CHRISTMAS FARE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 234, 22 December 1927, Page 4

CHRISTMAS FARE

PUDDINGS AND PIES RECIPES WORTH TESTING The careful cook has already seen to it that all her fruits for her Christmas puddings, cakes, and pies, arc soaking in brandy and the family has been warned that the lid of the jar must not be lifted to snatch a whiff of the delicious, rich fragrance. A cook with an experimental turn of mind will try this year to give the family a cold Christmas pudding, and will set all her fruits, which are usually mixed with the flour, in jelly. Whether the diners will approve or not remains to be seen. The hot pudding, with its pinafore of flame, has become so much part of Christmas tradition in English-speak-ing countries, that any innovation in this line is looked upon askance. The following pudding recipe has been tested and found good: Take Jib each figs, stoned raisins, bread crumbs, 4oz each sultanas, currants, candied peel, almonds and butter, the juice of 2 lemons, rind of 1 lemon (grated), 4 eggs, brandy, 1 teaspoon whole spice, pinch salt, Sib brow r n sugar, 2 apples. Clean the fruit, chop or mince figs and candied peel, and put all fruits into a basin or jar, add lemon rind, pour over J cup brandy and allow to stand for 3 or 4 days, well covered. Put all ingredients into a basin, add lemon juice, sugar and breadcrumbs; work butter well into fruits; add eggs v r ell beaten and mix thoroughly. Turn into two medium-sized, well-buttered basins; tie with a buttered cloth and boil for 3 hours. When done turn out and serve with a suitable sauce or custard.

A good sauce is made with J cup of sherry or brandy, ljoz castor sugar, and 2 eggs.

Put all ingredients into a small saucepan, with J gill water and stand it in another vessel of boiling water. Whisk briskly till the whole becomes stiff and frothy. Serve immediately. Princess Louise has put her autograph on this recipe, which includes New Zealand fruits:

Take lib stoned raisins, 3 Jib currants, gib each chopped apples, chopped beef suet, and bread crumbs, Jib each sultanas and brown sugar, 6oz chopped mixed peel, 3oz chopped almonds, 2oz flour, J teaspoon each of following spices: Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and all-spice; 7 eggs, 1 gill brandy, or, if preferred, ale; rind and juice of 1 large lemon. Prepare the fruit, mix well the dry ingredients, add the liquid last, stir and mix well. Put mixture into greased basins. Cover the tops with a plain flour-and-water crust. Tie a cloth over the top and boil for six hours. Boil again for two hours, when required. Alternately steam for eight hours, and for 2J hours, when required. This recipe for a pound plum pudding is quite a good one.

Take lib each suet, currants, raisins, sultanas, mixed candied peel, 1 teaspoon salt, Jib each bread crumbs and flour, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 8 eggs. Chop the beef suet finely and add in the following order: Flour, salt, spice, sugar, raisins, peel, bread crumbs and sultanas. Beat the eggs, adding brandy as flavouring, also caramel made from burnt sugar and water, pour over the dry ingredients and stir, and mix thoroughly.

This is a specially good recipe for Christmas cake:

Take Boz each currants, sultanas, raisins, butter, sugar, 4oz lemon peel, 2oz flour, 1 gill brandy, 6 eggs, teaspoon of burnt sugar mixed in a spoonful of water. Beat butter and sugar in a good cream, add burnt sugar, eggs (well beaten), prepared fruit, flour (gradually), and, lastly, the brandy. Mix thoroughly, pour into a tin, and bake in a hot oven 8 to 10 minutes. Then gradually decrease the heat and bake for 3 hours. Ice with almond paste icing. Sift lib icing sugar and add to it Jib ground almonds. Mix to a stiff paste with the beaten yolks of 2 eggs, then add 1 gill each cherry brandy, orange juice, le'tnon juice. Roll out on a board which has been sprinkled with sugar and cover cake.

Mince pies are also part of a traditional Christmas feast, and a good housewife sends this recipe, which is guaranteed: Take 4oz each apples and currants, Jib raisins (stoned), 2oz finely chopped suet, 4oz castor sugar, 4oz chopped candied peel, the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 salt spoon nutmeg (grated), also cinnamon, cloves, mace (ground), and 3 tablespoons brandy. Mix all ingredients well together, put into a jar, pour over brandy, and cover closely. Let stand for some days before being used. Puff pastry can be bought already prepared to be rolled out to size and shapes desired, at all pastrycooks. Roll out to about iin in thickness, and line some patty tins with it. Fill with mince meat, cover with paste, brush over lightly with cold water and dredge with castor sugar. Bake in a moderately hot oven 25 to 30 minutes. Serve either hot or cold. And lastly a recipe for a Scotch offering on New Year's Bay: Take 2 eggs, lib butter, Jib ground rice, 1 Jib flour, Jib sifted sugar, 1J teaspoons baking powder, pinch of salt. Have the butter half sjLlt and half fresh if possible. Cream butter and sugar, add the beaten eggs, then work in the flour, rice and powder mixed. Work to a stiff dough. Bivide, and roll out about half an inch thick, pinch the edges with finger and thumb, prick evenly all over with a fork. Bake a light golden colour, using sheets of white paper on an oven tray, for about half an hour or more in a moderate oven. May be decorated with peel or comfits before placing in the oven.

SOCIAL WORKER’S DEATH LATE MRS. FANNY CROCOMBE Mrs. Fanny Crocombe, aged 89, died at the home" of her daughter, Mrs. B. S. Mills, in Richmond Street, Mount Eden, on Monday. Mrs. Crocombe, who is a native Saxmunde, Suffolk, was married in England. She lived in London for some years. She settled in Albertland, removing later to Auckland. A prominent member of the Baptist Church, she was an enthusiastic social worker. Her daughter and her only son. Mr. G. H. Crocombe, both live in Auckland.

YOUTH!—YOU’LL FIND IT IN MARSHALL'S FOSPHERINE Youth is joy in liJte, vigorous health and unfailing energy. A man is as old as he feels, and you can always feel young by taking Marshall's Fospherine. This wonderful nerve tonic helps you to feel like a 10-year-old. Marshall’s Fospherine contains natural live phosphorus, the element that is so vital to nerve health, and which does not exist in modern foods. Get a bottle to-day and regain your youth. Ask your chemist or storekeeper for the six-sided carton —100 doses for 2s 6d. If unable to obtain easily, write the proprietors, A. and W. Baxter, of Baxter's Lung Preserver, Christchurch.—3.

PONSONBY W.C.T.U. FINAL MEETING The Ponsonby branch of the W.C.T.U. held its last meeting for the year last week. The president, Mrs. Lee Cowie, welcomed Mrs. E. M. Cooper, of Honolulu, who gave an interesting address on holiday Bible schools, one of which she will conduct in Newton in the East Street Hall. She also discussed the coming World’s Convention of W.C.T.U. branches at Lausanne during July, 1925. KINDERGARTEN PARTY The St. Matthew's Kindergarten had a most enjoyable Christmas party on Saturday afternoon. Father Christmas (Canon Grant Cowen) strolled among the little ones, bringing smiles to their faces and happiness to their hearts as he distributed his gifts. The hall was gaily decorated with streamers and evergreens. Songs were given by the tiny tots, and games were played, and a very merry tea party concluded a delightful afternoon.

THESPIAN CLUB The Thespians held their closing social for the year on Tuesday evening in the Union Buildings. Mr. Alf. Coutts, chairman for the evening, spoke appreciatively of the club’s work in the few months it had been formed and the pleasure it had given to the various local institutions by concert parties. items were given by Boris Binns, pianoforte solo; Phyllis BuncanBrown, recitations; Bahpne Higham and Alfred Gracie, violin solos; Mrs. Wallace, Boris Moore and Lionel Strange, songs. WOMEN’S INSTITUTE The monthly meeting of the Waingaro Women’s Institute was held on Thursday, Becember 15, at the residence of Mrs. Ronald Seavill. Mrs. Pickin presided. Most of the afternoon was spent in business and the institute was put into satisfactory working order. A demonstration of organdie flower making was given by Miss J. Seavill.