CAKES OF OTHER COUNTRIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 526, 22 July 1949, Page 22

CAKES OF OTHER COUNTRIES

O far, in this series dealing with foreign meals, we have been gathering round the dinner table. This week let us have a bigger party, yet easier to manage, a tea-party. We had better make coffee as well as tea, 89 many Continental people prefer it. To share food together has always been a sign of fellowship, and overseas visitors would be charmed to find familiar dainties in New Zealand homes, Poland-Magoorek This is a special cake for Easter Sunday in the Ukraine and Poland. Try it with half quantities, for 9 eggs are hard to come by. Chop finely a pound each of almonds and hazelnuts; and a pound of mixed peel. Separate yolks from whites of 9 eggs. Beat first the yolks till light and lemon coloured, then add 1lb. sugar gradually, mixing very well. Add whites of eggs, first beaten to stiff froth, then 1lb. well sifted flour, grated rind of 2 lemons and juice of one. Finally add nuts and peel. Stir gently, pour into a well-buttered tin, cover. with buttered paper, and bake in moderate oven 20 to 30 minutes. Test with knife, which will come out quite dry when cake is cooked. Leave to cool, sprinkle with sugar, and cut in squares. Finland-Pepper Cakes Half pound golden syrup, 1lb. sugar, 5 tablespoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon each of ginger and black pepper, 2Ib. white flour, %4lb. butter, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon orange candied, peel, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 4 egg yolks. Heat syrup and sugar to boiling point, then stir till cold. Stir in cream and butter ‘which must first be creamed together ‘until light. Then add spices, peel, and egg yolks, one at a time, beating each ‘in well. Then add flour and soda, and when mixture is smooth leave it in a cold place overnight. Next day roll out ‘on floured board, cut into fancy shapes and bake in moderate oven 20 minutes. This mixture is also used for making a Santa Claus -house at Christmas, Denmark-Peppernuts This is a typical Christmas recipe, in making which the children’s aid is called in to do the rolling, cutting, and placing on trays. The Danish chef who gave it to me said these peppernuts were supposed to counteract the effects of overindulgence in rich Christmas food-and* that they came in handy to use as "counters" in card gameg and the like! One pound flour, 1 Ib. brown sugar, 4 eggs, Ylb. butter, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 2 tablespoons ground almonds. Work well ‘together and roll out in long thin rolls, which are then cut into pieces as large as a big hazelnut. Bake a light golden brown. France-Gateau Moka Half pound fresh butter, 4 egg yolks, lylb. icing sugar, a wine-glass of very strong coffee and some sponge finger biscuits. This is a rich cake, made without flour, and requires no cooking. Mix

together butter and sugar till smooth as cream, then gradually stir in egg -yolks and coffee. Rinse out mould with cold water, fill with alternate layers of the mixture and sponge finger biscuits, ‘finishing with a biscuit layer, cover with a plate on which put a weight so that the cake is well pressed together. Stand on icé or in a bowl of cold salted water. Make the day before required. Russia-Orichoviy Tort ~ Russian Walnut Cake. It contains neither butter nor flour, but 9 eggs. Put 9 egg-yolks into a basin with Y2Ib. sugar. Stir until smooth on low heat, then add %%41b. ground walnuts and 144 tablespoons brown breadcrumbs, and mix very well. Add egg whites whisked to stiff froth. Butter 2 sandwich tins,

sprinkle with flour and shake out. Slightly more than half-fill them with. the mixture and bake in moderate oven approximately 1% hour. Turn out on to cake rack, When cold spread with Almond Cream Filling made thus: Two tablespoong, fresh cream, %lb, each of ground almonds and sugar, 2 eggs. Put all ingredients into double saucepan and stir continuously till mixture thickens. Leave to cool before spreading on sponge or other cake sandwiches. Cake should be cool before filling is used. Russian Icing for Walnut Cake: 1 cup soft brown sugar, 42 cup boiling water, 1 egg white. It is easy and quick to make in dry weather, but do not try it on a damp day. Boil sugar and water together hard about 7 minutes. Butter finger tips to test the mixture in cold water. When it rolls up into a soft ball it. is cooked, Whisk stiff 1 white of egg and gradually pour hot boiling syrup. into this, beating all the time with a wooden spoon until creamy. Use as icing and trim with pieces of walnut, almonds, glacé or crystallised fruit. Germany-Honey Cakes Half cup butter, 2 cups flour, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 cup sugar, ¥2 cup chopped nuts, % cup strained honey. Cream butter and sugar, add beaten eggs and honey. Sift together flour and baking powder and stir them into mixture. Stand. aside in cool place overnight. Roll out thin, cut into shapes, brush over with white of egg. diluted with warm water. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and chopped nuts, and bake,