STRAWBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 22, Issue 550, 6 January 1950, Page 14

STRAWBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES

ally accepted as the most luxurious of fruits. It was one Dr. Boteler who wrote, in Shakespeare’s time, "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did!" Raspberries run them a close second. Naturally, the best way to eat either is to pick them and eat them straight away, sun-warmed and juicy, without sugar or cream. But you may have them also in tartlets, flans and fools, or in shortcake as well as with ice cream; and do preserve some for the winter.. / Bottling in the Oven An easy way, and one in which the berries keep their colour, is to bottle them in their own juice. Fill the jars quite full, "jarring" them down by a knock on the table, so that they settle into place. They must not be over-ripe, but dry and firm. Cover each jar with a pattypan or tin lid and set them first im a moderate oven (Regulo 4 or 350 degrees) for about 6 minutes, by which time the juices will have started to flow; then lower heat and leave till fruit has sunk down, when you may fill one from another. Leave in oven %4 to one hour till properly sterilised. Then take out one at a time and seal instantly. The berries should*be whole, and you can serve them with icing sugar like fresh fruit. A better way is to have a syrup ready and boiling, and as you take out each jar fill GS sly are gener-

it with this syrup before sealing. In this case, do not have the jars too full of berries. Syrup for Bottling Too heavy a syrup is the cause of fruit rising in the jars. A medium syrup is made by allowing % Ib. sugar to one pint of water. Put over low heat and stir till sugar is dissolved. Then bring to boil and keep boiling 3-5 minutes. Strawberry Shortcake Two cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 egg, 44 cup milk: Sift dry ingredients, rub in butter lightly. Add beaten egg and milk mixed, to make a soft dough. Roll out one half of dough lightly on to a greased slide, spread with butter. Roll out other half, and cover first half. Bake in hot oven 20-25 minutes. While hot, split open and spread between the layers crushed and sweetened strawberries or raspberries, and whipped cream. Cover top with whipped cream and whole berries. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Crushed= and’ sweetened raspberries mixed’ with diced fresh pineapple, or with sliced peaches (preserved or fresh) make a delightful change. Strawberry Sponge Cake Make your favourite butter sponge the day before. Sprinkle strawberries or raspberries with plenty of castor sugar " (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) and leave to stand. Keep a few of the biggest berries to decorate top of cake. Put fower-half of sponge on a pretty dish, cover with sweetened berries, "pile on some whipped cream, and cover with the other half sponge. Cover this with whipped cream and arrange whole firm berries all over it. You may use evaporated milk or cream. Take 1 tin unsweetened condensed. milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla essence, %2 oz. gelatine, 4% oz. sugar. Mix sugar, vanilla and gelatine (which has been dissolved in a little warm. water), and add to milk. Warm slightly. Do not allow to boil. When cold beat with.egg beater until like whipped cream. Mock er Two teaspoons cornflour, 1% pint milk, 3 teaspoons sugar, 114 oz. butter, few drops /vanilla. Mix cornflour to smooth paste with a little of the cold milk. Put rest of milk in small saucepan, and when boiling stir it into the cornflour. paste. Mix well, return to saucepan, stir till it boils and cook 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Set aside to get stone cold. Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, and drop in a teaspoonful at a time of the cold cornflour mixture, beating in each spoonful very well. Flavour to taste. Double quantities of this make quite a a lot, and it really looks like clotted cream. Strawberry Pavlova Four egg whites, %4 cup castor sugar, 1 teaspoon cornflour, 1 teaspoon vinegar, few drops vanilla, pinch salt. Whisk eggs and sugar in dry basin for 10 minutes with a very strong egg whisk. Add vinegar, then cornflour, vanilla and salt. Beat stiff enough to stand when cut. Line a tin with well buttered paper, or bake in paper alone, formed into a high-sided container. Put into 250 degree oven and turn off heat. Leave until cold. Cover with strawberries or raspberries and creafn. Berry Sponge de Luxe Make your favourite sponge caketwo layers. Put a strawberry or raspberry jelly filling between. Thisis made by letting jelly set a little, then whipping it so that it remains fluffy. Then gut a big circle out of the top layer of sponge so that.it leaves a double rim on the outside. Mash some strawberries or raspberries with a little castor sugar, and fill the cavity. Put whipped cream on and arrange prettily a few strawberries or raspberries on top, and dust’ with castor sugar.