SEVENTY-FIVE RECEIPTS FORPASTRY CAKES, AND SWEETMEATS

BY MISS LESLIE, OF PHILADELPHIA. 

1832

PREFACE. 

The following Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats, areoriginal, and have been used by the author and many of her friendswith uniform success. They are drawn up in a style so plain andminute, as to be perfectly intelligible to servants, and personsof the most moderate capacity. All the ingredients, with theirproper quantities, are enumerated in a list at the head of eachreceipt, a plan which will greatly facilitate the business ofprocuring and preparing the requisite articles. 

There is frequently much difficulty in following directions inEnglish and French Cookery Books, not only from their want ofexplicitness, but from the difference in the fuel, fire-places, and cooking utensils, generally used in Europe and America; andmany of the European receipts are, so complicated and laborious, that our female cooks are afraid to undertake the arduous task ofmaking any thing from them. 

The receipts in this little book are, in every sense of the word, American; but the writer flatters herself that (if exactlyfollowed) the articles produced from them will not be foundinferior to any of a similar description made in the Europeanmanner. Experience has proved, that pastry, cakes, &c. Prepared_precisely_ according to these directions will not fail to beexcellent: but where economy is expedient, a portion of theseasoning, that is, the spice, wine, brandy, rosewater, essence oflemon, &c. May be omitted without any essential deviation offlavour, or difference of appearance; retaining, however, thegiven proportions of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour. 

But if done at home, and by a person that can be trusted, it willbe proved, on trial, that any of these articles may be made in thebest and most liberal manner at _one half_ of the cost of thesame articles supplied by a confectioner. And they will be foundparticularly useful to families that live in the country or insmall towns, where nothing of the kind is to be purchased. 

CONTENTS. 

PART THE FIRST. 

 Preliminary Remarks Puff Paste Common Paste Mince Pies Plum Pudding Lemon Pudding Orange Pudding Cocoa Nut Pudding Almond Pudding A Cheesecake Sweet Potato Pudding Pumpkin Pudding Gooseberry Pudding Baked Apple Pudding Fruit Pies Oyster Pie Beef Steak Pie Indian Pudding Batter Pudding Bread Pudding Rice Pudding Boston Pudding Fritters Fine Custards Plain Custards Rice Custard Cold Custards Curds and Whey A Trifle Whipt Cream Floating Island Ice Cream Calf's Feet Jelly Blanc-mange

PART THE SECOND

 General directions Queen Cake Pound Cake Black Cake, or Plum Cake Sponge Cake Almond Cake French Almond Cake Maccaroons Apees Jumbles Kisses Spanish Buns Rusk Indian Pound Cake Cup Cake Loaf Cake Sugar Biscuits Milk Biscuits Butter Biscuits Gingerbread Nuts Common Gingerbread La Fayette Gingerbread A Dover Cake Crullers Dough Nuts Waffles Soft Muffins Indian Batter Cakes Flannel Cakes Rolls

PART THE THIRD

 General directions Apple Jelly Red Currant Jelly Black Currant Jelly Gooseberry Jelly Grape Jelly Peach Jelly Preserved Quinces Preserved Pippins Preserved Peaches Preserved Crab-Apples Preserved Plums Preserved Strawberries Preserved Cranberries Preserved Pumpkin Preserved Pine-Apple Raspberry Jam

APPENDIX. 

Miscellaneous Receipts

As all families are not provided with scales and weights, referring to the ingredients generally used in cakes and pastry, we subjoin a list of weights and measures. 

WEIGHT AND MEASURE

Wheat flour one pound is one quart. Indian meal one pound, two ounces, is one quart. Butter--when soft one pound is one quart. Loaf-sugar, broken one pound is one quart. White sugar, powdered one pound, one ounce, is one quart. Eggs ten eggs are one pound. 

LIQUID MEASURE

Sixteen large table-spoonfuls are half a pint. Eight large table-spoonfuls are one gill. Four large table-spoonfuls are half a gill. 

A common-sized tumbler holds half a pint. A common-sized wine-glass half a gill. 

Allowing for accidental differences in the quality, freshness, dryness, and moisture of the articles, we believe this comparisonbetween weight and measure, to be nearly correct as possible. 

PART THE FIRST. 

PASTRY

The eggs should not be beaten till after all the other ingredientsare ready, as they will fail very soon. If the whites and yolksare to be beaten separately, do the whites first, as they willstand longer. 

Eggs should be beaten in a broad shallow pan, spreading wide atthe top. Butter and sugar should be stirred in a deep pan withstraight sides. 

Break every egg by itself, in a saucer, before you put it into thepan, that in case there should be any bad ones, they may not spoilthe others. 

Eggs are beaten most expeditiously with rods. A small quantity ofwhite of egg may be beaten with a knife, or a three-pronged fork. 

There can be no positive rules as to the exact time of baking eacharticle. Skill in baking is the result of practice, attention, andexperience. Much, of course, depends on the state of the fire, andon the size of the things to be baked, and something on thethickness of the pans or dishes. 

If you bake in a stove, put some bricks in the oven part to setthe pans or plates on, and to temper the heat at the bottom. Largesheets of iron, without sides, will be found very useful for smallcakes, and to put under the pans or plates. 

PUFF PASTE. 

 Half a pound and two ounces of sifted flour. Half a pound of the best fresh butter--washed. A little cold water. 

_This will make puff-paste for two Puddings, or for onesoup-plate Pie, or for four small Shells_. 

Weigh half a pound and two ounces of flour, and sift it through ahair-sieve into a large deep dish. Take out about one fourth ofthe flour, and lay it aside on one corner of your pasteboard, toroll and sprinkle with. 

Wash, in cold water, half a pound of the best fresh butter. Squeeze it hard with your hands and make it up into a round lump. Divide it in four equal parts; lay them on one side of yourpaste-board, and have ready a glass of cold water. 

Cut one of the four pieces of butter into the pan of flour. Cut itas small as possible. Wet it gradually with a very little water(too much water will make it tough) and mix it well with the pointof a large case-knife. Do not touch it with your hands. When thedough gets into a lump, sprinkle on the middle of the board someof the flour that you laid aside, and lay the dough upon it, turning it out of the pan with the knife. 

Rub the rolling-pin with flour, and sprinkle a little on the lumpof paste. Roll it out thin, quickly, and evenly, pressing on therolling-pin very lightly. Then take the second of the four piecesof butter, and, with the point of your knife, stick it in littlebits at equal distances all over the sheet of paste. Sprinkle onsome flour, and fold up the dough. Flour the paste-board androlling-pin again; throw a little flour on the paste and roll itout a second time. Stick the third piece of butter all over it inlittle bits. Throw on some flour, fold up the paste, sprinkle alittle more flour on the dough, and on the rolling-pin, and rollit out a third time, always pressing on it lightly. Stick it overwith the fourth and last piece of butter. Throw on a little moreflour, fold up the paste and then roll it out in a large roundsheet. Cut off the sides, so as to make the sheet of a squareform, and lay the slips of dough upon the square sheet. Fold it upwith the small pieces of trimmings, in the inside. Score or notchit a little with the knife; lay it on a plate and set it away in acool place, but not where it can freeze, as that will make itheavy. 

Having made the paste, prepare and mix your pudding or pie. Whenthe mixture is finished, bring out your paste, flour the board androlling-pin, and roll it out with a short quick stroke, andpressing the rolling-pin rather harder than while you were puttingthe butter in. If the paste rises in blisters, it will be light, unless spoiled in baking. 

Then cut the sheet in half, fold up each piece and roll them outonce more, separately, in round sheets the size of your plate. Press on rather harder, but not too hard. Roll the sheets thinnestin the middle and thickest at the edges. If intended for puddings, lay them in buttered soup-plates, and trim them evenly round theedges. If the edges do not appear thick enough, you may take thetrimmings, put them all together, roll them out, and having cutthem in slips the breadth of the rim of the plate, lay them allround to make the paste thicker at the edges, joining them nicelyand evenly, as every patch or crack will appear distinctly whenbaked. Notch the rim handsomely with a very sharp knife. Fill thedish with the mixture of the pudding, and bake it in a moderateoven. The paste should be of a light brown colour. If the oven istoo slow, it will be soft and clammy; if too quick, it will nothave time to rise as high as it ought to do. 

In making the best puff-paste, try to avoid using more flour tosprinkle and roll with, than the small portion which you have laidaside for that purpose at the beginning. If you make the dough toosoft at first, by using too much water, it will be sticky, andrequire more flour, and will eventually be tough when baked. Donot put your hands to it, as their warmth will injure it. Use theknife instead. Always roll from you rather than to you, and presslightly on the rolling-pin, except at the last. 

It is difficult to make puff-paste in the summer, unless in acellar, or very cool room, and on a marble table. The buttershould, if possible, be washed the night before, and kept coveredwith ice till you use it next day. The water should have ice init, and the butter should be iced as it sets on the paste-board. After the paste is mixed, it should be put in a covered dish, andset in cold water till you are ready to give it the last rolling. 

With all these precautions to prevent its being heavy, it will notrise as well, or be in any respect as good as in cold weather. 

The handsomest way of ornamenting the edge of a pie or pudding isto cut the rim in large square notches, and then fold overtriangularly one corner of every notch. 

COMMON PASTE FOR PIES. 

 A pound and a half of sifted flour. Three quarters of a pound of butter--washed. 

_This will make one large pie or two small ones_. 

Sift the flour into a pan. Cut the butter into two equal parts. Cut one half of the butter into the flour, and cut it up as smallas possible. Mix it well with the flour, wetting it gradually witha little cold water. 

Spread some flour on your paste-board, take the lump of paste outof the pan, flour your rolling-pin, and roll out the paste into alarge sheet. Then stick it over with the remaining half of thebutter in small pieces, and laid at equal distances. Throw on alittle flour, fold up the sheet of paste, flour it slightly, androll it out again. Then fold it up, and cut it in half or in four, according to the size of your pies. Roll it out into round sheetsthe size of your pie-plates, pressing rather harder on therolling-pin. 

Butter your pie-plates, lay on your under crust, and trim theedge. Fill the dish with the ingredients of which the pie iscomposed, and lay on the lid, in which you must prick some holes, or cut a small slit in the top. Crimp the edges with a sharpknife. 

Heap up the ingredients so that the pie will be highest in themiddle. 

Some think it makes common paste more crisp and light, to beat ithard on both sides with the rolling-pin, after you give it thefirst rolling, when all the butter is in. 

If the butter is very fresh, you may mix with the flour asalt-spoonful of salt. 

MINCE PIES

 One pound and a half of boiled beef's heart, or fresh tongue--chopped when cold. Two pounds of beef suet, chopped fine. Four pounds of pippin apples, chopped. Two pounds of raisins, stoned and chopped. Two pounds of currants, picked, washed, and dried. Two pounds of powdered sugar. One quart of white wine. One quart of brandy. One wine-glass of rose-water. Two grated nutmegs. Half an ounce of powdered cinnamon A quarter of an ounce of powdered cloves A quarter of an ounce of powdered mace A teaspoon of salt. Two large oranges. Half a pound of citron, cut in slips. 

Parboil a beef's heart, or a fresh tongue. After you have takenoff the skin and fat, weigh a pound and a half. When it is cold, chop it very fine. Take the inside of the suet; weigh two pounds, and chop it as fine as possible. Mix the meat and suet together, adding the salt. Pare, core, and chop the apples, and then stoneand chop the raisins. Having prepared the currants, add them tothe other fruit, and mix the fruit with the meat and suet. Put inthe sugar and spice, and the grated peel and juice of the oranges. Wet the whole with the rose water and liquor, and mix all welltogether. 

Make the paste, allowing for each pie, half a pound of butter andthree quarters of a pound of sifted flour. Make it in the samemanner as puff-paste, but it will not be quite so rich. Lay asheet of paste all over a soup-plate. Fill it with mince-meat, laying slips of citron on the top. Roll out a sheet of paste, forthe lid of the pie. Put it on, and crimp the edges with a knife. Prick holes in the lid. 

Bake the pies half an hour in a brisk oven. 

Keep your mince meat in a jar tightly covered. Set it in a dry, cool place, and occasionally add more brandy to it. 

Instead of the heart or tongue, you may, if you choose, use partof a round of fresh beef. 

PLUM PUDDING

 One pound of raisins, stoned and cut in half. One pound of currants, picked, washed and dried. One pound of beef suet chopped fine. One pound of grated stale bread, or, half a pound of flour and half a pound of bread. Eight eggs. A quarter of a pound of sugar. A glass of brandy. A pint of milk. A glass of wine. Two nutmegs, grated. A table-spoonful of mixed cinnamon and mace. A salt-spoonful of salt. 

You must prepare all your ingredients the day before (exceptbeating the eggs) that in the morning you may have nothing to dobut to mix them, as the pudding will require six hours to boil. 

Beat the eggs very light, then put to them half the milk and beatboth together. Stir in gradually the flour and grated bread. Nextadd the sugar by degrees. Then the suet and fruit alternately. Thefruit must be well sprinkled with flour, lest it sink to thebottom. Stir very hard. Then add the spice and liquor, and lastlythe remainder of the milk. Stir the whole mixture very welltogether. If it is not thick enough, add a little more gratedbread or flour. If there is too much bread or flour, the puddingwill be hard and heavy. 

Dip your pudding-cloth, in boiling water, shake it out andsprinkle it slightly with flour. Lay it in a pan and pour themixture into the cloth. Tie it up carefully, allowing room for thepudding to swell. 

Boil it six hours, and turn it carefully out of the cloth. 

Before you send it to table, have ready some blanched sweetalmonds cut in slips, or some slips of citron, or both. Stick themall over the outside of the pudding. 

Eat it with wine, or with a sauce made of drawn butter, wine andnutmeg. 

The pudding will be improved if you add to the other ingredients, the grated rind of a large lemon or orange. 

LEMON PUDDING

 One small lemon, with a smooth thin rind. Three eggs. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. A quarter of a pound of fresh butter--washed. A table-spoonful of white wine and brandy, mixed. A tea-spoonful of rose-water. 

 Five ounces of sifted flour, and a quarter of a pound of fresh butter for the paste. 

Grate the yellow part of the rind of a small lemon. Then cut thelemon in half, and squeeze the juice into the plate that containsthe grated rind, carefully taking out all the seeds. Mix the juiceand rind together. 

Put a quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar into a deepearthen pan, and cut up in it a quarter of a pound of the bestfresh butter. If the weather is very cold, set the pan near thefire, for a few minutes, to soften the butter, but do not allow itto melt or it will be heavy. Stir the butter and sugar together, with a stick or wooden spoon, till it is perfectly light and ofthe consistence of cream. 

Put the eggs in a shallow broad pan, and beat them with anegg-beater or rods, till they are quite smooth, and as thick as aboiled custard. Then stir the eggs, gradually, into the pan ofbutter and sugar. Add the liquor and rose water by degrees, andthen stir in, gradually, the juice and grated rind of the lemon. Stir the whole very hard, after all the ingredients are in. 

Have ready a puff-paste made of five ounces of sifted flour, and aquarter of a pound of fresh butter. The paste must be made with aslittle water as possible. Roll it out in a circular sheet, thin inthe centre, and thicker towards the edges, and just large enoughto cover the bottom, sides, and edges of a soup-plate. Butter thesoup-plate very well, and lay the paste in it, making it neat andeven round the broad edge of the plate. With a sharp knife, trimoff the superfluous dough, and notch the edges. Put in the mixturewith a spoon, and bake the pudding about half an hour, in amoderate oven. It should be baked of a very light brown. If theoven is too hot, the paste will not have time to rise well. If toocold, it will be clammy. When the pudding is cool, grateloaf-sugar over it. 

Before using lemons for any purpose, always roll them awhile withyour hand on a table. This will cause them to yield a largerquantity of juice. 

ORANGE PUDDING. 

 One large orange, of a deep colour, and smooth thin rind. One lime. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. A quarter of a pound of fresh butter. Three eggs. A table-spoonful of mixed wine and brandy. A tea-spoonful of rose-water. 

Grate the yellow rind of the orange and lime, and squeeze thejuice into a saucer or soup-plate, taking out all the seeds. 

Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. 

Beat the eggs as light as possible, and then stir them by degreesinto the pan of butter and sugar. Add, gradually, the liquor androse-water, and then by degrees, the orange and lime. Stir allwell together. 

Have ready a sheet of puff-paste made of five ounces of siftedflour, and a quarter of a pound of fresh butter. Lay the paste ina buttered soup-plate. Trim and notch the edges, and then put inthe mixture. Bake it about half an hour, in a moderate oven. Grateloaf-sugar over it, before you send it to table. 

COCOA-NUT PUDDING

 A quarter of a pound of cocoa-nut, grated. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. Three ounces and a half of fresh butter. The whites only of six eggs. A table-spoonful of wine and brandy mixed. Half a tea-spoonful of rose-water. 

Break up a cocoa-nut, and take the thin brown skin carefully off, with a knife. Wash all the pieces in cold water, and then wipethem dry, with a clean towel. Weigh a quarter of a pound ofcocoa-nut, and grate it very fine, into a soup-plate. 

Stir the butter and sugar to a cream, and add the liquor androse-water gradually to them. 

Beat the whites only, of six eggs, till they stand alone on therods; and then stir the beaten white of egg, gradually, into thebutter and sugar. Afterwards, sprinkle in, by degrees, the gratedcocoa-nut, stirring hard all the time. Then stir all very well atthe last. 

Have ready a puff-paste, sufficient to cover the bottom, sides, and edges of a soup-plate. Put in the mixture, and bake it in amoderate oven, about half an hour. 

Grate loaf-sugar over it, when cool. 

ALMOND PUDDING. 

 Half a pound of sweet almonds, which will be reduced to a quarter of a pound, when shelled and blanched. An ounce of blanched bitter almonds or peach-kernels. The whites only, of six eggs. A quarter of a pound of butter. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. A table-spoonful of mixed brandy, wine, and rose-water. 

Shell half a pound of sweet almonds, and pour scalding water overthem, which will make the skins peal off. As they get cool, pourmore boiling water, till the almonds are all blanched. Blanch alsothe bitter almonds. As you blanch the almonds, throw them into abowl of cold water. Then take them out, one by one, wipe them dryin a clean towel, and lay them on a plate. Pound them one at atime to a fine paste, in a marble mortar, adding, as you poundthem, a few drops of rose-water to prevent their oiling. Pound thebitter and sweet almonds alternately, that they may be well mixed. They must be made perfectly fine and smooth, and are the betterfor being prepared the day before they are wanted for the pudding. 

Stir the butter and sugar to a cream, and add to it, gradually, the liquor. 

Beat the whites of six eggs till they stand alone. Stir thealmonds and white of eggs, alternately, into the butter and sugar;and then stir the whole well together. 

Have ready a puff-paste sufficient for a soup-plate. Butter theplate, lay on the paste, trim and notch it. Then put in themixture. 

Bake it about half an hour in a moderate oven. 

Grate loaf-sugar over it. 

A CHEESECAKE. 

 Four eggs. A gill of milk. A quarter of a pound of butter. A quarter of a pound of powdered sugar. Two ounces of grated bread. A table-spoonful of mixed brandy and wine. A tea-spoonful of rose-water. A tea-spoonful of mace, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixed. A quarter of a pound of currants. 

Pick the currants very clean. Wash them through a colander, wipethem in a towel, and then dry them on a dish before the fire. 

When dry take out a few to scatter over the top of the cheesecake, lay them aside, and sprinkle the remainder of the currants withthe flour. 

Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. Grate the bread, and preparethe spice. Beat the eggs very light. 

Boil the milk. When it comes to a boil, add to it half the beatenegg, and boil both together till it becomes a curd, stirring itfrequently with a knife. Then throw the grated bread on the curd, and stir all together. Then take the milk, egg, and bread off thefire and stir it, gradually, into the butter and sugar. Next, stirin the remaining half of the egg. 

Add, by degrees, the liquor and spice. 

Lastly, stir in, gradually, the currants. 

Have ready a puff-paste, which should be made before you preparethe cheesecake, as the mixture will become heavy by standing. Before you put it into the oven, scatter the remainder of thecurrants over the top. 

Bake it half an hour in rather a quick oven. 

Do not sugar the top. 

You may bake it either in a soup-plate, or in two small tinpatty-pans, which, for cheesecakes, should be of a square shape. If baked in square patty-pans, leave at each side a flap of pastein the shape of a half-circle. Cut long slits in these flaps andturn them over, so that they will rest on the top of the mixture. 

You can, if you choose, add to the currants a few raisins stoned, and cut in half. 

SWEET POTATO PUDDING. 

 A quarter of a pound of boiled sweet potato. Three eggs. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. A quarter of a pound of fresh butter. A glass of mixed wine and brandy. A half-glass of rose-water. A tea-spoonful of mixed spice, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon. 

Pound the spice, allowing a smaller proportion of mace than ofnutmeg and cinnamon. 

Boil and peal some sweet potatoes, and when they are cold, weigh aquarter of a pound. Mash the sweet potato very smooth, and rub itthrough a sieve. Stir the sugar and butter to a cream. 

Beat the eggs very light, and stir them into the butter and sugar, alternately with the sweet potato. Add by degrees the liquor, rose-water and spice. Stir all very hard together. 

Spread puff-paste on a soup-plate. Put in the mixture, and bake itabout half an hour in a moderate oven. 

Grate sugar over it. 

PUMPKIN PUDDING. 

 Half a pound of stewed pumpkin. Three eggs. A quarter of a pound of fresh butter, or a pint of cream. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. Half a glass of wine and brandy mixed. Half a glass of rose-water. A tea-spoonful of mixed spice, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon. 

Stew some pumpkin with as little water as possible. Drain it in acolander, and press it till dry. When cold, weigh half a pound, and pass it through a sieve. Prepare the spice. Stir together thesugar, and butter, to cream, till they are perfectly light. Add tothem, gradually, the spice and liquor. 

Beat three eggs very light, and stir them into the butter andsugar alternately with the pumpkin. 

Cover a soup-plate with puff-paste, and put in the mixture. Bakeit in a moderate oven about half an hour. 

Grate sugar over it when cool. 

Instead of the butter, you may boil a pint of milk or cream, andwhen cold, stir into it in turn the sugar, eggs, and pumpkin. 

GOOSEBERRY PUDDING. 

 A pint of stewed gooseberries, with all their juice. A quarter of a pound of powdered sugar. Two ounces of fresh butter. Two ounces of grated bread. Three eggs. 

Stew the gooseberries till quite soft. When they are cold, mashthem fine with the back of a spoon, and stir into them two ouncesof sugar. Take two ounces more of sugar, and stir it to a creamwith two ounces of butter. 

Grate very fine as much stale bread as will weigh two ounces. 

Beat three eggs, and stir them into the butter and sugar, in turnwith the gooseberries and bread. 

Lay puff-paste in a soup plate. Put in the mixture, and bake ithalf an hour. 

Do not grate sugar over it. 

BAKED APPLE PUDDING. 

 A pint of stewed apples. Half a pint of cream, or two ounces of butter. A quarter of a pound of powdered sugar. A nutmeg grated. A table-spoonful of rose-water. A tea-spoonful of grated lemon-peel. 

Stew your apple in as little water as possible, and not longenough for the pieces to break and lose their shape. Put them in acolander to drain, and mash them with the back of a spoon. Ifstewed too long, and in too much water, they will lose theirflavour. When cold, mix with them the nutmeg, rose-water, andlemon-peel, and two ounces of sugar. Stir the other two ounces ofsugar, with the butter or cream, and then mix it gradually withthe apple. 

Bake, it in puff-paste, in a soup-dish, about half an hour in amoderate oven. 

Do not sugar the top. 

FRUIT PIES. 

Fruit pies for family use, are generally made with common paste, allowing three quarters of a pound of butter to a pound and a halfof flour. 

Peaches and plums for pies, should be cut in half, and the stonestaken out. Cherries also should be stoned, and red cherries onlyshould be used for pies. 

Apples should be cut into very thin slices, and are much improvedby a little lemon peel. Sweet apples are not good for pies, asthey are very insipid when baked, and seldom get thoroughly done. If green apples are used, they should first be stewed in as littlewater as possible; and made very sweet. 

Apples, stewed previous to baking, should not be done till theybreak, but only till they are tender. They should then be drainedin a colander, and chopped fine with a knife or the edge of aspoon. 

In making pies of juicy fruit, it is a good way to set a smalltea-cup on the bottom crust, and lay the fruit all round it. Thejuice will collect under the cup, and not run out at the edges ortop of the pie. The fruit should be mixed with a sufficientquantity of sugar, and piled up in the middle, so as to make thepie highest in the centre. The upper crust should be pricked witha fork, or have a slit cut in the middle. The edges should benicely crimped with a knife. 

Dried peaches, dried apples, and cranberries should be stewed witha very little water, and allowed to get quite cold before they areput into the pie. If stewed fruit is put in warm, it will make thepaste heavy. 

If your pies are made in the form of shells, or without lids, thefruit should always be stewed first, or it will not be sufficientlydone, as the shells (which should be of puff paste) must notbake so long as covered pies. 

Shells intended for sweetmeats, must be baked empty, and the fruitput into them before they go to table. 

Fruit pies with lids, should have loaf-sugar grated over them. Ifthey have been baked the day before, they should be warmed in thestove, or near the fire, before they are sent to table, to softenthe crust, and make them taste fresh. 

Raspberry and apple-pies are much improved by taking off the lid, and pouring in a little cream just before they go to table. Replace the lid very carefully. 

OYSTER PIE. 

 A hundred large fresh oysters, or more if small. The yolks of six eggs boiled hard. A large slice of stale-bread, grated. A tea-spoonful of salt. A table-spoonful of pepper. A table-spoonful of mixed spice, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon. 

Take a large round dish, butter it and spread a rich paste overthe sides, and round the edge, but not at the bottom. 

Salt oysters will not do for pies. They should be fresh, and aslarge and fine as possible. 

Drain off part of the liquor from the oysters. Put them into apan, and season them with pepper, salt and spice. Stir them wellwith the seasoning. Have ready the yolks of eggs, chopped fine, and the grated bread. Pour the oysters (with as much of theirliquor as you please) into the dish that has the paste in it. Strew over them the chopped egg and grated bread. 

Roll out the lid of the pie, and put it on, crimping the edgeshandsomely. 

Take a small sheet of paste, cut it into a square and roll it up. Cut it with a sharp knife into the form of a double tulip. 

Make a slit in the centre of the upper crust, and stick the tulipin it. 

Cut out eight large leaves of paste, and lay them on the lid. 

Bake the pie in a quick oven. 

If you think the oysters will be too much done by baking them inthe crust, you can substitute for them pieces of bread, to keep upthe lid of the pie. 

Put the oysters with their liquor and the seasoning, chopped egg, grated bread, &c. Into a pan. Cover them closely, and let themjust come to a boil, taking them off the fire, and stirring themfrequently. 

When the crust is baked, take the lid neatly off (loosening itround the edge with a knife) take out the pieces of bread, and putin the oysters. Lay the lid on again very carefully. 

For oyster patties, the oysters are prepared in the same manner. 

They may be chopped if you choose. They must be put in smallshells of puff-paste. 

BEEF-STEAK PIE. 

Butter a deep dish, and spread a sheet of paste all over thebottom, sides, and edge. 

Cut away from your beef-steak all the bone, fat, gristle, andskin. Cut the lean in small thin pieces, about as large, generally, as the palm of your hand. Beat the meat well with therolling-pin, to make it juicy and tender. If you put in the fat, it will make the gravy too greasy and strong, as it cannot beskimmed. 

Put a layer of meat over the bottom-crust of your dish, and seasonit to your taste, with pepper, salt, and, if you choose, a littlenutmeg. A small quantity of mushroom ketchup is an improvement;so, also, is a little minced onion. 

Have ready some cold boiled potatoes sliced thin. Spread over themeat, a layer of potatoes, and a small piece of butter; thenanother layer of meat, seasoned, and then a layer of potatoes, andso on till the dish is full and heaped up in the middle, having alayer of meat on the top. Pour in a little water. 

Cover the pie with a sheet of paste, and trim the edges. Notch ithandsomely with a knife; and, if you choose, make a tulip ofpaste, and stick it in the middle of the lid, and lay leaves ofpaste round it. 

Fresh oysters will greatly improve a beef-steak pie. So also willmushrooms. 

Any meat pie may be made in a similar manner. 

INDIAN PUDDING. 

 A pound of beef-suet, chopped very fine. A pint of molasses. A pint of rich milk. Four eggs. A large tea-spoonful of powdered nutmeg and cinnamon. A little grated or chipped lemon-peel. Indian meal sufficient to make a thick batter. 

Warm the milk and molasses, and stir them together. Beat the eggs, and stir them gradually into the milk and molasses, in turn withthe suet and indian meal. Add the spice and lemon-peel and stirall very hard together. Take care not to put too much indian meal, or the pudding will be heavy and solid. 

Dip the cloth in boiling water. Shake it out, and flour itslightly. Pour the mixture into it, and tie it up, leaving roomfor the pudding to swell. 

Boil it three hours. Serve it up hot, and eat it with sauce madeof drawn butter, wine and nutmeg. 

When cold, it is good cut in slices and fried. 

BATTER PUDDING. 

 Six eggs. Eight table-spoonfuls of sifted flour. One quart of milk. A salt-spoonful of salt. 

Stir the flour, gradually, into the milk, carefully dissolving allthe lumps. Beat the eggs very light, and add them by degrees tothe milk and flour. Put in the salt, and stir the whole welltogether. 

Take a very thick pudding-cloth. Dip it in boiling water, andflour it. Pour into it the mixture and tie it up, leaving room forit to swell. Boil it hard, one hour, and keep it in the pot, tillit is time to send it to table. Serve it up with wine-sauce. 

A square cloth, which when tied up will make the pudding of around form, is better than a bag. 

Apple Batter Pudding is made by pouring the batter over a dish ofpippins, pared, cored, and sweetened, either whole or cut inpieces. Bake it, and eat it with butter and sugar. 

BREAD PUDDING. 

 A quarter of a pound of grated stale bread. A quart of milk, boiled with two or three sticks of cinnamon, slightly broken. Eight eggs. A quarter of a pound of sugar. A little grated lemon-peel. 

Boil the milk with the cinnamon, strain it, and set it away tillquite cold. 

Grate as much crumb of stale bread as will weigh a quarter of apound. Beat the eggs, and when the milk is cold, stir them into itin turn with the bread and sugar. Add the lemon-peel, and if youchoose, a table spoonful of rosewater. 

Bake it in a buttered dish, and grate nutmeg over it when done. Donot send it to table hot. Baked puddings should never be eatentill they have become cold, or at least cool. 

RICE PUDDING. 

 A quarter of a pound of rice. A quarter of a pound of butter. A quarter of a pound of sugar. A pint and a half of milk, or cream and milk. Six eggs. A tea-spoonful of mixed spice, mace, nutmeg and cinnamon. A half wine-glass of rose-water. 

Wash the rice. Boil it till very soft. Drain it and set it awayto get cold. Put the butter and sugar together in a pan, and stirthem till very light. Add to them the spice and rose-water. Beatthe eggs very light, and stir them, gradually, into the milk. Thenstir the eggs and the milk into the butter and sugar, alternatelywith the rice. 

Bake it and grate nutmeg over the top. 

Currants or raisins, floured, and stirred in at the last, willgreatly improve it. 

It should be eaten cold, or quite cool. 

BOSTON PUDDING. 

Make a good common paste with a pound and a half of flour, andthree quarters of a pound of butter. [Footnote: Or three quartersof a pound of beef suet, chopped very fine. Mix the suet at oncewith the flour, knead it with cold water into a stiff dough, andthen roll it out into a large thin sheet. Fold it up and roll itagain. ] When you roll it out the last time, cut off the edges, till you get the sheet of paste of an even square shape. 

Have ready some fruit sweetened to your taste. If cranberries, gooseberries, dried peaches, or damsons, they should be stewed, and made very sweet. If apples, they should be stewed in a verylittle water, drained, and seasoned with nutmeg, rosewater andlemon. If currants, raspberries, or blackberries, they should bemashed with sugar, and put into the pudding raw. 

Spread the fruit very thick, all over the sheet of paste, (whichmust not be rolled out too thin. ) When it is covered all over withthe fruit, roll it up, and close the dough at both ends, and downthe last side. Tie the pudding in a cloth and boil it. 

Eat it with sugar. It must not be taken out of the pot till justbefore it is brought to table. 

FRITTERS. 

 Seven eggs. Half a pint of milk. A salt-spoonful of salt. Sufficient flour to make a thick batter. 

Beat the eggs well and stir them gradually into the milk. Add thesalt, and stir in flour enough to make a thick batter. 

Fry them in lard, and serve them up hot. 

Eat them with wine and sugar. 

They are improved by stirring in a table-spoonful of yeast. 

These are excellent with the addition of cold stewed apple, stirred into the mixtures in which case use less flour. 

FINE CUSTARDS. 

 A quart of milk or cream. The yoke only, of sixteen eggs. Six ounces of powdered white sugar. A large handful of peach-leaves or half an ounce of peach kernels or bitter almonds, broken in pieces. A table-spoonful of rose-water. A nutmeg. 

Boil in the milk the cinnamon, and the peach-leaves, orpeach-kernels. When it has boiled, set it away to get cold. Assoon as it is cold, strain it through a sieve, to clear it fromthe cinnamon, peach-leaves, &c. And stir into it gradually, thesugar, spice, and rose-water. 

Beat the yolks of sixteen eggs very light, and stir them bydegrees into the milk, which must be quite cold or the eggs willmake it curdle. Put the custards into cups, and set them in abaking pan, half filled with water. When baked, grate some nutmegover each and ice them. Make the icing of the whites of eighteggs, a large tea-spoonful of powdered loaf sugar, and six dropsof essence of lemon, beaten all together till it stands alone. Pile up some of the icing on the top of each custard, heaping ithigh. Put a spot of red nonpareils on the middle of the pile oficing. 

If the weather be damp, or the eggs not new-laid, more than eightwhites will be required for the icing. 

PLAIN CUSTARDS. 

 A quart of rich milk. Eight eggs. A quarter of a pound of powdered sugar. A handful of peach-leaves, or half an ounce of peach-kernels, broken in pieces. A nutmeg. 

Boil the peach-leaves or kernels in the milk, and set it away tocool. When cold, strain out the leaves or kernels, and stir in thesugar. Beat the eggs very light, and stir them gradually into themilk when it is quite cold. Bake it in cups, or in a large whitedish. 

When cool, grate nutmeg over the top. 

RICE CUSTARDS. 

 Half a pound of rice. Half a pound of raisins or currants. Eight yolks of eggs or six whole eggs. Six ounces of powdered sugar. A quart of rich milk. A handful of peach-leaves, or half an ounce of peach-kernels, broken in pieces. Half an ounce of cinnamon, broken in pieces. 

Boil the rice with the raisins or currants, which must first befloured. Butter some cups or a mould, and when the rice is quitesoft, drain it, and put it into them. Set it away to get cold. 

Beat the eggs well. Boil the milk with the cinnamon andpeach-leaves, or kernels. As soon as it has come to a boil, takeit off and strain it through a sieve. Then set it again on thefire, stir into it alternately, the egg and sugar, taking it offfrequently and stirring it hard, lest it become a curd. Take carenot to boil it too long, or it will be lumpy and lose its flavour. When done, set it away to cool. Turn out the rice from the cups ormould, into a deep dish. Pour some of the boiled custard over it, and send up the remainder of the custard in a sauce-boat. 

You may, if you choose, ornament the lumps of rice, (after thecustard is poured round them) by making a stiff froth of white ofegg (beaten till it stands alone) and a few drops of essence oflemon, with a very little powdered loaf-sugar. Heap the froth onthe top of each lump of rice. 

COLD CUSTARDS. 

 A quart of new milk, and a half a pint of cream, mixed. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. A large glass of white wine, in which an inch of washed rennet has been soaked. A nutmeg. 

Mix together the milk, cream, and sugar. Stir the wine into it, and pour the mixture into your custard-cups. Set them in a warmplace near the fire, till they become a firm curd. Then set themon ice, or in a very cold place. Grate nutmeg over them. 

CURDS AND WHEY. 

Take a small piece of rennet about two inches square. Wash it veryclean in cold water, to get all the salt off, and wipe it dry. Putit in a tea-cup, and pour on it just enough of lukewarm water tocover it. Let it set all night, or, for several hours. Then takeout the rennet, and stir the water in which it was soaked, into aquart of milk, which should be in a broad dish. 

Set the milk in a warm place, till it becomes a firm curd. As soonas the curd is completely made, set it in a cool place, or on ice(if in summer) for two or three hours before you want to use it. 

Eat it with wine, sugar, and nutmeg. 

The whey, drained from the curd, is an excellent drink forinvalids. 

A TRIFLE. 

 A quart of cream. A quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, powdered. Half a pint of white wine and Half a gill of brandy mixed. Eight maccaroons, or more if you choose. Four small sponge-cakes or Naples biscuit. Two ounces of blanched sweet almonds, pounded in a mortar. One ounce of blanched bitter almonds or peach-kernels. The juice and grated peel of two lemons. A nutmeg, grated. A glass of noyau. A pint of rich baked custard, made of the yolks of eggs. 

Pound the sweet and bitter almonds to a smooth paste, adding alittle rose-water as you pound them. 

Grate the yellow peels of the lemons, and squeeze the juice into asaucer. 

Break the sponge cake and maccaroons into small pieces, mix themwith the almonds, and lay them in the bottom of a large glassbowl. Grate a nutmeg over them, and the juice and peel of thelemons. Add the wine and brandy, and let the mixture remainuntouched, till the cakes are dissolved in the liquor. Then stirit a little. 

Mix the cream and sugar with a glass of noyau, and beat it with awhisk or rods, till it stands alone. 

As the froth rises, take it off with a spoon, and lay it on asieve (with a large dish under it) to drain. The cream, thatdrains into the dish, must be poured back into the pan with therest, and beaten over again. When the cream is finished, set it ina cool place. 

When the custard is cold, poor it into the glass bowl upon thedissolved cakes, &c. And when the cream is ready, fill up the bowlwith it, heaping it high in the middle. You may ornament it withnonpareils. 

If you choose, you can put in, between the custard and the frothedcream, a layer of fruit jelly, or small fruit preserved. 

WHIPT CREAM. 

 A quart of cream. The whites of four eggs. Half a pint of white wine. A quarter of a pound of powdered loaf-sugar. Tea drops of strong essence of lemon, or two lemons cut in thin slices, or the juice of a large lemon. 

Mix together, in a broad pan, all the ingredients, unless you useslices of lemon, and then they must be laid at intervals among thefroth, as you heap it in the bowl. 

With a whisk or rods, beat the cream to a strong froth. Havebeside your pan a sieve (bottom upwards) with a large dish underit. As the froth rises, take it lightly off with a spoon, and layit on the sieve to drain. When the top of the sieve is full, transfer the froth to a large glass or china bowl. Continue to dothis till the bowl is full. 

The cream which has dropped through the sieve into the dish, mustbe poured into the pan, and beaten over again. When all the creamis converted into froth, pile it up in the bowl, making it highestin the middle. 

If you choose, you may ornament it with red and green nonpareils. 

If you put it in glasses, lay a little jelly in the bottom of eachglass, and pile the cream on it. 

Keep it in a cool place till you want to use it. 

FLOATING ISLAND. 

 Six whites of eggs. Six large table-spoonfuls of jelly. A pint of cream. 

Put the jelly and white of egg into a pan, and beat it togetherwith a whisk, till it becomes a stiff froth and stands alone. 

Have ready the cream, in a broad shallow dish. Just before yousend it to table, pile up the froth in the centre of the cream. 

ICE CREAM. 

 A quart of rich cream. Half a pound of powdered loaf sugar. The juice of two large lemons, or a pint of strawberries or raspberries. 

Put the cream into a broad pan. Then stir in the sugar by degrees, and when all is well mixed, strain it through a sieve. 

Put it into a tin that has a close cover, and set it in a tub. Fill the tub with ice broken into very small pieces, and strewamong the ice a large quantity of salt, taking care that none ofthe salt gets into the cream. Scrape the cream down with a spoonas it freezes round the edges of the tin. While the cream isfreezing, stir in gradually the lemon-juice, or the juice of apint of mashed strawberries or raspberries. When it is all frozen, dip the tin in lukewarm water; take out the cream, and fill yourglasses; but not till a few minutes before you want to use it, asit will very soon melt. 

You may heighten the colour of the red fruit, by a littlecochineal. 

If you wish to have it in moulds, put the cream into them as soonas it has frozen in the tin. Set the moulds in a tub of ice andsalt. Just before you want to use the cream, take the moulds outof the tub, wipe or wash the salt carefully from the outside, dipthe moulds in lukewarm water, and turn out the cream. 

You may flavour a quart of ice-cream with two ounces of sweetalmonds and one ounce of bitter almonds, blanched and beaten in amortar with a little rose-water to a smooth paste. Stir in thealmonds gradually while the cream is freezing. 

ANOTHER KIND OF ICE-CREAM. 

 A pint and a half of rich cream. A quart and a half-pint of morning's milk. One pound of loaf sugar. Two eggs. One table-spoonful of flour. Two lemons. Or half a Vanilla bean, split into small pieces. Or two ounces of sweet almonds and once ounce of bitter almonds, blanched and split into pieces. 

Take half of the milk and put in the ingredient that is to flavourit, either the vanilla, the almonds, or the grated rind of thelemons. Boil it, stirring in gradually the sugar. 

Having beaten the eggs well, add to them two table-spoonfuls ofcold milk, and pour them into the boiling milk. Let them simmertwo or three minutes, stirring them all the time. Then take themixture off the fire and strain it through book-muslin into a pan. Add the cream and the remainder of the milk, and put the wholeinto the tin freezer, which must be set in a tub filled with ice, among which must be scattered a great deal of salt. 

Squeeze the juice from the two lemons and stir it into the cream, by degrees, while it is freezing. 

When it is all frozen, turn it out, first dipping the tin for amoment in warm water. 

If you wish to flavour it with strawberry or raspberry juice, that, like the lemon-juice, must be stirred gradually in while thecream is freezing. 

In places where cream is not abundant, this receipt (thoughinferior in richness) will be found more economical than thepreceding one. It is, however, less easy and expeditious. 

CALF'S-FEET JELLY. 

 Eight calf's feet. Three quarts of water. A pint of white wine. Three lemons. The whites of six eggs. Half an ounce of cinnamon. Half a pound of loaf-sugar, broken into lumps. 

Endeavour to procure calf's-feet, that have been nicely singed, but not skinned, as the skin being left on, makes the jelly muchfirmer. 

The day before you want to use the jelly, boil the eightcalf's-feet in three quarts of water, till the meat drops from thebone. When sufficiently done, put it into a collender or sieve, and let the liquid drain from the meat, into a broad pan or dish. Skim off the fat. Let the jelly stand till next day, and thencarefully scrape off the sediment from the bottom. It will be afirm jelly, if too much water has not been used, and if it hasbolted long enough. If it is not firm at first, it will not becomeso afterwards when boiled with the other ingredients. There shouldon no account be more than three quarts of water. 

Early next morning, put the jelly into a tin kettle, or coveredtin pan; set it on the fire, and melt it a little. Take it off, and season it with the cinnamon slightly broken, a pint of madeirawine, three lemons cut in thin slices, and half a pound ofloaf-sugar, broken up. 

If you wish it high-coloured, add two table-spoonfuls of Frenchbrandy. Mix all well together. Beat, slightly, the whites of sixeggs (saving the egg-shell) and stir the whites into the jelly. Break up the egg-shells into very small pieces, and throw them inalso. Stir the whole very well together. 

Set it on the fire, and boil it hard five minutes, but do not stirit, as that will prevent its clearing. Have ready a large whiteflannel bag, the top wide, and the bottom tapering to a point. 

Tie the bag to the backs of two chairs, or to the legs of a table, and set a while dish or a mould under it. 

After the jelly has boiled five minutes, pour it hot into the bag, and let it drip through into the dish. Do not squeeze the bag, asthat will make the jelly dull and cloudy. 

If it is not clear the first time it passes through the bag, emptyout all the ingredients, wash the bag, suspend it again, putanother white dish under-it, pour the jelly back into the bag, andlet it drip through again. Repeat this six or eight times, or tillit is clear, putting a clean dish under it every time. If it doesnot drip freely, move the bag into a warmer place. 

When the jelly has all dripped through the bag, and is clear, setit in a cool place to congeal. It will sometimes congealimmediately, and sometimes not for several hours, particularly ifthe weather is warm and damp. If the weather is very cold you musttake care not to let it freeze. When it is quite firm, whichperhaps it will not be till evening, fill your glasses with it, piling it up very high. If you make it in a mould, you must eitherset the mould under the bag while it is dripping, or pour it fromthe dish into the mould while it is liquid. When it is perfectlycongealed, dip the mould for an instant in boiling water to loosenthe jelly. Turn it out on a glass dish. 

This quantity of ingredients will make a quart of jelly whenfinished. In cool weather it may be made a day or two before it iswanted. 

You may increase the seasoning, (that is, the wine, lemon, andcinnamon, ) according to your taste, but less than the aboveproportion will not be sufficient to flavour the jelly. 

Ice jelly is made in the same manner, only not so stiff. Fourcalves-feet will be sufficient. Freeze it as you would ice-cream, and serve it up in glasses. 

BLANCMANGE. 

 Four calf's-feet A pint and a half of thick cream. Half a pound of loaf-sugar, broken up. A glass of wine. Half a glass of rose-water. A tea-spoonful of mace, beaten and sifted. 

Get four calf's-feet; if possible some that have been singed, andnot skinned. Scrape, and clean them well, and boil them in threequarts of water till all the meat drops off the bone. Drain theliquid through a colander or sieve, and skim it well. Let it standtill next morning to congeal. Then clean it well from thesediment, and put it into a tin or bell-metal kettle. Stir intoit, the cream, sugar, and mace. Boil it hard for five minutes, stirring it several times. Then strain it through a linen cloth ornapkin into a large bowl, and add the wine and rose-water. 

Set it in a cool place for three or four hours, stirring it veryfrequently with a spoon, to, prevent the cream from separatingfrom the jelly. The more it is stirred the better. Stir it till itis cool. 

Wash your moulds, wipe them dry, and then wet them with coldwater. When the blancmange becomes very thick, (that is, in threeor four hours, if the weather is not too damp) put it into yourmoulds. 

When it has set in them till it is quite firm, loosen it carefullyall round with a knife, and turn it out on glass or china plates. 

If you wish to make it with almonds, take an ounce of blanchedbitter almonds, and two ounces of sweet. Beat them in a mortar toa fine paste, pouring in occasionally a little rose-water. Whenthe mixture is ready to boil, add the almonds to it gradually, stirring them well in. Or you may stir them in, while it iscooling in the bowl. 

If it inclines to stick to the moulds, set them an instant in hotwater. It will then turn out easily. 

If you choose to make it without calf's feet, you can substitutean ounce of the best and dearest isinglass (or, if in summer, anounce and a quarter) boiled with the other ingredients. If madewith isinglass, you must use two ounces of sweet, and an ounce ofbitter almonds, with the addition of the grated rind of a largelemon, and a large stick of cinnamon, broken up, a glass of wine, and half a glass of rose-water. Those ingredients must be allmixed together, with a quart of cream, and boiled hard for fiveminutes. The mixture must then be strained through a napkin, intoa large bowl. Set it in a cool place, and stir it frequently tillnearly cold. It must then be put into the moulds. 

You may substitute for the almonds, half a gill of noyau, in whichcase, omit the wine. 

PART THE SECOND. 

CAKES. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS. 

In making cakes it is particularly necessary that the eggs shouldbe well beaten. They are not sufficiently light till the surfacelooks smooth and level, and till they get so thick as to be of theconsistence of boiled custard. 

White of egg should always be beaten till it becomes a heap ofstiff froth, without any liquid at the bottom; and till it hangsfrom the rods or fork without dropping. 

Eggs, become light soonest when new-laid, and when beaten near thefire or in warm dry weather. 

Butter and sugar should be stirred till it looks like thick cream, and till it stands up in the pan. 

It should be kept cool. If too warm, it will make the cakes heavy. 

Large cakes should be baked in tin or earthen pans with straightsides, that are as nearly perpendicular as possible. They cut intohandsomer slices, and if they are to be iced, it will be foundvery inconvenient to put on the icing, if the cake slopes intowards the bottom. 

Before you ice a cake dredge it all over with flour, and then wipethe flour off. This will enable you to spread on the icing moreevenly. 

Before you cut an ice cake, cut the icing by itself with a smallsharp penknife. The large knife with which you divide the cake, will crack and break the icing. 

Large Gingerbread, as it burns very easily, may be baked in anearthen pan. So also may Black Cake or Pound Cake. Tin pans ormoulds, with a hollow tube in the middle, are best for cakes. 

If large cakes are baked in tin pans, the bottom and sides shouldbe covered with sheets of paper, before the mixture is put in. Thepaper must be well buttered. 

Sponge cakes, and Almond cakes should be baked in pans that are asthin as possible. 

If the cakes should get burnt, scrape them with a knife or grater, as soon as they are cool. 

Always be careful to butter your pans well. Should the cakesstick, they cannot be got out without breaking. 

For queen-cakes, &c. The small tins of a round or oval shape aremost convenient. Fill them but little more than half. 

After the mixture is completed, set it in a cool place till allthe cakes are baked, In rolling out cakes made of dough, use as little flour aspossible. When you lay them in the pans, do not place them tooclose together, lest they run into each other. 

When you are cutting them out, dip the cutter frequently in flour, to prevent its slicking. 

QUEEN CAKE. 

 One pound of powdered white sugar. One pound of fresh butter--washed. Fourteen ounces of sifted flour. Ten eggs. One wine-glass of wine and brandy, mixed. Half a glass of rose-water, or twelve drops of essence of lemon. One tea-spoonful of mace and cinnamon, mixed. One nutmeg, beaten or grated. 

Pound the spice to a fine powder, in a marble mortar, and sift itwell. 

Put the sugar into a deep earthen pan, and cut the butter into it. Stir them together, till very light. 

Beat the eggs in a broad shallow pan, till they are perfectlysmooth and thick. 

Stir into the butter and sugar a little of the beaten egg, andthen a little flour, and so on alternately, a little egg and alittle flour, till the whole is in; continuing all the time tobeat the eggs, and stirring the mixture very hard. Add by degrees, the spice, and then the liquor, a little at a time. Finally, putin the rose-water, or essence of lemon. [Footnote: In buyingessence or oil of lemon, endeavour to get that which is white, itbeing much the strongest and best. When it looks greenish, it isgenerally very weak, so that when used, a double or treblequantity is necessary. ] Stir the whole very hard at the last. 

Take about two dozen little tins, or more, if you have room forthem in the oven. Rub them very well with fresh butter. With aspoon, put some of the mixture in each tin, but do not fill themto the top as the cakes will rise high in baking. Bake them in aquick oven, about a quarter of an hour. When they are done, theywill shrink a little from the sides of the tins. 

Before you fill your tins again, scrape them well with a knife, and wash or wipe them clean. 

If the cakes are scorched by too hot a fire, do not scrape off theburnt parts till they have grown cold. 

Make an icing with the whites of three eggs, beaten till it standsalone, and twenty-four tea-spoonfuls of the best loaf-sugar, powdered, and beaten gradually into the white of egg. Flavour itwith a tea-spoonful of rose-water or eight drops of essence oflemon, stirred in at the last. Spread it evenly with a broadknife, over the top of each queen-cake, ornamenting them, (whilethe icing is quite wet) with red and green nonpareils, or finesugar-sand, dropped on, carefully, with the thumb and finger. 

When the cakes are iced, set them in a warm place to dry; but nottoo near the fire, as that will cause the icing to crack. [Footnote: You may colour icing of a fine pink, by mixing with ita few drops of liquid cochineal; which is prepared by boiling veryslowly in an earthen or china vessel twenty grains of cochinealpowder, twenty grains of cream of tartar, and twenty grains ofpowdered alum, all dissolved in a gill of soft water, and boiledtill reduced to one half. Strain it and cork it up in a smallphial. Pink icing should be ornamented with white nonpareils. ]

POUND CAKE. 

 One pound of flour, sifted. One pound of white sugar, powdered and sifted. One pound of fresh butter. Ten eggs. Half a glass of wine \ Half a glass of brandy }mixed. Half a glass of rose-water / Twelve drops of essence of lemon. A table-spoonful of mixed mace and cinnamon. A nutmeg, powdered. 

Pound the spice and sift it. There should be twice as muchcinnamon as mace. Mix the cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg together. 

Sift the flour in a broad pan, or wooden bowl. Sift the powderedsugar into a large deep pan, and cut the butter into it, in smallpieces. If the weather is very cold, and the butter hard, set thepan near the fire for a few minutes; but if the butter is toowarm, the cake will be heavy. Stir the butter and sugar together, with a wooden stick, till they are very light, and white, and looklike cream. 

Beat the eggs in a broad shallow pan with a wood egg-beater orwhisk. They must be beaten till they are thick and smooth, and ofthe consistence of boiled custard. 

Pour the liquor and rose-water, gradually, into the butter andsugar, stirring all the time. Add, by degrees, the essence oflemon and spice. 

Stir the egg and flour alternately into the butter and sugar, ahandful of flour, and about two spoonfuls of the egg (which youmust continue to beat all the time, ) and when all is in, stir thewhole mixture very hard, for near ten minutes. 

Butter a large tin pan, or a cake mould with an open tube risingfrom the middle. Put the mixture into it as evenly as possible. Bake it in a moderate oven, for two, or three, or four hours, inproportion to its thickness, and to the heat of the fire. 

When you think it is nearly done, thrust a twig or wooden skewerinto it, down to the bottom. If the stick come out clean and dry, the cake is almost baked. When quite done, it will shrink from shesides of the pan, and cease making a noise. Then withdraw thecoals (if baked in a dutch oven), take off the lid, and let thecake remain in the oven to cool gradually. 

You may ice it either warm or cold. Before you put the icing on alarge cake, dredge the cake all over with flour, and then wipe theflour off; this will make the icing stick on better--If you havesufficient time, the appearance of the cake will be much improvedby icing it twice. Put on the first icing soon after the cake istaken out of the oven, and the second the next day when the firstis perfectly dry. While the last icing is wet, ornament it withcoloured sugar-sand or nonpareils. 

BLACK CAKE, OR PLUM CAKE. 

 One pound of flour sifted. One pound of fresh butter. One pound of powdered white sugar. Twelve eggs. Two pounds of the best raisins. Two pounds of currants. Two table-spoonfuls of mixed spice, mace and cinnamon. Two nutmegs powdered. A large glass of wine \ A large glass of brandy }mixed together. Half a glass of rose-water / A pound of citron. 

Pick the currants very clean, and wash them, draining them througha colander. Wipe them in a towel. Spread them out on a large dish, and set them near the fire, or in the hot sun, to dry, placing thedish in a slanting position. Having stoned the raisins, cut themin half, and, when all are done, sprinkle them well with siftedflour, to prevent their sinking to the bottom of the cake. Whenthe currants are dry, sprinkle them also with flour. 

Pound the spice, allowing twice as much cinnamon as mace. Sift it, and mix the mace, nutmeg, cinnamon together. Mix also the liquorand rose-water in a tumbler or cup. Cut the citron in slips. Siftthe flour into a broad dish. Sift the sugar into a deep earthenpan, and cut the butter into it. Warm it near the fire, if theweather is too cold for it to mix easily. Stir the butter andsugar to a cream. 

Beat the eggs as light as possible. Stir them into the butter andsugar, alternately with the flour. Stir very hard. Add graduallythe spice and liquor. Stir the raisins and currants alternatelyinto the mixture, taking care that they are well floured. Stir thewhole as hard as possible, for ten minutes after the ingredientsare in. 

Cover the bottom and sides of a large tin or earthen pan, withsheets of white paper well buttered, and put into it some of themixture. Then spread on it some of the citron, which must not becut too small. Next put a layer of the mixture, and then a layerof citron, and so on till it is all in, having a layer of themixture at the top. 

This cake is always best baked in a baker's oven, and will requirefour or five hours, in proportion to its thickness. [Footnote:After this cake is done, it will be the better for withdrawing thefire (if baked in an iron oven) and letting it stay in the ovenall night, or till it gets quite cold. ] Ice it the next day. 

SPONGE CAKE. 

 Twelve eggs. Ten ounces of sifted flour, dried near the fire. A pound of loaf sugar, powdered and sifted. Twelve drops of essence of lemon. A grated nutmeg. A tea-spoonful of powdered cinnamon and mace, mixed. 

Beat the eggs as light as possible. Eggs for sponge or almondcakes require more beating than for any other purpose. Beat thesugar, by degrees, into the eggs. Beat very hard, and continue tobeat some time after the sugar is all in. 

No sort of sugar but loaf will make light sponge-cake. Stir in, gradually, the spice and essence of lemon. Then, by degrees, putin the flour, a little at a time, stirring round the mixture veryslowly with a knife. If the flour is stirred in too hard, the cakewill be tough. It must be done lightly and gently, so that the topof the mixture will be covered with bubbles. As soon as the flouris all in, begin to bake it, as setting will injure it. 

Put it in small tins, well buttered, or in one large tin pan. Thethinner the pans, the better for sponge-cake. Fill the small tinsabout half full. Grate loaf-sugar over the top of each, before youset them in the oven. 

Sponge-cake requires a very quick oven, particularly at thebottom. It should be baked as fast as possible, or it will betough and heavy, however light it may have been before it wentinto the oven. It is of all cakes the most liable to be spoiled inbaking. When taken out of the tins, the cakes should be spread ona sieve to cool. If baked in one large cake, it should be iced. 

A large cake of twelve eggs, should be baked at least an hour in aquick oven. 

For small cakes, ten minutes is generally sufficient. If they getvery much out of shape in baking, it is a sign that the oven istoo slow. 

Some think that sponge-cakes and almond cakes are lighter, whenthe yolks and whites of the eggs are beaten in separate pans, andmixed gently together before the sugar is beaten into them. 

If done separately from the yolks, the whites should be beatentill they stand alone. 

ALMOND CAKE

 Two ounces of blanched bitter almonds, pounded very fine. Seven ounces of flour, sifted and dried. Ten eggs. One pound of loaf sugar, powdered and sifted. Two table-spoonfuls of rose-water. 

Take two ounces of shelled bitter almonds or peach-kernels. Scaldthem in hot water, and as you peel them, throw them into a bowl ofcold water, then wipe them dry, and pound them one by one in amortar, till they are quite fine and smooth. 

Break ten eggs, putting the yolks in one pan and the whites inanother. Beat them separately as light as possible, the whitesfirst, and then the yolks. 

Add the sugar, gradually, to the yolks, beating it in very hard. Then by degrees, Beat in the almonds, and then add the rose-water. 

Stir-half the whites of the eggs into the yolks and sugar. Dividethe flour into two equal parts, and stir in one half, slowly andlightly, till it bubbles on the top. Then the other half of thewhite of egg, and then the remainder of the flour very lightly. 

Butter a large square tin pan, or one made of paste-board whichwill be better. Put in the mixture, and set immediately in a quickoven, which must be rather hotter at the bottom than at the top. Bake it according to the thickness. If you allow the oven to getslack, the cake will be spoiled. 

Make an icing with the whites of three eggs, twenty-fourtea-spoonfuls of loaf-sugar, and eight drops of essence of lemon. 

When the cake is cool, mark it in small squares with a knife. Cover it with icing, and ornament it while wet, with nonpareilsdropped on in borders, round each square of the cake. When theicing is dry, cut the cake in squares, cutting through the icingvery carefully with a penknife. Or you may cat it in squaresfirst, and then ice and ornament each square separately. 

FRENCH ALMOND CAKE. 

 Six ounces of shelled sweet almonds. Three ounces of shelled bitter almonds, or peach-kernels. Three ounces of sifted flour, dried near the fire. Fourteen eggs. One pound of powdered loaf-sugar. Twelve drops of essence of lemon. 

Blanch the almonds, by scalding them in hot water. Put them in abowl of cold water, and wipe them dry, when you take them out. Pound them, one at a time, in a mortar, till they are perfectlysmooth. Mix the sweet and bitter almonds together. Prepare them, if possible the day before the cake is made. [Footnote: Whilepounding the almonds, pour in occasionally a little rose-water. Itmakes them much lighter. ]

Put the whites and yolks of the eggs, into separate pans. Beat thewhites till they stand alone, and then the yolks till they arevery thick. 

Put the sugar, gradually, to the yolks, beating it in very hard. Add, by degrees, the almonds, still beating very hard. Then put inthe essence of lemon. Next, beat in, gradually, the whites of theeggs, continuing to beat for some time after they are all in. Lastly, stir in the flour, as slowly and lightly, as possible. 

Butter a large tin mould or pan. Put the cake in and bake it in avery quick oven, an hour or more according to its thickness. 

The oven must on no account be hotter at the top, than at thebottom. 

When done, set it on a sieve to cool. 

Ice it, and ornament it with nonpareils. 

These almond cakes are generally baked in a turban-shaped mould, and the nonpareils put on, in spots or sprigs. 

A pound of almonds in the shells (if the shells are soft andthin, ) will generally yield half a pound when shelled. Hard, thick-shelled almonds, seldom yield much more than a quarter of apound, and should therefore never be bought for cakes or puddings. 

Bitter almonds and peach-kernels can always be purchased with theshells off. 

Families should always save their peach-kernels, as they can beused in cakes, puddings and custards. 

MACCAROONS. 

 Half a pound of shelled sweet almonds. A quarter of a pound of shelled bitter almonds. The whites of three eggs. Twenty-four large tea-spoonfuls of powdered loaf-sugar. A tea-spoonful of rose-water. A large tea-spoonful of mixed spice, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon. 

Blanch and pound your almonds, beat them very smooth, and mix thesweet and bitter together; do them, if you can, the day before youmake the maccaroons. Pound and sift your spice. Beat the whites ofthree eggs till they stand alone; add to them, very gradually, thepowdered sugar, a spoonful at a time, beat it in very hard, andput in, by degrees, the rose-water and spice. Then stir in, gradually, the almonds. The mixture must be like a soft dough; iftoo thick, it will be heavy; if too thin, it will run out ofshape. If you find your almonds not sufficient, prepare a fewmore, and stir them in. When it is all well mixed and stirred, putsome flour in the palm of your hand, and taking up a lump of themixture with a knife, roll it on your hand with the flour into asmall round ball; have ready an iron or tin pan, buttered, and laythe maccaroons in it, as you make them up. Place them about twoinches apart, in case of their spreading. Bake them about eight orten minutes in a moderate oven; they should be baked of a palebrown colour. If too much baked, they will lose their flavour; iftoo little, they will be heavy. They should rise high in themiddle, and crack on the surface. You may, if you choose, put alarger proportion of spice. [Footnote: Cocoa-nut cakes may be madein a similar manner, substituting for the pounded almonds half apound of finely-grated cocoa-nut. They mast be made into smallround balls with a little flour laid on the palm of the hand, andbaked a few minutes. They are very fine. ]

APEES. 

 A pound of flour, sifted. Half a pound of butter. Half a glass of wine, and a table-spoon of rose-water mixed. Half a pound of powdered white sugar. A nutmeg, grated. A tea-spoonful of beaten cinnamon and mace. Three table-spoonfuls of carraway seeds. 

Sift the flour into a broad pan, and cut up the butter in it. Addthe carraways, sugar, and spice, and pour in the liquor bydegrees, mixing it well with a knife; add enough of cold water tomake it a stiff dough. Spread some flour on your pasteboard, takeout the dough, and knead it very well with your hands. Cut it intosmall pieces, and knead each separately, then put them alltogether, and knead the whole in one lump. Roll it out in a sheetabout a quarter of an inch thick. Cut it out in round cakes, withthe edge of a tumbler, or a tin of that size. Butter an iron pan, and lay the cakes in it, not too close together. Bake them a fewminutes in a moderate oven, till they are very slightly coloured, but not brown. If too much baked, they will entirely lose theirflavour. Do not roll them out too thin. 

JUMBLES. 

 Three eggs. Half a pound of flour, sifted. Half a pound of butter. Half a pound of powdered loaf-sugar. A table-spoonful of rose-water. A nutmeg grated. A tea-spoonful of mixed mace and cinnamon. 

Stir the sugar and butter to a cream. Beat the eggs very light. Throw them, all at once, into the pan of flour. Put in, at once, the butter and sugar, and then add the spice and rose-water. Ifyou have no rose-water, substitute six or seven drops of strongessence of lemon, or more if the essence is weak. Stir the wholevery hard, with a knife. 

Spread some flour on your paste-board, and flour your hands well. Take up with your knife, a portion of the dough, and lay it on theboard. Roll it lightly with your hands, into long shin rolls, which must be cut into equal lengths, curled up into rings, andlaid gently into an iron or tin pan, buttered, not too close toeach other, as they spread in baking. Bake them in a quick ovenabout five minutes, and grate loaf-sugar over them when cool. 

KISSES. 

 One pound of the best loaf sugar, powdered and sifted. The whites of four eggs. Twelve drops of essence of lemon. A tea-cup of currant jelly. 

Beat the whites of four eggs till they stand alone. Then heat in, gradually, the sugar, a tea-spoonful at a time. Add the essence oflemon, and beat the whole very hard. 

Lay a wet sheet of paper on the bottom of a square tin pan. Dropon it, at equal distances, a small tea-spoonful of stiff currantjelly. [Footnote: It is better to put a little of the beaten whiteof egg and sugar at first under the currant jelly. ] With a largespoon, pile some of the beaten white of egg and sugar, on eachlump of jelly, so as to cover it entirely. Drop on the mixture asevenly as possible, so as to make the kisses of a round smoothshape. 

Set them in a cool open, and as soon as they are coloured, theyare done. Then take them out and place them two bottoms together. Lay them lightly on sieve, and dry them in a cool oven, till thetwo bottoms stick fast together, so as to form one ball or oval. 

SPANISH BUNS. 

 Four eggs. Three quarters of a pound of flour, sifted. Half a pound of powdered white sugar. Two wine-glasses and a half of rich milk. Six ounces of fresh butter. A wine-glass and a half of the best yeast. A table-spoonful of rose-water. A grated nutmeg. A large tea-spoonful of powdered mace and cinnamon. 

Sift half a pound of flour into a broad pan, and sift a quarter ofa pound, separately, into a deep plate, and set it aside. Put themilk into a soup-plate, cut up the butter, and set it on the stoveor near the fire to warm, but do not let it get too hot. When thebutter is very soft, stir it all through the milk with a knife, and set it away to cool. Beat the eggs very light, and mix themilk and butter with them, all at once; then pour all into the panof flour. Put in the spice, and the rose-water, or if you preferit, eight drops of essence of lemon. Add the yeast, of which anincreased quantity will be necessary, if it is not very strong andfresh. Stir the whole very hard, with a knife. Add the sugargradually. If the sugar is not stirred in slowly, a little at atime, the buns will be heavy. Then, by degrees, sprinkle in therenaming quarter of a pound of flour. Stir all well together;butter a square iron pan, and put in the mixture. Cover it with acloth, and set it near the fire to rise. It will probably not belight in less than five hours. When it is risen very high, and iscovered with bubbles, bake it in a moderate oven, about a quarterof an hour or more in proportion to its thickness. 

When it is quite cool, cut it in squares, and grate loaf-sugarover them. This quantity will make twelve or fifteen buns. 

They are best the day they are baked. 

You may, if you choose, bake them separately, in small squaretins, adding to the baiter half a pound of currants or choppedraisins, well floured, and stirred in at the last. 

In making buns, stir the yeast well before you put it in, havingfirst poured off the beer or thin part from the top. If your yeastis not good, do not attempt to make buns with it, as they willnever be light. 

Buns may be made in a plainer way, with the following ingredients, mixed in the above manner. 

 Half a pound of flour, sifted into a pan. A quarter of a pound of flour, sifted in a plate, and set aside to sprinkle in at the last. Three eggs, well beaten. A quarter of a pound of powdered sugar. Three wine-glasses of milk. A wine-glass and a half of the best yeast. A quarter of a pound of butter, cut up, and warmed in the milk. 

RUSK. 

 A quarter of a pound of powdered sugar. A quarter of a pound of fresh butter. One pound of flour sifted. One egg. Three wine-glasses of milk. A wine-glass and a half of the best yeast. A table-spoonful of rose-water. A tea-spoonful of powdered cinnamon. 

Sift your flour into a pan. Cut up the butter in the milk, andwarm them a little, so as to soften the butter, but not to melt itentirely. Beat your egg; pour the milk and butter into your pan offlour, then the egg, then the rose-water and spice, and lastly theyeast. Stir all well together with a knife. 

Spread some flour on your paste-board: lay the dough on it, andknead it well. Then divide it into small pieces of an equal size, and knead each piece into a little thick round cake. Butter aniron pan, lay the cakes in it, and set them in a warm place torise. Prick the tops with a fork. When they are quite light, bakethem in a moderate oven. 

INDIAN POUND CAKE. 

 Eight eggs. One pint of powdered sugar. One pint of Indian meal, sifted, and half a pint of wheat-flour. Half a pound of butter. One nutmeg, grated, --and a tea-spoonful of cinnamon. Half a glass of mixed wine and brandy. 

Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. Beat the eggs very light. Stir the meal and eggs, alternately, into the butter and sugar. Add the spice and liquor. Stir all well. Butter a tin pan, put inthe mixture, and bake it in a moderate oven. 

This cake should be eaten while fresh. 

CUP CAKE. 

 Five eggs. Two large tea-cups full of molasses. The same of brown sugar rolled fine. The same of fresh butter. One cup of rich milk. Five cups of flour sifted. Half a cup of powdered allspice and cloves. Half a cup of ginger. 

Cut up the butter in the milk, and warm them slightly. Warm alsothe molasses, and stir it into the milk and butter: then stir in, gradually, the sugar, and set it away to get cool. 

Beat the eggs very light, and stir them into the mixturealternately with the flour. Add the ginger and other spice, andstir the whole very hard. 

Butter small tins, nearly fill them with the mixture, and bake thecakes in a moderate oven. 

LOAF CAKE. 

 Two pounds of sifted flour, setting aside half a pound to sprinkle in at the last. One pound of fresh butter. One pound of powdered sugar. Four eggs. One pound of raisins, stoned, and cut in half. One pound of currants, washed and dried. Half a pint of milk. Half a glass of wine. Half a glass of brandy. A tablespoon of mixed spice, mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Half a pint of the best brewer's yeast; or more, if the yeast is not very strong. 

Cut up the butter in the milk, and warm it till the butter isquite soft; then stir it together, and set it away to cool. Itmust not be made too warm. After you have beaten the eggs, mixthem with the butter and milk, and stir the whole into the pan offlour. Add the spice and liquor, and stir in the sugar gradually. Having poured off the thin part from the top, stir the yeast, andpour it into the mixture. Then sprinkle in the remainder of theflour. 

Have ready the fruit, which must be well floured, stir itgradually into the mixture. Butter a large tin pan, and put thecake into it. Cover it, and set in a warm place for five or sixhours to rise. When quite light, bake it in a moderate oven. 

SUGAR BISCUITS. 

 Three pounds of flour, sifted. One pound of butter. A pound and a half of powdered sugar. Half a pint of milk. Two table-spoonfuls of brandy. A small tea-spoonful of pearl-ash dissolved in water. Four table-spoonfuls of carraway seeds. 

Cut the butter into the flour. Add the sugar and carraway seeds. Pour in the brandy, and then the milk. Lastly, put in thepearl-ash. Stir all well with a knife, and mix it thoroughly, tillit becomes a lump of dough. 

Flour your paste-board, and lay the dough on it. Knead it verywell. Divide it into eight or ten pieces, and knead each pieceseparately. Then put them all together, and knead them very wellin one lump. 

Cut the dough in half, and roll it out into sheets, about half aninch thick. Beat the sheets of dough very hard, on both sides, with the rolling-pin. Cut them out into round cakes with the edgeof a tumbler. Butter iron pans, and lay the cakes in them. Bakethem a very pale brown. If done too much, they will lose theirtaste. 

These cakes kept in a stone jar, closely covered from the air, will continue perfectly good for several months. 

MILK BISCUITS. 

 Two pounds of flour, sifted. Half a pound of butter. Two eggs. Six wine-glasses of milk. Two wine-glasses of the best brewer's yeast, or three of good home-made yeast. 

Cut the butter into the milk, and warm it slightly on the top ofthe stove, or near the fire. Sift the flour into a pan, and pourthe milk and butter into it. Beat the eggs, and pour them in also. Lastly the yeast. Mix all well together with a knife. 

Flour your paste-board, put the lump of dough on it, and knead itvery hard. Then cut the dough in small pieces, and knead them intoround balls. Stick the tops of them with a fork. 

Lay them in buttered pans and set them to rise. They will probablybe light in an hour. When they are quite light, put them in amoderate oven and bake them. 

They are best when quite fresh. 

BUTTER BISCUITS. 

 Half a pound of butter. Two pounds of flour, sifted Half a pint of milk, or cold water. A salt-spoonful of salt. 

Cut up the butter in the flour, and put the salt to it. Wet it toa stiff dough with the milk or water. Mix it well with a knife. 

Throw some flour on the paste-board, take the dough out of thepan, and knead it very well. 

Roll it out into a large thick sheet, and beat it very hard onboth sides with the rolling-pin. Beat it a long time. 

Cut it out with a tin, or cup, into small round thick cakes. Beateach cake on both sides, with the rolling-pin. Prick them, with afork. Put them in buttered pans, and bake them of a light brown ina slow oven. 

GINGERBREAD NUTS

 Two pounds of flour, sifted. One pound of fresh butter. One quart of sugar-house molasses. Two ounces of ginger, or more, if it is not very strong. Twelve dozen grains of allspice, powdered and sifted Six dozen cloves, powdered and sifted. Half an ounce of cinnamon, powdered and sifted. A half tea-spoonful of pearl-ash or salaeratus, dissolved in a little vinegar. 

Cut up the butter in the flour, and mix it with the ginger andother spice. Wet the whole with the molasses, and stir all welltogether with a knife. Then add the dissolved pearl-ash orsalaeratus. 

Throw some flour on your paste-board, take the dough (a largehandful at a time) and knead it in separate cakes. Then put alltogether, and knead It very hard for a long time, in one largelump. Cut the lump in half, roll it out in two even sheets, abouthalf an inch thick, and cut it out in little cakes, with a verysmall tin, about the size of a cent. Lay them in buttered pans, and bake them in a moderate oven, taking care they do not scorch, as gingerbread is more liable to burn than any other cake, You may, if you choose, shape the gingerbread nuts, by puttingflour in your hand, taking a very small piece of the dough, androlling it into a little round ball. 

COMMON GINGERBREAD. 

 A pint of molasses. One pound of fresh butter. Two pounds and a half of flour, sifted. A pint of milk, A small tea-spoonful of pearl-ash, or less if it is strong. A tea-cup full of ginger. 

Cut the butter into the flour. Add the ginger. Having dissolvedthe pearl-ash in a little vinegar, stir it with the milk andmolasses alternately into the other ingredients. Stir it very hardfor a long lime, till it is quite light. 

Put some flour on your paste-board, take out small portions of thedough, and make it with your hand into long rolls. Then curl upthe rolls into round cakes, or twist two rolls together, or laythem in straight lengths or sticks side by side, and touching eachother. Put them carefully in buttered pans, and bake them in amoderate oven, not hot enough to burn them. If they should getscorched, scrape off with a knife, or grater, all the burnt parts, before you put the cakes away. 

You can, if you choose, cut out the dough with tins, in the shapeof hearts, circles, ovals, &c. Or you may bake it all in one, andcut it in squares when cold. 

If the mixture appears to be too thin, add, gradually, a littlemore sifted flour. 

LAFAYETTE GINGERBREAD

 Five eggs. Half a pound of brown sugar. Half a pound of fresh butter. A pint of sugar-house molasses A pound and a half of flour. Four table-spoonfuls of ginger. Two large sticks of cinnamon, powered and sifted. Three dozen grains of allspice, powdered and sifted. Three dozen of cloves, powdered and sifted. The juice and grated peel of two large lemons. A little pearl-ash or salaeratus. 

Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. Beat the eggs very well. Pour the molasses, at once, into the butter and sugar. Add theginger and other spice, and stir all well together. 

Put in the egg and flour alternately, stirring all the time. Stirthe whole very hard, and put in the lemon at the last. When thewhole is mixed, stir it till very light. 

Butter an earthen pan, or a thick tin or iron one, and put thegingerbread in it. Bake it in a moderate oven, an hour or more, according to its thickness. Take care that it do not burn. 

Or you may bake it in small cakes, or little tins. 

Its lightness will be much improved by a small tea-spoonful ofpearl-ash dissolved in a tea-spoonful of vinegar, and stirredlightly in at the last. [Footnote: If the pearl-ash is strong, half a tea-spoonful will be sufficient, or less even will do. Itis better stir the pearl-ash in, a little at a time, and you cantell by the taste of the mixture, when there is enough. ] Too muchpearl-ash, will give it an unpleasant taste. 

If you use pearl-ash, you must omit the lemon, as its taste willbe entirely destroyed by the pearl-ash. You may substitute for thelemon, some raisins and currants, well floured to prevent theirsinking. 

This is the finest of all gingerbread, but should not be keptlong, as in a few days it becomes very hard and stale. 

A DOVER CAKE. 

 Half a pint of milk. A half tea-spoonful of pearl-ash, dissolved in a little vinegar. One pound of sifted flour. One pound of powdered white sugar. Half a pound of butter. Six eggs. One glass of brandy. Half a glass of rose-water. One grated nutmeg. A tea-spoonful of powdered cinnamon. 

Dissolve the pearl-ash in vinegar. Stir the sugar and butter to acream, and add to it gradually, the spice and liquor. Beat theeggs very light, and stir them into the butter and sugar, alternately, with the flour. Add, gradually, the milk, and stirthe whole very hard. 

Butter a large tin pan, and put in the mixture. Bake it two hoursor more, in a moderate oven. If not thick, an hour or an hour anda half will be sufficient. 

Wrap it in a thick cloth, and keep it from the air, and it willcontinue moist and fresh for two weeks. The pearl-ash will give ita dark colour. 

It will be much improved by a pound of raisins, stoned and cut inhalf, and a pound of currants, well washed and dried. 

Flour the fruit well, and stir it in at the last. 

CRULLERS. 

 Half a pound of butter. Three quarters of a pound of powdered white sugar. Six eggs, or seven if they are small. Two pounds of flour, sifted. A grated nutmeg. A tea-spoonful of powdered cinnamon. A table-spoonful of rose-water. 

Cut the butter into the flour, add the sugar and spice, and mixthem well together. 

Beat the eggs and pour them into the pan of flour, &c. Add therose water, and mix the whole into a dough. If the eggs androse-water are not found sufficient to wet it, add a very littlecold water. Mix the dough very well with a knife. 

Spread some flour on your paste-board, take the dough out of thepan, and knead it very well. Cut it into small pieces, and kneadeach separately. Put all the pieces together, and knead the wholein one lump. Roll it out into a large square sheet, about half aninch thick. Take a jagging-iron, or, If you have not one, a sharpknife; run it along the sheet, and cut the dough into long narrowslips. Twist them up in various forms. Have ready an iron pan withmelted lard. Lay the crullers lightly in it, and fry them of alight brown, turning them with a knife and fork, so as not tobreak them, and taking care that both sides are equally done. 

When sufficiently fried, spread them on a large dish to cool, andgrate loaf-sugar over them. 

Crullers may be made in a plainer way, with the best brown sugar, (rolled very fine. ) and without spice or rose-water. 

They can be fried, or rather boiled, in a deep iron pot. Theyshould be done in a large quantity of lard, and taken out with askimmer that has holes in it, and held on the skimmer till thelard drains from them. If for family use, they can be made an inchthick. 

DOUGH-NUTS. 

 Three pounds of sifted flour. A pound of powdered sugar. Three quarters of a pound of butter. Four eggs. Half a large tea-cup full of best brewer's yeast. A pint and a half of milk. A tea-spoonful of powdered cinnamon. A grated nutmeg. A table-spoonful of rose-water. 

Cut up the butter in the flour. Add the sugar, spice, androse-water. Beat the eggs very light, and pour them into themixture. Add the yeast, (half a tea-cup or two wine-glasses full, )and then stir in the milk by degrees, so as to make it a softdough. Cover it, and set it to rise. 

When quite light, cut it in diamonds with a jagging-iron or asharp knife, and fry them in lard. Grate loaf sugar over them whendone. 

WAFFLES. 

 Six eggs. A pint of milk. A quarter of a pound of butter. A quarter of a pound of powdered white sugar. A pound and a half of flour, sifted. A tea-spoonful of powdered cinnamon. 

Warm the milk slightly. Cut up the butter in it and stir it alittle. Beat the eggs well, and pour them into the butter andmilk. Sprinkle in half the flour, gradually. Stir in the sugar, bydegrees, and add the spice. Stir in, gradually, the remainder ofthe flour, so that it becomes a thick batter. Heat your waffle-iron;then grease it well, and pour in some of the butter. Shut theiron tight, and bake the waffle on both sides, by turning the iron. 

As the waffles are baked, spread them out separately on a cleannapkin. When enough are done for a plate-full, lay them on a platein two piles, buttering them, and sprinkling each with beatencinnamon. 

SOFT MUFFINS. 

 Five eggs. A quart of milk. Two ounces of butter. A tea-spoonful of salt. Two large table-spoonfuls of brewer's yeast or four made of home-made yeast. Enough of sifted flour to make a stiff batter. 

Warm the milk and butter together, and add to them the salt. Beatthe eggs very light and stir them into the milk and butter. Thenstir in the yeast, and lastly, sufficient flour to make a thickbatter. 

Cover the mixture, and set it to rise, in a warm place, aboutthree hours. 

When it is quite light, grease your baking-iron, and your muffinrings. Set the rings on the iron, and pour the batter into them. Bake them a light brown. When you split them to put on the butter, do not cut them with a knife, but pull them open With your hands. Cutting them while hot will make them heavy. 

INDIAN BATTER CAKES. 

 A quart of sifted indian meal. \ A handful of wheat flour sifted. }mixed. Three eggs, well beaten. / Two table-spoonfuls of fresh brewer's yeast, or four of home-made yeast. A tea-spoonful of salt. A quart of milk. 

Make the milk quite warm, and then put into it the yeast and salt, stirring them well. Beat the eggs, and stir them into the mixture. Then, gradually stir in the flour and indian meal. 

Cover the batter, and set it to rise four or five hours. Or if theweather is cold, and you want the cakes for breakfast, you may mixthe batter late the night before. 

Should you find it sour in the morning, dissolve a smalltea-spoonful of pearl-ash in as much water as will cover it, andstir it into the batter, letting it set afterwards at least halfan hour. This will take off the acid. 

Grease your baking-iron, and pour on it a ladle-full of thebatter. When brown on one side, turn the cake on the other. [Footnote: Indian batter cakes may be made in a plain andexpeditious way, by putting three pints of cold water or cold milkinto a pan, and gradually sifting into it (stirring all the time)a quart of indian meal mixed with half a pint of wheat-flour, anda small spoonful of salt. Stir it very hard, and it may be bakedimmediately, as it is not necessary to set it to rise. ]

FLANNEL CAKES OR CRUMPETS. 

 Two pounds of flour, sifted. Four eggs. Three table-spoonfuls of the best brewer's yeast, or four and a half of home-made yeast. A pint of milk. 

Mix a tea-spoonful of salt with the flour, and set the pan beforethe fire. Then warm the milk, and stir into it the flour so as tomake a stiff batter. Beat the eggs very light, and stir them intothe yeast. Add the eggs and yeast to the batter, and beat all welltogether. If it is too stiff, add a little more warm milk. 

Cover the pan closely and set it to rise near the fire. Bake it, when quite light. 

Have your baking-iron hot. Grease it, and pour on a ladle-full ofbatter. Let it bake slowly, and when done on one side, turn it onthe other. 

Butter the cakes, cut them across, and send them to table hot. 

ROLLS. 

 Three pints of flour, sifted. Two tea-spoonfuls of salt. Four table-spoonfuls of the best brewer's yeast, or six of home-made yeast. Half a pint more of warm water, and a little more flour to mix in before the kneading. 

Mix the salt with the flour, and make a deep hole in the middle. Stir the warm water into the yeast, and pour it into the hole inthe flour. Stir it with a spoon just enough to make a thin batter, and sprinkle some flour over the top. Cover the pan, and set it ina warm place for several hours. 

When it is light, add half a pint more of lukewarm water; and makeits with a little more flour, into a dough. Knead it very well forten minutes. Then divide it into small pieces, and knead eachseparately. Make them into round cakes or rolls. Cover them, andset them to rise about an hour and a half. 

Bake them, and when done, let them remain in the oven, without thelid, for about ten minutes. 

PART THE THIRD

SWEETMEATS. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS. 

In preparing sugar for sweetmeats, let it be entirely dissolved, before you put it on the fire. If you dissolve it in water, allowabout half a pint of water to a pound of sugar. 

If you boil the sugar before you add the fruit to it, it will beimproved in clearness by passing it through a flannel bag. Skimoff the brown scum, all the time it is boiling. 

If sweetmeats are boiled too long, they lose their flavour andbecome of a dark colour. 

If boiled too short a time, they will not keep well. 

You may ascertain when jelly is done, by dropping a small spoonfulinto a glass of water. 

If it spreads and mixes with the water, it requires more boiling. If it sticks in a lump to the bottom, it is sufficiently done. This trial must be made after the jelly is cold. 

Raspberry jelly requires more boiling than any other sort. Blackcurrant jelly less. 

APPLE JELLY. 

Take the best pippin, or bell-flower apples. No others will makegood jelly. Pare, core, and quarter them. Lay them in a preservingkettle, and put to them as much water only, as will cover them, and as much lemon-peel as you choose. Boil them till they aresoft, but not till they break. Drain off the water through acolander, and mash the apples with the hack of a spoon. Put theminto a jelly bag, set a deep dish or pan under it, and squeeze outthe juice. 

To every pint of juice, allow a pound of loaf-sugar, broken up, and the juice of two lemons. Put the apple-juice, the sugar, andthe lemon-juice into the preserving kettle. Boil it twentyminutes, skimming it well. Take it immediately from the kettle, and pour it warm into your glasses, but not so hot as to breakthem. When cold, cover each glass with white paper dipped inbrandy, and tie it down tight with another paper. Keep them in acool place. 

Quince Jelly is made in the same manner, but do not pare thequinces. Quarter them only. 

RED CURRANT JELLY. 

Wash your currants, drain them, and pick them from the stalks. Mash them with the back of a spoon. Put them in a jelly-bag, andsqueeze it till all the juice is pressed out. 

To every pint of juice, allow a pound of the best loaf-sugar. Putthe juice and the sugar into your kettle, and boil them twentyminutes, skimming all the while. Pour it warm into your glasses, and when cold, tie it up with brandy paper. Jellies should neverbe allowed to get cold in the kettle. If boiled too long, theywill lose their flavour, and become of a dark colour. 

Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and grape jelly may be made inthe same manner, and with the same proportion of loaf-sugar. 

Red currant jelly may also be made in a very simple manner, byputting the currants whole into the kettle, with the sugar;allowing a pound of sugar to a pound of currants. Boil themtogether twenty minutes, skimming carefully. Then pour them into asieve, with a pan under it. Let them drain through the sieve intothe pan, pressing them down with the back of a spoon. 

Take the jelly, while warm, out of the pan, and put it into yourglasses. Tie it up with brandy paper when cold. 

BLACK CURRANT JELLY. 

Pick the currants from the stalks, wash and drain them. Mash themsoft with a spoon, put them in a bag, and squeeze out the juice. To each pint of juice, allow three quarters of a pound ofloaf-sugar, Put the juice and sugar into a preserving kettle, andboil them about ten minutes, skimming them well. Take itimmediately out of the kettle. Put it warm into your glasses. Tieit up with brandy paper. 

The juice of black currants is so very thick, that it requiresless sugar and less boiling than any other jelly. 

GOOSEBERRY JELLY

Cut the gooseberries in half, (they must be green) and put them ina jar closely covered. Set the jar in an oven, or pot filled withboiling water. Keep the water boiling round the jar till thegooseberries are soft, take them out, mash them with a spoon, andput them into a jelly bag to drain. When all the juice is squeezedout, measure it, and to a pint of juice, allow a pound ofloaf-sugar. Put the juice and sugar into the preserving kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming carefully. Put the jellywarm into your glasses. Tie them up with brandy paper. 

Cranberry jelly is made in the same manner. 

GRAPE JELLY. 

Pick the grapes from the stems, wash and drain them. Mash themwith a spoon. Put them in the preserving kettle, and cover themclosely with a large plate. Boil them ten minutes. Then pour theminto your jelly bag, and squeeze out the juice. 

Allow a pint of juice to a pound of sugar. Put the sugar and juiceinto your kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming themwell. 

Fill your glasses while the jelly is warm, and tie them up withbrandy papers. 

PEACH JELLY

Wipe the wool off your peaches, (which should be free-stones andnot too ripe) and cut them in quarters, Crack the stones, andbreak the kernels small. 

Put the peaches and the kernels into a covered jar, set them inboiling water, and let them boil till they are soft. 

Strain them through a jelly-bag, till all the juice is squeezedout. Allow a pound of loaf-sugar to a pint of juice. Put the sugarand juice into a preserving kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming carefully. 

Put the jelly warm into your glasses, and when cold, tie them upwith brandy paper. 

Plum, and green-gage jelly may be made in the same manner, withthe kernels, which greatly improve the flavour. 

PRESERVED QUINCES

Pare and core your quinces, carefully taking out the parts thatare knotty and defective. Cut them into quarters, or into roundslices. Put them into a preserving kettle and cover them with theparings and a very little water. Lay a large plate over them tokeep in the steam, and boil them till they are tender. 

Take out the quinces, and strain the liquor through a bag. Toevery pint of liquor, allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Boil the juiceand sugar together, about ten minutes, skimming it well. Then putin the quinces, and boil them gently twenty minutes. When thesugar seems to have completely penetrated them, take them out, putthem in a glass jar, and pour the juice over them warm. Tie themup, when cold, with brandy paper. 

In preserving fruit that is boiled first without the sugar, it isgenerally better (after the first boiling) to let it stand tillnext day before you put the sugar to it. 

PRESERVED PIPPINS. 

Pare and core some of the largest and finest pippins. Put them inyour preserving kettle, [Footnote: The use of brass or bell-metalkettles is now most entirely superseded by the enamelled kettlesof iron lined with china, called preserving kettles; brass andbell-metal having always been objectionable on account of theverdigris which collects in them. ] with some lemon-peel, and allthe apple-parings. Add a very little water, and cover themclosely. Boil them till they are tender, taking care they do notburn. Take out the apples, and spread them on a large dish tocool. Poor the liquor into a bag, and strain it well. Put it intoyour kettle with a pound of loaf-sugar to each pint of juice, andadd lemon juice to your taste. Boil it five minutes, skimming itwell. Then put in the whole apples, and boil them slowly half anhour, or till they are quite soft and clear. Put them with thejuice, into your jars, and when quite cold, tie them up withbrandy paper. 

Preserved apples are only intended for present use, as they willnot keep long. 

Pears may be done in the same way, either whole or cut in half. They may be flavoured either with lemon or cinnamon, or both. Thepears for preserving should be green. 

PRESERVED PEACHES. 

Take the largest and finest free-stone peaches, before they aretoo ripe. Pare them, and cut them in halves or in quarters. Crackthe stones, and take out the kernels, and break them in pieces. Put the peaches, with the parings and kernels, into yourpreserving kettle, with a very little water. Boil them till theyare tender. Take out the peaches and spread them on a large dishto cool. Strain the liquor through a bag or sieve. Next day, measure the juice, and to each pint allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Put the juice and sugar into the kettle with the peaches, and boilthem slowly half an hour, or till they are quite soft, skimmingall the time. Take the peaches out, put them into your jars, andpour the warm liquor over them. When cold, tie them up with brandypaper. 

If boiled too long, they will look dull, and be of a dark colour. [Footnote: To preserve peaches whole, pare them and thrust out thestones with a skewer. Then proceed as above, only blanch thekernels and keep them whole. When the peaches are done, stick akernel into the hole of every peach, before you put them into thejars. Large fruit will keep best in broad shallow stone pots. ]

If you do not wish the juice to be very thick, do not put it on toboil with the sugar, but first boil the sugar alone, with only asmuch water as will dissolve it, and skim it well. Let the sugar, in all cases, be entirely melted before it goes on the fire. Having boiled the sugar and water, and skimmed it to a clearsyrup, then put in your juice and fruit together, and boil themtill completely penetrated with the sugar. 

PRESERVED CRAB APPLES

Wash your fruit. Cover the bottom of your preserving kettle withgrape leaves. Put in the apples. Hang them over the fire, with avery little water, and cover them closely. Do not allow them toboil, but let them simmer gently till they are yellow. Take themout, and spread them on a large dish to cool. Pare and core them. Put them again into the kettle, with fresh vine-leaves under andover them, and a very little water. Hang them over the fire tillthey are green. Do not let them boil. 

Take them out, weigh them, and allow a pound of loaf-sugar to apound of crab-apples. Put to the sugar just water enough todissolve it. When it is all melted, put it on the fire, and boiland skim it. Then put in your fruit, and boil the apples till theyare quite clear and soft. Put them in jars, and pour the warmliquor over them. When cold, tie them up with brandy paper. 

PRESERVED PLUMS. 

Cut your plums in half, (they must not be quite ripe, ) and take amthe stones. Weigh the plums and allow a pound of loaf-sugar to apound of fruit. 

Crack the stones, take out the kernels and break them in pieces. Boil the plums and kernels very slowly for about fifteen minutes, in as little water as possible. Then spread them on a large dishto cool, and strain the liquor. 

Next day make your syrup. Melt the sugar in as little water aswill suffice to dissolve it, (about half a pint of water to apound of sugar) and boil it a few minutes, skimming it till quiteclear. Then put in your plums with the liquor, and boil themfifteen minutes. Put them in jars, pour the juice over them warm, and tie them up, when cold, with brandy paper. [Footnote: Plumsfor common use, are very good done in molasses. Put your plumsinto an earthen vessel that holds a gallon, having first slit eachplum with a knife. To three quarts of plums put a pint ofmolasses. Cover them and set them on hot coals in the chimneycorner. Let them stew for twelve hours or more, occasionallystirring them, and renewing the coals. Next day put them up injars. Done in this manner they will keep till the next spring. ]

Syrups may be improved in clearness, by adding to the dissolvedsugar and water, some white of egg very well beaten, allowing thewhite of one egg to each pound of sugar. Boil it very hard, andskim it well, that it may be quite clear before you put in yourfruit. 

PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES. 

Weigh the strawberries after you have picked off the stems. Toeach pound of fruit allow a pound of loaf-sugar, which must bepowdered. Strew half of the sugar over the strawberries, and letthem stand in a cold place two or three hours. Then put them in apreserving kettle over a slow fire, and by degrees strew on therest of the sugar. Boil them fifteen or twenty minutes, and skimthem well. 

Put them in wide-mouthed bottles, and when cold, seal the corks. 

If you wish to do them whole, take them carefully out of thesyrup, (one at a time) while boiling. Spread them to cool on largedishes, not letting the strawberries touch each other, and whencool, return them to the syrup, and boil them a little longer. Repeat this several times. 

Keep the bottles in dry sand, in a place that is cool and notdamp. 

Gooseberries, currants, raspberries, cherries and grapes may bedone in the same manner. The stones must be taken from thecherries (which should be morellas, or the largest and best redcherries;) and the seeds should be extracted from the grapes withthe sharp point of a penknife. Gooseberries, grapes, and cherries, require longer boiling than strawberries, raspberries or currants. 

PRESERVED CRANBERRIES

Wash your cranberries, weigh them, and to each pound allow a poundof loaf-sugar. Dissolve the sugar in a very little water, (abouthalf a pint of water to a pound of sugar) and set it on the firein a preserving kettle. Boil it nearly ten minutes, skimming itwell. Then put in your cranberries, and boil them slowly, tillthey are quite soft, and of a fine colour. 

Put them warm into your jars or glasses, and tie them up withbrandy paper, when cold. 

All sorts of sweetmeats keep better in glasses, than in stone ofearthen jars. When opened for use, they should be tied up againimmediately, as exposure to the air spoils them. 

Common glass tumblers are very convenient for jellies, andpreserved small fruit. White jars are better than stone orearthen, for large fruit. 

PRESERVED PUMPKIN. 

Cut slices from a fine high-coloured pumpkin, and cut the slicesinto chips about the thickness of a dollar. The chips should be ofan equal size, six inches in length and an inch broad. Weigh themand allow to each pound of pumpkin chips, a pound of loaf-sugar. Have ready a sufficient number of fine lemons, pare off the yellowrind, and lay it aside. Cut the lemons in half, and squeeze thejuice into a bowl. Allow a gill of juice to each pound of pumpkin. 

Put the pumpkin into a broad pan laying the sugar among it. Pourthe lemon-juice over it, Cover the pan, and let the pumpkin chips, sugar and lemon-juice, set all night. 

Early in the morning put the whole into a preserving pan, and boilall together (skimming it well) till the pumpkin becomes clear andcrisp, but not till it breaks. It should have the appearance oflemon-candy. You may if you choose, put some lemon-peel with it, cut in very small pieces. 

Half an hour's boiling (or a little more) is generally sufficient. 

When it is done, take out the pumpkin, spread it On a large dish, and strain the syrup through a bag. Put the pumpkin into your jarsor glasses, pour the syrup over it, and tie it up with brandypaper. 

If properly done, this is a very fine sweetmeat. The taste of thepumpkin will be lost in that of the lemon and sugar, and the syrupis particularly pleasant. It is eaten without cream, likepreserved ginger. It may be laid on puff-paste shells, after theyare baked. 

PRESERVED PINE-APPLE, Pare your pine-apples, and cut them in thick slices. Weigh theslices and to each pound allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Dissolve thesugar in a very small quantity of water, stir it, and set it overthe fire in a preserving-kettle. Boil it ten minutes, skimming itwell. Then put in it the pine-apple slices, and boil them tillthey are clear and soft, but not till they break. About half anhour (or perhaps less time) will suffice. Let them cool in a largedish or pan, before you put them into your jars, which you must docarefully, lest they break. Pour the syrup over them. Tie them upwith brandy paper. 

RASPBERRY JAM. 

Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Mash the raspberriesand put them with the sugar into your preserving kettle. Boll itslowly for an hour skimming it well. Tie it up with brandy paper. 

All jams are made in the same manner. 

APPENDIX. 

MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS. 

CONTENTS. 

 A-la-mode Beef Chicken Pudding A boned Turkey Collared Pork Spiced Oysters Stewed Oysters Oyster Soup Fried Oysters Baked Oysters Oyster Patties Oyster Sauce Pickled Oysters Chicken Salad Lobster Salad Stewed Mushrooms Peach Cordial Cherry Bounce Raspberry Cordial Blackberry Cordial Ginger Beer Jelly Cake Rice Cakes for Breakfast Ground Rice Pudding Tomata Ketchup Yeast

A-LA-MODE BEEF

 A pound of fresh beef weighing from eighteen to twenty pounds. A pound of the fat of bacon or corned pork. The marrow from the bone of the beef, \ chopped together A quarter of a pound of beef-suet, / Two bundles of pot herbs, parsley, thyme, small onions, &c. Chopped fine. Two large bunches of sweet marjoram, \sufficient when powdered to make Two bunches of sweet basil, /make four table-spoonfuls of each. Two large nutmegs, \ Half an ounce of cloves } beaten to a powder. Half an ounce of mace, / One table-spoonful of salt. One table-spoonful of pepper. Two glasses of madeira wine. 

If your a-la-mode beef is to be eaten cold, prepare it three daysbefore it is wanted. 

Take out the bone. Fasten up the opening with skewers, and tie themeat all round with tape. Rub it all over on both sides with salt. A large round of beef will be more tender than a small one. 

Chop the marrow and suet together. Pound the spice. Chop thepot-herbs very fine. Pick the sweet-marjoram and sweet-basil cleanfrom the stalks, and rub the leaves to a powder. You must have atleast four table-spoonfuls of each. Add the pepper and salt, andmix well together all the ingredients that compose the seasoning. 

Cut the fat of the bacon or pork into pieces about a quarter of aninch thick and two inches long. With a sharp knife make deepincisions all over the round of beef and very near each other. Putfirst a little of the seasoning into each hole, then a slip of thebacon pressed down hard and covered with more seasoning. Pour alittle wine into each hole. 

When you have thus stuffed the upper side of the beef, turn itover and stuff in the same manner the under side. If the round isvery large, you will require a larger quantity of seasoning. 

Put it in a deep baking dish, pour over it some wine, cover it, and let it set till next morning. It will be much the better forlying all night in the seasoning. 

Next day put a little water in the dish, set it in a covered oven, and bake or stew it gently for twelve hours at least, or more ifit is a large round. It will be much improved by stewing it inlard. Let it remain all night in the oven. 

If it is to be eaten hot at dinner, put it in to stew the eveningbefore, and let it cook till dinner-time next day. Stir some wineand a beaten egg into the gravy. 

If brought to table cold, cover it all over with green parsley, and stick a large bunch of something green in the centre. 

What is left will make an excellent hash the next day. 

CHICKEN PUDDING

Cut up a pair of young chickens, and season them with pepper andsalt and a little mace and nutmeg. Put them into a pot with twolarge spoonfuls of butter, and water enough to cover them. Stewthem gently; and when about half cooked, take them out and setthem away to cool. Pour off the gravy, and reserve it to be servedup separately. 

In the mean time, make a batter as if for a pudding, of eighttable-spoonfuls of sifted flour stirred gradually into a quart ofmilk, six eggs well beaten and added by degrees to the mixture, and a very little salt. Put a layer of chicken in the bottom of adeep dish, and pour over it some of the batter; then another layerof chicken, and then some more batter; and so on till the dish isfull, having a cover of batter at the top. Bake it till it isbrown. Then break an egg into the gravy which you have set away, give it a boil, and send it to table in a sauce-boat to eat withthe pudding. 

A BONED TURKEY. 

 A large turkey. Three sixpenny loaves of stale bread. One pound of fresh butter. Four eggs. One bunch of pot-herbs, parsley, thyme, and little onions. Two bunches of sweet marjoram. Two bunches of sweet basil. Two nutmegs. \ Half an ounce of cloves. } pounded fine. A quarter of an ounce of mace. / A table-spoonful of salt. A table-spoonful of pepper. 

Skewers, tape, needle, and coarse thread will be wanted. 

Grate the bread, and put the crusts in water to soften. Then breakthem up small into the pan of crumbled bread. Cut up a pound ofbutter in the pan of bread. Rub the herbs to powder, and have twotable-spoonfuls of sweet-marjoram and two of sweet basil, or moreof each if the turkey is very large. Chop the pot-herbs, and poundthe spice. Then add the salt and pepper, and mix all theingredients well together. Beat slightly four eggs, and mix themwith the seasoning and bread crumbs. 

After the turkey is drawn, take a sharp knife and, beginning atthe wings, carefully separate the flesh from the bone, scraping itdown as you go; and avoid tearing or breaking the skin. Next, loosen the flesh from the breast and back, and then from thethighs. It requires great care and patience to do it nicely. Whenall the flesh is thus loosened, take the turkey by the neck, giveit a pull, and the skeleton will come out entire from the flesh, as easily as you draw your hand out of a glove. The flesh willthen be a shapeless mass. With a needle and thread mend or sew upany holes that may be found in the skin. 

Take up a handful of the seasoning, squeeze it hard and proceed tostuff the turkey with it, beginning at the wings, next to thebody, and then the thighs. 

If you stuff it properly, it will again assume its natural shape. Stuff it very hard. When all the stuffing is in, sew up thebreast, and skewer the turkey into its proper form, so that itwill look as if it had not been boned. 

Tie it round with tape and bake it three hours or more. Make agravy of the giblets chopped, and enrich it with some wine and anegg. 

If the turkey is to be eaten cold, drop spoonfuls of red currantjelly all over it, and in the dish round it. 

A large fowl may be boned and stuffed in the same manner. 

COLLARED PORK. 

 A leg of fresh pork, not large. Two table-spoonfuls of powdered sage. Two table-spoonfuls of sweet marjoram, \ powdered. One table-spoonful of sweet basil, / A quarter of an ounce of mace, \ Half an ounce of cloves, } powdered. Two nutmegs, / A bunch of pot-herbs, chopped small. A sixpenny loaf of stale bread, grated. Half a pound of butter, cut into the bread. Two eggs. A table-spoonful of salt. A table-spoonful of black pepper. 

Grate the bread, and having softened the crust in water, mix itwith the crumbs. Prepare all the other ingredients, and mix themwell with the grated bread and egg, Take the bone out of a leg of pork, and rub the meat well on bothsides with salt. Spread the seasoning thick all over the meat. Then roll it up very tightly and tie it round with tape. 

Put it into a deep dish with a little water, and bake it twohours. If eaten hot, put an egg and some wine into the gravy. Whencold, cut it down into round slices. 

SPICED OYSTERS. 

 Two hundred large fresh oysters. Four table-spoonfuls of strong vinegar. A nutmeg, grated. Three dozen of cloves, whole. Eight blades of mace, whole. Two tea-spoonfuls of salt if the oysters are fresh. Two tea-spoonfuls of whole allspice. As much cayenne pepper as will lie on the point of a knife. 

Put the oysters, with their liquor, into a large earthen pitcher. Add to them the vinegar and all the other ingredients. Stir allwell together. Set them in the stove, or over a slow fire, keepingthem covered. Take them off the fire several times, and stir themto the bottom. As soon as they boil completely they aresufficiently done; if they boil too long they will be hard. 

Pour them directly out of the pitcher into a pan, and set themaway to cool. They must not be eaten till quite cold, or indeedtill next day. 

If you wish to keep them a week, put a smaller quantity of spice, or they will taste too much of it by setting so long. Let them bewell covered. 

Oysters in the shell may be kept all winter by laying them in aheap in the cellar, with the concave side upwards to hold in theliquor. Sprinkle them every day with strong salt and water, andthen with Indian meal. Cover them with matting or an old carpet. 

STEWED OYSTERS. 

Open the oysters and strain the liquor. Put to the liquor somegrated stale bread, and a little pepper and nutmeg, adding a glassof white wine. Boil the liquor with these ingredients, and thenpour it scalding hot over the dish of raw oysters. This will cookthem sufficiently. 

Have ready some slices of buttered toast with the crust cut off. When the oysters are done, dip the toast in the liquor, and laythe pieces round the sides and in the bottom of a deep dish. Pourthe oysters and liquor upon the toast, and send them to table hot. 

OYSTER SOUP

 Three pints of large fresh oysters. Two table-spoonfuls of butter, rolled in flour. A bunch of sweet herbs. A saucer full of chopped celery. A quart of rich milk. Pepper to your taste. 

Take the liquor of three pints of oysters. Strain it, and set iton the fire. Put into it, pepper to your taste, two table-spoonfulsof butter rolled in flour, and a bunch of sweet marjoram andother pot-herbs, with a saucer full of chopped celery. When itboils, add a quart of rich milk-and as soon as it boils again, take out the herbs, and put in the oysters just before you sendit to table. Boiling them in the soup will shrivel them anddestroy their taste. 

FRIED OYSTERS

For frying, choose the largest and finest oysters. Beat some yolksof eggs and mix with them grated bread, and a small quantity ofbeaten nutmeg and mace and a little salt. Having stirred thisbatter well, dip your oysters into it, and fry them in lard, tillthey are of a light brown colour. Take care not to do them toomuch. Serve them up hot. 

For grated bread, some substitute crackers pounded to a powder, and mixed with yolk of egg and spice. 

BAKED OR SCOLLOPED OYSTERS. 

Grate a small loaf of stale-bread. Butter a deep dish well, andcover the sides and bottom with bread crumbs. Put in half theoysters with a little mace and pepper. Cover them with crumbs andsmall bits of butter strewed over them. Then put in the remainderof the oysters. Season them. Cover them as before with crumbs andbutter. If the oysters are fresh, pour in a little of the liquor. If they are salt, substitute a little water. Bake them a veryshort time. You may cook them in the small scolloped dishes madefor the purpose. 

OYSTER PATTIES. 

Make some rich puff-paste, and bake it in very small tin pattypans. When cool, turn them out upon a large dish. 

Stew some large fresh oysters with a few cloves, a little mace andnutmeg, some yolk of egg boiled hard and grated, a little butter, and as much of the oyster liquor as will cover them. When theyhave stewed a little while, take them out of the pan, and set themaway to cool. When quite cold, lay two or three oysters in eachshell of puff-paste. 

OYSTER-SAUCE. 

When your oysters are opened, take care of all the liquor, andgive them one boil in it. Then take the oysters out, and put tothe liquor three or four blades of mace. Add to it some meltedbutter, and some thick cream or rich milk. Put in your oysters andgive them a boil. As soon as they come to a boil, take them of thefire. 

PICKLED OYSTERS. 

 Four hundred large fresh oysters. A pint of vinegar. Eight spoonfuls of salt. A pint of white wine. Six table-spoonfuls of whole black pepper. Eight blades of mace. 

Strain the liquor of the oysters and boil it. Then pour it hotover the oysters, and let them lie in it about ten minutes. Thentake them out, and cover them. Boil the liquor with the salt, pepper, mace, vinegar and wine. When cold, put the oysters in aclose jar, and pour the liquor over them. Cover the jar verytight, and the oysters will keep a long time. 

If the oysters are salt, put no salt to the liquor. 

CHICKEN SALAD. 

 Two large cold fowls, either boiled or roasted. The yolks of nine hard-boiled eggs. Half a pint of sweet oil. Half a pint of vinegar. A gill of mixed mustard. A small tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper. A small tea-spoonful of salt. Two large heads, or four small ones, of fine celery. 

Cut the meat of the fowls from the bones, in pieces not exceedingan inch in size. 

Cut the white part of the celery into pieces about an inch long. Mix the chicken and celery well together. Cover them and set themaway. 

With the back of a wooden spoon, mash the yolks of eggs till theyare a perfectly smooth paste. Mix them with the oil, vinegar, mustard, cayenne, and salt. Stir them for a long time, till theyare thoroughly mixed and quite smooth. The longer they are stirredthe better. When this dressing is sufficiently mixed, cover it, and set it away. 

Five minutes before the salad is to be eaten pour the dressingover the chicken and celery, and mix all well together. If thedressing is put on long before it is wanted, the salad will betough and hard. 

This salad is very excellent made of cold turkey instead ofchicken. 

LOBSTER SALAD. 

Take two large boiled lobsters. Extract all the meat from theshell, and cut it up into very small pieces. 

For lobster salad, you must have lettuce instead of celery. Cut upthe lettuce as small as possible. 

Make a dressing as for a chicken-salad, with the yolks of ninehard-boiled eggs, half a pint of sweet oil, half a pint ofvinegar, a gill of mustard, a tea-spoonful of cayenne, and atea-spoonful of salt. Mix all well together with a wooden spoon. 

A few minutes before it is to be eaten, pour the dressing over thelobster and lettuce and mix it very well. 

STEWED MUSHROOMS. 

Take a quart of fresh mushrooms. Peel them and cut off the stems. Season them with pepper and salt. Put them in a sauce-pan orskillet, with a lump of fresh butter the size of an egg, andsufficient cream or rich milk to cover them. Put on the lid of thepan, and stew the mushrooms about a quarter of an hour, keepingthem well covered or the flavour will evaporate. 

When you take them off the fire, have ready one or two beateneggs. Stir the eggs gradually into the stew, and send it to tablein a covered dish. 

PEACH CORDIAL. 

Take a peck of cling-stone peaches; such as come late in theseason, and are very juicy. Pare them, and cut them from thestones. Crack about half the stones and save the kernels. Leavethe remainder of the stones whole, and mix them with the cutpeaches; add also the kernels. Put the whole into a wide-moutheddemi-john, and pour on them two gallons of double-rectifiedwhiskey. Add three pounds of rock-sugar candy. Cork it tightly, and set It away for three months: then bottle it, and it will befit for use. This cordial is as clear as water, and nearly equalto noyau. 

CHERRY BOUNCE. 

Take a peck of morella cherries, and a peck of black hearts. Stonethe morellas and crack the stones. Put all the cherries and thecracked stones into a demi-john, with three pounds of loaf-sugarslightly pounded or beaten. Pour in two gallons of double-rectifiedwhiskey. Cork the demi-john, and in six months the cherry-bouncewill be fit to pour off and bottle for use; but the older it is, the better. 

RASPBERRY CORDIAL. 

To each quart of raspberries allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Mash theraspberries and strew the sugar over them, having first pounded itslightly, or cracked it with the rolling-pin. Let the raspberriesand sugar set till next day, keeping them well covered, then putthem in a thin linen bag and squeeze out the juice with yourhands. To every pint of juice allow a quart of double-rectifiedwhiskey. Cork it well, and set it away for use. It will be readyin a few days. 

Raspberry Vinegar (which, mixed with water, is a pleasant andcooling beverage in warm weather) is made exactly in the samemanner as the cordial, only substituting the best white vinegarfor the whiskey. 

BLACKBERRY CORDIAL. 

Take the ripest blackberries. Mash them, put them in a linen bagand squeeze out the juice. To every quart of juice allow a poundof beaten loaf-sugar. Put the sugar into a large preservingkettle, and pour the juice on it. When it is all melted, set it onthe fire, and boil it to a thin jelly. When cold, to every quartof juice allow a quart of brandy. Stir them well together, andbottle it for use. It will be ready at once. 

GINGER BEER. 

Put into a kettle, two ounces of powdered ginger, (or more if it isnot very strong, ) half an ounce of cream of tartar, two largelemons cut in slices, two pounds of broken loaf-sugar, and onegallon of soft water. Simmer them over a slow fire for half anhour. When the liquor is nearly cold, stir into it a largetable-spoonful of the best yeast. After it has fermented, bottlefor use. 

JELLY CAKE. 

Stir together till very light, half a pound of fresh butter andhalf a pound of powdered white sugar. Beat twelve eggs very light, and stir them into the butter and sugar, alternately with a poundof sifted flour. Add a beaten nutmeg, and half a wine-glass ofrose-water. Have ready a flat circular plate of tin, which must belaid on your griddle, or in the oven of your stove, and wellgreased with butter. Pour on it a large ladle-full of the batter, and bake it as you would a buck-wheat cake, taking care to have itof a good shape. It will not require turning. Bake as many ofthese cakes as you want, laying each on a separate plate. Thenspread jelly or marmalade all over the top of each cake, and layanother upon it. Spread that also with jelly, and so on till youhave a pile of five or six, looking like one large thick cake. Trim the edge nicely with a penknife, and cover the top withpowdered sugar. Or you may ice it; putting on the nonpareils orsugar-sand in such a manner as to mark out the cake in triangulardivisions. When it is to be eaten, cut it in three-cornered slicesas you would a pie. 

COLOURING FOR ICING, &c. 

_To make a red colouring for icing_. Take twenty grains ofcochineal powder, twenty grains of cream of tartar, and twentygrains of powdered alum. Put them into gill of cold soft water, and boil it very slowly till reduced to one half. Strain itthrough thin muslin, and cork it up for use. A very small quantityof this mixture will colour icing of a beautiful pink. With pinkicing, white nonpareils should be used. 

RICE CAKES FOR BREAKFAST. 

Put half a pound of rice in soak over night. Early in the morningboil it very soft, drain it from the water, mix with it a quarterof a pound of butter, and set it away to cool. When it is cold, stir it into a quart of milk, and add a very little salt. Beat sixeggs, and sift half a pint of flour. Stir the egg and flouralternately into the rice and milk. Having beaten the whole verywell, bake it on the griddle in cakes about the size of a smalldessert-plate. Butter them, and send them to table hot. 

GROUND RICE PUODIJVG. 

Take five table-spoonfuls of ground rice and boil it in a quart ofnew milk, with a grated nutmeg or a tea-spoonful of powderedcinnamon, stirring it all the time. When it has boiled, pour itinto a pan and stir in a quarter of a pound of butter, and aquarter of a pound of powdered sugar, a nutmeg and half a pint ofcream. Set it away to get cold. Then heat eight eggs, omitting thewhites of four. Have ready a pound of dried currants well cleaned, and sprinkled with flour; stir them into the mixture alternatelywith the beaten egg. Add half a glass of rose-water, or half aglass of mixed wine and brandy. Butter a deep dish, put in themixture, and hake it of a pale brown. Or you may bake it insaucers. 

TOMATA KETCHUP. 

Slice the tomatas. Put them in layers into a deep earthen pan, andsprinkle every layer with salt. Let them stand in this state fortwelve hours. Then put them over the fire in a preserving kettle, and simmer them till they are quite soft. Pour them into a linenbag, and squeeze the juice from them. Season the liquor to yourtaste, with grated horse-radish, a little garlic, some mace, and afew cloves. Boil it well with these ingredients--and, when cold, bottle it for use. 

YEAST

Have ready two quarts of boiling water; put into it a largehandful of hops, and let them boil twenty minutes. Sift into a pana pound and a half of flour. Strain the liquor from the hops, andpour half of it over the flour. Let the other half of the liquidstand till it is cool, and then pour it gradually into the pan offlour, mixing it well. Stir into it a large tea-cup full of goodyeast, (brewer's yeast if you can get it. ) Put it immediately intobottles, and cork it tightly. It will be fit for use in an hour. It will be much improved and keep longer, by putting into eachbottle a tea-spoonful of pearl-ash. 

FINIS