together, and beat for an hour; then with a spoon spread it over flat

tin pans, about the thickness of a penny-piece; bake it of a light

brown, and while warm cut it into oblong pieces, and place them on end

till cool, when they will be very crisp.

 

250.—Rich Gingerbread Cakes

 

To one pound of dried and sifted flour allow half a pound of pounded

loaf sugar, three-quarters of a pound of fresh butter washed in

rose-water, one pound of treacle, one nutmeg grated, the weight of a

nutmeg of pounded mace, and as much of pounded cinnamon, one ounce of

pounded ginger, one and a half of candied orange and lemon-peel cut

small, half an ounce of blanched sweet almonds cut into long thin

bits, and two well-beaten eggs. Melt the butter with the treacle, and

when nearly cold stir in the eggs and the rest of the ingredients; mix

all well together, make it into round cakes, and bake them upon tins.

 

251.—Indian Gingerbread

 

Take twelve ounces of pounded loaf sugar, a quarter of a pound of

fresh butter, one pound of dried flour, two ounces of pounded ginger,

and a quarter of an ounce each of cloves and cinnamon. Mix the ginger

and the spice with the flour; put the sugar and a small teacupful of

water into a saucepan; when it is dissolved add the butter, and as

soon as it is melted mix it with the flour and other things; work it

up, form the paste into cakes or nuts, and bake them upon tins.

 

252.—Oatmeal Gingerbread

 

Gingerbread made with oatmeal instead of flour, besides being nice, is

a very useful aperient for children.

 

253.—Excellent Cheesecakes, known at Richmond as “Maids of Honour”

 

Take half a pound of curd free from the whey; add to it six ounces of

butter, four yolks of eggs, and sugar and nutmeg to the taste; mix all

the ingredients well; line patty-pans with a puff paste, fill them

with the mixture, and bake in a quick oven. The cheesecakes may be

flavoured with lemon for a variety, and, as a further variety,

currants and raisins may be introduced.

 

254.—Cocoanut Cheesecakes

 

Grate a good-sized nut very fine, and add to it four or five spoonfuls

of rich syrup and one spoonful of rose-water; set it over a few coals,

and keep stirring till it is mixed; then take it off the fire and let

it cool; next mix the yolks of two eggs well with it, and bake in

small paps in the shape of cheesecakes. The pastry for the pans must

be made with flour and yokes of eggs, rolled as thin as possible; wet

the tops of the cakes with rose-water; sift some refined sugar over

them, and bake them in an oven at a gentle heat.

 

255.—Buns

 

Mix together one pound of flour, six ounces of butter, two

teaspoonfuls of baking powder, a quarter of a pound of sugar, one egg,

nearly a quarter of a pint of milk, and a few drops of essence of

lemon. Bake immediately. The above quantities will make twenty-four

buns; for variety, currants or raisins may be added.

 

256.—Rout Cakes

 

To one pound of ground almonds add one pound of powdered sugar; mix

them together with yolks of eggs to a stiff, yet flexible paste; then

form it into small biscuits in the shape of coronets, shells,

filberts, birds’ nest, rings, or any other fancy shapes; let them

remain five or six hours, or all night, upon the baking-tin in a warm

oven.

 

257.—French Pancakes

 

Beat separately the yolks and whites of seven eggs; beat with the

yolks four tablespoonfuls of pounded loaf sugar, the same quantity of

flour, one pint of cream or milk, the grated peel and juice of one

lemon, and two tablespoonfuls of rose-water; add the beaten whites the

last thing. Allow three tablespoonfuls to each pancake.

 

258.—Common Pancakes

 

With nearly half a pound of flour mix five well-beaten eggs, and then

add, by degrees, a quart of good milk; fry them in fresh lard, and

serve them with pounded loaf sugar strewed between each.

 

259.—Indian Pancakes

 

Add to three well-beaten eggs a pint of new milk, three tablespoonfuls

of flour, some sugar, and a little pounded cinnamon; mix all well

together, and fry in butter; brown the upper side for a minute before

the fire; serve it, cut into four, with pounded sugar strewed over it.

 

260.—Pink Pancakes

 

These are rarely seen at an English table, although they form a very

pleasing variety. Boil a large red beetroot until it is very tender;

then peel it, cut it into thin slices, pound it to a pulp in a marble

mortar, and strain through muslin; add the yolks of five eggs, two

tablespoonfuls of flour, four of cream, plenty of pounded loaf sugar,

half a nutmeg grated, and a wineglassful of brandy; rub the whole into

a batter, and fry the pancakes with melted butter, ghee, or lard;

serve them up hot, garnished with green candied sweetmeats.

 

261.—Mango Fool

 

Take six green mangoes; remove every particle of the green peel, cut

them into four, and steep them in clean water; throw the stones away;

boil the fruit perfectly tender, pulp and pass it through a sieve,

sweeten to your taste, and add to it very gradually, stirring all the

while, as much good pure milk as will reduce it to the consistency of

custard. It should be eaten on the day it is made.

 

262.—Another Way

 

Boil to a pulp some green mangoes without peel or stones; pass through

a sieve, and sweeten to taste; then mix into it very gradually some

cold milk, which has been previously boiled; keep stirring until it

has acquired the thickness of an ordinary cream custard; fill into

glass cups, and grate a little cinnamon or nutmeg over them.

 

263.—Pink Mango Fool

 

The pink mango fool is produced by the introduction of beetroot boiled

very tender, bruised down, strained through muslin, and added to the

pulp of the mango, and forms an agreeable variety.

 

264.—Vanilla Drops

 

Take the whites of four eggs, beat them up well, and add

three-quarters of a pound of finely-powdered white sugar; flavour with

vanilla, beat up well, and drop it on buttered paper. Bake in a cool

oven.

 

265.—Mincemeat

 

Ingredients:—Three large lemons, three large apples, one pound of

stoned raisins, one pound of currants, one pound of suet, two pounds

of moist sugar, one pound of sliced candied orange-peel, one ounce of

sliced candied citron, the same quantity of lemon-peel, one teacupful

of brandy, and two tablespoonfuls of orange marmalade.

 

Grate the rinds of the lemons, squeeze out the juice, strain it, and

boil the remainder of the lemons until tender enough to pulp or chop

very finely; then add to this pulp the apples, which should be baked,

and their skins and cores removed; put in the remaining ingredients

one by one, and as they are added mix everything thoroughly together.

Put the mincemeat into a stone jar with a closely-fitting lid, and in

a fortnight it will be ready for use. This should be made the first or

second week in December.

 

266.—Another Way

 

Take seven pounds of currants well picked and cleaned; of finely

shopped suet beef, the lean of sirloin of beef minced raw, and citron,

lemon, and orange peel cut small, each half a pound; two pounds of

fine moist sugar, an ounce of mixed spice, and the rinds of four

lemons and four oranges; mix well, and put in a deep pan. Mix a bottle

of brandy and white wine and the juice of the four lemons and oranges;

pour half over, and press down tight with the hand; then add the other

half and cover closely. It may be made one year, to use the next.

 

267.—Ornaments for Custards or Creams

 

Whisk for an hour the whites of two eggs, together with two

tablespoonfuls of some syrup or thin jelly; lay it in any form upon a

custard or cream, piled up to imitate rock, or it may be served in a

dish with cream round it. The ornament may be coloured, if desired,

with cochineal, saffron, spinach, &c., as directed in the following

recipe.

 

268.—Colouring for Jellies, Creams, Ices, and Cakes

 

Boil very slowly in a gill of water, till reduced to one half, twenty

grains of cochineal, and the same quantity of alum and cream of tartar

finely pounded; strain, and keep it in a small phial.

 

For yellow, use an infusion of saffron.

 

For green, wash well, and pull into small bits, a handful of

spinach-leaves; put them into a closely-covered saucepan, let them

boil for a few minutes, and then press the juice.

 

269.—Colouring Mixtures

 

Yellow.—Into a four-ounce phial put half a drachm of saffron and two

ounces of spirits of wine of the strength of sixty-two degrees over

proof. Let it stand until the spirit is tinted of a deep yellow; then

strain it for use.

 

Red.—This is produced by infusing during a fortnight two ounces of

red sandal-wood in a pint of spirits of wine. It at the expiration of

that time the colour should not be dark enough, a pinch of

subcarbonate of soda will give it the required tint.

 

Pink.—Dissolve half an ounce of cochineal in a sufficient quantity of

spirits of wine.

 

Green.—Put a handful of well-cleansed vine-leaves or spinach into a

decanter, fill with spirits of wine, and let it stand in the sun for

ten or twelve days; strain when the wine has become of a bright green.

 

N.B.—The above colouring matters are only adapted for tinting

liqueurs, wines, lemonades, and essences.

 

270.—Frost or Icing for Cakes

 

Beat till very light the whites of four eggs, and add gradually three

quarters of a pound of double-refined sugar, pounded and sifted

through a lawn sieve; mix in the juice of half a lemon; beat it till

very light and white; place the cake before the fire, pour over it the

icing, and smooth over the top and sides with the back of a spoon.

 

271.—Another Way

 

Beat to a stiff froth the whites of three new-laid eggs, and add to

them one pound of sifted white sugar; flour the cake, and then wipe it

off; apply the icing by means of a knife smoothly; then bake in a slow

oven.

 

272.—Coloured Icings

 

Pink icing should be made by adding cochineal syrup; blue, with

indigo; yellow, with saffron or gamboge; green, with spinach syrup or

sap green; brown, with chocolate.

 

273.—Fine Icing for Tarts and Puffs

 

Pound and sift four ounces of refined loaf sugar; beat up the white of

an egg, and by degrees add it to the sugar till it looks white and is

thick. When the tarts are baked,