Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/64

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COOKERY.

with a teaspoonful of essence of lemon, and bake in a tin in a quick oven.


Rice Cake.—Take half a pound of ground rice, half a pound of flour,the same quantity of white sugar, and seven eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, half a pound of butter, half a teaspoonful of baking powder, and the rind of a lemon grated. Beat all well together till thoroughly mixed. Pour into a buttered tin, and bake for three quarters of an hour.


Short Cakes.—Rub half a pound of butter into one pound of flour,and a quarter of a pound of white sugar. Mix into a paste or dough with one egg and a little milk. Roll out pretty thin, and cut into cakes with the top of a tumbler. Bake for about ten minutes in a quick oven.


Maize Meal Cake.—Two pounds of maize meal, half a pound of flour, half a pound of butter, the same of dripping, half a pound of sugar, a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a teaspoonful of baking powder. Mix with five or six eggs, and a little milk, if required. Bake in tins, and eat cold with butter.


Hoe Cakes.—This is an American recipe, and it is best to try a small quantity at first, as it is not every one who likes them. Take one pound of maize meal into a basin, pour over it a little boiling water, enough to scald it all thoroughly. While still hot stir in two tablespoonsful of butter. Salt according to taste, and then bake in a well buttered tin. It should be eaten hot for tea or breakfast.


Johnny Cakes.—Make a thick batter of Indian or maize meal, butter, salt, and warm water. Make it so thick that you can handle it, and mould into small cakes. Rub plenty of flour on the hands to prevent them sticking. Fry in butter or lard. When browned on one side, turn the other. They take twenty or twenty-five minutes to cook thoroughly, and should be eaten hot, with butter or treacle.


Cheap Luncheon Cake.—One

pound flour, quarter of a pound of sugar, quarter of a pound of butter, quarter of a pound of currants, teaspoonful baking soda—mixed in with the flour—three eggs, half a pint of thick milk or buttermilk. Mix quickly, and bake in a moderate oven.


Tea Cakes.—One pound of flour, teaspoonful baking powder, one ounce of sugar, one ounce of butter. Mix with a little sweet milk, divide into three cakes, and bake in a very hot oven.


Afternoon Tea Cake.—Afternoon tea has become almost a universal custom now in the colonies. As cakes are considered a part of the institution it is well to know a few recipes, which are at once cheap and quickly made. Take one tablespoonful of butter, one of good dripping, and two tablespoonsful of sugar. Mix these together, break the yolk of an egg into it, beat the white to a froth and add it, also mix half a teaspoonful of baking powder with five tablespoonsful of flour, stir it all in, adding a little milk to moisten the mixture, drop in two tablespoonsful of currants, beat all together, and pour into your tin, and bake in a quick oven.


Honey Cake.—Dissolve three tablespoonsful of white sugar in half a cup of milk in a saucepan, over a gentle fire. Add twelve ounces of honey, and let it boil. Remove from the fire, and mix in gradually one pound of flour, in which a teaspoonful of baking powder has been mixed. Knead thoroughly, form into cakes, and bake on a tin sprinkled with flour.


The Bushman’s Cake.

Ingredients: One cup of flour, three quarters of a cup of corn meal, one teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoonful of salt, two teaspoonsful of sugar, one cupful of fresh buttermilk.

Mode: Mix together the flour, corn meal, soda, salt, and sugar, rub them well together and mix with the buttermilk, and stir well. Pour into a buttered baking tin and bake in a quick oven. Bush cooks often pour