Miss Leslie's Lady's New Receipt-Book Part 38

To give it a fine red or pink colour, use cochineal. For green colouring, pound in a mortar some raw spinach till you have extracted a tea-cup full of green juice. Put the juice into a very clean porcelain or earthen pan, set it over the fire, and give it one boil up, (not more,) and when cold it will be fit for use. This is the best way of preparing green colouring for all culinary purposes.

CINNAMON BREAD.--On a bread-baking day, (having made more than your usual quant.i.ty of wheat bread,) when the dough has risen quite light, so as to be cracked all over the surface, take out as much as would suffice for a moderate-sized loaf, (for instance, a twelve-cent one,) and make it into a large round cake. Having dissolved a yeast-powder in two separate cups in a little lukewarm water, the carbonate of soda in one cup, and the tartaric acid in another, mix the first with the dough of the cake, and then mix in the second. Have ready a half-pint of brown sugar, moistened with fresh b.u.t.ter, so as to make it a thick stiff paste, and flavoured with a heaping table-spoonful of powdered cinnamon.

Make deep cuts or incisions, at equal s.p.a.ces, over the cake, and fill them with the above mixture, pressed in hard; and pinch the dough with your thumb and finger, so as to close up each cut, to prevent the seasoning from running out. Set it immediately into the oven with the other bread, and bake it thoroughly. When cool, brush it over with white of egg, in which some sugar has been melted.

This is an excellent plain cake for children, and can be prepared any bread-baking day.

It is much improved by mixing with the dough two large heaped table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter that has been melted in a teacup of warm milk, and also one or two beaten eggs. Do this before you add the yeast-powder.

SNOW CREAM.--Take a large pint of very rich cream, and half a pound of the best loaf-sugar, powdered. Rub off, on a lump of sugar, the yellow rind of three large lemons or oranges, (or, four or five, if small;) sc.r.a.ping it off the sugar with a teaspoon as you proceed, and transferring it to a saucer. Then powder this lump of sugar, and add it to the rest. Mix with the sugar the juice of the fruit, and the grated rind; and then mix the whole with two quarts of clean snow, in a broad pan. Set the pan into a tub, and pack it closely all round with coa.r.s.e salt and snow; taking care that they do not quite reach to the edge of the pan, lest some of the salt should get in, and spoil the whole. While packed in the snow and salt, beat the mixture very hard till it is smooth and stiff. Then set it on ice; or in a very cold place, till wanted for use. Turn it out into a gla.s.s bowl.

This is a good and easy way of imitating ice-cream in families that are not provided with the regular apparatus of a freezer and moulds. The pint of cream must be very rich, and the flavouring very high. All flavouring loses much strength in freezing.

You may flavour it with vanilla, by boiling a vanilla bean in half a pint of milk, till the vanilla taste is well infused. Then strain the milk, and mix it with the cream. Or, instead of vanilla, you may boil in the milk a handful of sh.e.l.led bitter almonds, or peach-kernels, to be afterwards strained out.

LEMON HONEY.--Take three large ripe lemons, (or four or five small ones,) and (having rolled them under your hand on a table, to increase the juice,) rub off on a piece of loaf-sugar the yellow rind or zest, sc.r.a.ping it up with a teaspoon as you proceed, and putting it aside on a saucer. Then squeeze the juice of the lemons through a strainer, upon a pound of loaf-sugar, (broken small or powdered,) and add the zest or grated rind. Cut up, among the sugar, a large quarter of a pound of the best fresh b.u.t.ter. Break six eggs into a shallow earthen pan, and beat them till as light as possible. Then mix in, gradually, the sugar and lemon, stirring all very hard. Put the whole into a porcelain-lined kettle; set it over a moderate fire that has no blaze, and (stirring it all the time) let it boil till it becomes of the consistence of very thick honey. If the weather is warm, you may add to its thickness by stirring in a table-spoonful of ground arrow-root, or of sifted flour.

When done, put it warm into gla.s.s jars; cover them, closely, and seal the covers. It will keep in a cool dry place a month or more. If made in winter, it will continue good for two months.

ORANGE HONEY is made as above, except that you must have five or six oranges, all of the largest size, using the juice only and none of the rind. Orange peel will give it an unpleasant taste after it has been kept a few days.

RAISIN CURRANTS.--Strip as many ripe currants from the stems as will fill a quart measure when done. Put them into a porcelain-lined kettle; mash them, and add three quarters of a pound of sugar--brown will do.

Prepare three quarters of a pound of the largest and best raisins, washed, drained, seeded, and cut in half. Or, use the small sultana or seedless raisins. When the currants and sugar have come to a boil, and been skimmed, mix in the raisins, gradually, and let them boil till quite soft; skimming the surface well; and after each skimming stir the whole down to the bottom of the kettle. When done, take it up in a deep dish, and set it to cool. This is a nice, plain dessert.

For a larger quant.i.ty, take two quarts of stripped currants; a pound and a half of sugar; and a pound and a half of raisins. None but raisins of the best quality should be used for this or any other purpose.

Low-priced raisins are unwholesome, being always of bad quality.

CURRANT-RAISIN JAM.--Wash, drain, seed, and chop fine two pounds of the best bloom or muscatel raisins, and put them into a large pan till wanted. Having stripped them from the stems, squeeze through a linen bag into a large bowl as many ripe currants as will yield three quarts of juice. Sweeten this juice with two pounds and a half of sugar. Having put the minced raisins into a preserving kettle, pour the currant-juice over them, and give the whole a hard stirring. Set it over the fire, and boil and skim it, (stirring it down after skimming,) till it is thoroughly done, forming a thick smooth jam or marmalade. When cool, put it into jars. Cork them closely, covering the corks with paper tied down over the top, and set them away in a dry place. It is an excellent jam for common use, and very nice with cream.

TO KEEP PINE-APPLES, WITHOUT COOKING.--Take large fine pine-apples--the ripest you can procure. Pare and slice them thin, removing the hard core from the centre. Weigh the slices, and to each pound allow a pound of double-refined powdered loaf-sugar. Spread the slices on large flat dishes, with a layer of sugar both under and over them. Let them stand several hours; then put them up (without any cooking) in large gla.s.s tumblers, with the syrup that has issued from them; and put a thick layer of sugar at the top of each tumblerful. Cover the gla.s.ses closely, and tie a piece of bladder over each.

If the sugar is of the best quality, and the pine-apples ripe and without blemishes, they will keep perfectly well, done as above, and retain the flavour of the fruit better than when cooked. They must be kept in a dry cool place.

FINE PINE-APPLE MARMALADE.--Take pine-apples of large size, and as ripe as possible. Having removed the green leaves, cut each pine-apple (without paring) into four quarters; and then, with a large coa.r.s.e tin grater, grate them down as near the rind as you can go. Do this in a large dish, carefully saving the juice. Then weigh the grated pine-apple, and to every pound allow three large quarters of a pound of the best double-refined loaf-sugar, finely powdered. Too much sugar will, after boiling, cause the marmalade to candy in the jars. Mix with the sugar the pine-apple and all its juice, and put them into a preserving kettle over a moderate, but very clear, fire. Boil them slowly together, skimming them when necessary, and frequently stirring them up from the bottom with a silver spoon. Let them boil till they become a very thick smooth ma.s.s, of a fine gold colour. Put the marmalade warm into gla.s.s jars. Lay upon the surface a double tissue paper, cut circular, and fitting exactly; then cover the jars, and tie a piece of bladder over each.

Instead of grating the pine-apple, you may pare, core, and cut it into small thin pieces; but it will require a longer time to boil, and will be less smooth and beautiful. With a coa.r.s.e grater the trouble is not much.

MELON MARMALADE.--Take fine large citron melons, and cut them into quarters, having removed the seeds. Weigh the pieces, and to every pound allow a pound of the best double-refined loaf-sugar. To every three pounds of melon allow two lemons, and a tea-spoonful of ground white ginger. Then grate the melon slices on a coa.r.s.e grater, but not too close to the rind. Grate off the yellow rind of the lemons, and add it with the ginger to the sugar, which must be finely powdered. Then mix the whole with the grated melons in a preserving kettle. Set it over a moderate fire, and boil, skim, and stir it till it is a very thick smooth jam. Put it warm into gla.s.s jars, or large tumblers; lay a double round of tissue paper on the surface of the marmalade; cover the jars closely, and tie a piece of bladder over each.

Pumpkin marmalade may be made in the above manner, omitting the ginger.

TOMATO MARMALADE.--Take large fully-ripe tomatoes, and scald them in hot water, so that the skins can be easily peeled off. Weigh the tomatoes; and to every pound, allow a pound of the best sugar; to every three pounds, two lemons and a small tea-spoonful of ground ginger. Grate off the yellow rind of the lemons, and mix it with the sugar and ginger; then add their juice. Put the tomatoes into a preserving kettle, and mash them with the back of a wooden ladle. Then mix in the sugar, &c., stirring the whole very hard. Set the kettle over a moderate fire, and boil it very slowly for three hours, till it is a smooth ma.s.s, skimming it well; and stirring it to the bottom after each skimming.

This is an excellent sweet-meat; and as the lemon must on no account be omitted, it should be made when lemons are plenty. The best time is the month of August, as lemons are then to be had in abundance, and the tomatoes are less watery than in the autumn months. For children it may be made with brown sugar, and with less lemon and more ginger. Like all preparations of tomato it is very wholesome.

YANKEE APPLE PUDDING.--b.u.t.ter the bottom and inside of a deep tin pan.

Pare, core, and quarter six or eight large, fine, juicy apples; and strew among them a heaped half-pint or more of broken sugar. Dissolve a tea-spoonful either of soda, sal-eratus, or pearlash, in a pint of _sour_ milk. The soda will take off entirely the acid of the milk, and render the whole very light. Stir the milk, and pour it among the apples. Have ready a good pie-crust, rolled out thick. Lay it over the top of the pan of apples, &c.; trim the edge nicely, and notch it neatly. Put the pudding into a hot oven, and bake it brown. It will require at least an hour, or more, according to its depth. Eat it warm.

This is a good plain family pudding. A similar one may be made of peaches; pared; stoned, and quartered.

[406-*]FILET GUMBO.--Cut up a pair of fine plump fowls into pieces, as when carving. Lay them in a pan of cold water, till all the blood is drawn out. Put into a pot, two large table-spoonfuls of lard, and set it over the fire. When the lard has come to a boil, put in the chickens with an onion finely minced. Dredge them well with flour, and season slightly with salt and pepper; and, if you like it, a little chopped marjoram. Pour on it two quarts of boiling water. Cover it, and let it simmer slowly for three hours. Then stir into it two heaped tea-spoonfuls of sa.s.safras powder. Afterwards, let it stew five or six minutes longer, and then send it to table in a deep dish; having a dish of boiled rice to be eaten with it by those who like rice.

This gumbo will be much improved by stewing with it three or four thin slices of cold boiled ham, in which case omit the salt in the seasoning.

Whenever cold ham is an ingredient in any dish, no other salt is required.

A dozen fresh oysters and their liquor, added to the stew about half an hour before it is taken up, will also be an improvement.

If you cannot conveniently obtain sa.s.safras-powder, stir the gumbo frequently with a stick of sa.s.safras root.

This is a genuine southern receipt. Filet gumbo may be made of any sort of poultry, or of veal, lamb, venison, or kid.

[406-* p.r.o.nounced Fee_lay_.]

FINE CABBAGE SOUP.--Take a fine large cabbage, and, after removing the outside leaves, and cutting the stalk short, divide the cabbage into quarters, more than half way down, but not quite to the stem. Lay the cabbage in cold water for half an hour or more. Then set it over the fire in a pot _full_ of boiling water, and let it boil for an hour and a half, skimming it frequently. Then take it out, drain it, and laying it in a deep pan, pour on _cold_ water, and let the cabbage remain in it till cold all through. Next (having drained it from the cold water) cut the cabbage into shreds or small pieces, and put it into a clean pot containing three pints of rich boiling milk, into which you have stirred a quarter of a pound of the best fresh b.u.t.ter; adding a very little salt and pepper. Boil it in the milk about two hours, or till thoroughly done, and quite tender. Then cut up some pieces of bread into small squares. Lay them in a tureen, and pour the soup upon them.

This, being made without meat, is an excellent soup for Lent or fast-days.

It is still better when cauliflowers or broccoli are subst.i.tuted for cabbage; adding a few blades of mace, or some grated nutmeg.

EXCELLENT PICKLED CABBAGE.--Shred very fine, with a cabbage-cutter, a large fresh red cabbage. Pack it down (with a little salt sprinkled between each layer) in a large stone jar. The jar should be three parts full of the shred cabbage. Then tie up, in a bag of very thin clean muslin, two table-spoonfuls of whole black pepper; the same quant.i.ty of cloves; and the same of cinnamon, broken very small, but not powdered.

Also a dozen blades of mace. Put two quarts of the best cider-vinegar into a porcelain-lined kettle; throw in the bag of spices, and boil it.

Five minutes after it has come to a hard boil, take out the bag of spice, and pour the vinegar hot over the cabbage in the jar; stirring it up from the bottom, so that the vinegar may get all through the cabbage. Then lay the bag of spice on the top, and while the pickle is hot, cover the jar closely. It will be fit for use in two days.

If you find, after awhile, that the pickle tastes too much of the spice, remove the spice-bag.

You may pickle white cabbage in the same way; omitting the cloves, and boiling in the vinegar a second muslin bag, with three ounces of turmeric, which will give the cabbage a fine bright yellow colour.

Having put up the cabbage into the jar, lay the turmeric-bag half way down, and the spice-bag on the top. But the turmeric-bag need not be put into the jar if the vinegar has sufficiently coloured the cabbage.

Small onions may be pickled, as above, with turmeric. Always, in preparing onions, for any purpose, peel off the thin outer skin.

MADEIRA HAM.--Take a ham of the very finest sort; a Westphalia one, if you can obtain it. Soak it in water all day and all night; changing the water several times. A Westphalia ham should be soaked two days and nights. Early in the morning of the day it is to be cooked, put it over the fire in a large pot, and boil it four hours, skimming it well. Then take it out; remove the skin, and put the ham into a clean boiler, with sufficient Madeira wine to cover it well. Boil, or rather stew it an hour longer, keeping the pot covered, except when you remove the lid to turn the ham. When well stewed take it up, drain it, and strain the liquor into a porcelain-lined saucepan. Have ready a sufficiency of powdered white sugar. Cover the ham all over with a thick coating of the sugar, and set it into a hot oven to bake for an hour.

Mix some orange or lemon-juice with the liquor, adding sugar and nutmeg. Give it one boil up over the fire, and serve it up in a tureen, as sauce to the ham.

What is left of the ham may be cut next day into thin slices, put into a stew-pan, with the remains of the liquor or sauce poured over it, and stewed for a quarter of an hour. Serve it up all together in the same dish. Instead of Madeira you may use champagne. Bottled cider is also a good subst.i.tute.