CAKES WITHOUT OVENS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 426, 22 August 1947, Page 22

CAKES WITHOUT OVENS

ANY requests come to me for cake or biscuit recipes which can be made without oven-baking. Fuel-shortage and lack of cooking facilities are the reasons for these requests. To-day I received an urgent appeal from an old Link in the Daisy Chain who says, "We have just moved to this island, and my recipes have got lost somehow. I have no means of baking and we do long for cakes, but cannot buy them down here." So I posted these to her, and I know they will be useful to many others, Boiled Cake This is an old one, beloved of "bachelor girls."’" Half pound each of butter and sugar (good cod fat beaten with a little lemon juice will do). Put them into a saucepan and melt them together. Beat up 2 eggs and add; stir till thick.. Mix in 1 tablespoon cocoa, ¥% teaspoon vanilla; %lb. chopped walnuts; and 1 cup of sultanas, Lastly, adda pound of round wine biscuits, broken with a rolling pin (not too fine). Press into a greased, square tin and leave till next day, or even the day after. Steamed Fruit Cake (Rich) The flavour of this cake is excellent, and different from the usual baked cake. The mixture is cooked in a round tin, not more than two-thirds full, with a greased paper placed over the top and¢ tied tightly round the sides to prevent steam or water getting in. Place this in the steamer, and shut ‘the lid down very tightly. Keep the water boiling briskly all the time, adding more boiling water if it boils away. Steam the cake for 31% hours, and then bake in a-moderate oven for half an hour. If you have no oven, of course, you can just go on steaming it for that extra half hour, Mixture: Y/lb. each of flour, brown sugar and butter; 2lb. of mixed fruit; %lb. of almonds; 2oz. lemon peel; % teaspoon mixed spice; 4% teaspoon nutmeg; 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder; 5 eggs; and %4 cup brandy (or 1 teaspoon of brandy essence.) Mince the fruit. Cream the butter, then beat in the sugar; then add the well-beaten yolks of eggs. Now add fruit, peel, spice and almonds; then sifted flour and baking powder. As each ingredient is added, mix very well. Lastly, fold in lightly the beaten egg whites, and brandy if desired. Cook as above. Caramel Cookies First make the caramel. This is simply a tin of sweetened condensed milk boiled in a saucepan of water for 3 hours, and allowed. to cool. People often boil up two or three tins at a time, and have them ready. Then mix together 1 tin of caramel; 1 cup chopped dates, sultanas, raisins, or any fruit or nuts mixed; 1 tablespoon dry cocoa; 1 teaspoon vanilla pesenig and sufficient biscuit crumbs to a stiff mixture. Roll teaspoonful tots in coconut, and leave to set on greaseproof paper. They keep well. Chocolate Log Cake This is a very popular recipe, and is even used by home cookeries. Half a of sifted icing sugar; 1 egg; 1%

tablespoons cocoa; 2 tablespoons butter; vanilla to taste; and %4lb. of malt biscuits, Melt the butter and ‘sugar, add the cocoa; then the egg, and icing sugar. Make it into a nice creamy mixture, and keep it standing in a saucepan of hot water. Put four biscuits side by side on greaseproof/ paper, spread with the icing, then put another layer, and 0 on. Finally coat the top and sides with the icing, sprinkle with nuts, and leave for 2 or 3 days before cutting. Pacific Coconut Biscuits These were devised and sent overseas by mothers of servicemen on duty in the Pacific during the war. They carried well, and were pronounced good. Mix well 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk; 1’, cup cocoa; 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and

enough coconut to make to a stiff paste -1 cup or more. When well mixed, form into balls, and allow to stand on greased paper to dry. Pack when quite dry. Truffles Quarter of a pound of stale plain cake; 141b. sugar; %4lb. minced peanuts; vanilla flavouring; apricot jam; and a bar of plain chocolate. Rub the stale cake into fine crumbs, add sugar and nuts. Flavour with vanilla, and mix to a firm paste with warm apricot jam. Shape into round cakes the size of a walnut, and leave in a cool place to set. Melt the chocolate and coat each cake with ‘it; then roll in coconut. Crunch = This is ‘really popular. Two tablespoons cocoa; 2 cup finely chopped walnuts; 1 cup coconut; 6oz. vegetable fat, (must be vegetable); pinch, of salt; Y cup whole raisins; %4 cup icing sugar; vanilla; and 6 weetbix. Mix the dry ingredients, melt the fat and pour it over, Mix well, and then press Aard into a tin with the back of a spoon, Pressing is the secret. This is ready almost immediately, Fudge Fingers 4 This recipe is similar to the boiled cake one, and is very useful. Bring lb. butter, 4%4lb. sugar and 1 tablespoon cocoa to the boil. Remove from fire, add 1 well-beaten egg, 1 cup chopped walnuts, %lb. round vanilla wine biscuits broken into small pieces, Pat down in tin on greased paper, to about %-inch high. When cold, cut into fingers. Better if kept 2 or 3 days, but can be used at once,