SOUTH ISLAND COOKERY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 104, 20 June 1941, Page 45

SOUTH ISLAND COOKERY

HILE on my interesting and delightful tour of the South Island last summer, I was given a number of practical recipes by the capable housewives who gathered together at those happy meetings. Here are some of them. Try them, and paste them in your scrap book. Shortbread From "Great Grandma," Mosgiel, who has made it for many years and says it keeps very well: One pound of

flour; 42 lb. butter; % lb. castor sugar. Take back a small half-cup of the flour; and then proceed in the usual way. From Mrs. Sproule, Mosgiel, I have these three recipes:Rolls Three tablespoons of butter; 4 tablespoons of sugar; 2 beaten eggs; 1 cup of milk; 4 cups flour; and 4 large teaspoons baking powder. Cream the butter and sugar; add the beaten egg; then the milk; and lastly the dry ingredients. Roll, and cut out as for scones. Roll over, brush with egg, and bake. Don’t make too big, as they will rise. Prize Sponge Five eggs; 1 cup of flour; 1 cup sugar; 14% teaspoon soda; ¥2 teaspoon cream of tartar. Make as usual, and beat it for a good while-about twenty minutes. Economical Sponge One large cup of flour; 2 eggs; 5 tablespoons of cold water; 1 small cup of sugar; and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Beat all together for three minutes. Add two teaspoons of baking powder, and bake in two tins. Banana Coffee Cake

Mrs. Beale, of Mosgiel, says this cake keeps fresh for weeks! 1142 cups of flour; 1% lb. butter; 2 bananas mashed or cut up; 1 tablespoon coffee essence; 3% cup sugar; 1 small teaspoon baking soda; salt; and 1 egg; 42 teaspoon baking powder. Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg, then the banana. Add % cup milk, then the flour with the soda and baking powder sifted in. Bake about half an hour. Ice with coffee icing.

Although there is a shortage of coconut just at the moment, you may as well copy out this recipe from Mrs. White, of Mosgiel:Coconut Crisps 1 cup flour; 1 egg; 1%4 lb. butter; % cup sugar; 42 teaspoon baking powder; 2 cups coconut. Work it all into little balls, press with a fork, and bake in a nice oven, Mrs. W. Johnson, Mosgiel, is a noted cook. She gave me this Fish Batter, and also a Walnut Cake: Fish Batter Into four ounces of flour drop an egg yolk whole. Beat a little. Add a little tepid water to make a smooth batter. Leave ten minutes. Then beat egg white stiff, with a little salt added. Add to the other mixture. This makes any fish nice, but you must have the fat really boiling. Walnut Cake Six ounces of flour; 144 lb. of butter; 2 oz. walnuts crushed through the mincer; 1 teaspoon spice; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 3 eggs; 6 oz. sugar; and 2 tablespoons warm milk. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs one by one, then the warm milk alternately with the flour and the walnuts. Ice, and put walnuts on the icing. Orange Bread Mrs. Barkman of the MacAndrew Bay Women’s Institute makes this economical and delightful bread: The pith and peel of 1 large orange; 1 cup of sugar; 1 tablespoon of butter; 1 egg; 1 smail cup of: milk; 1 large cup of flour; 1 large cup of wheatmeal; a pinch of salt; and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Cut the peel into strips, cover with 2 small cups of water, and boil gently till tender-about half an hour. Then add 1 cup of sugar and boil until the peel has a candied appearance, and the syrup is practically absorbed. Beat the egg, add butter, flour, baking powder and milk. Lastly add the peel while still | warm and mix thoroughly. Turn orien, , greased tin and let stand 15 minutes. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Savoury Topping for Biscuits This was given me at an evening meeting in the Tudor Lounge at Dunedin, to which came members of various near-by Institutes: Put into a small saucepan a small quantity of milk, with a good knob of butter, grated cheese to taste, some grated onion, a little curry powder, pepper and salt. Thicken to the desired consistency with cornflour; spread on plain crisp biscuits, and decorate with chopped chives. Cider This comes from Mrs. MclIlwraith, Invercargill. I tasted it at her house, and liked it so much that I asked for the

recipe: Cut up green apples and cover with boiling water. Cover and let stand in a warm place for three days. Strain. For every four cups of liquid add 1 cup of sugar, let stand for 3 days. Then strain and bottle. Foundation Recipe This is from Mrs. Henderson, at Gore: Three ounces of butter; 5 oz. sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 eggs; 5 ozs. flour. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, flour and baking powder. To make a plain sponge, add 3 tablespoons of cold milk. To make it into a chocolate sponge, add 2 dessertspoons of cocoa, and 3 tablespoons of boiling water. If making it into an orange cake, add only a little grated rind; use the juice in the icing. It can really be varied as you like-sultanas may be added; or spices. Next week I will give some Canterbury Recipes.