THE CHRISTMAS RUSH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1938, Page 10

THE CHRISTMAS RUSH

ODD JOBS IN THE KITCHEN. DO THEM NOW. Only a short while to Christmas, and so much to be done, eVen if the cakes and puddings are safely made already. Still, there are plenty of odd jobs in the culinary department which you can equally well do now without leaving everything till Christmas Week, and which will be no end of a help when the rush really sets in. You can, for instance, ice the cake ahd make mincemeat for picnic pies and tarts. First, the cake. For this you Will need almond paste and Royal icing. Almond Paste. Take Jib ground almonds, 11b icing sugar, 1 whole egg, 2 egg-yolks, flavouring essence. Sift the icing sugar, so that it is free from lumps, and mix it with the ground almonds. Beat up the whole egg and, egg-yolks together, and add them to the mixture,, with flavouring essence to taste. Mix'them to a stiff paste, adding a little more beaten egg if required. To cover the sides of the cake, turn the paste on to a board lightly sprinkled with icing sugar. Form into a smooth lump, and then into a roll long enough to reach round the sides of the cake, Take a rolling-pin and roll the paste rather wider than the depths of the sides, brush the latter with melted jam or jelly, place the cake on the paste and roll it over until the sides are covered. Shape the paste evenly, and leave it for a few hours. Made With Lemon Juice Another recipe for almond paste is as follows: —Jib ground almonds, 6oz castor sugar, 6oz icing sugar, strained juice of J lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 1 egg. Add vanilla and lemon to the egg, mix the almonds and sugar, and their stir all together. Work up into a pliable non-oily paste. Before applying, brush the cake over with beaten egg or a little warm apricot jam. Leave the almond paste on the cake for as long as possible before adding the Royal icing, to avoid yellow patches. Royal Icing. ljlb icing sugar, 3 egg whites, a few drops of lemon juice, oi’ of diluted acetic acid. Hair-sieve the sugar. Break up egg whites without whisking, mix them into the sugar with a Wooden spoon, and beat well. Add the acetic acid or lemon juice and beat again. The icing should be just too stiff to pour easily. Apply with a palette knife. ■'

Others prefer to use 2 egg whites lightly beaten and a little water mixed with ljlb icing sugar. Stand the cake on a cake-board (or an upturned plate will do) and pour some of the prepared icing on the top until it is up to the level of the almond paste. Let it set. Meanwhile sift a little more icing sugar and beat it into the remainder of the icing. Add a little more egg-white if required. The icing must now be of a consistency to hold its shape. Put some of it into an icing bag with a leaf-patterned tube affixed, and decorate to taste. Put a thin, rough layer of this stiffer icing on top of the smooth white icing and decorate the cake with seasonable decorations. To Make Mincemeat.

Take lib muscatels, Jib currants, Jib sultanas, Jib mixed candied peel, Jib orange marmalade, Jib brown sugar, Jib beef suet, ljlb sour apples, J nutmeg (grated), 1 lemon, J pint brandy, mixed spice to taste.

Clean the currants and sultanas, stone the muscatels, and put them with the peel through the mincer. Grate the suet finely. Place all the ingredients in a mixing basin, and add the nutmeg, spice, grated rind, and juice of the lemon. Peel, core, and mince the apples, add the sugar, and mix well with the other ingredients and the orange marmalade, adding .the brandy last of all. Put into jars and well press down. Cover and use as required. Another Recipe. Here is a recipe using fresh orange: lib raisins, Jib Jordan almonds, 1 orange, 21b sugar, lib shredded suet, lib tart apples, ljlb currants, Jib mixed peel, 3 lemons, 3 gills cider, Joz salt, Joz ginger, J grated nutmeg, J teaspoon ground mace. Peel and core the apples and chop them up finely. Put into basin with the suet. Wash currants and dry thoroughly and add with the seeded and chopped raisins to the mixture. Remove sugar from mixed peel, chop finely; blanch and chop almonds, grate lemon and orange rind and add to the mixture, with the sugar. Finally mix in salt, ginger, nutmeg, and mace. Mix all together thoroughly and add cider. Pack into glass jars, pressing well in with a wooden spoon. Cover with oiled paper and tie down.