MORE CHRISTMAS FARE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 495, 17 December 1948, Page 26

MORE CHRISTMAS FARE

ERE are some less expensive, but still festive, Christmas puddings and cakes and biscuits; and some easily made bread in case you run short over the holidays. Family Christmas Pudding This is a Paremata retipe. One cup each of flour, breadcrumbs and the best shredded suet; 2 level teaspoons of baking soda and 1 tablespoon golden syrup; one or more cups of mixed fruit; 2 cups milk. Warm the milk and syrup together, add the soda and mix well. Pour this over the well mixed dry ingredients, and blend , thoroughly. Leave to stand all night. Boil next day for 4 to 5 hours. Use greased basin, cover with butter paper and a cloth tiéd over top. See that the water boils the whole time, and does not boil away. Have the water to come a little more than half-way up the basin in the saucepan,. and be sure that the lid fits ,properly so that steam does not escape. The water must be boiling when the pudding is put in. There is no sugar in this recipe, but you may add half cup if you wish. Wee Wyn’s Pudding One and a half pounds of flour, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 60z. each of raisins and currants, 8o0z. sugar, ‘lb, butter (or other good shortening), 42 teaspoon spice, 1 tablespoon golden syrup, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 eggs, a little lemon peel, milk to mix. A little brandy is optional. Rub the butter into the flour, then add fruit, spice, etc. Lastly, add beaten eggs with syrup. Add milk as required. Boil 4 to 5 hours. Ship’s Cake This is cheap but very good; is best made with butter. Half a pound of butter; 2 large cups flour; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon vinegar; 2 cup sugar; 1 tablespoon golden syrup; 1 to 144lb. mixed fruit; 1 tablespoon raspberry jam (or home-made gooseberry); 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 cup milk. Cream. butter and sugar, add egg and beat. Add golden syrup, jam, and vinegar, ‘then flour and fruit, and lastly add the soda and milk. Bake in a moderate oven, slowly, as for Christmas cake, approximately 2% hours. Swiss Icing This is delicious. Just mix all together till smooth. One cup of icing sugar, a nut of butter; 2 tablespoons condensed milk; vanilla to taste; 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Shortbread Biscuits ream 4oz. butter and 40z, good dripping or margarine with 5 dessertspoons (heaped) sweetened condensed milk. Add 12o0z. fine wholemeal and 2 level teaspoons baking powder. Knead into very soft dough. Put through biscuit forcer, dnd stick ‘two togéther with icing flavoured with raspberry. essence or lemon juice. You can also roll them

into small balls (teaspoonfuls) and flatten with a fork, and stick together with icing. Bake a nice brown in a good oven, When using biscuit forcer make the biscuits about 3 inches long, American Fudge Biscuits Three tablespoons shortening (fat of some sort); l' cup sugar; 1 egg; 2oz. melted unsweetened chocolate; 1% teaspoon vanilla essence; 1-3rd cup milk; 1 cup flour; 1+ teaspoon baking powder;. 1-8th teaspoon salt; 4% cup chopped nuts-not too fine. Melt shortening;

add sugar and unbeaten egg; mix well; add chocolate, vanilla, milk, and flour which has been sifted with baking powder and salt; add nuts and mix well. Spread about 1% inch thick on greased, shallow cake tin, bake in a slow oven 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares before removing from pan, Milk Loaf or Rolls In case you run short of bread, here is a recipe for milk-loaf, or rolls. Instead of compressed yeast you may use the dried yeast. A good tablespoonful is about equal to a cake of the compressed. A little more or less makes very little difference, except that the loaf may rise faster or slower, according to the age of the dried yeast, which is generally marked on the jar.. Use more if not so fresh. You need loz. yeast; 2lb. flour; 1 pint of luke-warm water; loz. of sweetened condensed milk; oz: salt. Dissolve the yeast in a little of the luke-warm water; and the sweetened condensed milk and salt in the balance of the water. Make up the whole into a fairly free dough-not a "tight" dough. Leave to rise in warm (not hot) place for 2 hours. Then punch it down a little and leave for another half hour: Mould into a loaf, or rolls, and leave:on tray (well covered over) to rise again till very light. Then bake in fairly sharp oven (about regulo 7 or 420 deg.) after brushing over with a little milk to glaze.