THE HOLIDAY LARDER

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 390, 13 December 1946, Page 26

THE HOLIDAY LARDER

New Year Holidays, with visitors popping in and out, there is a constant call on the resources of the larder; so here are some good things to keep in the tins. We can’t eat the good Christmas Cake all the time, too, so here is a "second best" cake. Block Cake Two heaped cups of flour; 1 cup of sugar; Ylb. of butter or good cooking fat; 2 well-beaten eggs; 1 cup of boiling milk; 30z. of peel; 30z, of almonds; Ilb. of' sultanas; llb. of raisins; 1 teaspoon of soda; lb. of cherries if available; and 14% teaspoons of vanilla. If a dark cake is needed, put in a tablespoon of black currant jam, but it is very nice as it is. Rub the butter into the flour until it is like crumbs, add the sugar, and mix. Beat the eggs well, add the milk and put in a saucepan, and let it get very hot, like a custard. Do not let it boil, or you will have a curdled mixture-just very hot. Then take it off the fire and let it cool. Pour it into the rest of the ingredients, and stir till well mixed. Add the soda last in a little more milk. Bake in a square tin in a moderate oven about 2 hours or until cooked. Golden Buns These may help to conserve the bread ration. Two cups of flour; 2 heaped teaspoons of baking powder; 1% teaspoon of salt; 1 tablespoon of sugar; 20z. of butter; 1 egg; % cup of milk; 1 tablespoon of golden syrup; 1% teaspoon of cinnamon essence; and % teaspoon of vanilla. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder, and add the sugar. Rub in the butter. Melt the syrup, beat up with the egg, and add the flavourings. Make a well in the centre of the flour and butter, and add the syrup mixture. Mix to a soft dough with milk. Roll it out, cut into rounds, and roll each into a ball. Put them on cold trays, brush the tops over with any egg left in the basin, and bake in a quick oven about % of an hour. Serve buttered. Cherry Buttons Ground almonds can now be obtained in some shops, so try these, One egg; Vlb. of sugar; 30z. of cod fat; Ylb. of flour; %lb. of ground almonds; a squeeze of lemon in with the fat; and some cherries. Cream the butter and sugar, add the flour and almonds. Mix to a firm paste with the egg-use a small one. Drop in small teaspoon lots on a tray, put a piece of cherry on each. Bake in |a slow oven for 25 minutes. They look very attractive-a golden colour like shortbread, with the red cherry. No baking powder is used, ‘ Pixie Cakes Le Three ounces of peanut butter; 44 cup of sugar; loz. of butter or substitute; a teaspoon of grated lemon rind; 1 tablespoon of marmalade; 2 eggs; 40z. of sultanas; 2 cups of flour} 2 teaspoons of baking powder; 12 teaspoon of spice; and ¥% cup of milk. Cream the butter with the peanut butter, sugar, and lemon rind. Beat in the marmalade, then the eggs one the. Christmas and

at a time, and-now the sultanas. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spice, and fold into the mixture alternately with the milk. Spoon the mixture into wellgreased patty pans, and bake from 12 to 15 minutes in a hot oven-about 375 degrees. Lemon flavoured icing on top is nice. Shortbread Biscuits Cream 4oz. of butter and 4oz. of good dripping with 5 heaped dessertspoons of sweetened condensed milk. Add 2 level teaspoons of baking powder; and 120z. of fine wholemeal. Knead to a very soft dough. Put through the biscuit forcer, and bake a nice brown in a good oven. Stick together with icing flavoured with lemon essence, or fresh lemon juice. Chocolate Layer Cake Half a cup of butter or good cooking fat; 134 cups of sugar; 6 egg yolks; 114 cups of warm milk; 234 cups of flour; 214 teaspoons of baking powder; % teaspoon of salt; and 1 good teaspoon of

vanilla or lemon essence. Cream the butter until soft, and blend in, 1 cup of the sugar. Add the egg yolks and beat until light. Dissolve the remaining sugar in the warm milk, Mix and sift the dry ingredients, and add to the first mixture alternately with the milk. Add the essence. Turn into two sponge tins lined with well-greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven-350 degrees to 400 de-grees-for about % to 1 hour. When cold, spread chocolate icing between the layers and on top of the cake, and round the sides, Prune Cake Half a pound of prunes; 5oz. of butter; 5o0z. of sugar; 1 egg; a pinch of salt; a Pinch of ground cloves; 14% cups of flour; % teaspoon of soda; % teaspoon of cinnamon; % teaspoon: of mixed spice; 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Soak the prunes overnight, and next day cook them till soft. Stone and drain them. Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg, and then beat well. Add all the dry ingredients well sifted; and the prunes, which have been dredged with flour. Mix all well in, and if the’ mixture is too stiff, add some of the prune juice. Bake for about % to 1 hour in moderate oven. Coconut Biscuits Cream 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat 1 egg white to a stiff froth and add to the butter and sugar, then a small cup of desiccated coconut, and 1 small teaspoon of vanilla. Sift in 3 tablespoons of flour, with 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix well, put teaspoonfuls on a cold greased slide, and bake 1% of an hour in a moderate oven.